Wayne Christian

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Wayne Christian
Texas House of Representatives District 9
Incumbent
Assumed office
1996
Current term ends
2010
Political party Republican
Profession Businessman
Website Wayne Christian

Contents

Wayne Christian is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 9 in East Texas.

First elected to the House in 1996, Christian is a prominent conservative in Texas politics and is president of the Texas Conservative Coalition[1]. He is vice chairman of the House Committee on Financial Institutions and is a member of the Calendars Committee, the Human Services Committee and the House Rural Caucus.[2]

Personal life

Christian owns an investment company and is a registered representative of Sun America Securities Inc. of Center, Texas. The representative was born in Center, raised in nearby Tenaha, Texas, and now lives in Center.[3]

Christian is married to the former Lisa Lemoine of Shelbyville, Texas; they wed in 1975. They have three daughters, Liza, Lindsey and Lauren.[4]

He is a 1973 graduate of Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, where he received a bachelor's degree in business and minored in marketing. The university is in Christian's state House district, and Christian's official online biography highlights his getting a bill passed to allow the university to renovate its student center.[5]

A Southern Baptist, he is a member of the Christian Coalition, Promise Keepers and Gideons International.[6]

Controversies

Christian was one of several Texas lawmakers named in the 2005 indictment of Tom Delay, then U.S. House majority leader, in the case that would eventually lead Delay to leave Congress. The indictment alleged no wrongdoing on Christian's part, but said he was one of several legislators to receive money in the 2002 election cycle from the Texas Association of Businesses, whom authorities alleged had illegally funneled corporate money to Republican candidates.[7]

Christian also has ties to John Colyandro, who was indicted along with Delay and who pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in the case in 2008. Colyandro is executive director of the Texas Conservative Coalition. Colyandro also is a former officer of Delay's now-defunct Americans for a Republican Majority, a political action committee that gave $2,500 to Christian's campaigns.[8]

Christian sponsored a bill in the Texas House in 2009 that would have stripped the authority of the Travis County, Texas, district attorney to prosecute public corruption cases throughout Texas -- a move that would have prevented the Austin-based DA from prosecuting politicians outside Austin, including Delay. The bill died.[9]

Christian also received some criticism in 2009 after the Houston Chronicle reported that he had helped craft an amendment allowing him to rebuild his vacation home on Bolivar Peninsula, near Galveston, after it was demolished by Hurricane Ike. The reconstruction would otherwise have been prevented by state law banning construction on Texas beaches. [10]

In an interview with the newspaper, Christian defended the move and denied it was a conflict of interest, saying, "If I were to pass a law that affected only Wayne Christian, that would be a conflict." The amendment in question, which affects only properties on the Bolivar Peninsula and was co-authored with state Rep. Mike Hamilton, will also help at least 12 of his neighbors rebuild their homes, Christian said.[11]

Committee membership

Sponsored legislation

  • HB 425 - Relating to a prohibition against changing the name of certain public institutions of higher education that are named after state historical figures.
  • HB 830 - Relating to drug testing of certain persons seeking or receiving financial assistance benefits.
  • HB 1320 - Relating to creating an offense for engaging in certain conduct relating to cockfighting and to the criminal and civil consequences of committing that offense.
  • HB 1400 - Relating to the creation of a public integrity unit in the office of the attorney general to prosecute offenses against public administration, including ethics offenses, and offenses involving insurance fraud.[12]

Major donors

Below are Christian's top 5 campaign contributors in the 2008 election:[13]

Contributor 2008 total
AT&T $9,048
Texas Optometric Assoc $8,000
Bob J. Perry $7,500
Time Warner $6,000
Daniel Schmidt $5,000

External links

References

  1. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  2. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  3. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  4. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  5. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  6. ↑ Texas House of Representatives Web site, Member Wayne Christian, June 13, 2009
  7. ↑ GOP lawmakers aim to weaken Travis County DA's office, Texas Watchdog, April 27, 2009
  8. ↑ GOP lawmakers aim to weaken Travis County DA's office, Texas Watchdog, April 27, 2009
  9. ↑ GOP lawmakers aim to weaken Travis County DA's office, Texas Watchdog, April 27, 2009
  10. ↑ "Battle for a beach", Houston Chronicle, June 3, 2009
  11. ↑ "Battle for a beach", Houston Chronicle, June 3, 2009
  12. ↑ Texas Legislature - Bills Authored/Joint Authored by Rep. Christian
  13. ↑ Follow the Money - 2008 Campaign contributions
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