Watch as the major and minor players in the Texas Capitol navigate lawmaking in the 86th Legislature. Our mini-documentary series takes viewers beyond the business of passing bills and showcases the personalities and predicaments lawmakers face throughout the session. Subscribe to our YouTube page and never miss an episode.More in this series
Seeing a baby girl on the Texas House floor has become commonplace this session. Well, one baby in particular. State Rep. Erin Zwiener‘s 8-month-old daughter, Lark, can often be heard cooing as resolutions are read. Zwiener, of Driftwood, is among a class of 10 Democratic women who were sworn in at the beginning of the session.
While many called the 2018 midterm elections the “year of the woman,” only Texas Democrats made substantial gains. Republican women actually saw their overall ranks diminish. Some members, including state Rep. Angie Chen Button, R-Richardson, point to a need for the party to better advertise all it does for women as a way to attract both female voters and candidates.
Texas elected its first woman to the Legislature in 1923. In the decades since, a handful of women elected in the 1970s and 1980s have endured. And members like state Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, have set the tone for how women should be treated.
Watch the latest episode of our mini-documentary series, “Under the Dome.”
Subscribe to our YouTube page and never miss an episode.
Learn about The Texas Tribune’s policies, including our partnership with The Trust Project to increase transparency in news.
