Former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff dies at 89

Former Texas Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff died Monday in Mount Pleasant. He was 89.

Ratliff died in his home surrounded by his family, according to an obituary. Ratliff, an engineer, first entered the Texas Senate in 1989 and served northeast Texas for 15 years. Fellow senators elected him lieutenant governor in 2000, after then-Gov. George W. Bush resigned to serve as the U.S. President and then-Lt. Gov. Rick Perry filled the vacated governor seat. Ratliff served in that role until 2003.

“His life could be summed up in the phrase, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant,’” said the obituary shared by Thomas Ratliff, his son and former vice-chair of the State Board of Education.

During his time in the Texas Senate, Ratliff chaired several major committees while tackling significant issues such as school finance and ethics reforms. He also sided with Democrats in the bitter congressional redistricting fight of his time.


https://www.newsfromthestates.com/article/former-texas-lt-gov-bill-ratliff-dies-89