Greeting friend,

Today is Fat Tuesday and I want to hit you with some Fat Tuesday Facts!  On Tuesday, February 7th, Senator Charles Schwertner of Georgetown was arrested and charged for driving while intoxicated (DWI) in Austin, Texas.  If you don't recall who Charles Schwertner is, then let me enlighten you.  He is an American Orthopedic Surgeon who sponsored the 2019 SB 1507 bill, relating to the hours of instruction required to obtain a cosmetology license. https://capitol.texas.gov/Search/DocViewer.aspx?ID=86RSB015071B&QueryText=Cosmetology&DocType=B

I write to you as a concerned citizen, licensed cosmetologist, salon owner, and TDLR CE Provider #1859 that frowns upon the choice and actions of our state senator.  I worked with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation for two years with regards to the 2022 issuance of the first ever honorary cosmetology license for Shelbi Stephens who was killed by a wrong way drunk driver in August of 2019 thus robbing her of a career within the industry that we all love and fight for.  The up close and in person view of the grief that the Stephens family still endures to date is something that we all hope to never experience. https://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/young-mother-identified-as-victim-in-wrong-way-crash/252338/

It was important to me to share this information because it's personal, because I love my industry professionals both licensed and soon to be, and because I am concerned with the direction of the barber and cosmetology industry as a whole.  I will continue to serve as a trumpeter and my prayer will always be that we become a strong united front with voting power that our legislators have to repsect.

Kind regards ~ Sharla Wooten