Senate ‘conscience’ not seeking re-election

AUSTIN — When Texas senators gave their final OK to the state budget, Finance Chair Jane Nelson reserved some of her highest praise for a colleague who couldn’t resist highlighting its deficiencies one more time.

“When I go home, as odd as it may sound, I don’t talk about the good. I like to talk about our failures,” said Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, going through his oftcited list of not-fully addressed problems, including congested roads. “It’s important that the taxpayers and the citizens of the state realize the things we did not fix.”

Anyone who has listened to him this legislative session — or in past ones — would expect nothing else.

Eltife has tirelessly reminded his fellow Republicans in the GOP-dominated Legislature that while they’ve been busy holding the line on budgets and eyeing tax cuts, core state issues have gone begging.

But Nelson welcomed Eltife’s remarks, which he salted with appreciation for leaders who have recognized long-simmering state problems and at least started to address them.

“You have been our conscience. You keep reminding us that we have these obligations that we need to address. And I’m grateful for that little Jiminy Cricket sitting on my shoulder, reminding me,” said Nelson, R-Flower Mound.

‘It is a sacrifice’

The Senate will be without its conscience — at least as represented by Eltife — after it returns in regular session in 2017.

As first reported by his hometown newspaper, the former Tyler mayor and city council member isn’t running for Senate re-election, citing a need to re-charge his batteries. He elaborated on his reasons when I talked with him last week.

“I can say it now because I’m not running: It is a sacrifice for the person in office. It’s a sacrifice for your family. It’s not a part-time job like people think,” said Eltife, who has served in the Senate since 2004 after his stints in local office.

Eltife wasn’t referring to the financial sacrifice, as some public officials do. He said his work in commercial real estate is going well.

But he said the full-time demands of public service — big and small — require a “fire and passion” that he doesn’t think he can sustain through another term, although he has enjoyed every minute thus far.

“I’ve got to go speak to all the rotaries in 16 counties. I’ve got to go to the Kiwanis clubs. I need to go to ribbon cuttings,” Eltife said. “I need to do it. It’s only fair to my district that I do all these things. And when you reach a point where you no longer are excited about doing that … I think you need to step back.”

Eltife said he also gained a fresh perspective when his 20-year-old son, Jack, was badly burned this year. The University of Texas student’s fleece pullover caught fire as he was cooking breakfast, Eltife said.

“I had to stop what I was doing during session and spent seven days looking at him in the ICU on a ventilator. It really puts things in perspective,” Eltife said. “It’s pretty scary.”

Focusing on family

While Jack has fully recovered, Eltife said, “That was hard on our family, and it just made me think, you know, life is short … Maybe it’s time to take a break. And maybe I need to be on some more trips with my kids and my wife and enjoy life a little bit more.”

Some expected Eltife to draw an opponent if he ran for re-election, with the issue of tax cuts a natural one. Eltife supported cutting the unpopular state business tax and emerged as a leading player in HouseSenate tax-relief negotiations. But he raised eyebrows among tea-party Republicans by saying he wanted to ensure the state met crucial needs before cutting taxes, and by voting against a proposed property-tax break for homeowners that’s likely to be eclipsed by bills that rise anyway due to factors like appraisals.

Eltife said he could have won another term. He’s well-known, liked, has a $2 million campaign kitty and, he said, had promises of more than another $2 million if he ran again.

Eltife said he plans to continue advocating for things he cares about and promoting problem-solving candidates, although he has no interest in being a paid lobbyist. He plans to continue hosting East Texas fundraisers for state officials. He isn’t ruling out a run for some unspecified office sometime in the future.

As for who’ll fill the role of Jiminy Cricket, Eltife isn’t worried.

“I’m sure someone will surface,” he said. “They always do.”