Pete Laney

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James E. "Pete" Laney (1943- ) is a Democratic U.S. political figure from West Texas. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives for thirty-four years from Hale Center (the seat of Hale County) near Plainview. Laney served as Speaker for ten years from 1993 to 2003, a record which tied his predecessor, fellow Democrat Gibson D. "Gib" Lewis of Fort Worth (the seat of Tarrant County), who served as speaker from 1983 to 1993.

During his tenure, Laney was widely regarded to have demonstrated principle, integrity, and character in his leadership of the House. He was cited by Republican Governor George W. Bush, in the course of the 2000 Presidential campaign, as an example of bipartisan cooperation. As Speaker, Laney was "foster[ed] a bipartisan atmosphere" for legislators to "work together with mutual respect and place public needs ahead of personal interests and partisan politics."^[1]

Laney was elected Speaker after Lewis resigned amidst ethics allegations. According to Texas Monthly magazine, Laney, in the Seventy-third Texas Legislature (his first term as Speaker), "ran the fairest, cleanest, most open, most democratic House in memory." He was also named by the magazine as one of the "Top Ten" legislators for the legislative session.^[2] Laney's tenure as Speaker ended after the 2002 GOP gained a majority in the Texas House, when Thomas R. "Tom" Craddick, Sr. (also born 1943), of Midland, was elected the first Republican Speaker since 1871. When Craddick undertook an unprecedented mid-decade congressional redistricting, Laney joined fellow Democrats who traveled to Ardmore, Okla. to block consideration of the Republican bill by denying the House a quorum.

In December 2005, Laney announced he would not re-election to the the House in which he served continuously since 1973. Laney was re-elected in 2004 (while no longer Speaker) by defeating his Republican opponent with almost 59 percent of the vote in a district won by George W. Bush with 76 percent of the vote. In 2006, Democrats retained Laney's seat in a hard fought general election won by former Crosby County Judge Joe Heflin, who was outspent by Laney's 2004 opponent. It is the only Panhandle-area legislative seat held by a Democrat.

Born 20 March 1943 in Plainview to Wilber G. Laney (1918-2005) and the former Frances L. Wilson (1921-2000), Laney married the former Nelda Kay McQuien (also born 1943). Laney's children are KaLyn Laney, James Kay (Jamey) Laney Phillips, and J. Pete Laney. He has one brother, Mark Wilson Laney (born 1946) of Hale Center. ^[3]

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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 Joe Heflin
Preceded by Gib Lewis	Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives 1993–2003	Succeeded by Tom Craddick

Speakers of the Texas House of Representatives

Crump • Brown • Branch • Crump • Bourland • Perkins • Henderson • Keenan • Dickson • Runnels • Bee • W. Taylor • Locke • M. Taylor • Buckley • Darnell • Buckley • M. Taylor • Burford • Evans • Sinclair • M. Taylor • Bryan • Bonner • Cochran • Reeves • Gibson • Foster • Pendleton • Alexander • Milner • Cochran • Smith • Dashiell • Sherrill • Prince • Neff • Seabury • Love • Kennedy • Marshall • Rayburn • Terrell • Woods • Fuller • Thomason • Thomas • Seagler • Satterwhite • Bobbitt • Barron • Minor • Stevenson • Calvert • Morse • Leonard • Daniel • Gilmer • Reed • Manford • Senterfitt • Lindsey • Carr • Turman • Tunnell • Barnes • Mutscher • Slider • Price • Daniel, Jr. • Clayton • Lewis • Laney • Craddick