Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday appointed outgoing state Rep. Shawn Thierry, who recently switched from the Democrat to Republican party, to the state鈥檚 juvenile justice board.
Thierry was elected to the House from a Houston-based district for four terms until last year when . The race was seen as a referendum on Thierry who had broken with Democrats during the 2023 legislative session to support bills that barred gender-transitioning care for minors and removed books deemed 鈥渟exually explicit,鈥� which advocates feared would be used to target literature that supported gay, transgender and queer Texans.
After losing her election, and criticized the Democratic party for 鈥渓osing its way.鈥� She has become a cause celebr茅 for social conservatives who oppose policies allowing transgender people the same rights as others. Last August, she was .
Thierry鈥檚 appointment to the juvenile justice board is notable because it comes as conservative lawmakers push to .
In a statement, Abbott highlighted Thierry鈥檚 experience in the Legislature, particularly her work on the House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee. The Texas Juvenile Justice Board develops and implements rules for the state鈥檚 juvenile justice department, which has been in turmoil for years. The agency is .