Both his Republican and Democratic associates are remembering the late, illustrious Texas House representative Garnet Coleman’s passing on Wednesday.
Coleman, who was a 29-year-old who was elected to the Houston-area House District ( HD ) 147 seat in 1991 and served until 2022, passed away from “natural causes” at the age of 65, according to a statement his family gave The Texan. He announced his retirement in 2021, citing one of the main causes, wellness problems.
Jolanda Jones, a express representative from Houston, is now in his place.
His family and former colleagues specially put a spotlight on his parliamentary commitment to medical-related troubles, as evidenced by his writing on the Texas Children’s Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program in 1999 and his leadership as the main author of the state budget’s Health and Human Services section during four legislative classes.
His household stated in the media release that he worked for more than three decades in the Texas House to promote criminal justice reform, improve mental health services, and invest in the areas and corporations he served.
Coleman has been honored for being the first African American to be elected to the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents in 1977, and for being elected to President Barack Obama’s State Legislators for Health Reform Task Force. Among his other achievements throughout his public services job, Coleman has received the honor of being the first African American to do so.
In a social media statement from the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Coleman was described as a “legend and real head,” adding that he was “fiercely intelligent, with a mind for public policy and politicians that served as an example to many Democratic and Republican leaders over the years.”
They said that” His passion for the Texas House, and for the citizens of Texas, will always be remembered.”
Coleman was one of 13 Democrats chosen to serve as the chair of the House County Affairs Committee, which he had also presided over in the previous 86th Legislature, during the 87th under then-House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont ).
In an X post on Thursday, Phelan remembered Coleman and thanked him for his services to the Third Ward, where he was born, stating that” We did not always agree on every issue, but I never doubted his spirit or his passion for Texas.”
Coleman was referred to as a “passionate advocate for the Houston community, a champion for the underserved, and above all, a great man,” according to current Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock ).
Burrows thanked Coleman for his contributions to funding several initiatives at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University, saying,” Through it all, his work reflected a belief that government should provide people, particularly those who are too often disregarded,” as well as his efforts to secure funding for those initiatives.
Coleman’s family has requested anonymity as they grieve his passing, and they want people to remember him” for his service, dedication to his family, and never-ending passion for uplifting all Texans.”
