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ATPE names Latham region's top
legislator
January 9, 2008
Rep. Thomas Latham (R-Sunnyvale) has been selected from
among 27 possible state representatives and nine senators
by the Association of Texas Professional Educators (ATPE)
as the Region 10 Legislature of the Year.
 Latham
represents District 101, which encompasses Balch Springs,
Mesquite and Sunnyvale.
The award is presented annually to one member of the state
legislature who has demonstrated a record of supporting public
school education.
“We do this with a purpose in mind to give recognition
to legislators who support educational issues,” said
Jerry Bonham, ATPE vice-president. “It is a non-partisan
award and is all issue driven. We felt many legislators go
unrecognized for the work they do with education.”
The award will officially be presented February 16, during
the ATPE convention at the Mesquite Convention Center. ATPE
is 111,000 members strong, and Tuesday representatives from
both Region 10 and state ATPE representatives announced Latham
had earned the award.
“This is a tremendous honor,” Latham said. “It
is a special honor to me with the members of my family that
are in education.” Latham has a law-enforcement background,
but his wife, daughter and two sister-in-laws are in education.
He also says it means a great deal based on his father, who
did not advance out of elementary school education but who
inspired Latham to continue his education and graduate.
“He always believed in education,” Latham said.
Latham, a 1967 graduate of Mesquite High School, will be
opposed by former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson in the District
101 Republican primary in March.
He becomes the second freshman legislature to earn the honor.
Legislatures are nominated for the award, and voting records
are evaluated based on their support of educational issues
before one legislator is named to win the award.
The ATPE points to several efforts by Latham which led to
their decision to select him for the award. He co-authored
Jessica’s Law, increasing penalties for child predators.
He also co-authored a bill preventing fraudulent use of a
child’s personal directory information, a bill to increase
the penalty for graffiti, a bill preventing the governor
from mandating every girl receive papillomavirus vaccination,
a bill to make it unlawful to use or exhibit firearms in
school parking lots or buses, and a bill to renew the Texas
Tomorrow Fund.
He also authored a bill providing continuing education opportunities
for truancy magistrates and another bill closing a loophole
in public education law that had required municipalities
to release certain personal information of minors involved
in city programs, an issue raised by the city of Mesquite.
He also fought to increase teacher pay and pass the largest
tax cut in Texas history. Also, his family began Friends
of Texas Public Schools to promote positive successes of
public schools.
“Education for me is No. 1,” Latham said. “We
have barely fixed teacher retirement. We have only approved
one 13th check. We need to pass a cost of living increase
and teacher pay again is lagging. These people work extremely
hard. They need a reputable wage for what they do. They are
dealing with the future of Texas.”
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