Paul L. Sadler served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1991 – 2003. During his tenure in the Texas House of Representatives, he served on numerous committees including Education, Judiciary, Pensions and Investments, Health and Human Services, Calendars and was one of eight members designated to the Legislative Budget Board. His most significant committee work, however, was in the area of Education. Sadler served on the House Public Education Committee from 1993 - 2003 (serving as Chairman of the committee from 1995 - 2003). Chairman of the Select Committee on State Revenue and Public School Finance in 1997; and Chairman of the Select Committee on Public School Employee Health Insurance in 2001. Paul was the only house member to serve as Chairman of more than one committee in the same session. He had dual chairmanships in two sessions in 1999 & 2001.
Among his accomplishments as Chairman, include the re-write of the entire Education Code in 1995 (known as the "Ratliff-Sadler Act"); enactment of public school employee health insurance for the first time in the history of the State; passage of a $3.8 billion education package, which at the time included the largest property tax cut in the history of the State; provided teacher pay raises for three consecutive sessions for the first time in the history of the State; established critical need programs for prekindergarten and kindergarten; the ninth grade initiative targeting students at risk of drop-out; and increased funding for public school facilities.
Sadler has received numerous awards for his legislative work. He was singled out by Texas Monthly during each of his legislative terms, being named to the Ten Best List in 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2001. He was recognized by the Dallas Morning News during each of his legislative sessions naming him as one of the three "Outstanding Legislators" in 1995 and one of "Six Stellar" legislators in 1997, recipient of the John B. Connally "Award for Excellence in Education" given by the Just For The Kids Foundation, as well as similar awards from every education group in the State of Texas.
Paul served as the Executive Director of The Wind Coalition from 2008 to 2012. The Wind Coalition is a non-profit association designed to promote the responsible development of wind energy as a clean, reliable, affordable and infinite resource at the regulatory and legislative levels within the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) and the Southwest Power Pool (SPP) grid systems which combined cover all or part of eight unique states: Texas, New Mexico, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Louisiana and Nebraska. As the Executive Director, Paul is responsible for the policy and regulatory development of the over 11,800 MW in wind capacity already operating in the region.
Under his leadership, The Wind Coalition secured SPP Board approval of over one billion dollars in high voltage transmission Priority Projects that will facilitate wind development within the region. The Wind Coalition was also involved in the adoption of a new Integrated Transmission Planning process that anticipates the need for renewable resources and plans transmission to incorporate them. Paul worked alongside state leadership and various stakeholders during the 2009-2010 legislative sessions in multiple states to defend and reauthorize tax incentives in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma as well as promote the adoption of favorable energy standard policies. As the regional organization overseeing policy in the ERCOT footprint, the Wind Coalition has been continuously involved in the Competitive Renewable Energy Zones (CREZ) process at both ERCOT and the Public Utility Commission of Texas. Once the almost $5 Billion transmission build-out is completed, the new lines will allow over 18,000MW of wind energy in West Texas to reach the population centers in the state.
Paul is currently serving on the Governors Advisory Energy Panel for Oklahoma. He recently returned from Morocco at the request of the Governor of Texas and the Ambassador from Morocco to discuss renewable energy policies.
He is a licensed attorney in the State of Texas and Louisiana, board certified in Texas Civil Appellate Law and Personal Injury Trial Law, a graduate from Baylor University in 1977 and Baylor Law School in 1979 and is an active member of the State Bar of Texas and admitted and qualified in numerous federal courts including the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.
Prior to serving as the Executive Director of The Wind Coalition, February 2008, Paul was a practicing attorney specializing in litigation matters. His practice included the asbestos litigation as well as oversight of litigation for a multi-billion dollar company in all 50 states.
In addition to his work as an attorney, Paul and his wife, Sherri, have five children: Erin, Brandon, Lee, Joel and Sam.
Honors, Awards & Engagements