| In case you missed it, here are just a few of the Texans who have made news in the past few weeks.
Wendy Davis!
Governing Magazine named State Senator Wendy Davis one of 12 State Legislators to watch in 2012. They write:
Democrats in the Texas Legislature lost significant ground in the 2010 elections. Still, Sen. Wendy Davis, who represents Fort Worth, used the limited tools available to her to achieve spectacular results. Hours before last year's session was to end, Davis filibustered a bill that included $4 billion in school cuts. That forced Republican Gov. Rick Perry -- who was on his way to becoming a presidential candidate -- to call a special session. It also turned Davis into "an icon among Democratic activists in Texas," says Mark P. Jones, a Rice University political scientist.
"Since the moment she stepped off the floor, supportive calls from all over the country flooded in, including lots of, 'Where can I send the check?'" says Genevieve Van Cleve, the deputy political director of Annie's List, a Texas-based group that recruits progressive women to run for office.
Early in life, Davis had a tough go of it. By age 19, Davis, whose mother had only a sixth-grade education, was divorced, had a baby and was living in a trailer park. She managed, however, to graduate first in her class from Texas Christian University, and then attended Harvard Law School. She served five terms on the Fort Worth City Council before winning a state Senate seat in 2008.
Davis' political career nearly came to an end in 2011 when a Republican-drawn redistricting map placed her in a GOP-friendly district. Luckily for her, a map drawn by federal judges put her in a more favorable situation -- albeit one that's no slam dunk either. Her 2012 re-election contest promises to be a high-profile, high-spending affair.
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Benita Veliz!
The San Antonio student and former valedictorian of Jefferson High School asked Republican front-runner Mitt Romney why he opposes the DREAM Act. Veliz faced deportation after she was pulled over for a routine traffic stop and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, aka ICE. She was spared deportation last year and has become a spokeswoman for the DREAM Act.
The Houston Chronicle reports:
"I was appalled when I heard Mitt Romney say he would veto the DREAM Act," Veliz, 26, told reporters during a conference call arranged by the Democratic National Committee.
"So many young people like me who were brought here so young; Mitt Romney's notion is not only insensitive - it's irresponsible," Veliz said.
During a campaign stop in Iowa last week, Romney pledged to veto legislation that would allow illegal immigrant children to become U.S. citizens.
He defended his stance during a televised interview Wednesday.
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Ellen Cohen!
The former State Legislator and recently elected Houston City Council Member may be the first Jewish council member in the city's history. Kudos to Houston, which is not only the largest city to have an openly LGBT mayor, but now gets to rack up another notable accomplishment in electing a diverse group of elected officials. The Houston Chronicle writes:
Cohen said it doesn't make her a pioneer, but she brings her Judaism with her to the job in subtle ways. Cohen said she has shared a joke with office neighbor Jerry Davis, an African-American councilman representing District B: He told her he loves bagels and lox, and she responded by disclosing her fondness for waffles and fried chicken. Both are menu items at the Davis family restaurant The Breakfast Klub.
Cohen also said she typically will not accept invitations on Friday nights because that's when she has Sabbath dinner with her family.
Cohen has a photo of what she jokingly calls "the Jewish caucus" from her days in the Texas House, where she served from 2007 through 2010. Cohen is posing in the photo with Speaker Joe Straus and Reps. Scott Hochberg and Elliott Naishtat.
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Taco Eating Beauty Queen!
This story will make you mad, hungry, or both. Miss San Antonio was recently stripped of her crowd by a State District judge after the beauty queen gained more weight than was allowed by her contract. Her contract? Yes, when the lovely Miss Domonique Ramirez won the title, she apparently signed a contract requiring her to maintain her weight. When the teen queen gained a few pounds, pageant organizers filed a suit to strip her of the title. From Reuters:
Woods and the Miss San Antonio organization stripped Ramirez of her crown in late January, charging that she was late to personal appearances, took part in at least one modeling engagement not sanctioned by the organization and, according to Woods, gained weight by eating "too many tacos."
Her contract required the 129-pound Ramirez to stay at the same weight as the day she won the pageant.
Woods said Ramirez had been given a written warning.
The story did not indicate how much weight she gained, but since it's a "scholarship competition" and not a bulimia achievement award it shouldn't matter, right? |
