Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Seventy-Sixth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1 Page: 11
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That is what I want Texas to be like, for me, and for my family. I want
Texas to be like James E. "Pete" Laney, and therefore I am very proud to
second his nomination as speaker of the house of representatives.
The secretary of state recognized the Honorable Ruth Jones McClendon
of Bexar County, who seconded the nomination of the Honorable James E.
"Pete" Laney, speaking as follows:
Mr. Secretary, colleagues, fellow Texans and friends, I am honored to be
given the opportunity to second the nomination of James E. "Pete" Laney as
speaker of the house.
I finished college in the turbulent '60s and set out on the road to my
career working with troubled kids as a juvenile probation officer. Had you
told me then that one day, I would be standing here before all of you, I would
have sent each of you back for more counseling. Yet here I am.
The great thing about America is that she gives you the opportunity to
give your very best. I have found that same thing to be true in the house,
under the leadership of Pete Laney.
I am proud today to be one of you.
I am proud today to be part of this historic event.
And I am proud to stand with you in support of a great man and proven
leader.
Sam Rayburn once said, "Anyone can be elected once by accident.
Beginning with the second term, it's worth paying attention."
Speaker Laney has been elected 13 terms to this body, and today to a
fourth term as speaker. It's no accident, and we are paying attention.
I knew from my first meeting with Pete Laney that he was unlike other
powerful people I had known. Shortly after I was elected in '96 to fill an
unexpired term as a new member, and even though I did not know him well,
I asked Speaker Laney to come to my home district to swear me in so that
my constituents could attend. I was new. We did not have a relationship
then. Yet he made the effort. He came to my hometown and from my first
meeting, he made me feel welcomed and an important part of this process.
That's Pete Laney.
From our first encounter, I learned that to him, respect and courtesy are
always the order of the day. Pete teaches us that respect is earned, not
demanded. That power is shared, not monopolized.
All of us know that his West Texas philosophy includes competence and
cooperation, not dominance and control. That's Pete Laney.
He empowers us to be the best we can be; to do the best we can for our
constituents and for Texas. He leads by example. While he appreciates our
individualism, he helps us find our common ground. That's Pete Laney.
He is a leader who understands the dimension and diversity of our great
state. He governs by inclusion, not exclusion. Yet he keeps us focused on
what is in the best interest of all of Texas.
As I look around me today, I wonder if I could lead this bunch. Maybe
you have wondered the same. Being speaker is a tough job. The task: bring
together 149 unique individuals; each with different ideas about how to best
educate our children, how to prioritize state spending, and how best to
prepare Texas for the next century.Tuesday, January 12, 1999
HOUSE JOURNAL - 1st Day
11
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Texas. Legislature. House of Representatives. Journal of the House of Representatives of the Regular Session of the Seventy-Sixth Legislature of the State of Texas, Volume 1, legislative document, 1999; (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth97442/m1/15/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Government Documents Department.