Bill Text: TX HR179 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Congratulating the 19 African American women serving as judges in Harris County.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-19 - Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence [HR179 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR179-Introduced.html
86R8781 BPG-D | ||
By: Rosenthal | H.R. No. 179 |
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WHEREAS, Harris County marked the dawn of a new era on January | ||
1, 2019, with the swearing-in of a record number of newly elected | ||
African American women as judges; and | ||
WHEREAS, Although the demographics of Harris County have | ||
shifted dramatically in recent years, the judiciary had remained | ||
dominated by white men; 19 distinguished female, African American | ||
attorneys, including 2 sitting judges, recognized the need to | ||
broaden the diversity of the courts, and in 2018, they joined forces | ||
in a campaign they dubbed "Black Girl Magic," adopting a popular | ||
social media theme that celebrates the accomplishments of African | ||
American women in all arenas; when all 17 new candidates won their | ||
elections, their victory gained national attention; and | ||
WHEREAS, The 19 members of the campaign include Judge Maria | ||
T. Jackson, presiding judge of the 339th State District Court, | ||
Judge Ramona Franklin, presiding judge of the 338th Criminal | ||
District Court, and newly elected jurists Judge Sandra Peake, 257th | ||
Judicial District (Family), Judge Michelle Moore, 314th Judicial | ||
District (Juvenile), Judge Germaine Tanner, 311th Judicial | ||
District (Family), Judge Cassandra Y. Holleman, County Criminal | ||
Court-At-Law No. 12, Judge Lucia Bates, Justice of the Peace, | ||
Precinct No. 3, Place 2, Judge Linda Marie Dunson, 309th Judicial | ||
District (Family), Judge Dedra Davis, 270th Judicial District | ||
(Civil), Judge Lori Chambers Gray, 262nd Judicial District | ||
(Criminal), Judge Tonya Jones, County Criminal Court-At-Law | ||
No. 15, Judge Erica Hughes, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 3, | ||
Judge Sharon M. Burney, Justice of the Peace, Precinct No. 7, Place | ||
2, Judge Ronnisha Bowman, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 2, Judge | ||
Latosha Lewis Payne, 55th Judicial District (Civil), Judge Shannon | ||
Baldwin, County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 4, Judge Toria J. Finch, | ||
County Criminal Court-At-Law No. 9, Judge LaShawn A. Williams, | ||
County Civil Court-At-Law No. 3, and Judge Angela | ||
Graves-Harrington, 246th Judicial District; and | ||
WHEREAS, One of the most diverse counties in the nation, | ||
Harris County now has a judiciary that better reflects the | ||
population it serves, and this achievement is a source of | ||
tremendous pride to the community; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby congratulate the 19 African American women | ||
serving as judges in Harris County and extend to them sincere best | ||
wishes for continued success; and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for the judges as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
House of Representatives. |