Former Houston state Rep. Garnet Coleman dies

• "From Third Ward and Montrose to Downtown Houston and the Texas Capitol in Austin, he fought for every community and constituency with unending care and passion," the Texas Democratic Party said in a statement.

• House Speaker Dustin Burrows (R-Lubbock) remembered Coleman in a post on X as "a passionate advocate for the Houston community, a champion for the underserved, and above all, a great man."

Coleman, first elected in 1991 at age 30, was among the Legislature's most senior lawmakers when he retired in 2022.

• He was a longtime advocate for expanding health care access and helped establish Texas' Children's Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program.
• He authored the Sandra Bland Act, which requires independent investigations of jail deaths and diverts people with mental health or substance abuse issues from county jails to treatment.
• And he pushed for mental health parity and increased funding for mental health and HIV/AIDS services.