Personal Information
BBA, JD-University of Texas at Austin

H-2019-present.

Texas State Directory Online

General Information
Profession: Lawyer, CPA
Home Town: Austin
Birthdate: 08-16-1964
Spouse: Kevin

Sheryl is married to college sweetheart, Kevin Cole and they raised three sons, Marcus, Nelson and Femi. Sheryl and Kevin live in the Wilshire Woods neighborhood and are active members of the David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

About Sheryl

Sheryl Cole is from Austin. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. She lives with her husband, Kevin, in the Wilshire Woods neighborhood; they have three sons and are active members of David Chapel Missionary Baptist Church.

Rep. Sheryl Cole - Texas State Directory Online

Sheryl Cole works as a lawyer and certified public accountant.

TX House Representative
(Texas House of Representatives)
Entered Office: 01-08-2019
District: 46

Sheryl currently serves as the Texas state representative for District 46 and entered office in 2019.

2026 Texas General Election

Affordability

Making life affordable for residents of House District 46 will require tackling many issues at the Legislature. Affordability means defending our neighborhoods from gentrification while ensuring a steady supply of affordable housing in the area, it means empowering labor unions to protect Texas workers and guarantee a living wage and stable retirement for honest work, and it means reducing local property taxes by requiring the state to properly fund education, healthcare, transportation, and other infrastructure. I worked on these issues on the Austin City Council and I will continue to do so at the Legislature.

Issues

Advocates for affordable housing, empowering labor unions, and state funding for public services to reduce local property taxes.

- Advocates for affordable housing, empowering labor unions, and state funding for public services to reduce local property taxes.

Economy

GUN VIOLENCE

We need to take action to end senseless gun violence. As lawmakers, it is our duty to stop every preventable death that we can, from domestic violence, to suicide, to mass shootings. There are a variety of policy options we can pursue - preventing sales of firearms to people that have been identified as dangerous to themselves or others by mental health providers, requiring background checks on all gun sales and closing the gun show loophole, preventing the sale of firearms to people that have been convicted of violent crimes, raising the minimum age for gun purchases, and creating mandated waiting periods before a gun can be taken home. Expanded funding for community policing and mental health care would further help, and college campuses should also be given the right to opt-out of open carry policy that is opposed by students, faculty, staff, and even university police departments. Victims of gun violence do not belong to any one race, class, or political party - hopefully, the Republicans at the legislature will recognize this, and work with us to pass common sense gun reform.

There are a variety of policy options we can pursue - preventing sales of firearms to people that have been identified as dangerous to themselves or others by mental health providers, requiring background checks on all gun sales and closing the gun show loophole, preventing the sale of firearms to people that have been convicted of violent crimes, raising the minimum age for gun purchases, and creating mandated waiting periods before a gun can be taken home. Expanded funding for community policing and mental health care would further help, and college campuses should also be given the right to opt-out of open carry policy that is opposed by students, faculty, staff, and even university police departments. Victims of gun violence do not belong to any one race, class, or political party - hopefully, the Republicans at the legislature will recognize this, and work with us to pass common sense gun reform.

criminal justice

The war on drugs has decimated many communities. Young people, overwhelmingly men of color, are seeing their employment opportunities and voting rights stripped away due to the aggressive pursuit of people in possession of small amounts of marijuana. Texas’ prison system is filled with facilities with poor conditions, no air conditioning, and no hope for the future. On City Council, I worked hard to make sure we Banned the Box - a measure that will help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate with our community. I was also a strong advocate for victims and survivors of police violence and passed a law strengthening our dashcams and accountability. At the Texas Legislature, I would seek to replicate and defend our successful local programs, while seeking solutions for those we can’t handle on our own. I support the legalization marijuana and would welcome the additional tax revenue to spend on our ailing education, healthcare, and infrastructure systems.

On City Council, I worked hard to make sure we Banned the Box - a measure that will help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate with our community. I was also a strong advocate for victims and survivors of police violence and passed a law strengthening our dashcams and accountability. At the Texas Legislature, I would seek to replicate and defend our successful local programs, while seeking solutions for those we can’t handle on our own. I support the legalization marijuana and would welcome the additional tax revenue to spend on our ailing education, healthcare, and infrastructure systems.

Supports firearm restrictions, including universal background checks, limits on sales to specified high-risk people and people with violent-crime convictions, a higher purchase age, and waiting periods.

Supports increased funding for community policing and mental healthcare, and allowing college campuses to opt out of open-carry policies.

Supports legalizing marijuana and using resulting tax revenue for education, healthcare, and infrastructure.

Worked to adopt a Ban the Box measure intended to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into the community.

Passed a law strengthening dashboard-camera requirements and accountability, according to her campaign.

- Supports firearm restrictions, including universal background checks, limits on sales to specified high-risk people and people with violent-crime convictions, a higher purchase age, and waiting periods.
- Supports increased funding for community policing and mental healthcare, and allowing college campuses to opt out of open-carry policies.
- Supports legalizing marijuana and using resulting tax revenue for education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
- Worked to adopt a Ban the Box measure intended to help formerly incarcerated people reintegrate into the community.
- Passed a law strengthening dashboard-camera requirements and accountability, according to her campaign.

Public Safety

healthcare

The cost of healthcare is rising while opportunities for affordable and accessible coverage are decreasing. The people of Texas would be much better off if we had accepted the Medicaid Expansion when it was first rolled out. Unfortunately, the national climate has only fueled rising costs as Republicans seek to deny coverage for preexisting conditions and privatize vital services. Texas needs every dollar it can get for health and human services spending, and we need to increase our investment in community clinics, sliding scale mental healthcare, and nonprofit organizations like Planned Parenthood.

Supports Texas accepting the federal Medicaid expansion.

Calls for increased investment in community clinics, sliding-scale mental healthcare, and Planned Parenthood.

- Supports Texas accepting the federal Medicaid expansion.
- Calls for increased investment in community clinics, sliding-scale mental healthcare, and Planned Parenthood.

Healthcare

ISSUES
Education

A robust and well-funded public education system is vital to a successful Texas. As a mother of three and a former PTA President, I know the difference a good education can make. Far right Texas Republicans refuse to put enough towards public education in the biennial budget, proposed bills will push public dollars toward private school vouchers, and members of the State Board of Education seek to erase our history and deny science. While on City Council, I found funding for afterschool programs and in school specialists. At the Texas Legislature, I will be a staunch defender of Education, from Kindergarten through College.

Advocates for increased public-education funding and opposes using public funds for private-school vouchers.

- Advocates for increased public-education funding and opposes using public funds for private-school vouchers.

Education

Climate Change is real, and we must do whatever we can to address it. Future generations deserve to have clean water and to not live under the fear of alternating years of severe drought and super storms from the gulf. I am proud that Austin aggressively invests in green energy, and I have defended Austin Energy at the Texas Legislature. While on City Council, one of the first issues I pursued was strengthening our water conservation efforts. The Texas Legislature can do more to divest from big oil and invest in Texas’ vast potential for wind and solar energy, and I will be voting in favor of this change every step of the way.

Supports reducing investment in oil and increasing investment in Texas wind and solar energy.

Pursued stronger water-conservation efforts while serving on the Austin City Council.

Supported stronger water-conservation efforts while serving on the Austin City Council.

- Supports reducing investment in oil and increasing investment in Texas wind and solar energy.

Energy & the Environment

our civil rights and liberties

In a world where our State and Federal governments are controlled by Republican majorities, our rights and liberties are under assault. From suppressive Voter ID laws to discriminatory Bathroom Bills, it is important that we take a strong stance on defending our constitutional rights. Every Texan deserves equal access to the ballot box, the justice system, and yes, the bathroom. I will do more than play defense - I will also advocate to expand our rights, whether it is expanding access to the ballot box by making voter registration easier, or ensuring that LGBT Texans are protected from discrimination at their workplace. On City Council, I sponsored a resolution calling for marriage equality long before the Supreme Court made it law of the land, and I also advocated for Municipal IDs, which would help immigrant or transgender Texans.

Advocates for expanding ballot access by making voter registration easier.

- Advocates for expanding ballot access by making voter registration easier.

Voting & Elections

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Sheryl Cole

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- Your state representative represents the interests of your local district in the Texas House of Representatives. The State House of Representatives, along with the State Senate, makes up your state lawmaking body: the Texas State Legislature
- Your state representative can author, sponsor, and vote on bills that may become state laws. 
- There are 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives, each representing a single district. Representatives must be at least 21 years old and reside in the state for at least two years before their election. 
- State representatives are elected to two-year terms during even-numbered years. There are no term limits. 
- State representatives make $7,200 annually in addition to a $221 payment per day during legislative sessions and mileage reimbursements.

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