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Chris Harris (senator)
Encyclopedia
Chris Harris
is a Texas
politician
and attorney
. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives
from 1985 to 1991 and has been a member of the Texas Senate
since 1991, representing District 9
, which comprises parts of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant County.
Texas State Senate District 9 is a fast-developing area of North Texas. It includes a quality public education system, as well as the University of Texas at Arlington. His district is also home to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, Ameriquest Field (home of the Texas Rangers), Six Flags Over Texas, Nokia Theatre, Lone Star Park, and Airhogs Stadium. The district also sits on the Barnett Shale, which is believed to contain the largest quantity of natural gas in the state of Texas, and is home to approximately 683,000 residents.
Senator Harris is the highest ranking Republican in the Texas Senate and currently serves as Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee. He also sits on the Transportation & Homeland Security Committee and the Economic Development Committee.
During the 82nd session, Senator Harris will work on issues important to Senate District 9 while collaborating with other legislators to balance the budget and complete the redistricting process in a fair manner. His priorities will continue to focus on improving air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by reducing congestion on roadways as well as decreasing the overall level of pollutants from various sources. Harris will address the need to fill the skilled labor shortage by supporting workforce training and encouraging better education practices in public schools and our institutions of higher education. As always, his main goal will be to reduce the burden on the average Texan by keeping taxes low.
As a family law attorney and Chair of Senate Jurisprudence, Senator Harris will bring extensive knowledge of critical issues that will be addressed in this committee. Harris has years of Civil Trial experience in Complex Divorce and Family Law cases, as well as multi-party Commercial and Business Litigation.
During the 78th and 79th Legislatures, Senator Harris served as Chairman of the Senate Administration Committee. In this capacity, he focused on improving the internal operations of the Texas Senate. Senator Harris also played an active role as a member of the Texas Legislative Council and the State Preservation Board.
He was elected President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate for the 77th Legislature, and served as Governor for a Day on May 5, 2001. Also during this time he served as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Texas Sunset Commission, and as a member of the Legislative Budget Board.
Senator Harris has been recognized for his leadership by the National Child Support Enforcement Association, Texas Medical Association, American Cancer Society, Texas Association of Realtors, Texas Civil Justice League, Family Law Specialty of the Texas State Bar, Tarrant County Family Bar Association, Fort Worth and Dallas Chambers of Commerce, Retired Teachers' Association, Humane Society of North Texas, Future Farmers of America, Texas Municipal Officers' League, American Subcontractors Association, Texas Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, and Texas State Troopers Association.
Chris Harris was born on February 22, 1948 in Pasadena, California. He graduated from Arlington High School, attended Texas Christian University, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Baylor Law School. Chris practices family and business law. He and his wife, Tammy, live in Arlington where they reared their family.
is a Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and attorney
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
. He was a member of the Texas House of Representatives
Texas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
from 1985 to 1991 and has been a member of the Texas Senate
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
since 1991, representing District 9
Texas Senate, District 9
District 9 of the Texas Senate is a senatorial district that currently serves portions of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties in the U.S. state of Texas. The current Senator from District 9 is Chris Harris.-2004:-2002:-2000:...
, which comprises parts of Dallas, Denton and Tarrant County.
Texas State Senate District 9 is a fast-developing area of North Texas. It includes a quality public education system, as well as the University of Texas at Arlington. His district is also home to the new Dallas Cowboys stadium, Ameriquest Field (home of the Texas Rangers), Six Flags Over Texas, Nokia Theatre, Lone Star Park, and Airhogs Stadium. The district also sits on the Barnett Shale, which is believed to contain the largest quantity of natural gas in the state of Texas, and is home to approximately 683,000 residents.
Senator Harris is the highest ranking Republican in the Texas Senate and currently serves as Chairman of the Jurisprudence Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Senate Business and Commerce Committee. He also sits on the Transportation & Homeland Security Committee and the Economic Development Committee.
During the 82nd session, Senator Harris will work on issues important to Senate District 9 while collaborating with other legislators to balance the budget and complete the redistricting process in a fair manner. His priorities will continue to focus on improving air quality in the Dallas-Fort Worth area by reducing congestion on roadways as well as decreasing the overall level of pollutants from various sources. Harris will address the need to fill the skilled labor shortage by supporting workforce training and encouraging better education practices in public schools and our institutions of higher education. As always, his main goal will be to reduce the burden on the average Texan by keeping taxes low.
As a family law attorney and Chair of Senate Jurisprudence, Senator Harris will bring extensive knowledge of critical issues that will be addressed in this committee. Harris has years of Civil Trial experience in Complex Divorce and Family Law cases, as well as multi-party Commercial and Business Litigation.
During the 78th and 79th Legislatures, Senator Harris served as Chairman of the Senate Administration Committee. In this capacity, he focused on improving the internal operations of the Texas Senate. Senator Harris also played an active role as a member of the Texas Legislative Council and the State Preservation Board.
He was elected President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate for the 77th Legislature, and served as Governor for a Day on May 5, 2001. Also during this time he served as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Vice-Chairman of the Texas Sunset Commission, and as a member of the Legislative Budget Board.
Senator Harris has been recognized for his leadership by the National Child Support Enforcement Association, Texas Medical Association, American Cancer Society, Texas Association of Realtors, Texas Civil Justice League, Family Law Specialty of the Texas State Bar, Tarrant County Family Bar Association, Fort Worth and Dallas Chambers of Commerce, Retired Teachers' Association, Humane Society of North Texas, Future Farmers of America, Texas Municipal Officers' League, American Subcontractors Association, Texas Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors, and Texas State Troopers Association.
Chris Harris was born on February 22, 1948 in Pasadena, California. He graduated from Arlington High School, attended Texas Christian University, and received his Doctor of Jurisprudence from Baylor Law School. Chris practices family and business law. He and his wife, Tammy, live in Arlington where they reared their family.
Controversy
Senator Harris received international attention as a result of a session in the Texas Senate where he confronted a man (who had been in the US since 1988) giving testimony in his native Spanish, interrupting his testimony and demanding, "Why aren't you speaking in English?" Continuing, Harris added, "it's insulting to us", then later, "It is very insulting. If he knows English, he needs to be speaking in English."2004
2002
2000
1996
1994
1992
External links
- Senate of Texas - Senator Chris Harris official TX Senate website
- Project Vote Smart - Senator Chris Harris (TX) profile
- Follow the Money - Chris Harris