The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 67, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 8, 1973 Page: 3 of 6
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Thursday. February 8.1973
THE NORTH TEXAS DAILY—PAGE 3
A Brief Glimpse
Shows Workday
Of Walt Parker
By KENNETH MOLBERG
Staff Writer
AUSTIN—A hand reaches quickly for
the telephone in the dark-paneled office on
the first floor of the Texas Capitol.
Moments after lifting the receiver and
placing it to his ear, Denton's legislator
listens for the other party to identify him-
self and replies, “Hello, Roy. Yes, I think
it would be a good idea to call off classes at
North Texas tomorrow. The country and
the state have lost a great friend.”
CONVERSATION ended. Rep. Walt
Parker glances over a few telegrams, pats
his hair, straightens his dark blue tic
decorated with symbols of the National
Football League—-and walks to the outer
oftice to instruct his secretary, Brenda
Mills, where he is going.
He returns an hour later and remains in
the thick-carpeted sanctuary (a carpet that
puts fear into those afraid of electric shock,
should one be confronted with a hand
shake) until he hears the bell that calls
legislators to the house floor. He then walks
to the elevator for the short ride to the sec-
ond story and the few brisk steps to the
house chamber.
Speaker Price Daniel Jr. of Liberty gav-
els the house to order as Parker walks down
the carpeted aisle in which is embedded the
Seal of Texas. He takes his scat to Daniel's
right desk No. 68, in the third row from
the flag-draped chamber front.
DENTON’S third-term legislator likes
the speaker of the 63rd session, and there is
reason to believe Daniel likes him, for Park-
er was one of only two members reap-
pointed to the powerful House Appropria-
tions Committee, excluding those who have
a right to serve by seniority.
Daniel had said earlier he would put no
one on the committee who had served on it
before, with the exception of the senior
members.
“I would feel Speaker Daniel put me on
the committee because I have large institu-
tions in my area and because I worked hard
on the committee in the previous session,"
Parker said
MORE. THAN 120 legislators requested
membership on the committee, which dur-
ing the last session became the kingdom of
its former chairman and Gus Mutscher
supporter. Bill Heatly—“The Duke of
Paducah.”
Parker is interested in education and is
concerned with Denton’s two universities.
A graduate of North Texas, he is proud the
school’s budget has increased by nearly $6
million since he took office, while the num-
ber of students has not greatly increased.
In the 62nd session, Parker served on the
education committee; this session, however,
he is not a member. Instead, he serves on
two other committees; environmental af-
fairs and elections.
The Environmental Affairs Committee is
new to the house. It was formerly known as
parks and wildlife, but has since had a name
change, and deals not only with the prob-
lems it once dealt with, but with air, water
and land pollution as well.
“IT’S REALLY a tough committee to
work on because it is so new,” Parker said,
returning to the back of the chamber.
The speaker had quieted the house, and
several representatives stepped to the mi-
crophone in front of the rostrum to present
resolutions praising late former President
Lyndon B Johnson. There were four in all.
And after each one, the speaker called for a
standing vote. Everyone rose.
It was noon. Parker was scheduled to
meet his “roommate,” Rep. Bob Hendricks
of Collin County, for lunch.
Denton’s Man
Walt ParKer, Denton s representative in the Texas House, is a North Texas
graduate. He says he is proud of the fact that the school's budget has in
creased by almost $6 million since he first took office more than four years
HENDRICKS and Parker share an
apartment together when the legislature is
in session, and Parker often refers to his
colleague as his roommate, as if the two
were still in college.
The Texas Legislature was not the place
of the men’s initial meeting, however. It
came long before.
Parker at one time held a coaching job at
Farmersville Fligh School. One of the team
members was Bob Hendricks, he explains,
pointing out that it really is a small world.
THE DAY’S session had begun at II, but
regardless of the starting hour, Parker was
on the joh at 8, answering mail, taking calls
and receiving visitors.
The legislature was scheduled to vote on
an open meetings bill it would eventually
pass a week later. But this day, it was post-
poned by the death of the only Texan who
made it to the White House.
“My office is always available to my
constituents,” he said, standing near the
rear chamber wall, behind the brass rail,
where newsmen are permitted to roam.
T HE FINAL resolution had been passed.
The speaker announced adjournment and
pounded the gavel its echo, like a gunshot,
bouncing off the four walls, climbing to the
gallery where it soon was enveloped by the
noisy chatter of Texas’ lawmakers.
Parker turned, walked past the sergeant
at arms, through the doorway into the foyer
and pointed
“See these men standing around here?”
he asked. “Most of them usually represent
people certain people. They are better
known as lobbyists.
“THE ONE near the corner represents
teachers,” he said, nodding his head in the
appropriate direction. “You see, you’ve got
all factions. Over there is labor and there,
small loans. It’s all done out in the open,
there’s not anything secret about it.”
He took a step forward, greeted a friend,
and in minutes was back in his office, taking
calls, receiving visitors and responding to
mail.
Parker believes the 63rd session can pro-
duce results for the people of Texas. The
62nd Legislature cinched that, he says.
AN ACTIVE supporter of Price Daniel’s
10-point reform plan, he has cosigned all of
the pending measures offered by the speak-
er.
He said he feels he can work with Gov.
Dolph Briscoe, but deeper questioning re-
veals the differences between the man from
Denton, who calls himself a conservative,
and the man from Uvalde, whom everyone
says is conservative.
“I cannot support Briscoe's wiretap
proposals,” Parker said, as he straightened
copies of the previous session's house and
senate journals that stand between book-
ends at the front of his desk.
“I WOULD have to have a lot more
evidence presented, because I do not feel
that such a law is a necessity at this time.”
The governor recently proposed the idea
of enacting legislation to allow wiretapping
by local police after receiving judicial con-
sent.
Parker and the governor have two more
obvious differences; penalties for marijuana
possession and annual legislative sessions.
IT APPEARED last week, however, that
Gov. Briscoe was coming around to what
Parker said is the feeling of most legislators
about the illegal weed
“1 feel very strongly,” he said, “that
some discretion should be given to the
district court judges to declare whether the
possession is a misdemeanor or felony.”
However, he added, making possession of
a certain amount a misdemeanor would be
more appropriate and is the feeling of most
representatives.
"We're just out of balance on this whole
thing,” he said. “So 1 guess you could say
I'm kind of opposite to the way Briscoe
feels.”
ANNUAL SESSIONS are another prob-
lem. When Gov. Briscoe was in Denton as a
candidate last September, he said yearly
meetings of the legislature were unneces-
sary.
“1 had the same opinion when I first
came to Austin,” Parker said, indicating a
knowledge of state government that comes
only with experience.
“We just cannot operate meeting every
two years. We need to meet every year, and
1 believe the governor will come to see this
need very soon.
“But all in all, 1 feel it will be a produc-
tive session,” he said, as Rep. Hendricks
walked into the room and reminded Parker
it was long past dinner.
He stood, straightened his suit and
walked out of the building. Soon he would
have to be back, taking calls, receiving
visitors and responding to mail
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1 cannot support Briscoe’s wiretap proposals.
I wouid have to have a lot more evidence
presented, because I do not feel that such a
law is a necessity at this time.’
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in the House
ayo. He wa=> a member of the Education Committee during the last session
of the legislature and is shown here in his office on the first floor of the
Texas Capitol Parker begins his third term in office this year
Man of Many Interests
Parker, as well as being Denton's legislator, is also an official of the Nation
al Football League He was one of the officials at the 1972 Super Bowl
game in Los Angeles. This session of the legislature, he is a member of
three committees—appropriations, environmental affairs and elections
Legislator Sees Productive Session
A Day
in the
Life...
Parker, a member of the power
ful House Appropriations Com-
mittee, bends over various re
ports on his desk (left) He is one
of two members, besides senior
members, who were reappointed
to the committee by House
Speaker Price Daniel Jr. of Liber-
ty On the house floor (right)
Parker talks with a colleague
Minutes after these photographs
were taken, the House adjourned
in honor of former President
Lyndon Johnson, who had died
the day before
Photos
by
John Davis
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The North Texas Daily (Denton, Tex.), Vol. 56, No. 67, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 8, 1973, newspaper, February 8, 1973; Denton, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth760035/m1/3/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting UNT Libraries Special Collections.