Texas legislature
In 2018,Sherman ran for election to represent District 109 in the Texas House of Representatives,to replace former representative Helen Giddings,who had decided to retire. [6] In a four-way Democratic primary,he advanced to a runoff against Deshaundra Lockhart Jones,which he won. He was the only candidate on the ballot in the general election. Sherman ran for re-election in 2020. [3]
In reaction to the 2018 murder of Botham Jean in Dallas,Sherman sponsored Texas House Bill 929,known as the Botham Jean Act,to enhance police accountability. The bill stemmed from controversy about murder suspect and off-duty Dallas police officer Amber Guyger's detention in a Dallas patrol car after killing Jean. [7] The in-car camera,which also recorded sound,was switched off at the request of the president of the Dallas Police Association,who later testified that he did so to protect Guyger's attorney–client privilege. [7] [8] [9] Guyger exited the patrol car afterwards and interacted with friends and fellow officers,but sound was not recorded because the camera remained deactivated. [8] [9] Dallas police policies at the time allowed an officer to turn off recording devices when,in the officer's judgment,there was no likelihood of "anything else evidentiary or law enforcement value occurring." [8] Jean's family and community members said that turning off the camera led to a loss of evidence. [7]
The Act made it illegal for police to disable body cameras at any time during their active participation in an investigation. It also requires that law enforcement policies regarding body cameras include stipulations about collecting the camera,video recording,and audio recording as evidence. The Act took effect in September 2021. [7] [10]
In 2022,Sherman was the keynote speaker at the Ellis County African American Hall of Fame Museum and Library Wall of Fame induction ceremony. [11]
In 2023,Sherman opposed a bill in the Texas legislature that would have permitted accessory dwelling units (ADUs) in areas with single-family zoning. The bill was intended to increase housing supply and alleviate the housing crisis in urban areas in Texas. Sherman argued that allowing ADUs would jeopardize the American dream for people and "create havoc with their homes" [12]
