Senfronia  Thompson

THOMPSON, SENFRONIA (1939~) Senfronia Thompson, state representative, was born in Booth, Texas on January 1, 1939. Her family later moved to Houston, where she was raised.

A Houston attorney, Ms. Thompson is currently serving in her 16th term in the House of Representatives. Dean of women legislators, Representative Thompson has served longer in the Legislature than any other woman or African-American in Texas history. In 1987, she chaired the first standing committee in the Legislature to have a female majority.

Representative Thompson authored and passed Texas‘ first alimony law, the James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Act, laws prohibiting racial profiling, the state minimum wage, the Durable Powers of Attorney Act, the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act, the Sexual Assault Program Fund, the Model School Records Flagging Act, the Uniform Child Custody and Jurisdiction Enforcement Act, contraceptive parity, prohibiting small print in cell phone ads, and scores of other reforms benefiting women, children and the elderly.

The former chair of one of the Legislature‘s most active committees, Judicial Affairs, Representative Thompson pushed through major reforms in child support enforcement, simplified probate proceedings, and complete overhauls of statues dealing with statutory courts and municipal courts. Representative Thompson continues to be among the most successful House members in passing bills into laws.

Representative Thompson has been in the forefront of every major campaign against discrimination in the last three decades. Ms. Thompson has among the highest ranks of any legislator for her voting record on issues of concern to women, minorities, labor, consumers, reform advocates, domestic violence victims, the elderly, teachers and civil libertarians. Among many other honors, she was named “Woman of the Year” by bipartisan Texas Women‘s Political Caucus in 1995.

Ms. Thompson has two adult children and one grandson.