Harold Dutton Jr.
{{Short description|Texas politician (born 1945)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image =
| name = Harold Dutton Jr.
| state_house = Texas
| district = 142nd
| term_start = January 8, 1985
| term_end =
| predecessor = El Franco Lee
| successor =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1945|02|17}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.txdirectory.com/online/person/?id=16907&office=16739 |title=Texas State Directory-Rep. Harold V. Dutton |access-date=2020-11-24 |archive-date=2021-05-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210507011233/https://www.txdirectory.com/online/person/?id=16907&office=16739 |url-status=live }}
| birth_place =
| death_date =
| death_place =
| party = Democratic
| alma_mater = Texas Southern University
Thurgood Marshall School of Law
| occupation = Lawyer
| spouse =
| children =
| residence = Houston, Texas, U.S.
| religion =
| website =
}}
Harold Vernon Dutton Jr. (born February 17, 1945) is a Democratic member of the Texas House of Representatives representing District 142. He was first elected in 1984 and is one of the longest-serving members of the Texas House of Representatives.{{cite news|last1=O'Hare|first1=Peggy|title=Rep. Dutton ordered to pay back child support|url=http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena-news/article/Rep-Dutton-ordered-to-pay-back-child-support-1826832.php|access-date=6 January 2017|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=December 11, 2007|archive-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107100246/http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena-news/article/Rep-Dutton-ordered-to-pay-back-child-support-1826832.php|url-status=live}}{{cite news|title=THE WORST: Representative Harold Dutton|url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/list/the-best-and-worst-legislators-2015/the-worst-representative-harold-dutton/|access-date=12 February 2018|publisher=Texas Monthly|date=2015|archive-date=13 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180213021720/https://www.texasmonthly.com/list/the-best-and-worst-legislators-2015/the-worst-representative-harold-dutton/|url-status=live}}
Legislation
In 2015 an amendment written by Dutton to House Bill 1842 gave the Texas Education Agency the power to take over failing school districts. The agency used that authority in 2023 to take over the Houston Independent School District, of whose failings Dutton has been a longtime critic.{{Cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/hisd-takeover-comes-abbott-touts-legacy-shaping-17840012.php |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20230315222734/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/texas/article/hisd-takeover-comes-abbott-touts-legacy-shaping-17840012.php |publisher=Austin Bureau |website=The Houston Chronicle |archive-date=March 15, 2023 |last=Wallace |first=Jeremy |date=March 15, 2023 |access-date=May 28, 2023 |title=HISD takeover comes as Gov. Abbott touts legacy-shaping education reforms}}{{cite web |url=https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/dutton-wheatley-tea-hisd-school-takeover-17816744.php |title=Harold Dutton: My amendment lets TEA take over HISD. I have no regrets |website=The Houston Chronicle |last=Dutton |first=Harold |date=March 13, 2023 |access-date=May 28, 2023 |language=en-US |archive-date=April 20, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230420213636/https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/dutton-wheatley-tea-hisd-school-takeover-17816744.php |url-status=live }} Dutton has continued to support the Houston Independent School District takeover.{{Cite web |last=Onyeneho |first=Laura |date=2023-03-20 |title=Rep. Harold Dutton stands firm, supports TEA Takeover |url=http://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/rep-harold-dutton-stands-firm-supports-tea-takeover/ |access-date=2023-11-07 |website=DefenderNetwork.com |language=en-US |archive-date=2023-11-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231107215333/https://defendernetwork.com/news/local-state/rep-harold-dutton-stands-firm-supports-tea-takeover/ |url-status=live }}
In May 2021, Dutton supported a bill that would restrict the ability of transgender children to participate in sports aligning with their gender identity. Members of his party called it an act of retaliation, as an unrelated education bill supported by Dutton was killed on the House floor the night before he came out in support of the transgender bill.{{Cite web|last=Méndez|first=María|title=Texas Democrat revives bill against transgender athletes in House committee|url=https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/05/08/texas-transgender-student-athletes-bill-advances-house-committee/4987062001/|access-date=May 9, 2021|website=Austin American-Statesman|language=en-US|date=May 8, 2021|archive-date=May 8, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210508180805/https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2021/05/08/texas-transgender-student-athletes-bill-advances-house-committee/4987062001/|url-status=live}}
In May 2023, Dutton broke ranks with his party to vote in favor of a bill to ban gender affirming care for trans minors.{{Cite news |url=https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/12/texas-trans-kids-health-care-ban/ |date=May 12, 2023 |website=The Texas Tribune |title=Pivotal House vote moves Texas closer to banning puberty blockers, hormone treatments for trans kids |last1=Nguyen |first1=Alex |last2=Melhado |first2=William |access-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-date=May 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230515201822/https://www.texastribune.org/2023/05/12/texas-trans-kids-health-care-ban/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2023/05/12/ban-on-gender-affirming-medical-treatments-for-youth-approved-in-texas-house/ |work=The Dallas Morning News |title=Treatment ban for transgender youth gets OK from Texas House with Democrats' help |date=May 12, 2023 |access-date=May 17, 2023 |last=McGaughy |first=Lauren |archive-date=May 16, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516025137/https://www.dallasnews.com/news/public-health/2023/05/12/ban-on-gender-affirming-medical-treatments-for-youth-approved-in-texas-house/ |url-status=live }} He would later vote Present Not Voting on the impeachment of Ken Paxton.
Personal life
Dutton is Catholic, a member of Our Mother of Mercy Catholic Church in Freedmen’s Town.{{Cite web|title=77(R) HR 332 Enrolled version - Bill Text|url=https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/77R/billtext/html/HR00332F.htm|access-date=2021-05-09|website=capitol.texas.gov|archive-date=2021-05-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210510143402/https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/77R/billtext/html/HR00332F.htm|url-status=live}}
Four of Dutton's known children are sons who were borne by his ex-wife, Phyllis Faykus-Dutton. Faykus-Dutton was divorced from him in 1995 but did not get child support payments from him on a regular or sufficient basis; in 2007, she tried to have him sent to prison over this issue. She was unable to get him sent to prison, but was awarded nearly $16,000 in child support back payments as well as $8,000 for her attorney's fees.{{cite news|last1=O'Hare|first1=Peggy|title=Rep. Dutton ordered to pay back child support|url=http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena-news/article/Rep-Dutton-ordered-to-pay-back-child-support-1826832.php|access-date=6 January 2017|publisher=Houston Chronicle|date=December 11, 2007|archive-date=7 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107100246/http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/pasadena-news/article/Rep-Dutton-ordered-to-pay-back-child-support-1826832.php|url-status=live}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://house.texas.gov/members/member-page/?district=142 Legislative page]
- [https://www.texastribune.org/directory/harold-dutton-jr Harold Dutton Jr. at the Texas Tribune]
{{Texas House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutton, Harold Jr.}}
Category:20th-century African-American politicians
Category:20th-century Roman Catholics
Category:21st-century African-American politicians
Category:21st-century members of the Texas Legislature
Category:21st-century Roman Catholics
Category:African-American Catholics
Category:African-American state legislators in Texas
Category:American Roman Catholics
Category:Catholic politicians from Texas
Category:Democratic Party members of the Texas House of Representatives
Category:Politicians from Houston