Byron Cook (politician)

Early life and education

Cook graduated from Navarro College with an associate's degree in 1974. Cook's father, the late Leland P. Cook, was the former circulation manager for the Corsicana Daily Sun. Leland left the newspaper to start a family business. In 1986, he and Cook founded Tradewest, a now-defunct video game company and licensee of several Nintendo games, including Double Dragon, Battletoads, and Super Off Road.

Texas House of Representatives

Cook is the chairman of the Texas House State Affairs Committee and as a member of the Texas House Calendars Committee. He is also a member of the Texas House Republican Caucus and Texas Conservative Coalition. Cook has also served in past legislative sessions as Chairman of the Texas House Committees on Civil Practices and the Committee on Environmental Regulation; and as a member of the Texas Sunset Advisory Commission.

During the 2015 Texas legislative session, Cook, considered a Moderate Republican, filed a bill to allow illegal immigrants to obtain one-year driving permits, which received pushback from lawmakers within the state.

Cook is one of two named investor "victims" in securities fraud charges filed against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton in 2015. Cook and Paxton were friends who served together in the Texas House of Representatives.

On March 22, 2017, Cook asked an activist from Waxahachie to leave the Texas State Capitol as she was filming a governmental meeting. She was charged with trespassing in spite of the Texas Open Meetings Act. When activist and journalist James O'Keefe arrived at his office to ask Cook questions about the unlawful arrest and removal, O'Keefe was promptly removed from the office, and while reporting from the Capitol lobby, Cook called the police to complain once again, having them removed from the building altogether. The entire incident, from the activist filming on March 22nd, to O'Keefe's removal by Cook after only one question, was covered in a piece by the popular and sometimes controversial Project Veritas. outlet.

On March 21, 2017, Representative Tony Tinderholt of Arlington, a strong conservative criticized Representative Cook for refusing a hearing before the House State Affairs Committee on his proposed HB 948, which would abolish abortion in Texas. Cook said that the office of Attorney General Ken Paxton has called the measure "unconstitutional" and therefore no hearing will be set. Tinderholt accused Cook of "hiding behind the office of attorney general."

As chairman of the State Affairs Committee, Cook in 2017 blocked, with the backing of Speaker Joe Straus, House consideration of the Senate-passed bathroom bill, which would require persons to use public rest rooms corresponding with their genitalia at birth. He also barred a vote on HB 1813, which would protect the religious liberty and conscience rights of county clerks and justices of the peace regarding marriage licenses and ceremonies. House bills must pass House committees by May 8. May 11 is the deadline for House bills to be approved by the full House.

Cook also voted to expand Medicare under ObamaCare.

2016 primary election

In March 2016 Republican primary Cook defeated Thomas McNutt, a Tea Party challenger and an heir of the Collin Street Bakery in Corsicana. Cook won nomination to his eighth term by 225 votes, 14,421 (50.4 percent) to McNutt's 14,196 (49.6 percent). McNutt's campaign claimed that there was voter fraud in Hill County during the primary. After investigation, the Hill County Election Administration Board and the Hill County Election Administrator declared that there was no voter fraud in the primary.

Personal life

Cook is a native of Corsicana. He and his wife Kay have two daughters. Outside of his political career, Cook is a businessman and rancher.