[txyankee]

I will submit a guess. Its a Republican seat, so Pete Laney, the former democrat Speaker, gave Silber a plum assignment as a chair, in hopes of assisting Silber in his reelection. weirder reasons then this have promoted other democrat legislators under the rein of Pete Laney.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Yeah, but this guy served way, way back in the 1970-71 session, and Laney was a long ways away from becoming Speaker (and in 1970, the concept of a "Republican" seat in Texas was as alien as one in Downtown Detroit).