Angie Chen Button

Angie Chen Button (Chinese: 陳筱玲; pinyin: Chén Xiǎolíng; born February 9, 1954)[1] is a Certified Public Accountant and a retired marketing manager of Texas Instruments from Garland, Texas, who is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives. Since 2009, she has represented District 112 in Dallas County.[2]

Angie Chen Button
Angie Chen Button
Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 112th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 13, 2009
Preceded by	Fred Hill
Constituency	Dallas County
Personal details
Born	February 9, 1954 Taipei, Taiwan
Nationality	American
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Darcy Glen Button
Children	Dane Chen Button
Residence	Garland, Dallas County Texas, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Texas at Dallas
Occupation	Businesswoman

Background

Before Button was born, communists took control in China, forcing Button's parents to flee to Taiwan. The family of 7 lived in a 300-square foot, one-room hut without a bathroom or a kitchen. The Chen's were one of the few Christian families in their small village. She came to the United States, where, as a graduate student in Public Finance and Management Services at the University of Texas at Dallas, she met her future husband, Darcy Glen Button (born May 31, 1955). For more than three decades, the couple has resided in Richardson and Garland. They have a grown son, Dane Chen Button, who is a graduate of Richardson ISD, and two grandchildren. Button describes her life as "the American dream, Texas-style."[3]

Button has a long record of civic involvement. She is a former member of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit Board and is active in the Chamber of Commerce and the advisory board of The Women's Museum: An Institute for the Future. She has been honored by the Young Women's Christian Association and Southern Methodist University. She holds the "Corporate Achievement Award" from the National Organization of Chinese Americans. Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, rated Button 85 percent in 2009, when it named her a "Taxpayers' Advocate." She received the "Champion of Free Enterprise Award" from the Texas Association of Business as well as being named a "Courageous Conservative" by the Texas Conservative Coalition.[3]

Political life

In 2008, the incumbent Republican Representative Fred Hill did not seek reelection in District 112. Button entered a highly competitive primary election. She led with 4,138 votes (37.9 percent) and was forced into a runoff with Randall Dunning who polled, 3,818 votes (35 percent). James E. Shepherd who drew 2,955 votes (27.1 percent).[4] In the second round of balloting, Button prevailed, 3,103 votes (53.2 percent) to Dunning's 2,732 (46.8 percent).[5] In the general election on November 4, 2008, Button defeated the Democrat Sandra Phuong Vule, 30,998 (56.1 percent) to 21,919 (39.6 percent). Another 4.3 percent of the vote was cast for the Libertarian Party nominee, Philip M. White.[6]

Button is one of the few legislators in Texas history to have voted for a major tax cut in every session in which she served. Button also passed a large pay increase for teachers, librarians, counselors, and school nurses.

Button is currently the chair of the House Committee on Urban Development[7] and serves on the House Committee on Higher Education.

She authored legislation to better inform women who recently gave birth to assist in them receiving the proper follow-up care.

She co-sponsored legislation to provide marshals for school security as a separate law-enforcement entity. She sponsored the successful bill to extend the franchise tax exemption to certain businesses. Button voted for the adoption of the biennial state budgets in both 2013 and 2011. She voted to require testing for narcotics of those individuals receiving unemployment compensation. She sponsored the law to forbid texting while driving.[8]

Button supported the bill to prohibit the state government from engaging in the enforcement of federal regulations of firearms. She co-sponsored but did not vote on the final passage of the measure to allow college and university officials to carry concealed weapons in buildings and vehicles in the name of campus security. She voted to reduce the time required to obtain a concealed-carry permit. She backed the redistricting bills for the state House and Senate and the United States House of Representatives.[8]

Button voted to prohibit smoking in public places. She voted to establish eligibility for indigent health care. She voted to establish student centers at public colleges and universities. She also supported photo identification of voters casting a ballot.[8] The measure finally took effect in October 2013 and was used widely without incident in the primaries on March 4, 2014.[9] In 2013, Button backed related legislation to forbid a voter from turning in multiple ballots.[8]

Interest group ratings

Button has consistently been A-rated and endorsed over her opponents by the NRA and the Texas State Rifle Association since 2011.[10] According to the Texas Right to Life Committee, Button was rated a 102 favorable in 2013[11] and a 104 favorable in 2011.[12] She was awarded an A+ by the Texas Conservative Roundtable for the 84th legislative session.[13]

Eagle Forum rated Button 79 percent favorable in 2013 but only 40 percent in 2011. The Young Conservatives of Texas gave her a cumulative score in 2013 of 70 percent. The interest group, Texas League of Conservation Voters rated her 57 percent in 2013; the Sierra Club, 27 percent in 2011.[14] In 2009, the Libertarian Party rated Button 66 percent favorable in matters of economic rights and personal liberties.[14]

Reelection to fifth and sixth and seventh terms, 2016 and 2018 and 2020

Button won reelection to her fifth term in the state House in the general election held on November 8, 2016. With 31,234 votes (57.2 percent), she defeated Democratic challenger Jack Blackshear, who received 23,351 ballots (42.8 percent).[15]

Button defeated Democratic challenger Brandy K. Chambers in 2018 and again in 2020 to win a seventh term.

See also

• History of Chinese Americans in Dallas–Fort Worth

References

1. "Angie Chen Button's Biography". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
2. "Angie Chen Button". Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
3. "State Rep. Angie Chen Button District 112 (R-Richardson)". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
4. "Republican primary election returns, March 2008 (House District 112)". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
5. "Republican runoff election returns, April 2008 (House District 112)". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
6. "General election returns, November 4, 2008 (House District 112)". Texas Secretary of State. Archived from the original on January 9, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
7. "Texas lawmaker aims to 'eradicate' affordable housing tax credit corruption". TAAHP - Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers. 2019-03-05. Retrieved 2020-06-04.
8. "Angie Chen Button's Voting Records". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
9. "Texas Voter ID Officially Takes Effect, October 21, 2013". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 16, 2014.
10. "Endorsements". Angie Chen Button Campaign. Archived from the original on 1 October 2016. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
11. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-02-28. Retrieved 2014-03-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
12. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2014-03-01. Retrieved 2014-03-23.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
13. "Domain Error". Texas Conservative Roundtable. Retrieved 22 November 2016.
14. "Angie Chen Button's Ratings and Endorsements". votesmart.org. Retrieved March 21, 2014.
15. "Election Results". Texas Secretary of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 18, 2016.