Senator Nathan Johnson

Texas State Senator

State of Texas

Elected with strong bipartisan support in 2018, Senator Nathan Johnson represents the economically and demographically diverse Senate District 16, which comprises the northern part of Dallas County. 

Johnson graduated magna cum laude with a degree in physics from the University of Arizona, and earned his law degree from the University of Texas at Austin. He practices law in the Trial Practice Group at the law firm of Thompson & Knight. He has also composed music for the classical concert stage and scored the hit television series Dragon Ball Z. 

During his first legislative session, Johnson authored and coauthored several bills to reduce criminal penalties on cannabis, notably SB 760 and SB 691. SB 760 would have reduced penalties for possession of marijuana concentrates – currently an automatic felony – to parity with the lower penalties for marijuana. SB 691, a joint effort with Representative White, would have repealed a draconian Texas law that automatically suspends the drivers’ licenses of anyone convicted of a drug offense for 180 days. Heading into next session,

Johnson and his team are preparing updated versions of these bills and others to address the state's policies towards cannabis and criminal justice more broadly.