William S. Heatly

William S. "Bill" Heatly (1912-1984) was a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1955-1983. Known as the "Duke of Paducah", a reference to his hometown of Paducah, the seat of Cottle County, Heatly wielded significant political power during his tenure in office.

Political career

Heatly was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1954 and afterward had only four opponents during his twenty-eight years as representative of the nine-county Eightieth District. He became a member of the House Appropriations Committee and its chairman in 1959. In that position Heatly became one of the most influential and controversial figures in the legislature, and he seldom concealed the joy with which he wielded his power. He was credited with major investments in the state's mental-health programs, the state prison system, programs for troubled and wayward youth, and cancer research and treatment. He made several enemies because of his reluctance to spend state funds on what he considered "superfluous" programs and his generosity to favored institutions and agencies.

Often Heatly was accused of using the appropriations bill to induce fellow legislators to vote his way. Many colleagues complained about his ruthless, domineering behavior, which included calling up influential people in their districts to put political pressure on them. Heatly, however, defended the practice by declaring that there was nothing wrong with "practical politics" and recommending that legislators be influenced by hometown voters instead of Austin lobbyists. Governor Preston Smith endorsed Heatly, and he obtained several state-funded projects for his district.

His twenty-four-year tenure on the appropriations committee and the twelve he served as chairman both set records unmatched for at least another decade. Frustrated by the Legislative Redistricting Board's 1980 plan for the West Texas counties, Heatly retired from politics in 1982 and returned to his home in Paducah, in order to "take some time to spoil his nine grandchildren." He was a thirty-third-degree Mason. He was also a past president of the Paducah Lions Club and an elder in the Paducah First Christian Church. On February 25, 1984, he died in his sleep at his home from an apparent heart attack. He was interred in the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Paducah.

Legacy

Heatly's son, Gene Heatly, served as 46th Judicial District Attorney from 1977 to 1988. Heatly's son, Williams H. "Bill" Heatly, also a Democrat, is currently serving as 50th Judicial District Judge, having been elected in 2004.

Heatly's grandson, J. Staley Heatly, was elected 46th Judicial District Attorney in November 2006.

References

[The Handbook of Texas Online] http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/HH/fhe45.html

BIBLIOGRAPHY:
*The Handbook of Texas Online;
*Amarillo Sunday News-Globe, February 26, 1983. *Dallas Morning News, March 28, 1983.
*Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, February 26, 1984. Vertical File, Southwest Collection, Texas Tech University.