Ben Barnes
During his speakership, Barnes placed a high priority on the state's colleges and universities, with financial support for these institutions rising by 300 percent. Barnes also won passage of a minimum wage standard for farm workers, played a key role in winning approval for clean air and water legislation, and successfully fought for a bill creating the Texas Rehabilitation Commission.
Ben Barnes [interview], Part 1
Source: Texas Speakers Oral History Collection
Tape 1, side A. Barnes describing his role in assigning George W. Bush to the Texas National Guard during the Vietnam War, and
recounting his experiences growing up in DeLeon and attending the University of Texas at Austin. Barnes also discusses his early career in the Texas House of Representatives and his
relationship with House Speaker Byron Tunnell, Gov. John Connally, and President Lyndon Johnson. | Ben Barnes [Interview], Part 2
Source: Texas Speakers Oral History Collection
Tape 1, side B. Barnes continuing his discussion if his experiences in the Texas House of Representatives, including his role in
creating the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and outlining the politics surrounding taxes to fund public and higher education in the 1960s and today. Barnes also discusses his term
as lieutenant governor, the Sharpstown scandal, his failed race for governor in 1972, and the relationship between liberal and conservative factions within the Texas Democratic
Party. |
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