Gib Lewis

Elected speaker for the first time in 1983, Lewis became the first to hold that office for five terms. He played a key role in securing passage of the state's 1984 education reform bill. The bill raised teachers' salaries substantially but at the same time required all teachers to pass so-called "competency tests" to ensure their mastery of basic academic skills. The package of laws also instituted a no-pass, no-play policy for public school extra-curricular activities. He also steered passage of the 1985 comprehensive Texas Water Plan. An avid hunter who is also interested in wildlife conservation, Lewis wrote legislation creating "Operation Game Thief" and was co-author of the Uniform Game Management Act of 1983.