Rep. Rose, Toni

Biography

State Representative Toni Rose was elected in 2012 to represent Texas House District 110, which encompasses the communities of Oak Cliff, Pleasant Grove, and Balch Springs in Dallas County. Representative Rose is a proud alumna of Paul Quinn College. Her legislative focus includes mental health reform, access to affordable healthcare, and criminal justice reform.

Currently, Representative Rose serves as the Vice Chair of the House Committee on Calendars, on the House Committee on Appropriations, House Subcommittee on Article II Appropriations, and House Committee on Human Services.

Over the course of her legislative service, Representative Rose has secured funding for initiatives that better the lives of everyday Texans. Her budgetary accomplishments include funding for construction costs of the Texas Behavioral Health Center (TBHC), the new psychiatric state hospital in Dallas. Representative Rose secured funding for the Department of State Health Service's Alzheimer's Program. This initiative prioritizes quality care and equitable access to best practices in support of the approximately 400,000 Texans who have Alzheimer's. She also secured funding for state services that reduce the risk of children's removal from their homes, an Early Childhood intervention program, and full funding for the Texas HIV/AIDS Medication Program (THMP).

Representative Rose authored legislation that extends post-partum Medicaid benefits for Texas moms to 12 months, to eliminate unnecessary pregnancy-related deaths. She also championed legislation to establish a Statewide Interagency Aging Services Coordinating Council to develop five-year strategic plans for the state's aging services as well as legislation that expanded access to low cost prescription drugs through monthly fee-based discount membership programs.

Representative Rose authored legislation and secured funding for the Department of Family and Protective Services to operate residential treatment facilities for children without placement (CWOP) in the conservatorship of the state. Additional achievements include extending Dallas County's ability to transport senior citizens to county-run health centers and designating December 1st as Rosa Parks Day.

In recognition of her accomplishments, Representative Rose has been named to the Texas Monthly 2023 Best Legislator List, the Capitol Inside 2023 Best Legislator List, and has been honored with the AARP, 2023 Legislative Champion Award; Mental Health America, 2021 Legislative Champion Award; the Texas Medical Association, 2019 Patient Protection Award; as the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, 2018 Regional Legislator of the Year; the Mental Health America of Greater Dallas, 2015 Prism Award; as well as awards from the Texas Retired Teachers Association, the Texas State Employees Union, Equality Texas, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Dallas, Texas Kids Can't Wait, and Run Sister Run.

Representative Rose’s hands on approach has been instrumental to her election to leadership roles in local, state, and national organizations. She currently serves as Secretary of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators. Her former roles and appointments include Chair of the House Democratic Campaign Committee, Deputy Whip of the Texas House Democratic Caucus, Secretary of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, Financial Secretary of the National Black Caucus of State Legislators, and Treasurer of the National Organization of Black Elected Legislative Women (NOBEL Women).

Additionally, she holds memberships in the following organizations: the NAACP Dallas Branch; League of Women Voters of Dallas; Paul Quinn National Alumni Association; Texas Coalition of Black Democrats; United Negro College Fund (UNCF); National Association of Negro Business and Professional Women's Club; National Council of Negro Women; and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.

Representative Rose continues to be a fierce champion for District 110 and the great state of Texas.