William Roark Ratliff (born August 16, 1936) is an American politician and engineer who served as a member of the Texas Senate from 1988 to 2004.
[4] Instead he soon resigned the Senate seat[5] and was succeeded in a special election by Republican Kevin Eltife of Tyler.
[6] He also argued in favor of "patients' rights" in medical malpractice cases during a debate on tort reform, and in 2003 criticized other members of the State Senate for failing to raise taxes in order to prevent large budget cuts.
[6] In early 2003, Ratliff was the only dissenting member of his party who joined with Democratic state senators in opposing a redistricting proposal of Texas's then thirty-two seats in the United States House of Representatives that he felt would lead to the under-representation of rural voters.
[6] In cooperation with ten Democrats, he signed a letter refusing to bring the matter to the Senate floor, which, by virtue of Texas Senate traditions that require a two-thirds vote of those present and voting to allow a bill to be debated, prevented the proposal from being passed.
[4] Eventually a plan suitable to Republicans was enacted in the third of three special legislative sessions called in 2003 by Governor Perry.