About Senator Shapiro
Florence Shapiro, a former school teacher and small business owner, was elected to the Texas Senate in 1993. Yet her journey into Texas politics began years prior and miles away from the State Capitol.
Personal
As a first generation American, the daughter of Holocaust survivors, Shapiro was the first in her family to attend college. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Shapiro lives in Plano with her husband, Howard, who is an attorney and native of San Saba, Texas. They have three children and eight grandchildren living in the DFW Metroplex and Houston areas.
Champion for Children
A champion for education, Florence Shapiro began her life of service as an English and Speech teacher at Richardson High School. Decades later, following six terms on the Plano City Council, and after serving as Mayor of Plano and President of the Texas Municipal League, Shapiro was elected to the Texas Senate and began serving in 1993. She currently serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Education and is a former Chair of the Senate’s State Affairs Committee.
The Senator has committed her public life to ensuring that our children remain our top priority. In the early years of her career in the Legislature, she authored “Ashley’s Laws”—a set of laws which ensure that our children remain protected from sexual predators who reside in the state of Texas. These laws, which went into effect in 1995, were national benchmarks, and Senator Shapiro continues to dedicate herself to improving the safety and security of our children.
Leadership through Results
Senator Shapiro first entered elective office as a Plano City Council member. Following six terms on the Council, she was elected Mayor of Plano and then elected to serve Senate District 8 in the Texas Senate. As Collin County—a suburban neighbor of the Dallas Metroplex—has grown, so has Senator Shapiro’s influence and impact on her community. In her early years, the Senator was integral in bringing large employers such as EDS to Plano, which became a catalyst for job growth and thriving economic success, in the once rural North Texas community. Many large companies have since followed and the district now has an unparalleled number of Fortune 500 companies headquartered within its boundaries.
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