(AUSTIN) - State Representative Donna Howard today filed her
latest financial report, showing nearly $161,000 cash on hand as
she heads toward the traditional start of the fall campaign season.
“We’ve done a lot in two short years and we’re just getting
started,” Howard said. “There’s much more to do to make sure our
public schools are excellent, our health care is accessible, and
our property taxes are affordable.”
Howard’s report shows that she raised $89,915.08 from 190 individual
contributors between January 2008 and June 2008. She has
$160,868.91 cash on hand and has scheduled numerous fundraisers to
make sure she has the resources for a winning re-election campaign.
A former critical care nurse, Howard is working on legislative
proposals to address the state’s historic nursing shortage and
help make quality health care more accessible for families and
small businesses. Insurance reform, clean air initiatives, and
blocking renewed efforts to siphon tax dollars out of public
schools for a private-school voucher scheme also top her agenda.
From her post on the House Higher Education Committee, Howard is
also working with others to guarantee that the state adequately
funds public colleges and universities while keeping tuition costs
within the reach of middle-income families who earn too much for
needs-based scholarships but too little to pay for their
children’s higher education out of pocket.
Howard won an impressive victory in a special House District 48
election in early 2006 and represented the community during that
year’s special legislative session on public school finance. She
has been commended for her work on clean air issues, as well as
efforts to improve patient care and help cut wasteful spending.
She led the effort to eliminate double appraisals of a single
piece of property.
A recognized leader on public education issues, Howard was an
elected member of the Eanes ISD board in West Austin from 1996 to
1999, co-founded Advocates for Eanes Schools, and helped start the
Texas Education Crisis Coalition, a grassroots group of parents
and community leaders.
Howard served as the first hospital-based Patient Education
Coordinator in Austin history, and helped get the Seton Good
Health School off the ground. She has also been president of the
Texas Nurses’ Association (District 5) and a Health Education
instructor at UT.
Howard is married to Austin attorney Derek Howard. The couple has
three children, all educated in Austin area public schools.
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