By House Speaker Joe Straus
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas Texas House Speaker Joe Straus on Monday appointed former Rep. Steve Wolens of Dallas to the Texas Ethics Commission.
The Speaker of the House appoints two of the Commissions eight members. The Texas Constitution requires that the Speakers two appointees come from different political parties. It also says the Speaker must appoint one commissioner recommended by Republican Members of the House and one commissioner recommended by Democratic Members.
Wolens will replace Paul Hobby who left the Commission after his term expired. The Speakers other appointee on the Commission Chase Untermeyer of Houston was recommended by Republican Members of the House. Untermeyers term will expire in 2017.
Wolens is a Principal in the Dallas office of law firm McKool Smith. He served in the Texas House from 1981 to 2005 authoring landmark legislation on ethics antitrust laws electric deregulation and partnerships and limited liability corporations.
Steve Wolens will help ensure that the Ethics Commission maintains its independence and protects the transparency of our political process" Speaker Straus said. During his years in the Texas House he worked across the aisle to solve some of the most serious challenges facing the state. Im confident that he has the experience and the resolve needed for the important work thats required of this commission."
Wolens term will expire in November 2019.
