Sen. Madla Remembered
Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and the Senate paid tribute Tuesday to the late Sen. Frank Madla of San Antonio, who perished last November in a house fire that also killed his granddaughter and mother-in-law. Mr. Madla, who would have been 70 on Tuesday, served 20 years in the House and 12 years in the Senate before he was defeated for re-election in 2006.
During a memorial ceremony in the Senate chamber, Mr. Perry, Mr. Dewhurst and Sen. Eddie Lucio of Brownsville recalled Mr. Madla's accomplishments as a lawmaker and a representative for San Antonio. "People say what they want about politics, but when Frank Madla said he would be there, he was there," Mr. Dewhurst said. "He had a heart as big as the State of Texas."