Member Press Releases 2014

• January

• 01/25/2013

  State Representative Joseph D. Deshotel TMRA PRESS RELEASE

  by: Rep. Deshotel, Joe
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Biography

Joe represents the 22nd Legislative District, which includes parts of Jefferson and Orange Counties. He is an attorney, businessman and life-long resident of Beaumont. Deshotel has been married for 31 years to the former Claudia Darjean of Opelousas, La. He is the father of W. Joseph Deshotel.

Prior to serving in the Legislature, Deshotel served on the Beaumont City Council and was appointed by Governor Mark White to the Job Training Coordinating Council and Lamar University Board of Regents. He organized Lamar University's first NAACP chapter and helped rename the former Spur 380 to Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway. He also served as vice president for administration and legal counsel of Lamar University-Beaumont.

He is a graduate from Lamar University and received his law degree from Texas Southern University’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. His long career of public service began as a member of the Beaumont city council and he was first elected to the 76th state legislature in 1998.

After the end of the 76th Legislative Session, the Legislative Study Group, the largest caucus in the state, presented Deshotel with the Rising Star Award. The award was given to only three representatives of the 25-member freshman class and is given to honor their outstanding dedication and achievement.

In the 77th Legislative Session, his colleagues in the Texas Legislative Black Caucus elected him chairman.

In the 78th Legislative Session, Deshotel served on the House Appropriations Committee which is the budget writing arm of the House. He also served as the vice chair of local & consent calendars, the chairman of budget oversight for the House Elections Committee and on the select committee on state health care expenditures.

In the 79th Legislative Session Deshotel was appointed to the House Committees on Economic Development, on Transportation and on Redistricting.

In the 80th Legislative Session Deshotel was appointed to serve as chairman of the House Economic Development Committee.

"Being named chairman of economic development committee is important for East Texas," Deshotel said. "This committee assignment ensures that job creation and the increased vitalization of the local technology industry receive proper attention during the legislative process."

In the 81st Legislative Session Deshotel was appointed to serve as chairman of the House Business and Industry Committee a post he continues to hold today.