“Our freshman of the year was relentless,” said state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins. “Our freshman of the year never gave up.”
DALLAS — By the numbers, Texas Democrats might appear to be sidelined at the state legislature. But don’t tell that to state Rep. Aicha Davis, D-DeSoto.
As a brand-new legislator, Davis got 15 bills passed, and 11 of them were sent to the governor.
Some focused on mental health professionals and improving foster care, but two of them stand out as legislation she is most proud of.
“One is naming a piece of [State] Highway 67 after Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. Very well deserved. That is on the governor’s desk. Another one is to give loan repayment for student loans to a lot of our mental health professionals,” Davis said. “We did get a lot of funding. We got $1 million for the Cedar Hills Senior Center.”
This month, she was voted Freshman of the Year by both the Texas Legislative Black Caucus and the Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus.
“Our freshman of the year was relentless,” said state Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins, D-District 120. “Our freshman of the year never gave up.”
“My colleagues have been very supportive,” Davis explained. “The majority of them on both sides of the aisle have been giving me tidbits of information on how to get things done. And if I need to change a little bit of my approach, they’ve been very welcoming to let me understand that.”
Davis served on the State Board of Education before voters elected her to replace state Rep. Carl Sherman in District 109, which stretches from Seagoville to Grand Prairie in the southern portion of Dallas County.
She also credited an experienced staff for helping her accomplish so much in 140 days.
“I had a chief who’s worked at the Capitol for a couple of sessions, and he knew everything about all of the processes,” Davis said. “A legislative director who was very, very hungry to make sure we had positive change, especially for our children. So, we came together and figured out who the key players were on each of those committees and just got to work.”