The Legacy of the Dirty Thirty
In 1971, a group of Texas lawmakers, known as the Dirty Thirty, called for an investigation of then Speaker of the House Gus Mutscher and other state officials named in a federal bribery-conspiracy case. This small band of reformers turned the federal case into a political issue, sparked a movement to limit the influence of special interest in the Legislature and inspired Frances “Sissy” Farenthold’s run for governor in 1972. More than 40 years later, the experiences of the Dirty Thirty still offer a lesson in political reform.
Join two members of the Dirty Thirty, Sissy Farenthold and Tom Bass, legal strategist Terry O’Rourke and Observer founding editor Ronnie Dugger for a discussion about the legacy of the reform movement and its impact on Texas politics today.
Moderated by State Representative Ana Hernandez Luna.
Please RSVP for this event to: walthall@texasobserver.org
Thursday, March 28, 5:30-7:30 pm.
Eidman Courtroom,
University of Texas at Austin School of Law
727 East Dean Keeton Street
Austin, Texas 78705
Sponsored by the Rapoport Center, Briscoe Center, and The Texas Observer.
The Frances Tarlton Farenthold Papers and the Texas Observer Records, 1952-2004, are part of the Briscoe Center collections.
