HALE, L. Dewitt (b. 1917) | Oral History

HALE, L. Dewitt (b. 1917)

Profession: Attorney
Political Service: Texas House of Representatives
Political Party: Democrat

Oral Histories

Attorney, member of the Texas House of Representatives from Corpus Christi, Democrat. His experiences from his career as a member of the Texas Legislature (1939-40; 1953-62; 1964-67). Biographical information and decision to enter politics; influence of lobbyists; revenue legislation; changes in House rules; evolution of House membership; comments about Governor John Connally, Lieutenant Governor Preston Smith, and Speaker Ben Barnes; comments about former governors Allen Shivers and Price Daniels; one-year versus two-year budget; position on annual legislative sessions; constitutional revision; higher education.
Date of Interview: December 19, 1967

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Special Session of the Sixtieth Legislature. Revenue legislation; reform of liquor laws; changes in House rules.
Date of Interview: August 29, 1968

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Sixty-First Legislature. One-year versus two-year budget; comments about Governor Preston smith and Lieutenant Governor Ben Barnes; revenue bills; corporate income tax; welfare legislation; state minimum wage law; education legislation; creation of new four-year colleges; beer and liquor lobby; changes in state sales tax base; personal legislation; redistricting under “one-man, one-vote” U.S. Supreme court decision.
Date of Interview: October 16, 1970

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Regular and First Special Session of the Sixty-second Legislature. Revenue bills; corporate profits tax; Sharpstown stock-fraud scandal; legislative ethics; “Dirty Thirty”; appropriations; redistricting; personal legislation
Date of Interview: June 24, 1971

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Regular Session of the Sixty-third Texas Legislature. Reform legislation; appropriations; comments about Governor Dolph Briscoe.
Date of Interview: September 30, 1973

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His experiences and personal views while serving as a member of the Texas Constitutional Convention, 1974. Need for constitutional revision; Constitutional Revision Commission; Joint Constitutional Convention Planning Committee; Price Daniel, Jr., as chairman of the Constitutional Convention; Judiciary Committee; right-to-work provision; failure of the Constitutional Convention.
Date of Interview: December 20, 1974

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Sixty-fourth Legislature. House speakership race; appropriations; committee appointments; public school financing; public utilities legislation; constitutional revision; personal legislation; comments about Governor Dolph Briscoe.
Date of Interview: September 3, 1975

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His experiences and personal views as a member of the Sixty-fifth Legislature. Budget surplus; highway appropriations; teacher retirement bill; Texas Monthly’s ratings of legislators; public school financing; ad valorem taxation; Peveto Bill.
Date of Interview: July 12, 1977

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