Member Press Releases 2013

• No news has been entered for this year.
• Archived Member Press Releases...

Newsletters:

• No newsletters have been submitted

Press Conferences:

Date	Sponsored By	Topic	Time	Video Format
02/15/11	Coleman, Garnet F.	Texas on the Brink, How Texas Ranks Among the 50 States	25 minutes	RealPlayer
01/19/11	Coleman, Garnet F.	Response to the Budget	38 minutes	RealPlayer
01/19/11	Coleman, Garnet F.	Organizing for America on Healthcare Repeal	18 minutes	RealPlayer

Media

	Representative Coleman: Voter Identification at Elections. May 02, 2005 --- 23 minutes
	Representative Delisi: HB 1771. April 19, 2005 --- 19 minutes
	Representative Coleman: Legislative Agenda. April 12, 2005 --- 11 minutes
	Representative Goleman on School Finance. March 8, 2005 --- 23 minutes
	Representative Garnet Coleman and others: Children's Health Insurance. January 25, 2005 --- 19 minutes
	Representative Garnett Coleman on filing a bill for the Dignity for All Students Act. January 13, 2005 --- 13 minutes

Realplayer files require the realplayer plugin to view the files.

Biography

Garnet F. Coleman was elected in 1991 to represent the people of Houston's District 147 in the Texas House of Representatives.

Representative Coleman is the Chair of the County Affairs Committee, the Senior Ranking Member of the Public Health Committee, and serves on the Calendars Committee. Representative Coleman has served as Chair of the Legislative Study Group, a non-partisan House Caucus dedicated to the development of sound public policy, since 20003. He also has the honor of being a past chairman and current member of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus.

Representative Coleman's work in the legislature has been instrumental to expanding access to health care for Texans. Representative Coleman authored and passed legislation that will allow rural hospitals to directly hire doctors. This legislation will help to bring quality physicians into the community, save physicians the cost of opening a practice, and increase access to quality care for the Texans who live in rural communities. Representative Coleman was one of the original authors of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in Texas, a program that makes health insurance available to more than 500,000 children from working families. He helped simplify access to Medicaid for more than 600,000 Texas children, and worked to secure an increase of $161.5 million for at-risk child care services.

Representative Coleman's dedication to enacting sound public does not stop at the state's borders. Because of his commitment and record on health care, Representative Coleman was selected by the White House to serve as a member of President Obama's State Legislators for Health Reform, a select working group of only 32 state legislators from across the country. He is on the Board of the Progressive States Network, an organization that promotes and advances key progressive economic and social policies. He also serves on the Board of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a national organization that works to elect Democratic majorities in state legislative chambers across the country, and is a member of the Democratic National Committee.

Representative Coleman's legislative efforts have been recognized. The Center for Public Policy Priorities honored him with the Hobby Visionary Award, which was established to recognize a Texan whose service best exemplifies the leadership and foresight demonstrated by Former Lieutenant Governor Hobby. He was also selected as a "People's Friend" by the Texas Observer in 2009, and on two occasions, was named to the prestigious Texas Monthly "Ten Best Legislators List."

Outside of his legislative work, Representative Coleman remains active and involved in the Houston community. He serves on the boards of the Mid-Town Redevelopment Authority and the Ensemble Theater. In 1991, Representative Coleman founded S.M.A.R.T. Kids, a youth development program that provides tutoring for inner-city students. He also serves as president and CEO of Apartments for America, Inc., a non-profit affordable housing corporation.

Raised in Houston, Representative Coleman attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. and in 1990 graduated from the University of St. Thomas cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts. He also completed the prestigious Harvard University Senior Executive Program for State and Local Government. In 2010, Representative Coleman was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Southern University.

Representative Coleman and his wife, Angelique, reside in Houston's University Oaks neighborhood. They have two children, Austin and Evan.

State Honors:

• Center for Public Policy Priorities Hobby Visionary Award, 2010
• Texas Medical Association Friend of Medicine Award, 2010
• Texas Academy of Family Physicians Patient Advocacy Award, 2009, 1999
• Texas Hospital Association Advocacy Tribute Award, 2009, 2007, and 1999
• Texas Association of Counties Champion of County Government Award, 2009
• Capitol Inside Honorable Mention in Best of the Legislature, 2009
• Named People's Friend by the Texas Observer, 2009
• Mental Health America of Greater Houston Legislative Award, 2009
• Cenikor Annual Elected Official Award, 2009
• Harris County Medical Society Patient Care Champion Award, 2009
• The Gathering Place Founder's Award, 2009
• Texas State Nurses Organization President’s Award, 2008
• Children at Risk Legislator of the Year for Children, 2007
• Texas Southern University Jordan Leland School of Public Affairs George “Mickey” Leland Community Leadership Award, 2007
• Texas State Employees Unions and the Working People of Texas For Human Services Award, 2007
• Texas Progressive Alliance Legislator of the Year, 2007
• Texas Monthly Ten Best Legislators List, Honorable Mention, 2007, 1999 and 1997
• Texas Democratic Women Oscar Mauzy Humanitarian Award, 2006
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Texas Legislator of the Year, 2005
• Texas Monthly Ten Best Legislators List, 2001 and 1995
• Texas Association of Community Health Centers Health Care Champion, 2001
• Coalition of Texans with Disabilities Public Servant of the Year, 2001
• Children At Risk Voice for Children Award, 2001
• Women Legislators' Lobby Women's Health Leader, 2001
• Houston Community College Trailblazer Award, 2000
• Texas Physical Therapy Association Legislator of the Year, 2000
• Mental Health Association in Texas Ring of Honor Inductee, 2000
• Texas Freedom Network Hero for Children, 2000
• Texas Association for Home Care People's Choice Award, 1999
• Texas Mental Health Association Legislator of the Year, 1999
• Texas Association of Community Health Centers Legislator of the Year, 1999
• Texas Medicine Best Legislators Award, 1999
• Texas Monthly Ten Best Legislators List, Honorable Mention, 1999 and 1997
• AIDS Action Leadership Award, 1998
• Texas Council of Child Welfare Boards Legislator of the Year, 1998
• Texas School Health Association John P. McGovern Award, 1998
• Texas Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Legislator of the Year, 1997
• Texas Committee to Prevent Child Abuse Legislator of the Year, 1997
• Texas Alliance for the Mentally Ill Legislator of the Year, 1997 and 1995
• Texas 4-H Youth Development Foundation Outstanding Service Award, 1996
• University of St. Thomas Outstanding Young Alumni Leadership Award, 1996
• Texas Observer Top Legislators, 1995
• Texas Association for the Education of Young Children Elected Official of the Year, 1995
• Prairie View A&M University Distinguished Public Service Award, 1993

National Honors:

• National HIV/AIDS Partnership Red Ribbon Award, 2005
• Eli Lilly Reintegration Award, 2005
• Outstanding Black Caucus Chair, 2004
• Center for Voting and Democracy/ Common Cause Hero of Democracy Award, 2003
• Governing Magazine, Public Officials of the Year List, 2001
• Families USA Foundation Consumer Advocate Award, 2000
• National Black Caucus of State Legislators Legislator of the Year, 2000
• National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Distinguished Service Award, 1997
• American Psychiatric Association Jacob R. Javits Public Service Award, 1997
• Hispanic Journal Ten Best Legislators List, 2001
• Flemming Fellowship, 1995

last updated on 06/28/2011