The Honorable Talmadge Heflin is a distinguished senior fellow at the Foundation. Prior to joining the Foundation, Heflin served the people of Harris County as a state representative for 11 terms. Well regarded as a legislative leader on budget and tax issues by Democratic and Republican speakers alike, he, for several terms, was the only House member to serve on both the Ways and Means and Appropriations committees.
In the 78th Legislature, Heflin served as chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations. He navigated a $10 billion state budget shortfall through targeted spending cuts that allowed Texans to avoid a tax increase.
Heflin is past president of the Texas Conservative Coalition, a member of numerous local civic organizations, and a former member of the boards of the West Houston Medical Center and Alief Independent School District. Heflin is the namesake of Talmadge L. Heflin Elementary School in Alief, which opened in 1982, in honor of his service to the district.
Heflin received an honorary doctorate from Houston Baptist University. He is an alumnus of Louisiana Tech University.