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He is currently incarcerated at the Childers served nearly three years of a 42-month prison sentence in West Palm Beach Work Release Center and is scheduled for release was released on [[June 17]], [[2009]], after which he relocated away from Pensacola. On [[June 8]], [[2010]], a federal appeals court overturned the bribery conviction, ruling that Childers' constitutional right to confront his accuser had been violated, as the defense team was not allowed to question Junior on his change of testimony.<ref>[http://www"Federal appeals court reverses Childers conviction.dc.state" ''Associated Press'', June 8, 2010.fl.us/ActiveInmates/detail.asp?Bookmark=18&From=list&SessionID=1024100380 Florida Corrections - Inmate Information Detail]</ref>
{{Infobox BiographyPolitician
| subject_name =W. D. Childers
| image_name =WDChilders.jpg
| image_size =180px200px
| image_caption =Senate portrait of Childers, circa 1976-78
| office =[[Florida Senate]]
| district =
| in_office =[[1970]]-[[2000]]
| office_2 =[[Escambia County Commission]]
| district_2 =[[Escambia County District 1|District 1]]
| in_office_2 =[[2000]]-[[2002]]
| date_of_birth =[[November 25]], [[1933]]
| place_of_birth =Crackers Neck, Florida
| date_of_death =
| place_of_death =
| occupation =Politician
| religion =
| spouse =Ruth Childers
| parents =
| children =Gail, Jeanna, Karen and Marvel
| signature =
| signaturesize =
}}
'''Wyon Dale (W. D.) Childers''' (b. [[1933]]) is a former West Florida politician who served 30 years in the State Senate, from [[1970]] to [[2000]], including a stint as Senate President from 1980 to 1982 and as dean from 1988 to 2000. He earned the nickname "'''Banty Rooster'''" — after the diminutive, swaggering [[Wikipedia:Bantam (chicken)|barnyard fowl]] — and became known for his eccentric mannerisms and colorful, folksy expressions. Childers was popular in his district for the ample state funding and "turkey" projects he sent home, including $12.5 million for the [[Pensacola Civic Center]] and the [[I-110]] extension to [[Gregory Street]]. Initially a Democrat, he switched to the Republican Party in [[1995]].
After term limits forced him from the Florida Senate in [[2000]], Childers ran for the [[Escambia County District 1|District 1]] seat of the [[Escambia County Commission]]. He became embroiled in the [[soccer complex corruption scandal]] and was found guilty of violating the Florida [[Sunshine Law]] and of bribing Commissioner [[Willie Junior]] to help push the purchases of two properties, totaling $6.2 million, from Childers' associates [[Joe Elliott|Joe]] and [[Georgann Elliott]].
==Early life & education==
Born on [[November 25]], [[1933]] in [[Wright, Florida]], then known as Crackers Neck,<ref name="posterboy">[http://www.beachbrowser.com/Archives/Local-News/March-2000/Childers-Unlikely-Poster-Boy-for-Term-Limits.htm "Childers Unlikely Poster Boy for Term Limits."] ''Associated Press'', March 4, 2000.</ref> Wyon Dale Childers attended from [[Bay County High School]] and went on to Florida State University, where he met [[Ruth Childers|Ruth Adell Johnson]]. They were married on December 21, 29531953, and Childers graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in education in 1955. He became a math teacher and supplemented his salary with roofing work and door-to-door sales. He capitalized on the sale of trendy items — hula hoops in the 50s, color televisions in the 60s — and also practiced real estate.
==Florida Senate career==
Childers was for many years chair of the General Government Appropriations Committee, which established budgets for most of the state agencies. He was considered a master of so-called "turkey" projects that were tacked on to other bills and sent state funding back to his home district. Some of the local projects that benefitted from his influence included:
{{colsbegincolbegin}}
*[[Pensacola Civic Center]]
*[[I-110]] extension from [[Maxwell Street|Maxwell]]/[[Jordan Street]]s south to [[Gregory Street]]
*[[Big Lagoon State Park]]
*[[Blue Angel Parkway]]
*[[M. C. Blanchard Judicial Center ComplexBuilding]]
*Sewer system at [[Century]]
*Computer center at [[UWF]]
*Science building at [[PJC]]
*Athletics at UWF & PJC
*[[T. T. Wentworh Wentworth Museum]]
*[[Pensacola Historic District]]
*[[Naval Aviation Museum]]
{{cquote|Everybody says they want us to behave like in church. But the truth is, they like to see a good scrap. The most productive things that happened when I was in the Legislature was when we had the most fights. … If you want to make progress and make changes, you've got to get people's dander up.<ref name="year2">"W.D. shaping up for year 2." ''Pensacola News Journal'', November 18, 2001.</ref>}}
In [[1993]], Childers worked with attorney [[Fred Levin]] to draft legislation that would amend the Florida Medicaid Third Party Recovery Act, enabling the State of Florida to sue the tobacco industry for the costs of treating illnesses caused by cigarette smoking. The bill was pushed through quickly and signed into law by Governor [[Wikipedia:Lawton Chiles|Lawton Chiles]] before it could attract the attention of the tobacco industry's lobbyists. The legislation ultimately led to a class action lawsuit that yielded a $13.2 billion settlement for the State of Florida.
===Term limits===
{{reflist|2}}
[[Category:Florida State Senators|Childers, WD]] [[Category:Escambia County Commissioners|Childers, WD]] [[Category:Politicians removed from office|Childers, WD]]
