Pete Laney

James Earl "Pete" Laney
James Earl "Pete" Laney
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
	In office; 1993–2003
Preceded by	Gib Lewis
Succeeded by	Tom Craddick
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from Hale County (districts vary)
	In office; 1973–2007
Preceded by	Delwin Jones (District 76)
Succeeded by	Joseph P. Heflin (District 85)
Personal details
Born	March 20, 1943; Plainview, Hale County; Texas, USA
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Nelda McQuien Laney
Children	KaLyn Laney; James Kay (Jamey) Laney Phillips; J Pete Laney
Parents	Wilber G. and Frances L. Wilson Laney
Residence	Hale Center, Hale County
Alma mater	Texas Tech University
Occupation	Farmer, businessman

James Earl Laney, known as Pete Laney (born March 20, 1943), is a U. S. Democratic Party politician from West Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1973 to 2007. A resident of Hale Center, near Plainview in Hale County, Laney served as House Speaker from 1993 to 2003. As of 2020, Laney is the most recent Democrat to serve as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives; Republicans have held this position ever since.

Political life

During his tenure, Laney was widely praised[1] for demonstrating principle, integrity, and character in his leadership of the House. He was cited by Republican Governor George W. Bush, during the 2000 presidential campaign, as a model of legislative bipartisan co-operation. As speaker, Laney "foster[ed] a bipartisan atmosphere for legislators to work together with mutual respect and place public needs ahead of personal interests and partisan politics."[2]

Lewis triggered a speaker's race in 1991 when he announced, amid allegations of accepting an illegal gift from a law firm, that he would not seek re-election as speaker in 1993. Laney announced in November 1992 that he had secured the pledges of more than eighty of his colleagues to elect him speaker.[3] In his first term as speaker, Laney "ran the fairest, cleanest, most open, most democratic House in memory".[4] He was named by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the "Top Ten" legislators of the Seventy-third Texas Legislature.[5]

Laney's tenure as speaker ended after the 2002 elections, when the GOP gained a majority in the Texas House for the first time since Reconstruction, and Tom Craddick of Midland was elected the first Republican speaker since 1871. Craddick served in the presiding post from 2003 to 2009. When Craddick undertook an unprecedented mid-decade congressional redistricting, Laney joined fellow Democrats who traveled to Ardmore, Oklahoma, to block consideration of the Republicans' bill by denying the House a quorum.

In December 2005, Laney announced he would not seek re-election to the House in 2006, after having served continuously since 1973. No longer speaker, Laney was still re-elected in 2004 by defeating his Republican opponent with almost 59 percent of the vote in a district otherwise carried by the second President Bush with 76 percent of the vote.[6] Democrats kept Laney's seat in 2006 with former Crosby County Judge Joseph P. Heflin, who defeated Jim Landtroop of Plainview.

Personal life

Laney was born in Plainview to Wilber G. Laney (1918–2005) and the former Frances L. Wilson (1921–2000). He married the former Nelda Kay McQuien (1943-2016). They have three children[7] and six grandchildren.[8]

References

Yardley, Jim (2001-12-30). "Once-Heralded Bipartisanship Fades in Texas House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
Texas Legislative Council Research Division, Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature: 1846-2002 7 (Texas Legis. Council 2002).
"Laney Says He's Got Speaker Votes", Houston Chronicle, November 10, 1992.
"The Best and Worst Legislators 1993". Texas Monthly. 1993-06-30. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
Paul Burka and Patricia Kilday Hart, "The Best and Worst Legislators 1993", Texas Monthly, July 1993. Accessed February 21, 2006
"HISTORICAL ELECTIONS - OFFICIAL RESULTS". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997.
Austin, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, UT (2008-11-26). "Pete Laney Biography - Texas House Speakers Oral History - Projects". www.cah.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-28.

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by 76-1: Delwin Jones 76-2: Elmer Tarbox 76-3: R. B. McAlister	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 76 (Hale Center) 1973–1983	Succeeded by Tom Craddick
Preceded by Al Edwards	Member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 85 (Hale Center) 1983–2007	Succeeded by Joseph P. Heflin
Political offices
Preceded by Gib Lewis	Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives 1993–2003	Succeeded by Tom Craddick

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[1] Yardley, Jim (2001-12-30). "Once-Heralded Bipartisanship Fades in Texas House". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2018-03-28.

[2] Texas Legislative Council Research Division, Presiding Officers of the Texas Legislature: 1846-2002 7 (Texas Legis. Council 2002).

[3] "Laney Says He's Got Speaker Votes", Houston Chronicle, November 10, 1992.

[4] "The Best and Worst Legislators 1993". Texas Monthly. 1993-06-30. Retrieved 2018-03-28.

[5] Paul Burka and Patricia Kilday Hart, "The Best and Worst Legislators 1993", Texas Monthly, July 1993. Accessed February 21, 2006

[6] "HISTORICAL ELECTIONS - OFFICIAL RESULTS". elections.sos.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2018-03-28.

[7] Texas Birth Index, 1903-1997.

[8] Austin, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, UT (2008-11-26). "Pete Laney Biography - Texas House Speakers Oral History - Projects". www.cah.utexas.edu. Retrieved 2018-03-28.