If Speaker Tom Craddick expects rapturous applause at his winning a leadership award from the American Legislative Exchange Council, then he should remember it’s an election year.

“I am not surprised that an organization dominated by special interests has awarded Tom Craddick for his leadership,” said Craddick’s Democratic general election challenger, Bill Dingus. “It would be a genuine surprise if they didn’t.”

The former Midland councilman, who beat back a series of legal challenges to his quest to take Craddick’s House District 82 seat, also notes that ALEC’s Private Enterprise board is a “long list of cigarette makers, drug companies, and utilities … looking for government contracts or for lax regulation.”

See below the fold for the full press release.

BILL DINGUS COMMENT REGARDING THE AMERICAN LEGISLATIVE EXCHANGE COUNCIL’S AWARD TO TOM CRADDICK:

“I am not surprised that an organization dominated by special interests has awarded Tom Craddick for his leadership. It would be a genuine surprise if they didn’t.

“After all, Tom Craddick’s campaign war chest is filled with money from special interests – the companies and people who either are looking to get in on a government contract or to get out of some government regulation.

“This group’s “Private Enterprise Board” is a long list of cigarette makers, drug companies, and utilities. All of them are either looking for government contracts or for lax regulation (http://www.alec.org/am/template.cfm?section=home).

“Instead of pandering to special interests, I think the leadership of our state government should be finding pragmatic solutions to this state’s problems. Right now, that’s not happening in Austin. And that’s why it’s time for a change.”

This article appears in July 25 • 2008.

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The Chronicle's first Culture Desk editor, Richard has reported on Austin's growing film production and appreciation scene for over a decade. A graduate of the universities of York, Stirling, and UT-Austin, a Rotten Tomatoes certified critic, and eight-time Best of Austin winner, he's currently at work on two books and a play.