CAMPAIGN NEWS
DONNA MARKS SECOND YEAR AS YOUR REPRESENTATIVE ON TEXAS INDEPENDENCE DAYIt was just two years ago that I was sworn into office as your state representative on Texas Independence Day, a fitting day to pay tribute to our state’s spirit and, in the words of Sam Houston, pledge to “do right and risk the consequences.”
On Tuesday, we will do the right thing again — make history.
Like record numbers of you, I voted early because I didn’t want to wait to make my voice heard. With the presidential choices and many critical local races on Tuesday’s ballot, I hope you will make sure your voice is heard, too.
I look forward to seeing you on Election Night and working with you between now and November to continue the progress we’ve made toward finding common ground and positive change.
Sincerely,
Donna Howard
AustinWoman Magazine Article
Click here to download the AustinWomen Magazine article in PDF format.
The following article appeared in the January 2008 issue of AustinWoman Magazine.
It is 9:07 on the Sunday morning prior to Thanksgiving when State Representative Donna Howard walks briskly into Little Mexico Restaurant on South First Street. I notice how little she has changed physically since our first encounter over 15 years ago. The bright brown eyes, the glowing skin, the luxuriant curly hair, the toned body of a dedicated runner, topped off with a warm smile that lights up a room, certifies her timeless natural beauty. It is testament to a woman who, as a former preventative health care educator, has followed her own advice.
The restaurant has started to fill with the eclectic mix of clientele that finds its way each Sunday to this popular South Austin eatery. The staff is bustling about like bees preparing for the oncoming crunch of families, after-church diners, couples, musicians, artists and other denizens living south of the shores of Lady Bird Lake. Howard apologizes for being late and I playfully chide her for the seven minutes she has robbed from my life’s quota. Laughter ensues and we begin to tackle the tasks at hand – ordering coffee, our Tex-Mex breakfasts, and most importantly, taking measure of this thoroughly modern woman.
“I was born in the old Seton hospital that no longer exists,” Howard declares as she begins to unfold the fabric of her life. “I grew up primarily in northeast Austin, the eldest of four kids. My parents divorced when I was 13 which was very unusual back in 1964. Both parents remarried within a year.” One marriage brought a stepbrother and sister into the fold and the other, in time, added two half siblings. In short order, Howard became the eldest of eight children. More…
DONNA MAKES IT OFFICIAL: “I’M RUNNING”
As the doors opened on the first day of the candidate filing period, Donna made it official: She’s running for re-election to the Texas House seat she won in a landslide special election nearly one year ago.
“I intend to make the case for continuing the progress we’ve made and ask the community to help me keep finding common ground for positive change,” Donna said as she filed her official campaign papers. More…
DONNA RECEIVES ‘NEW LEADERSHIP FOR THE ENVIRONMENT’ AWARD FROM SIERRA CLUB
Donna has received the prestigious ‘New Leadership for the Environment’ award from the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club.
The conservation group cited Donna’s work during the 2007 legislative session on behalf of the state park system and other land conservation initiatives as well as her innovative role as co-founder of the new bipartisan Air Quality Caucus.
In bestowing the Legislative Service Award, Sierra Club director Ken Kramer said:
“As a new state representative, Rep. Howard demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the legislature. Her work during the past year has been a great example of someone ‘hitting the deck running.’ She has shown an incredible amount of skill, intelligence, and dedication in carrying out her legislative responsibilities and in being a strong new voice for environmental protection. I have represented the Sierra Club professionally before the Texas Legislature for 25 years, and Rep. Howard is one of the most impressive new members of the Texas House that I’ve seen in all those years.”
DONNA HOWARD TO RUN FOR RE-ELECTION
West Austin Lawmaker Asks Community to Help Her Keep Finding Common Ground For Positive Change
(AUSTIN) — State Representative Donna Howard today announced that she will run for re-election to the Texas House seat she won early last year in a special election and then won again 12 months ago, saying that she hopes the community will help her continue to make progress on establishing fair property taxes, getting more resources into public schools, expanding access to quality health care, and addressing our region’s growth and infrastructure needs while preserving our natural resources.
“We’ve come a long way in a short time,” Howard said. “But there’s still more to do to find common ground for positive change.”
A former critical care nurse, Howard is working to make quality health care more accessible for middle-class families and small businesses. Comprehensive insurance reform plays a key role in achieving that goal and will top the agenda for lawmakers in the next legislative session, she said. More…
BILL RATLIFF ENDORSES DONNA HOWARD FOR RE-ELECTION
(AUSTIN) — Former Lt. Governor Bill Ratliff today enthusiastically endorsed State Representative Donna Howard in her re-election bid for the Texas House, praising her as “an independent voice for the community.”
“Donna doesn’t look to political parties for guidance, she looks to her constituents,” Ratliff said. “The voters in Donna’s district are proud to call her their State Representative and will continue to be well-served when they re-elect her.”
Ratliff, a civil engineer who won widespread praise for his years of leadership as a Texas Senator, served as chairman of the Senate Education Committee, where he gained a reputation for promoting excellence and accountability in public schools. More…
Prop. 15: A “Yes!” Vote is a Healthy Investment in Texas
Sooner or later, every Texan’s life is touched by cancer. More than 87,000 of our fellow citizens will be diagnosed with some form of the deadly disease this year, and 36,000 of our friends or loved ones will succumb to it.
As a former critical care nurse, I know that’s a lot of loss. That’s why I’m voting for the Proposition 15 cancer fund amendment tomorrow.
Cancer also carries enormous economic costs — some $30 billion a year in direct and indirect costs, according to the National Cancer Institute. More…
Sierra Club Names Rep. Donna Howard as Legislative Award Winner
The following press release was sent out by the Sierra Club on Monday, October 29:
Cited for “New Leadership for the Environment” The Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club has named State Rep. Donna Howard of Austin as the recipient of the Sierra Club State Legislative Service Award for “New Leadership for the Environment.” In making the announcement the Sierra Club noted that Rep. Howard was being recognized for her work during the 2007 regular session of the Texas Legislature as an advocate for the state park system and other land conservation initiatives and as co-founder of the new bipartisan Clean Air Caucus
“As a new state representative Rep. Howard demonstrated extraordinary leadership in the legislature,” said Sierra Club state director Ken Kramer. “Her work during the past year has been a great example of someone ‘hitting the deck running.’ She has shown an incredible amount of skill, intelligence, and dedication in carrying out her legislative responsibilities and in being a strong new voice for environmental protection. I have represented the Sierra Club professionally before the Texas Legislature for 25 years, and Rep. Howard is one of the most impressive new members of the Texas House that I’ve seen in all those years.” More…
TEXAS HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION HONORS DONNA!
The Texas Hospital Association (THA) bestowed its prestigious Texas Hospital Advocacy Tribute Award on Donna this weekend, saying that she “put her nursing degree to outstanding use” during her first term in office and “made a highly positive impact on the health care system in Texas.”
Donna, a former critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton, was honored by THA for creating the Nursing Education Partnership Program and filing bills to address the state’s nursing shortage, prevent retaliation against nurses who report unsafe patient care, and improve Texas’ immunization registry. More…
DONNA HOWARD TO HOST TOWN MEETINGS THROUGHOUT COMMUNITY
(AUSTIN) — State Representative Donna Howard today announced a series of town hall meetings she will be hosting throughout the community over the next month, saying that she hopes the informal gatherings will be an opportunity for residents to ask questions, exchange ideas, and share input about the issues of concern to House District 48.
“We have taken significant steps on important issues in the past year-and-a-half,” Rep. Howard said. “Let’s hear from one another what the next steps should be.” More…