Ronald Reagan is an icon of political conservatism. Though his name is invoked often in the Texas Legislature, precious few legislators share Reagan's vision.

That couldn't have been more clear this legislative session, which played out like a poorly written political novella, opening with an unsuccessful attempt to overthrow the Speaker of the House and continuing with an undercurrent of insurrection through adjournment.

Though unsuccessful, the coup attempt was the elephant in the House chamber all session.

As the mutiny played out, a number of legislators found themselves in the eye of the storm. As the dust settled, Speaker Craddick still had control of the gavel, which sent insurgents scurrying for cover.

A handful of legislators found temporary sanctuary creating their own PAC to protect Republicans willing to be led by the Democratic Caucus in efforts to unseat the speaker.

In the process, these legislators attempted to rewrite history. The speaker wannabes chose to invoke the name of Ronald Reagan in creating a PAC, calling it the "Ronald Reagan Republicans for Local Community Control and Speaker Term Limits."

This PAC has left critics chuckling, Reaganites offended, and historians baffled. Not only is it a group of Republicans who attempted a revolt, in clear violation of Reagan's famous 11th commandment, but their stated objectives are all things Reagan opposed.

Ronald Reagan was for spending caps and appraisal caps on steroids. He practically invented them, leading the property tax revolution with his Prop 1 in 1973, which paved the way for California's Prop 13 property tax cap in 1978, a measure placed on the ballot by citizen petition.

Prop 13 launched the national movement for spending caps. Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson), a leader of the 3R PAC, is the leading legislative opponent of spending and appraisal caps. This session, Hill got legislation passed actually limiting citizens' ability to petition for elderly and disabled exemptions.

Ronald Reagan was for true local control. He embraced the concept of taxpayers determining how big government grows. Reagan would want local control resting with the voters, not the Texas Municipal League or the Texas Association of Counties. Reagan would be no fan of TML and TAC, the leading opponents of taxpayer protections which give voters control over the size of government.

Ronald Reagan was opposed to term limits. Reagan said in 1986 that the term limit on presidents was "a mistake."

Using the Ronald Reagan name for ideas he opposed is intellectually dishonest. Naming this PAC after Ronald Reagan is like serving steak at a PETA conference.

Who's behind it all? According to the news release announcing the PAC's formation, the 3R PAC's leadership includes house speaker wannabes and current Reps. Hill, Jim Keffer (R-Eastland), Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie), and Brian McCall (R-Plano), as well as Rep. Byron Cook (R-Corsicana), who has called for Craddick's replacement.

Attempting to further re-write history, the PAC was reportedly set up to protect legislators who worked to unseat Speaker Craddick. Rep. Cook was quoted in the PAC press release stating "President Reagan's 11th Commandment was to not attack fellow Republicans." It is actually: "Thou shalt not speak ill of thy fellow Republicans." Either way, it's the 3R PAC members who broke the commandment by attempting to remove a Republican speaker.

Legislators, I worked for Ronald Reagan, and you guys are no Reaganites. Embracing Reagan's core philosophy takes political discipline and the courage to enact taxpayer protections that reject the special interests driving a big-government agenda.

Four years ago this week, Americans said a final good-bye to Ronald Reagan. As the nation mourned, Nobel laureate in economics Milton Friedman wrote of Reagan's leadership in sparking a movement to limit government spending and empower taxpayers.

Published in The Wall Street Journal, Friedman's essay explained how the fiscal policies Reagan embraced were embodied in spending limits passed in Colorado and in Houston.

Friedman concluded that Reagan's focus on restraining government spending was a means to an end. "That end was freedom, human freedom, the right of every individual to pursue his own objectives and values so long as he does not interfere with the corresponding rights of others. That was his end in every phase of his remarkable career."

Misusing the Reagan name to further legislative careers is deceptive and opportunistic. Ronald Reagan's legacy deserves better than that.

Peggy Venable worked on the Reagan campaign in 1980 in Texas and served as the first White House Liaison for the U.S. Department of Education in the Reagan Administration and later served in several other positions in the Administration as well as director of the 1984 Republican National Convention, at which Reagan was re-nominated. Venable currently serves at Texas Director for Americans for Prosperity.

This article was written for the Lone Star Report and reprinted with permission.

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