Jeff Leach (politician)

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This article is about the Texas State Representative. For the actor and comedian, see Jeff Leach.
Jeffrey Curtis "Jeff" Leach
Jeff Leach Matt Davis 818Images.jpg
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 67th district
Assumed office
January 8, 2013
Preceded byJerry A. Madden
Personal details
Born (1982-06-10) June 10, 1982 (age 39)
Plano, Texas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)Rebecca Swann Leach
Children3
ResidenceAllen, Texas
Alma materPlano Senior High School
Baylor University (BS)
SMU Dedman School of Law (JD)
OccupationLawyer
Websitewww.jeffleach.com

Jeffrey Curtis Leach, known as Jeff Leach (born June 10, 1982), is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 67, which encompasses portions of Plano, Allen, Richardson, and Dallas in Collin County.[1][2]

About[]

Born and raised in Plano, Texas, Leach graduated from Plano Senior High School and went to Baylor University in Waco, Texas, at which he was elected to serve two terms as student body president. During his time at Baylor he served U.S. President George W. Bush in the White House Office of Political Affairs and at the Republican National Committee, at which he was assigned to work in campaigns for Republicans across the country. Following graduation from Baylor, Leach earned his J.D. degree from SMU Dedman School of Law in Dallas and currently practices with the Texas law firm, Gray Reed & McGraw, P.C., where he specializes in general civil and commercial litigation, real estate and construction law.

Leach and his wife Becky have three children and are lifelong members of Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano, where they have served for several years in the Young Families Ministry.

2012 campaign[]

Leach ran in the 2012 election for Texas House of Representatives in District 67.[3] After the May 29, 2012 Republican primary, Leach advanced to the July 31, 2012 Republican primary runoff where he defeated Jon Cole. Leach then ran unchallenged in the general election which took place on November 6, 2012.[4]

83rd legislative session[]

During the 83rd legislative session, Leach authored and passed a provision limiting the expansion of the Texas Medicaid Program under the Affordable Care Act. Additionally, he authored and passed legislation reducing taxes for small businesses subject to the franchise tax,[citation needed] and passed legislation providing tougher penalties for sexual offenders by making the crime of voyeurism a Class B misdemeanor, rather than a Class C misdemeanor.[5]

Leach authored the Texas Gun Ownership Reinforcement Act, which establishes Texas Independence Day (March 2) as a tax holiday for firearms, exempting individuals' purchase of firearms and hunting supplies in Texas from sales taxes.[6]

Leach was elected by his colleagues to serve on the Policy Committee of the Texas House Republican Caucus, which meets regularly during the legislative session to discuss and analyze legislation and to make official policy recommendations to the members of the House Republican Caucus.[citation needed]

Committee assignments[]

  • House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence[7]
  • House Committee on Urban Affairs[8]
  • House Committee on Rules & Resolutions[9]

Honors and recognition[]

  • "Free Enterprise Champion" by the Texas Association of Business[10]
  • "Courageous Conservative" by the Texas Conservative Coalition[11]
  • "Best of Dallas-area's Freshman Class" by Dallas Morning News[12]
  • "Top Rated Conservative in the Texas House" by Texas Eagle Forum[13]
  • "Taxpayer Champion" by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility[citation needed]
  • "Best Freshmen Legislator" by Capitol Inside[citation needed]
  • "Favorite Legislator" by Plano Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Ben Harris[citation needed]

2014 campaign[]

Leach ran unopposed in the Republican primary in March 2014 and began his second term as the state representative for District 67 on January 13, 2015.

2018 campaign[]

Leach won his fourth term in the general election held on November 6, 2018. With 37,075 votes (51.1 percent), he narrowly defeated Democrat Sarah Depew, who polled 35,425 (48.9 percent).[14]

2021 controversy[]

On February 16, 2021, a text message exchange sent by Leach to McKinney, Texas-based Collin College president, H. Neil Matkin, was published in the Chronicle of Higher Education.[15] Collin College history professor, Dr. Lora Burnett, had been publicly reprimanded by Matkin over her Twitter post critical of then Vice President Michael Pence.[16] After the tweet was publicized by conservative media outlets, Matkin said that the tweets had resulted in public calls and "contacts from legislators" calling for Burnett to be fired. After a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for those legislator contacts -- a request Collin College fought against for four months[17] -- one contact was disclosed, between Leach and Matkin.

The following is the transcript of that text exchange included in the FOIA release:

JEFF LEACH: LD Burnet (sic) is paid with taxpayer dollars, correct?

H. NEIL MATKIN: I’m aware of the situation Jeff and will deal with it. Already on my radar before the current issue. She is definitely paid with taxpayer dollars.

JEFF LEACH: Ok cool. I’m getting calls from folks. Not a ton... but a few .. as it is starting to percolate on social media.

H. NEIL MATKIN: My inbox and the board is getting the same. Appreciate you. Good luck in November friend.[18]

On February 16, 2021, Leach tweeted to Burnett "The fact that you are no longer paid and your maniacal, obscene rhetoric no longer supported with Collin County taxpayer dollars is a win! A BIG WIN!" [19]

References[]

  1. ^ "Texas House of Representatives : Representative Jeff Leach". House.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  2. ^ "State Rep. Jeff Leach - District 67". texastribune.org. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  3. ^ "Texas House of Representatives elections, 2012". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  4. ^ "Jeff Leach". Ballotpedia. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
  5. ^ "State Representative Jeff Leach Authors Legislation to Crack Down on Sexual Offenders". House.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  6. ^ "Plano Lawmaker Wants Tax Free Holiday for Gun Buyers". dfw.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  7. ^ "Criminal Jurisprudence Committee". house.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  8. ^ "Urban Affairs Committee". house.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  9. ^ "Rules & Resolutions Committee". house.state.tx.us. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  10. ^ "Texas Association of Business". txbiz.org. Archived from the original on 2014-03-22. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  11. ^ "Courageous Conservatives-83rd Legislature". txcc.org. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  12. ^ "Best of Dallas-area's Freshman Class". dallasnews.com. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  13. ^ "Legislative Scorecards". texaseagle.org. Archived from the original on 2014-01-03. Retrieved 2014-01-06.
  14. ^ "Election Returns". Texas Secretary of State. November 6, 2018. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved November 11, 2018.
  15. ^ "What a Public-Information Act Request Revealed About My College President". Chronicle of Higher Education. February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021. Check |archive-url= value (help)
  16. ^ "Professor's Tweet about Pence's "Little Demon Mouth" Sparks Collin College Controversy". Dallas Observer. Dallas Observer. October 19, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
  17. ^ "In hinting at the 'execution' of 'personnel policies,' Collin College betrays its duty to vigorously defend professor who criticized Pence". Foundation for Individual Rights in Education. October 16, 2020. Retrieved February 17, 2021. Check |archive-url= value (help)
  18. ^ "What a Public-Information Act Request Revealed About My College President". Chronicle of Higher Education. February 16, 2021. Retrieved February 17, 2021. Check |archive-url= value (help)
  19. ^ Leach, Jeff (February 16, 2021). "Tweet". Twitter. Retrieved February 17, 2021.

External links[]

Texas House of Representatives
Preceded by
Jerry A. Madden 		Texas State Representative for
District 67 (part of Collin County)
2013– 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
Retrieved from ""