Eliot Shapleigh

Texas Senator Eliot Shapleigh of District 29
29th Senate Member
Term of office:	December 21, 1997 – present
Predecessor:	Peggy Rosson
Successor:	incumbent
Born:	November 11, 1952 El Paso, Texas
Political party:	Democrat
Profession:	Attorney, politician

Eliot Shapleigh (born November 11, 1952) is a politician from the state of Texas, currently representing the state's 29th Senatorial District which comprises the majority of El Paso County, Texas. December 21 is the 355th day of the year (356th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... Nickname: Star of the Southwest and Land of the Sun Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: County El Paso County Mayor John Cook Area    - City 250. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... The Democratic Party is one of the two major United States political parties. ... An attorney is someone who represents someone else in the transaction of business: For attorney-at-law, see lawyer, solicitor, barrister or civil law notary. ... A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... November 11 is the 315th day of the year (316th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 50 days remaining. ... 1952 (MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... El Paso County is the name of several counties in the United States: El Paso County, Colorado El Paso County, Texas This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

Background

Eliot Shapleigh was born and raised in El Paso. He has lived and traveled extensively in Mexico, and is a fluent Spanish speaker today. Senator Shapleigh graduated from Rice University in 1974 and served in the Peace Corps in Sierra Leone, West Africa until 1977. He then attended The University of Texas School of Law, graduating in 1981. In 1983, Senator Shapleigh founded his own law firm with two partners and today is the managing partner of the Shapleigh Law Firm, PC. Nickname: Star of the Southwest and Land of the Sun Location in the state of Texas Coordinates: County El Paso County Mayor John Cook Area    - City 250. ... Lovett Hall William Marsh Rice University, commonly called Rice University and opened in 1912 as Rice Institute, is one of the United Statess highest rated institutions of higher education, in both academics and student life. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Peace Corps volunteers usually serve for two years. ...  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... For the album by Ash, see 1977 (album). ... The University of Texas School of Law is an ABA-certified American law school located on the campus of The University of Texas at Austin. ... 1981 (MCMLXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1983 (MCMLXXXIII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Senator Shapleigh currently resides in El Paso, Texas with his wife Lee Shapleigh, and two children, Zoe and Ben.

Legislative Record

State Senator Eliot Shapleigh addressed a public hearing of the Texas Tax Reform Commission August 16, 2006 in El Paso City Council chambers. Shapleigh said the Texas tax system is regressive and that all the proposals that have been presented place a heavy burden on the middle and lower classes

Last May, Senator Shapleigh completed his fifth Session as a legislator. During his tenure as a state Senator, he has authored or sponsored more than 400 bills, with particular focus on education, economic development, infrastructure, technology, veteran and health care issues. Additionally, he has been integral in helping prepare the State for the Department of Defense's periodic reassessment of infrastructure needs, or base realignment and closure (BRAC). In 2003, Senator Shapleigh spearheaded the state's preparation for the 2005 BRAC round by authoring the omnibus Texas Military Preparedness Act, SB 652. August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ζōA legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. ... The United States Department of Defense, abbreviated as DoD or DOD and sometimes called the Defense Department, is a civilian Cabinet organization of the United States government. ... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) is a process of the United States federal government directed at the administration and operation of the US Armed Forces, used by the United States Department of Defense and Congress to close excess military installations and realign the total asset inventory in order to save... 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

As a result of his commitment to Texas' defense dependent communities and military heritage, Senator Shapleigh was appointed Chair of the Subcommittee on Base Realignment and Closure in 2004 and continues to lead that committee. Additionally, Shapleigh is a member of the International Relations and Trade Committee, the Transportation and Homeland Security Committee, the Veteran Affairs and Military Installations Committee, and the Texas Sunset Commission. He also serves as Chair of the Economic Development Committee of the ten state Border Legislative Conference. 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Senator Shapleigh is dedicated to increasing equity in state funding, ensuring fairness in state taxation, expanding educational opportunities for minority and low-income students and developing community solutions for health, safety and environmental issues. As an advocate for El Paso and other border communities, he is also interested in raising per capita income and boosting economic prosperity along the Texas Border.

The Texas Eleven

Senator Shapleigh was involved one of the Texas Senate Democrats who fled the state of Texas for New Mexico for 46 days in 2003 in a quorum-busting effort aimed at preventing the passage of controversial redistricting legislation that would have benefited Texas Republicans. The Democratic Party is one of two major political parties in the United States, the other being the Republican Party. ... Capital Santa Fe Largest city Albuquerque Area  Ranked 5th  - Total 121,665 sq mi (315,194 km²)  - Width 342 miles (550 km)  - Length 370 miles (595 km)  - % water 0. ... In law, a quorum is the minimum number of members of a deliberative body necessary to conduct the business of that group. ... The 2003 Texas redistricting refers to a highly controversial Congressional redistricting plan that ultimately went to the Supreme Court of the United States for review. ... The Republican Party (often referred to as the GOP, for Grand Old Party) is one of the two major political parties in the United States two-party system, along with the Democratic Party. ...

Controversy

Critics of the Senator commonly raise concerns in regards to what has been construed as an on-going feud with University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) president Diana Natalicio. Shapleigh has been quoted as saying that UTEP’s budget requests “will be DOA – dead on arrival” ^[1]. Perhaps the most widely criticized of his statements was one in which he compared the style of Dr. Natalicio to that of a “queen bee” ^[2]. The Senator's public views of UTEP’s administration are commonly considered irreverent, as evidenced by a recent public statement that UTEP’s current leadership “is not likely to lead to real reform” ^[3]. Shapleigh’s relationship with UTEP is one of the most publicised aspects of the Senator's public life, leading veteran El Paso Times columnist John Laird to compare Shapleigh’s public feud with Natalicio as El Paso’s own “Celebrity Boxing.” The UTEP logo The University of Texas at El Paso, popularly known as UTEP, is a public, coeducational university, and it is a member of the University of Texas System. ... The El Paso Times is the newspaper for the city of El Paso, Texas. ...

Honors

Throughout Senator Shapleigh's service in the Senate, he has received numerous honors for his work on educational, health, and border issues, on developing innovative technology programs, and for his integrity and passion.

Senator Shapleigh presenting his views on taxation.

National honors include being named a Visionary Technology Innovator by the Center for Digital Government in 2003 for his commitment to expanding access to government services through technology. In particular, the Center for Digital Government cited Senator Shapleigh's work in developing and expanding the TexasOnline state portal and for developing a laptop immersion program. Also, at the national level, Senator Shapleigh was named Legislator of the Year by the American School Health Association for his commitment to the health of school children.

At the state level, he has been named the Texas Legislator of the Year by the Mexican American Bar Association, the Hispanic Journal, Texas Pharmacy Association, Texas Sierra Club, and the Texas American Association of Retired Persons (AARP). American Bar Associations Washington, DC office The American Bar Association (ABA) is a voluntary bar association of lawyers which is not specific to any jurisdiction in the United States. ... The Sierra Club is an American environmental organization founded on May 28, 1892 in San Francisco, California by the well-known conservationist John Muir, who became its first president. ... AARP is an acronym with several meanings: American Association of Retired Persons AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol Animal Accident Recovery Patrol This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... AARP is an acronym with several meanings: American Association of Retired Persons AppleTalk Address Resolution Protocol Animal Accident Recovery Patrol This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ...

His work on behalf of Texas school children has been honored by various Texas advocacy groups. Upon completion of the 78th Legislative session, Shapleigh was named the Texas Classroom Advocate of the Year by the Classroom Teachers Association. Additionally, the Child Crisis Centers of Texas presented Senator Shapleigh with the Texas Advocate for Children Award, and the Texas Equity Center named Senator Shapleigh a "Champion For School Children". Finally, in 2006, the Association of Texas Professional Educators awarded Senator Shapleigh with one of their first "Freedom to Teach" awards. 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Additionally, the American Cancer Society presented Senator Shapleigh with the Texas Advocacy Award and the Texas Public Interest Research Group, TexPIRG, named Senator Shapleigh a Public Interest Champion in 2005, and the Texas Guardianship Association gave him 2005's Visionary Award for his work in reforming adult protective services in Texas. Finally, Senator Shapleigh was named the "Conscience of the Senate" by Texas Monthly magazine due to the commitment and integrity he displayed during the most recent legislative session. The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a medical organization in the United States. ... Texas Monthly is a monthly American magazine published in Austin, Texas. ...

In March, 2006, Senator Shapleigh received two additional statewide awards. He was awarded the Education Leadership Award through the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce (TAMACC) and the Legislator of Excellence Award from the Texas Independent Living Council for his part in protecting and advancing the rights of Texans with Disabilities by authoring the Adult Protective Services Reform Act of 2005. March is the third month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Locally, Senator Shapleigh has been honored by numerous organizations for his commitment to his community. Senator Shapleigh was awarded the Conquistador Award by the El Paso City Council, and named El Pasoan of the Year by El Paso Inc. for his work in bringing a four year medical school to the community. The Black El Paso Democrats named him Humanitarian of the Year in 2004, and he was inducted into the El Paso Democratic Party's Hall of Fame. The El Paso Chapter of the National Council of Jewish Women honored Senator Shapleigh with the Hannah Solomon Award and the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce inducted him into their Technology Hall of Fame. Finally, the Senator has twice been named Public Servant of the Year for El Paso and the Border - by Volar and by "What's Up Magazine". Most recently, the City of Socorro awarded the Senator with the City of Socorro ~District 3 Community Service Award in February 2006.

Trivia

• Senator Shapleigh is a fifth-generation El Pasoan whose roots in his community trace back to 1847.
• Lee Shapleigh, Senator Shapleigh's wife, is the assistant county attorney for El Paso County.
• Senator Shapleigh has been married for over twenty years.

1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... A county attorney in the United States is the prosecutor for a county or local judicial district. ...

Notes

Prose contains specific citations in source text which may be viewed in edit mode.

The El Paso Times is the newspaper for the city of El Paso, Texas. ...

See Also

• Texas Eleven

References

• Texas Capital Website
• Senator Shapleigh's official website