Norma Chávez

In 2009, she opposed the El Paso ethics, causing controversy. She also made it onto Texas Monthly's "Dishonorable Mention" list because she engaged in a feud with State Representative Marisa Marquez, whom she texted, "U ridiculed my education every drunk opportunity u had. U R not my friend" after Marquez had allegedly ridiculed her while drunk at a lobbyist party. She held a $3,529 graduation party, well attended by Republican and Democratic lawmakers (featuring mariachis, a barbecue lunch and cake) paid for by lobbyists.

On July 16, 2009, the El Paso Times reported that Chávez had her staff request that 17 lobbyists pay for a $3,500 celebration for her earning a Bachelor of Arts degree. The event had a Longhorn ice sculpture, mariachis, a barbecue lunch and cake. Chávez would not say which lobbyists paid for the event, and would not report the party spending to the Texas Ethics Commission.

One lobbyist, Claudia Russell who represented El Paso County, said she paid $150 to the party after Chávez's staff requested a contribution. "I don't know if I wanted to," Russell said. "I just kinda felt it was my duty to." On July 28, 2009, the El Paso Times published a letter by Russell that said, "Because these events are not unusual and because I attended the event, when asked, I mistakenly stated that I helped sponsor the event. After reviewing my records, I did not sponsor Rep. Chávez's graduation party. I confused it with an earlier event that I did help sponsor. I apologize for the mistake. But let me make one thing perfectly clear: I was not asked by Rep. Chávez's staff to contribute to the graduation party. Furthermore, I did not make a contribution." Chávez said she would not allow Russell into her office any more.

An FBI investigation into corruption in El Paso County resulted in 10 elected officials, government and employees and businessmen pleading guilty to bribery and fraud. During the 2009 session, county officials pushed for legislation to establish a County ethics commission code to pursue and punish corruption violations. The ethics commission will have developed standards of conduct for county officials, employees, vendors, lobbyists and others who do business with the county.

In November 2006 Chávez's neighbors filed a police report saying that Chávez shouted profanity and threats at them, to have their dog taken away. The neighbors filed two police reports complaining that Chávez became enraged about their dog. Chávez told the media that her neighbors were lying and that she wasn't in El Paso at the time of the alleged events. No charges were filed against Chávez, and police said the complaints were not investigated.

In December 2002, El Paso police closed a party, attended by Chávez, in her staffer's apartment, after neighbors complained of drug use in progress and noise. The police report was obtained by the El Paso Times on March 2, 2006. In the report, police reported Chávez was "highly intoxicated" and "abusive." The officers received a barrage and insults. No charges were filed against Chávez. A March 2, 2006 El Paso Times story detailed the report.

In 2006, Chávez's major contributor was Bob J. Perry, a Houston homebuilder and major contributor to conservative Republican 527 groups, including Swift Vets and POWs for Truth, the group that "swift boated" John Kerry in the 2004 presidential campaign.

In 2006, The Texas Ethics Commission found credible evidence that she neglected to report $28,650.71 in political contributions. Her July 2005 report initially disclosed only $900 of political contributions. It also found that 4 times did failed to report all political contributions. For this, she paid a civil penalty fine.

At the party, two men were arrested, a January 30, 2003 the El Paso Times reported. The charges against these two men were dismissed according to the March 2, 2006 El Paso Times story.

In 2003, a constitutional amendment - Proposition 12 - that permitted caps on civil damage awards was put up to a vote. The amendment needed 100 votes. Republicans held 88 seats and uniformly supported the measure, and thus needed 12 Democrats to support the bill. Chávez told the Mexican American Caucus she would vote against the measure. But when the vote reached the floor, Chávez voted for the amendment. For this, Dolores Huerta, the former United Farmworkers activist who opposed the measure, said that Chávez "deserves to catch some heat in her district" for her vote

Chávez passed legislation that increased funding for the Skills Development Fund, from $25 million to $40 million, over the next biennium. Since its inception in 1996, the Skills Development program has helped over 2,500 employers create almost 55,000 jobs and has retrained about 85,000 workers. Rep. Chávez also passed legislation to require local workforce development boards to include financial literacy education in worker retraining programs offered by the Texas Workforce Commission. She also passed legislation that improves the inspections of farm worker housing.

In 1995, as a citizen, Chávez organized a citizen lobby, including 170 small businesses, legislative members, small and big business interests, and citizens, which aided in the passage of state legislation that de-centralized automobile emissions testing.

During the 81st Legislature, Chávez increased funding for the job-training program – Skills Development Fund (SDF) – from $50 million to $80 million for the biennium and she passed legislation that improves transparency and accountability by establishing reporting requirements for the Texas Emerging Technology Fund. She passed legislation that allows the state to use the SDF as an incentive to attract out-of-state businesses to Texas. Currently, the state cannot pre-commit workforce training grants to prospective out-of-state employers. Her bill will allow the Texas Workforce Commission to commit SDF training grants to out of state employers. Additionally, she passed legislation that allows for increased funding for school districts affected by Base Realignment and Closure, and legislation that requires a feasibility study of establishing a law school in Texas' Border region, among other legislation she passed this session.

During 79th Legislature, Rep. Chávez along with Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Texas Civil Rights Project, ACLU, LULAC, MALDEF and many other organizations, stood up against and defeated legislation filed by a special interest group that would have disenfranchised over 75,000 voters from voting in El Paso County Water Improvement District No. 1 manager elections.

Norma Chávez (born 29 June 1960) served seven terms as a Democratic member in the Texas House of Representatives representing District 76 (which includes part of El Paso County). She was defeated for re-election by Naomi Gonzalez in the Democratic primary runoff held on April 13, 2010, and left office in January 2011.