Royce West

Royce West
Texas State Senate, District 23
Incumbent
In office
1993 - Present
Term ends
January 11, 2013
Years in position	20
Party	Democratic
Compensation
Base salary	$7,200
Per diem	$150 per day
Elections and appointments
Last election	November 2, 2010
First elected	1992
Next election	November 6, 2012
Term limits	N/A
Personal
Profession	Attorney
Websites
Office website

Royce West is a Democratic member of the Texas Senate and represents District 23 which covers Dallas County.

After winning the senate seat in November 1992, West first began his senate work in the 73rd legislative session in January of 1993. West has since served the 23rd District in the 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79th, 80th, 81st, and 82nd legislative sessions.

Committee assignments

2011-2012

Royce West serves on the following Texas Senate committees:

• Intergovernmental Relations Committee Chair
• Education Committee
• Finance Committee
• Health & Human Services Committee
• Higher Education Committee
• Redistricting, Select Committee

2009-2010

• Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Texas State Senate
• Education Committee, Texas State Senate
• Finance Committee, Texas State Senate
• Higher Education Committee, Texas State Senate
• Health & Human Services Committee, Texas State Senate

Elections

2012

See also: Texas State Senate elections, 2012

West is running in the 2012 election for Texas State Senate, District 23. West is unopposed in the May 29 primary election. The general election takes place on November 6, 2012.

2008

On Nov. 4, 2008, West won election to the 23rd District Seat in the Texas State Senate, defeating opponent Jim Renfro.

West raised $992,608 for his campaign while Renfro raised $0.

Texas State Senate, District 23 (2008)
Candidates		Votes	Percent
Royce West (D)		176,451	92.40%
Jim Renfro (L)		14,503	7.59%

Campaign donors

2008

In 2008, a year in which West was up for re-election, he collected $992,608 in donations.

His four largest contributors in 2008 were:

Donor	Amount
Texas Democratic Party	$131,547
Texas Values in Action Coalition	$15,000
Texas Association of Realtors	$12,500
John Mostyn	$10,000

2004

In 2004, a year in which West was up for re-election, he collected $475,430 in donations.

His four largest contributors in 2004 were:

Donor	Amount
Hillco Partners	$2,500
Texas Trial Lawyers Association	$10,000
Baron and Budd	$10,000
Texas Optometric Association	$7,000

2002

In 2002, a year in which West was up for re-election, he collected $391,687 in donations.

His five largest contributors in 2002 were:

Donor	Amount
Texas Trial Lawyers Association	$10,000
Hall, Ben	$10,000
Dallas County Democratic Party	$8,400
Texas Association of Mortgage Brokers	$7,000
Texas Optemetric Association	$7,000

Recognition

Most recently Texas Monthly [1] named West one of the 25 most powerful politicians in the State of Texas. In the past, the magazine has also recognized him as one of the "Ten Best Legislators in Texas." In 2005 West was also named one of the key players of the Legislature in the Associated Press' "Movers and Shakers" list.

In April of 2006, West was sworn in by Senate colleagues to serve as President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate, a position lasting until January of 2007.

Controversies

In March 2007, Unfair Park[2], the Dallas Oberver[3] blog, reported West receiving nearly $2.5 million from Dallas Independent School District during a five year period. The payment amounted from legal advising the senator provided the school district.

In January 2009, Unfair Park[4] also reported West receiving $3.8 million from DISD between October 2002 and October 2008, all of it for legal counsel.

West also was criticized following a report[5] by the news Web site Texas Watchdog that his law firm earned nearly $1 million in 2008 from public-sector clients that could benefit from his position in the legislature.

West omitted some of those clients[6] on the ethics forms filed annually with the state of Texas. The law requires legislators to disclose any fee they’ve received from either a lobbyist or an entity who employs a registered lobbyist in Austin. West amended his 2008 and 2009 forms following the report by Texas Watchdog.

West sponsored a plan in March 2009 that would make public contracts easier to enlarge without going before school boards[7]. And the plan could have applied to West's legal work for the Dallas Independent School District, if his firm used a document called a change order to amend its contract, the news Web site Texas Watchdog reported. Another official told the Web site that it is rare for lawyers to use change orders to add on to their contracts. The measure failed to make it out of Senate committee[8].

Scorecards

Empower Texans Fiscal Responsibility Index

Empower Texans produces the Fiscal Responsibility Index as "a measurement of how lawmakers perform on size and role of government issues." The index uses "exemplar votes on core budget and free enterprise issues that demonstrate legislators' governing philosophy." Legislators are graded along a standard grading scale, receiving grades A through F based on their performance during the legislative session.

2011

Royce West received a grade of F on the 2011 Fiscal Responsibility Index.

Personal life

Royce West was born on Sept. 26, 1952, in Annapolis, Maryland.

After graduating with a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Texas at Arlington [9] in 1976, West went on to earn a master's degree three years later from the same university. He received his law degree from the [University of Houston[10]in 1979. West became a senior partner at West and Associates in 1994, when it was first established.

West has seven children with his wife Carol.

External links

Suggest a link

• Royce West Personal Website
• Official website of Royce West
• Royce West legislative profile on Project Vote Smart
• Royce West bio on Project Vote Smart
• Campaign Contributions: 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 1998

References

Political offices
Preceded by NA	Texas Senate District 23 1993-present	Succeeded by NA