by Legislative Media | Feb 19, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Mario E. Ramírez, M.D., of Rio Grande City, who was appointed in March 1991 by Gov. Bill Clements to serve a six-year term on the University of Texas System Board of Regents, share ideas and memories in Edinburg during the Tuesday, August 26 groundbreaking ceremony of the $54 million UT-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine Medical Education Building.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Legislation to create a Hidalgo County Healthcare District was filed on Wednesday, February 18, by Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, to provide a source of local funding for The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine, as well as to deliver health care to the region while lowering the tax burden on Hidalgo County residents. Senate Bill 626 legislation to create a Hidalgo County Healthcare District is s a top priority this legislative session, and Hinojosa and Lucio will work together with the Valley House delegation to ensure its passage. “The Hidalgo County Healthcare District is critical for our families in the Rio Grande Valley to provide resources to support a medical school, to cover our community’s healthcare needs for both the insured and uninsured, and to decrease the tax burden on our county taxpayers,” said Hinojosa. The McAllen-based lawmaker, whose District 20 covers most of Hidalgo County stretching northward to Nueces County, includes Edinburg, where major facilities of the UT-RGV School of Medicine are going to be built. Hinojosa said without the healthcare district, hospitals in deep South Texas, which are required by federal law to provide emergency medical care, wind up tapping into public funds in order to provide critical care to patients, regardless of their ability to pay. “Our healthcare providers provide millions of dollars in care to people who can’t afford it ever year, forcing them to pass the bill onto county taxpayers or to people with insurance through higher fees and premiums,” said Hinojosa. “The healthcare district will benefit taxpayers by bringing more federal dollars to the county and putting the uninsured into the system with a focus on prevention and early treatment.” Lucio, who represents a portion of Hidalgo County, echoed Hinojosa’s call for action. “I am pleased to joint author this bill which is critical to healthcare delivery in Hidalgo County. We have some of the highest rates of uninsured individuals and amongst the worst health care outcomes in the nation,” said Lucio, who represents Senate District 27. “Senate Bill 626 will allow Hidalgo County to improve our indigent care program as well as leverage and draw down additional federal funds to address health disparities,” the Brownsville lawmaker said. “The Hidalgo County Healthcare District will provide the ability to improve health outcomes in some of the most vulnerable communities, and the benefit to all cannot be underestimated.”
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by Legislative Media | Feb 18, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission; Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio; Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen; and McAllen Mayor Jim Darling on Thursday, June 17, 2014 at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
With southwest McAllen as part of his House District 36, which includes a major presence of South Texas College along with key international bridges and transportation systems, Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission, will be a powerful asset once more for The City of McAllen and its ambitious, progressive agenda during the ongoing 140-day regular session of the Texas Legislature, which runs through May 31. Muñoz’ body of work at the Texas Capitol, in partnership with his fellow Valley lawmakers, is sure to continue registering victories, especially following his reappointment to several of the most influential House of Representatives legislative committees. Texas Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, one of the three most powerful leaders in Texas government, on Wednesday, February 4, elevated Muñoz to Vice-Chair of the House Committee on Insurance, and also kept him as a member of the budget-setting Appropriations Committee, and the Local and Consent Calendars Committee. “I am sincerely honored and grateful to be reappointed to these very important committees by Speaker Straus,” Muñoz said after receiving his assignments. “I fully intend to represent the interests of my constituents and the greater Rio Grande Valley region as I serve on these committees. I thank Speaker Straus for entrusting me with these assignments and for placing me in a position to better serve Texas.” Muñoz’ rising star in the Texas Legislature is a definite asset to the City of McAllen’s legislative agenda, which was adopted by the McAllen Mayor and McAllen City Commission late last year. McAllen’s top state priorities will focus on the following goals: the creation of a Hidalgo County Hospital District; improving international trade and shipping with Mexico through local international bridges; seeking funding to build the first phase of a northbound commercial vehicle inspection station at Anzaldúas International Bridge; extending Ware Road (FM 2220), a primary north-south arterial in McAllen, north from Trenton Road (FM 676) to State Highway 107; building an overpass over Pecan Boulevard at the South Texas College main campus, which is one of the fastest growing in the country (32,000 students), to coincide with a $55 million locally-funded campus expansion currently underway; enhancing Texas’ relationship with Mexico, including holding high-level annual meetings in McAllen or Rio Grande City featuring the Texas governor’s office and Texas secretary of state’s office with their counterparts from Mexican states that border Texas for the purposes of discussing trade, transportation, energy, security and other bi-national issues; and seeking funding, through legislation or Texas Parks and Wildlife Department prioritization, for the construction of hike-and-bike trails in McAllen and surrounding cities.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 17, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left, Blanca Davila and Stephanie Méndez encourage students to apply for an Archer Fellowship. The application deadline for both the fall 2015 semester and the spring 2016 semester is Monday, February 23. For more information, contact Stephen Cisneros, Interim Director of Student Engagement, at 956-882-7152 or [email protected].
Photograph By LETTY FERNÁNDEZ
Stephanie Méndez and Blanca Davila are enthusiastic promoters of the Bill Archer Fellowship Program, an education program designed to provide students from throughout The University of Texas System with an intense learning and exploration experience in Washington, D.C. Students attending The University of Texas at Brownsville – who will be enrolled at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley in the fall – can apply to the Archer Fellows Program for the 2015–2016 academic year. Méndez, who will graduate from UT-Brownsville with her Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing and Management in May, was an Archer Fellow during the fall 2014 semester. Davila, who will receive her Master of Public Policy and Management from UT Brownsville in May, participated in the Archer Graduate Program in Public Policy in summer 2014.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 12, 2015 | Politics
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, a former U.S. Marines combat squad leader in Vietnam, walks by a Texas honor guard which was standing at attention at the Texas Capitol as the South Texan senator prepared to participate in the Tuesday, January 20 Texas Inauguration, held on the South Steps of the historic building, to witness the Oath of Office Ceremony for Gov. Gregg Abbott.
Photograph By SENATE MEDIA
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who as of Wednesday, February 11, had filed 50 bills and resolutions, is promoting his legislative agenda from a position of strength, as he is the only state senator from south of San Antonio who is on the powerful Senate Finance Committee – of which he is Vice-Chair – allowing him to heavily influences the final state budget for Texas. “I am honored to serve as Vice-Chair of Senate Finance and that Lt. Governor (Dan) Patrick (R-Houston) has entrusted me with these important responsibilities. Through these appointments I am able to put South Texas at the forefront of the critical discussions that will be taking place during this session,” said Hinojosa. “There is no question that this session will be challenging as our communities face critical issues, our lawmakers face significant hurdles, and solutions are not always transparent.” Among some of his issues beginning to generate attention are Senate Bill 97, which would prohibit the sale, distribution, possession, and use of electronic cigarettes to minors; a soon-to-be released proposal to bring a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) trooper training facility to the Valley; and Senate Bill 552, which would require state agencies to prepare an economic impact statement and regulatory flexibility analysis if a state agency is made aware that a proposed rule may have an adverse economic effect on small businesses.” Hinojosa represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part), and serves as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. The Senate District 20 lawmaker’s constituents include Edinburg and most of McAllen, stretching north and northeast to Corpus Christi.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 11, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Dr. Guy Bailey, President, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, at the International Trade and Technology Building, The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, on Friday, May 16, 2014.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
With state legislation already filed that proposes students at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley have the right to vote on the official athletics nickname for their school, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, wants the UT System Board of Regents to delay final approval of a multi-million dollar campaign that would include promoting Vaqueros (cowboys) as the national image of the deep South Texas university and medical school. The nine-member UT System governing board – which is welcoming two new regents for its Wednesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 12 public meeting in Austin – is scheduled to take a final vote for UT-RGV’s branding campaign, which will include projecting the controversial Vaqueros mascot and athletics nickname on a national level. However, thousands of alumni and students of UT-Pan American in Edinburg, which is the largest campus of UT-RGV, have protested the loss of the Bronc as their mascot and rejected the selection of Vaqueros as the new symbol of UT-RGV, prompting Canales to file House Bill 901 on Friday, January 29. In his hand-delivered letter to the UT System Board of Regents, dated Monday, February 9, Canales explained he is asking the regents to wait on “consideration on the branding of UT-RGV in order to allow for the university’s athletic nickname to be considered in an election by the full student body. I am writing this letter in support of the hundreds of students and constituents that have contacted my office, subsequent to the selection of the UT-RGV athletic nickname in November 2014.” The Vaqueros representation will be part of a $5 million, two-year marketing and communications initiative, approved by the Board of Regents in May 2014, to launch UT-RGV in the eyes of the world as a state-of-the-art, advanced institution of American higher education. “During this selection process, the future students of UT-RGV have contacted my office repeatedly to express their outrage at not having a voice in the process,” Canales wrote to the regents. “As you might be aware, House Bill 901, if passed, would require a student election to determine the UT-RGV athletic nickname. Again, I respectfully request that you delay further consideration of the athletic logo and word marks for UT-RGV until the students have had a chance to weigh in on this important issue.” Under HB 901, the students at UT-RGV – which also has campuses or facilities in Brownsville, McAllen, Harlingen, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island – would be able to vote on the official athletics nickname, which can be different from the mascot. HB 901 would place “Broncs,” “Ocelots” and “any other options the university chooses, including nicknames nominated by students and approved by the university,” on the ballot for the election, which would have to take place by December 31, 2015. “Ocelots” is the mascot and athletics nickname for UT-Brownsville. The UT-RGV administration, led by Bailey, would be responsible for holding the election. Separate from the letter, Canales said such a student election “would be a powerful lesson in democracy.” The complete agenda packet and live coverage – and archived broadcast coverage – of the meetings is available online at http://www.utsystem.edu/board-of-regents/meetings/board-meeting-2015-02-11
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by Legislative Media | Feb 10, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and former Rep. Mary Ann Pérez, D-Houston, on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2013.
Photography By HOUSE PHOTOGRAPHY
A proposal by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, would prevent Texas restaurant owners from deducting from the tips of waiters and waitresses the transaction processing fees that businesses must pay when customers use credit cards to pay for their purchases. When his measure, House Bill 1215 – which was filed on Monday, February 9 – is considered by a House committee, Canales said he will add language to his proposal to forbid restaurants from deducting from the tips the processing transaction fees involved when a customer pays with a debit card. “Most Texans have no idea that when they include a tip on a credit card, some or all of that tip could be used by the restaurant owner to pay the transaction processing fees that are the responsibility of the business,” Canales said. “I was astounded when I found out that when I tipped my waiter or waitress, they may not have been receiving the full amount.” A tip, also known as a gratuity, is given to one who provides services and added to the cost of the service provided, generally as a reward for the service provided and as a supplement to the service provider’s income. “Every time a company is paid with a debit or credit card, the firm must pay a fee for that financial service,” Canales explained. “But for waitpersons in restaurants – those professionals who provide excellent service and depend on tips to make a living – it is unfair that they cover the restaurant’s cost of doing business.” The House District 40 lawmaker added that 15 percent of the nation’s 2.4 million waiters and waitresses live in poverty, compared with seven percent of all other employees.“Waiters and waitresses, who have many responsibilities which require multi-tasking skills, play a key role in the success of a restaurant, and they have my utmost respect,” Canales said. “I do not know how many Texas restaurants are taking money away from tips using this practice, but when my legislation becomes law, this injustice will be put to an end.” Canales is featured here in 2013 on the floor of the Texas House of Representatives with former Rep. Mary Ann Pérez, D-Houston.
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by Legislative Media | Feb 6, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, on Thursday, January 22, at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Texas’ oil and gas industry and the state’s efforts to fight and prevent crime will be directly affected by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, who on Wednesday, February 4, was chosen to continue serving on the two State House committees which first deal with those vital aspects of life in the Lone Star State. Canales was reappointed by Speaker of the House Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, as the only Valley state representative to the House Committee on Energy Resources and the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. “Texas is one of the the world’s largest energy producers and it contributes significantly to our state’s economy and way of life, so the work of the House Committee on Energy Resources Committee will have a tremendous influence on the production, regulation, transportation, and development of oil, gas, and other energy resources,” the House District 40 lawmaker said. Equally important, in his role on that legislative panel, Canales will continue to expertly monitor – and shape state laws and policies – to promote the beneficial impact of two enormous energy producing regions, the Eagle Ford Shale in South Texas and the Burgos Basin in northern Mexico, on the state, especially for the Valley. “The Rio Grande Valley is centrally located between Eagle Ford Shale, which has produced billions of dollars worth of jobs, revenue, and taxes for Texas, and the Burgos Basin on the other side of the border, which, once in full production, will have a $1 trillion dollar economic impact over 10 years for Mexico,” Canales said. “By helping provide the skilled workforces, building up the transportation systems, and handling the distribution of energy to the rest of the nation and world, the Valley will be a key to the continuing economic development of Texas.” As for his role on the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, Canales said his focus will be on supporting measures to help the state’s law enforcement entities in their battle against crime and help protect Texans from the scourge of criminals. “I am dedicated to helping provide the laws and powers to our police and courts that will make it easier for them to punish criminals, especially the violent cowards who prey on the most vulnerable in our families,” said Canales, who is an attorney. “All law-abiding Texans, especially innocent children, victims of domestic violence, mobility-impaired residents, and senior citizens, have a champion in me.”
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by Legislative Media | Feb 4, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Sonia Marroquín, Assistant City Manager for Edinburg, Sofia Hernández, Vice President for Governmental Affairs, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, and Mayor Richard García, gather at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance for the mayor’s welcome of Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday, January 22, as part of a legislative tour organized by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Construction activities in Edinburg for 2014, not counting the ongoing and approved building of new facilities at The University of Texas-Pan American, was valued at more than $120.5 million, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation has announced. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. That figure, which is based on the value of work listed in the required building permits issued by the city’s Code Enforcement Department, kept pace with construction activities in the city during 2013, which totaled more than $123 million. Both years’ separate totals are the highest in the city’s history, and do not include the value of three new major facilities and their furnishings and equipment at The University of Texas-Pan American, worth almost $140 million, which were approved for construction during the past two years by The UT System Board of Regents. If it did, total construction activities during the past two years in Edinburg would approach $376 million. Mayor García, who also serves as President of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, said additional significant construction projects are set to begin in 2015, notably the $55 million, 115,799 square-foot, 8,500-seat special events arena which will host major gatherings, such as concerts and conventions, as well as serve as the home for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the professional basketball team which is part of the NBA’s Houston Rockets organization. With the City of Edinburg, the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, and RGV Vipers in the final stages of the financing agreement that will lead to the construction of the arena, an announcement is expected soon on the groundbreaking date for the state-of-the-art sports and entertainment complex, to be built on a 40-acre site at the corner of Interstate 69 Central and Alberta Road in southeast Edinburg. “This is a tremendous opportunity for the City of Edinburg and the EEDC to improve the quality of life for residents without having to pay a single penny up front or take any from other projects,” the mayor emphasized. “This is definitely an achievement for our residents. An economic study conducted by The University of Texas-Pan American predicts a $45 million economic increase annually within the arena area, and $1.3 billion in economic benefits over the next 30 years in that region of our community.” Agustín “Gus” García (no relation to the mayor), Executive Director for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, said the EEDC and the City of Edinburg are also actively involved in the ongoing 140-day regular session of the Texas Legislature, which continues through the end of May, in promoting key measures that will help the city’s economic growth. “We have a full legislative agenda that seeks to improve the quality of life for all our citizens, from increased state funding for health care and education, to improvements to our state highway system and more growth at UT-RGV and its School of Medicine in Edinburg,” the EEDC Executive Director noted. One of the biggest construction projects involves the proposed construction of a $50 million, 124,3o4 square-foot Interdisciplinary Engineering and Academic Studies Building at the Edinburg campus of The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. That proposed state funding, being requested by the UT System Board of Regents, is included in Senate Bill 21, authored by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo.
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by Legislative Media | Jan 30, 2015 | Politics
Featured in this image during the Thursday, February 6, 2014 grand opening of the EEDC’s office in downtown Edinburg are, from left: Agustín “Gus” García, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina; Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and Ramiro Garza, Jr., City Manager, City of Edinburg.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
Edinburg’s unemployment rate for December 2014 was 4.8 percent, the best showing for the city during 2014, and the first time in almost seven years – since January 2008, which also achieved a 4.8 percent unemployment rate – that the city’s economy had registered such a strong figure in the jobs market, Mayor Richard García has announced. The EEDC is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. The annual unemployment rate in Edinburg for 2014 was 6.15 percent, the best 12-month average from January through December in seven years. Edinburg’s annual unemployment rates since 2005, which is the year in which the state government began preparing those figures using a more accurate formula, have registered as follows: 2014 (6.15 percent); 2013 (7.3 percent); 2012 (7.8 percent); 2011 (8.9 percent); 2010 (8.4 percent); 2009 (6.8 percent); 2008 (5.0 percent); 2007 (4.8 percent); 2006 (5.3 percent); and 2005 (4.9 percent). In deep South Texas, only McAllen registered a better December 2014 monthly unemployment figure than Edinburg’s 4.8 percent, but not by much, as the City of Palms came in at 4.6 percent. The statewide unemployment average in Texas for December 2014 was 4.6 percent, while the U.S. unemployment rate for that month was 5.6 percent. Agustín “Gus” García, Executive Director for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, says the ongoing improvements of the local and regional unemployment rates are tied into the strengths and diversity of the economies throughout deep South Texas. “Edinburg has our medical, educational and governmental sectors which help power our economy, while McAllen has their large manufacturing and retail industries,” he illustrated. “With the scheduled opening in February of the $180 million Santana Textiles denim manufacturing complex in north Edinburg, and with the continuing growth of The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley and its planned School of Medicine in Edinburg, we should see more economic advances for our community and region.” García (no relation to Mayor Richard García) pointed out that the Valley is an economic success story which reaches beyond its four-county boundaries. “We are fortunate as a whole to be in a growing sector of the United States. Recently the Edinburg/McAllen/Mission/Pharr metropolitan statistical area was ranked as the second-fastest growth area in the Texas, and Texas has continually been ranked as the fastest-growing state in the nation,” the EEDC Executive Director continued. “The EEDC’s role as a center of economic development is to harness these opportunities. These and other positive economic achievements reflect the efforts of not only the EEDC Board of Directors and its staff, but also of the city management, and of course, our city leadership: Mayor García and the Edinburg City Council.”
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by Legislative Media | Jan 28, 2015 | Politics
Featured in this image during the Thursday, February 6, 2014 grand opening of Rep. Terry Canales’ District Office in Edinburg, are, from left: Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina; Agustín “Gus” García, Executive Director, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Fred Palacios, Secretary-Treasurer, Board of Directors, Edinburg Economic Development Corporation; Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Elías Longoria, Jr.; Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg; Erica E. Canales, wife of Rep. Canales; Rachel Borchard, mother of Rep. Canales; Alex Ríos, Director for Rep. Canales’ District Office; and Elva Jackson Garza, Edwards Abstract and Title Company.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
A groundbreaking legislative internship program for qualified students of The University of Texas-Pan American has begun at the Texas Capitol, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, who helped set it in motion, has announced. The fledgling program, featuring five students assigned to five Hidalgo County lawmakers, including Canales, promises to create a new generation of powerful political leaders who will be able to champion many of the dreams of deep South Texas, not just in future years, but during the current 140-day regular legislative session, which runs through the end of May. “The Texas Legislature, which meets every two years, approves hundreds of state laws and policies that affect almost every portion of our lives, from deciding how much of the estimated $200+ billion state budget over the next two years will be invested in the Valley, to acting on the other great issues of the day in Texas, from education reform proposals to anti-tax measures, and dozens more major legislative priorities,” said Canales. Influenced by his experiences in the Legislature, Canales wants more Valley residents to have the opportunity to develop the firsthand expertise needed to excel in the state legislative process. Opening the doors to the corridors of power and knowledge, as is currently being done by other major universities in Texas, is part of his vision. “It’s real simple,” Canales said of his hopes for the UTPA legislative internship program. “If we in the Valley are going to continue building on our influence in the Texas Legislature, we must bring more South Texans into this powerful arena, let them see in person how it really works, and help them take their rightful place as the future leaders of our great state.” The legislative interns currently participating at the Texas Capitol are: Carlos Aguayo of McAllen, serving with the Office of Rep. Óscar Longoria, Jr., D-La Joya; Jacqueline Sandoval of Harlingen, serving with the Office of Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco; Lesley Andrea Marín of Weslaco, serving with the Office of Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg; Johnathan Simcha Weisfeld-Hinojosa of McAllen, serving with the Office of Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen; and Shawna Miller of Wimberly, serving with the Office of Rep. Sergio Muñoz, Jr., D-Mission.
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