Texas Ethics Reform: A Long, Tortured History
This is one in a series of occasional stories about ethics and transparency in the part-time Texas Legislature.
There was no reason to suspect that the 1971 session of the Texas Legislature would be much different from the ones that preceded it.
Gov. Preston Smith and Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes were coming off re-election victories. A fellow Democrat, state Rep. Gus Mutscher, of Brenham, was flexing his muscles as a second-term House speaker. Preparations for an elaborate January inaugural celebration, with a parade in downtown Austin and musical entertainment by Wayne Newton and Faron Young, were in full swing.
But ...
Comments (1)
Pickles Sorrell
Jay:
A couple of minor points:
In 1973 (I was a typist in the basement of the Texas House in those days), yes, half the House turned over but Sharpstown was only part of the story. Redistricting and the implementing of single member districts in the urban counties were responsible for as much of the turnover in the House. You had House members in 1972 running in neighborhood based districts as opposed to running on a countywide slate. Some of them, didn't even know how to campaign door to door and they got their clocks cleaned.
Other members got new counties in their districts and these became regional turf wars which many incumbents lost. Many incumbent House members who were close to Mutscher won handily mainly because their districts did not change and that they were personally well regarded.
So Sharpstown was one factor that push the turnover, but not the only thing.
Second, GIb Lewis' deal did not require him to resign, just not seek re-election. He served as Speaker for two more years following his plea deal.