State Rep. Shelby Slawson named ‘hardworking rising star’ by Texas Monthly.
Stephenville’s Shelby Slawson has been called a “rising star” among freshman legislators by Texas Monthly.
In a story in July’s edition of the magazine naming the best and worst Texas legislators, the state representative was deemed one of the hardest working new members in Austin.
The biennial list has been published by Texas Monthly since 1973.
In the best and worst of 2021, Slawson was recognized as a legislator who “roared” during her first year in office.
“There’s an old saying in the Texas Legislature that freshman lawmakers should be seen but not heard. The twenty members of the Eighty-seventh legislative freshman class—sixteen in the House and four in the Senate—not only were heard, but they often roared,” the article states.“Republican Shelby Slawson, of Stephenville, is a hardworking rising star. But as one of the lead legislators on the controversial ‘heartbeat’ bill, which would effectively ban abortion, she stumbled on tough questions from opponents.”
Even with that little hiccup, Erath County residents who know Slawson aren’t surprised that she is capturing this kind of attention.
As a practicing attorney in Stephenville, Slawson is known as a go-getter; a smart, outspoken community activist who served on various boards and commissions.
Earlier this year, Slawson backed the Todd-Hogland Act, a bill that would increase the punishment for violent offenders.
The bill was named after two horrible crimes that occurred in Erath County: The stabbing of a young mother, Brandi Todd, at Stephenville City Park, and the shooting of Tarleton State University student Jamie Hogland.
After introducing the bill, Slawson told Beneath the Surface News, “When Brandi Todd and Jamie Hogland were horrifically assaulted in our communities, their lives were forever changed.
“Through their courageous pursuit of justice for victims of such crimes, and the raw and passionate testimony presented in Austin, the Todd-Hogland Act will make an important and meaningful change in sentencing laws.”
I have not been able to reach Slawson for comment about her recognition in Texas Monthly, but my feelings aren’t hurt because I have no doubt that she is busy working on behalf of her constituents.
