Name Gib Lewis | Spouse(s) Sandra Majors Lewis Political party Democratic Role Polit. | |
Preceded by Robert M. Burnett (District 52) Education Sam Houston State University, Texas Christian University | ||
Changing up (Gib Lewis unit)
Gibson Donald Lewis, known as Gib Lewis (born August 22, 1936), is a political consultant and a Democratic former politician from Fort Worth, Texas. He was the first person to be elected five times as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, but he did not seek reelection in 1992, in compliance with a plea bargain agreement connected with his misdemeanor conviction of a violation of Texas financial disclosure law.
Contents
- Changing up Gib Lewis unit
- So high Gib Lewis unit
- Background
- Political career
- Conviction on ethics charges
- DWI arrest
- References
So high (Gib Lewis unit)
Background
Lewis was born in Oletha in Limestone County and reared partly in Mexia in east central Texas. He spent his formative years in Cleveland, Texas, where he graduated in 1955 from Cleveland High School. He then enrolled at Sam Houston State College in Huntsville in Walker County in East Texas. Lewis later enlisted in the United States Air Force and went on to serve as a B-52 aerial gunner. While stationed at Carswell Air Force Base, he continued his studies at Texas Christian University. Lewis was discharged from the U.S. Air Force in 1961. He then took a job as a salesman for a paper company and three years later, opened his own firm specializing in pressure-sensitive labels and decals. It grew into a multimillion-dollar business. Lewis continues as president of Lewis Label Products, Inc., today, three decades after its founding.
Since leaving the state legislature, he has lobbied state government on behalf of private clients.
Lewis is married to the former Sandra Majors.
He is the namesake of the Gibson D. Lewis Health Science Library at the University of North Texas Health Science Center and the Gib Lewis Prison Unit in Woodville, Texas.
Political career
Lewis was elected Speaker in 1983 to succeed Bill W. Clayton of Springlake, Lamb County. He was a key figure in passing the 1984 education act, designed by Ross Perot and Democratic Governor Mark White, hailed at the time as one of the most sweeping public education reforms in Texas history. He was instrumental in the passage of the 1985 comprehensive Texas Water Plan. He later promoted legislation to combat crime, including stricter laws against drunk drivers. An avid sportsman, Lewis carried legislation creating the "Operation Game Thief" program and was a sponsor of the Uniform Game Management Act.
In 1969, Lewis was elected to the River Oaks City Council. He arrived the next year in Fort Worth, the county seat of Tarrant County.
In 1970, Lewis was elected to the House from Tarrant County. In 1973, he was named chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee. In 1977, he chaired the House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs.
Conviction on ethics charges
In January 1992, Lewis pleaded no contest to two charges alleging that he illegally accepted a gift from a prominent law firm in San Antonio, Texas, and failed to disclose the money on official financial reports filed with the state. As part of a plea bargain, Lewis agreed to not seek reelection and to pay a fine of $1,000 for each charge.
DWI arrest
In June 2009, Lewis was arrested in the capital city of Austin, on probable cause of driving while intoxicated. His breathalyzer test indicated a blood alcohol content (BAC) level of 0.16 g/dl, twice the legal limit in Texas, and over three times the "best practices" limit recommended by the World Health Organization.