Bryan Hughes (Texas politician)
Encyclopedia
Douglas Bryan Hughes, known as Bryan Hughes (born July 21, 1969), is an attorney in Mineola
, Texas
, who has been since 2003 a Republican
member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 5, which includes Camp
, Harrison
, Upshur
, and Wood
counties in the northeastern section of his state.
, the county seat
of Wood County, but reared in a blue collar
family in nearby Mineola. He graduated in 1987 from Mineola High School
and thereafter enrolled at Tyler Junior College
. In 1992, he earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Texas at Tyler
. Hughes was the first member of his family to receive a college education.
In 1995, Hughes completed his Juris Doctor
degree from Baptist
-affiliated Baylor Law School
in Waco
, Texas. For the next two years, Hughes was a law clerk and briefing attorney for the late U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas William M. Steger of Texas
, a pioneer in the Republican Party of Texas
, who was his party's 1960 gubernatorial nominee against Governor
Price Daniel
. The federal courthouse in Tyler, the county seat of Smith County
is named for Judge Steger. For a time Hughes practiced law in Marshall
in Harrison County, but in 2003, he joined the Lanier law firm in Mineola. He describes his practice as one dedicated to "representing working families and small businesses."
Hughes is an active member of the nondenominational Golden Bible Chapel in Golden
in Wood County. Among his other affiliations are the Christian Trial Lawyers Association (for which he is one of the directors
), other bar associations, the American Red Cross
, the National Rifle Association
, Mineola Rotary
, and the Stewards Foundation, a non-profit organization
set up to aid churches financially.
Representative Bob D. Glaze (1927–2010) of Gilmer
in Upshur County. Hughes polled 20,286 votes (52.4 percent) to Glaze's 18,451 (47.6 percent). In the 2004 general election
, Glaze sought a rematch with Hughes but lost, 23,029 votes (38 percent) to the Republican's 37,529 (62 percent). In 2006, no Democrat filed against Hughes, as he defeated the Libertarian
Timothy J. Carmichael, 26,286 (81.9 percent) to 5,795 (18.1 percent).
Hughes was unopposed in the 2010 general election, when Republicans carried 101 of the 150 seats in the state House.
In 2011, Hughes served on the House Agriculture and Livestock and the Human Services committees though his committee assignments have varied during his House tenure. Strongly pro-life
, Hughes worked to secure passage in 2011 of the state law which requires women procuring abortion
s to undergo a sonogram
to witness the development of the child prior to termination.
On March 19, 2011, Hughes dedicated the Mineola Nature Preserve, a conservation project which began in 2002, the year he was first elected to the state House. The preserve includes nearly three thousand acres along the Sabine River, which are inhabited by almost two hundred animal species; the preserve also includes trails for visitors, an area of wetland, and locations for birdwatchers. The two-acre Pullen Pond is funded by Ozarka Brand Spring Water
.
On September 13, 2011, Hughes called upon Texas Attorney General
Greg Abbott
to investigate a new air pollution rule of the United States Environmental Protection Agency
. Abbott indicated that he is already checking into the issue raised by Hughes. According to Hughes, the rule if implemented had the potential of producing blackouts, increasing costs to consumers, and creating job losses. Hughes added that the directive would cause the Luminant
utility company to shut down operations in his own district as well as across the state. Hughes continued, "I don't know what’s going on in Washington
, but here in the real world, money is tight, and families are struggling. . . . As if the job losses weren’t enough, these new rules will also raise electric rates – in the middle of a recession
."
of San Antonio
as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
. However, after the 2010 elections, Hughes withdrew his support for Straus, who nevertheless retained the Speakership, on the grounds that Straus had punished intraparty conservative opponents with redistricting
. Hughes based his charge on a conversation with one of Straus' staffers, who allegedly notified Hughes that plans were already being laid to alter Straus' opponents' districts. Hughes said that he was informed that efforts were especially aimed at two East Texas members, then Representative-elect Erwin Cain
of Sulphur Springs
and Dan Flynn of Van
. Representative Chuck Hopson
of Jacksonville
, a Democrat-turned-Republican and chairman of the House Ethics Committee, called upon Hughes to reveal the name of the informant. Hopson had received $42,000 in contributions from Straus.
Chuck Hopson identified the informant as District 62 Representative Larry Phillips
, an attorney from Sherman
and a member of the Ethics Committee. Phillips removed himself as a committee member for the hearing and denied Hughes's accusation. The phone call was not recorded. The committee did not reach a judgment because of the lack of corroborating witnesses.
Mineola, Texas
Mineola is a city in Wood County, Texas, United States. It lies at the junction of U.S. highways 69 and 80, eighty miles east of Dallas in southwestern Wood County...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, who has been since 2003 a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from District 5, which includes Camp
Camp County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,549 people, 4,336 households, and 3,156 families residing in the county. The population density was 58 people per square mile . There were 5,228 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
, Harrison
Harrison County, Texas
Harrison County is a county of the U.S. state of Texas. In 2000, its population was 62,110. It is named for Jonas Harrison, a lawyer and Texas revolutionary. It is located in the Ark-La-Tex region...
, Upshur
Upshur County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 35,291 people, 13,290 households, and 10,033 families residing in the county. The population density was 60 people per square mile . There were 14,930 housing units at an average density of 25 per square mile...
, and Wood
Wood County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 36,752 people, 14,583 households, and 10,645 families residing in the county. The population density was 56 people per square mile . There were 17,939 housing units at an average density of 28 per square mile...
counties in the northeastern section of his state.
Background
Hughes was born in QuitmanQuitman, Texas
Quitman is a city in Wood County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,030 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Wood County. It is most notable for being the birthplace of American Academy Award winning actress Sissy Spacek. The city's slogan is "Come grow with us." It was...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Wood County, but reared in a blue collar
Blue collar
Blue collar can refer to:*Blue-collar worker, a traditional designation of the working class*Blue-collar crime, the types of crimes typically associated with the working class*A census designation...
family in nearby Mineola. He graduated in 1987 from Mineola High School
Mineola High School (Texas)
Mineola High School is school located in Mineola, Texas. The school is a part of the Mineola Independent School District. The school includes grades 9 through 12, serving most of the city of Mineola. The school is run by Principal Ricky Stephens...
and thereafter enrolled at Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College
Tyler Junior College is a two-year community college in Tyler, Texas, United States. TJC is one of the largest community colleges in Texas, with an enrollment of more than 12,000 credit students each year with an additional 20,000 continuing education enrollments annually. Its West Campus includes...
. In 1992, he earned his undergraduate degree in economics from the University of Texas at Tyler
University of Texas at Tyler
The University of Texas at Tyler, also referred to as UT Tyler, is a coeducational public university located in Tyler, Texas. Founded in 1971, it is a component institution of the University of Texas System....
. Hughes was the first member of his family to receive a college education.
In 1995, Hughes completed his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
-affiliated Baylor Law School
Baylor Law School
Founded in 1857, Baylor Law School is the oldest law school in Texas and has been accredited by the American Bar Association since 1931 and a member of the Association of American Law Schools since 1938. Baylor Law School is affiliated with Baylor University and located in Waco, Texas...
in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
, Texas. For the next two years, Hughes was a law clerk and briefing attorney for the late U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of Texas William M. Steger of Texas
Tyler, Texas
Tyler is a city in and the county seat of Smith County, Texas, in the United States. It takes its name from President John Tyler . The city had a population of 109,000 in 2010, according to the United States Census Bureau...
, a pioneer in the Republican Party of Texas
Republican Party of Texas
The Republican Party of Texas is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. State of Texas. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party. The State Chairman is Steve Munisteri, a retired attorney and businessman from Houston, and the Vice-Chair is Melinda Fredricks of Conroe....
, who was his party's 1960 gubernatorial nominee against Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Price Daniel
Price Daniel
Marion Price Daniel, Sr. , was a Democratic U.S. Senator and the 38th Governor of the state of Texas. He was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson to be a member of the National Security Council, Director of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, and Assistant to the President for Federal-State...
. The federal courthouse in Tyler, the county seat of Smith County
Smith County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 174,706 people, 65,692 households, and 46,904 families residing in the county. The population density was 188 people per square mile . There were 71,701 housing units at an average density of 77 per square mile...
is named for Judge Steger. For a time Hughes practiced law in Marshall
Marshall, Texas
Marshall is a city in Harrison County in the northeastern corner of Texas. Marshall is a major cultural and educational center in East Texas and the tri-state area. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Marshall was about 23,523...
in Harrison County, but in 2003, he joined the Lanier law firm in Mineola. He describes his practice as one dedicated to "representing working families and small businesses."
Hughes is an active member of the nondenominational Golden Bible Chapel in Golden
Golden, Texas
Golden is an unincorporated community in Wood County, Texas, United States about thirty-five miles north of Tyler. It is best known for its sweet potatoes.- Sweet Potato Festival :Every October, the town hosts a Sweet Potato Festival...
in Wood County. Among his other affiliations are the Christian Trial Lawyers Association (for which he is one of the directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
), other bar associations, the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
, the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, Mineola Rotary
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
, and the Stewards Foundation, a non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
set up to aid churches financially.
Legislative service
Hughes was elected to the legislature in 2002, when he upset the incumbent DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Representative Bob D. Glaze (1927–2010) of Gilmer
Gilmer, Texas
Gilmer is also the name of a county in West Virginia.Gilmer is a town in and the county seat of Upshur County, Texas, United States. It is best known for being the birthplace of popular music singer Johnny Mathis. The population was 4,799 at the 2000 census...
in Upshur County. Hughes polled 20,286 votes (52.4 percent) to Glaze's 18,451 (47.6 percent). In the 2004 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Glaze sought a rematch with Hughes but lost, 23,029 votes (38 percent) to the Republican's 37,529 (62 percent). In 2006, no Democrat filed against Hughes, as he defeated the Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Timothy J. Carmichael, 26,286 (81.9 percent) to 5,795 (18.1 percent).
Hughes was unopposed in the 2010 general election, when Republicans carried 101 of the 150 seats in the state House.
In 2011, Hughes served on the House Agriculture and Livestock and the Human Services committees though his committee assignments have varied during his House tenure. Strongly pro-life
Pro-life
Opposition to the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-life, or anti-abortion, movement, a social and political movement opposing elective abortion on moral grounds and supporting its legal prohibition or restriction...
, Hughes worked to secure passage in 2011 of the state law which requires women procuring abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
s to undergo a sonogram
Sonogram
A sonogram may refer to the following:* A diagnostic medical image created using ultrasound echo equipment, see medical ultrasonography...
to witness the development of the child prior to termination.
On March 19, 2011, Hughes dedicated the Mineola Nature Preserve, a conservation project which began in 2002, the year he was first elected to the state House. The preserve includes nearly three thousand acres along the Sabine River, which are inhabited by almost two hundred animal species; the preserve also includes trails for visitors, an area of wetland, and locations for birdwatchers. The two-acre Pullen Pond is funded by Ozarka Brand Spring Water
Ozarka
Ozarka is a brand of spring water which is bottled and sold in the South Central United States, including Arkansas, Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi, portions of Tennessee, Missouri and Kansas. The Ozarka Spring Water Company was founded in Eureka Springs, Arkansas in 1905, but is now a...
.
On September 13, 2011, Hughes called upon Texas Attorney General
Texas Attorney General
The Texas Attorney General is the chief legal officer of the State of Texas.The department has offices at the William P. Clements State Office Building at 300 West 15th Street in Austin.-History:...
Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott
Gregory Wayne "Greg" Abbott is the Texas Attorney General, and is the second Republican since Reconstruction to serve in that role. Abbott was sworn in on December 2, 2002, following John Cornyn's election to the U.S. Senate...
to investigate a new air pollution rule of the United States Environmental Protection Agency
United States Environmental Protection Agency
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is an agency of the federal government of the United States charged with protecting human health and the environment, by writing and enforcing regulations based on laws passed by Congress...
. Abbott indicated that he is already checking into the issue raised by Hughes. According to Hughes, the rule if implemented had the potential of producing blackouts, increasing costs to consumers, and creating job losses. Hughes added that the directive would cause the Luminant
Luminant
Luminant is a Texas-based electric utility. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energy Future Holdings Corporation. Luminant's operations include electricity generation and wholesaling, mining, construction, and development...
utility company to shut down operations in his own district as well as across the state. Hughes continued, "I don't know what’s going on in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, but here in the real world, money is tight, and families are struggling. . . . As if the job losses weren’t enough, these new rules will also raise electric rates – in the middle of a recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
."
Dispute with Speaker Straus
A firm conservative, Hughes was initially pledged to support a second term for moderate Republican Joe StrausJoe Straus
Joseph R. Straus, III, known as Joe Straus , is the current Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. He represents District 121, which comprises northeastern Bexar County, including part of San Antonio, Texas, and several surrounding communities...
of San Antonio
San Antonio, Texas
San Antonio is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011,...
as Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives
The Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Texas House of Representatives. The Speaker's main duties are to conduct meetings of the House, appoint committees, and enforce the Rules of the House...
. However, after the 2010 elections, Hughes withdrew his support for Straus, who nevertheless retained the Speakership, on the grounds that Straus had punished intraparty conservative opponents with redistricting
Redistricting
Redistricting is the process of drawing United States electoral district boundaries, often in response to population changes determined by the results of the decennial census. In 36 states, the state legislature has primary responsibility for creating a redistricting plan, in many cases subject to...
. Hughes based his charge on a conversation with one of Straus' staffers, who allegedly notified Hughes that plans were already being laid to alter Straus' opponents' districts. Hughes said that he was informed that efforts were especially aimed at two East Texas members, then Representative-elect Erwin Cain
Erwin Cain
Erwin Alfred Cain is an attorney and businessman from Sulphur Springs, Texas, who is a freshman Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 3 Erwin Alfred Cain (born March 15, 1960) is an attorney and businessman from Sulphur Springs, Texas, who is a freshman Republican...
of Sulphur Springs
Sulphur Springs, Texas
Sulphur Springs is a city in Hopkins County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 14,551. It is the county seat of Hopkins County.-Geography:Sulphur Springs is located at ....
and Dan Flynn of Van
Van, Texas
Van is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. The population was 2,362 at the 2000 census. According to a 2006 estimate from the U.S...
. Representative Chuck Hopson
Chuck Hopson
Charles L. Hopson, II, known as Chuck Hopson , is a pharmacist and businessman in Jacksonville, Texas, who has been since 2001 a member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 11, which includes Cherokee, Houston, Panola and Rusk counties in the northeastern portion of his...
of Jacksonville
Jacksonville, Texas
Jacksonville is located in Cherokee County, Texas, United States. The population was 13,868 at the 2000 census. It is the principal city of the Jacksonville Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Cherokee County and part of the larger Tyler-Jacksonville Combined Statistical...
, a Democrat-turned-Republican and chairman of the House Ethics Committee, called upon Hughes to reveal the name of the informant. Hopson had received $42,000 in contributions from Straus.
Chuck Hopson identified the informant as District 62 Representative Larry Phillips
Larry Phillips (Texas politician)
Lawrence A. Phillips, known as Larry Phillips , is an attorney from Sherman, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 62 ....
, an attorney from Sherman
Sherman, Texas
Sherman is a city in and the county seat of Grayson County, Texas, United States. The city's estimated population as of 2009 was 38,407. It is also one of two principal cities in the Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
and a member of the Ethics Committee. Phillips removed himself as a committee member for the hearing and denied Hughes's accusation. The phone call was not recorded. The committee did not reach a judgment because of the lack of corroborating witnesses.