Jessica Farrar

Jessica Farrar
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from the 148th district
Assumed office
January 1995
Preceded by Yolanda Navarro Flores
Personal details
Born (1966-11-26) November 26, 1966
Houston, Texas, U.S
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) Marco Sanchez
Residence Houston, Texas
Alma mater University of Houston
Profession State Representative
Religion Roman Catholic

Jessica Christina Farrar is a United States politician and an incumbent in the Texas House of Representatives. Jessica Farrar is currently in her eleventh term as State Representative of District 148. She was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 1994 at the age of 27, and she is the longest serving Hispanic member from Harris County in the Texas House of Representatives.

Rep. Farrar currently serves as the Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence and is a member on the House Committee on State Affairs. In addition, Representative Farrar serves as the Chairwoman of the Texas House Women’s Health Caucus. During the 82nd Legislative session, she served as the Leader of the Texas House Democratic Caucus.

Early life and education

Farrar was raised in Houston and graduated from Lamar High School in 1984. She received a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Houston [1] and a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Texas School of Law.

Texas House of Representatives

In 1994, Farrar was elected to the Texas House of Representatives at the age of 27. She has since represented district 148, which is located in Houston, Texas.

Current committees

Past committees

Caucuses

Notable legislation

Each legislative session, Farrar introduces a bill to abolish the death penalty in Texas.

In 2003, Farrar sponsored legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination based upon sexual orientation or gender identity.[2]

In 2009, she proposed a bill that would recognize postpartum psychosis as a defense for mothers who kill their infants.[3] Under the terms of the proposed legislation, if jurors concluded that a mother's "judgment was impaired as a result of the effects of giving birth or the effects of lactation following the birth," they would be allowed to convict her of the crime of infanticide, rather than murder.[4] The maximum penalty for infanticide would be two years in prison.[4] Farrar's introduction of this bill prompted liberal bioethics scholar Jacob M. Appel to call her "the bravest politician in America."[4]

In 2011, Farrar introduced legislation that would prohibit peace officers from inquiring as to the immigration or nationality status of a witness or victim in a criminal investigation.

The Killer Ds

In May 2003, Farrar helped to organize a group of Texas House Democrats who left Texas for Ardmore, Oklahoma. The absence of 52 House Democrats prevented Republican passage of the redistricting plan during the 2003 regular session. The Killer Ds were followed by a group of 11 Senators, called the Texas Eleven, who fled the state in August 2003 for the same reasons.

Community involvement

Farrar founded a non-profit mentorship and educational program for Latina college students known as Latinas on the Rise in 1998, and she serves on the Board of Directors. In 2001, she authored a bill to create the Greater Northside Management District, a group dedicated to promoting the economic development and quality of life for commercial property owners and to creating opportunities for new development in portions of Farrar's district. She also co-founded the Texas Women's Health Foundation in 2007, a non-partisan non-profit aimed at de-politicizing women's health issues, and she serves as an ex-officio member of its board.

In addition to these positions, Farrar serves on the Board of Directors for Air Alliance Houston (formerly known as the Galveston-Houston Association for Smog Prevention), Avenue CDC, Rice Design Alliance, Women Action for New Direction Education Fund, and the National Advisory Committee of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health. She also serves on the Postpartum Support International's President's Advisory Council.

References

  1. ↑ Houston Chronicle, October 18, 2008
  2. ↑ Representative files bill to extend employment rights The Daily Texan, February 4, 2003.
  3. ↑ Proposed Texas House bill would recognize postpartum psychosis as a defense for moms who kill infants
  4. 1 2 3 historian, Jacob M. Appel Bioethicist and medical (8 November 2009). "When Infanticide Isn't Murder". Retrieved 7 July 2016.
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