by Legislative Media | Jul 31, 2007 | Politics |
U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, on Thursday, July 26, successfully passed an amendment to H.R. 2638 / S. 1644, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations bill, which will prevent Congress from dictating to states where border fencing will be built. Hutchison, shown in this file photo earlier in the year with Larry R. Faulkner, president of the University of Texas at Austin (left) and Kenneth M. Jastrow, II, chief executive officer of Temple-Inland, received key help on the amendment from Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. See story later in this posting.
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Sen. Juan “Chuy”” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, featured right, was honored Saturday, July 28 with the 2007 Patient Advocacy Award from the Texas Academy of Family Physicians for his work during the 80th legislative session in fighting for transparency in managed care contracts and protecting taxpayer money. The award was presented during the TAFP’s 58th annual scientific assembly in Corpus Christi at the American Bank Center. Hinojosa is featured here in Edinburg with Social Life Magazine publisher Pepe Cabeza de Vaca. See story later in this posting.••••••
Gov. Rick Perry, seated, was joined by South Texas College leaders and legislators on Thursday, July 19, at the State Capitol for a ceremonial bill-signing ceremony authorizing the creation of a STC Rural Technology Center in Starr County. The Rural Technology Center will be managed by STC in partnership with local public schools, libraries, learning centers, businesses, and the local community. STC will also fund the annual operating costs. Participants will be able to learn about computers and information technology, explore related career pathways, further their education through the development of skills in the area of technology, and much more. Featured in this photograph are, from left: STC President Dr. Shirley Reed; Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, D-Palmview; Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, the author of the law; Irene García of Mission, chair of the STC Board of Trustees; STC board trustee Manuel Benavides of Rio Grande City; Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, the author of the law; and Palmview Mayor Jorge García. See story later in this posting.
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by Legislative Media | Apr 23, 2007 | Politics |
Elisa Guerra Sekula, featured front row, fourth from right, rejoices as she holds the ceremonial scissors she used to celebrate the grand opening on Friday, April 20, of the $3 million, 36,000-square-foot Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, named in honor of her late son, an 18-year-old U.S. Marine who was the first Hidalgo County resident killed in action in Iraq. Among the scores of family members, dignitaries, and well-wishers that joined her for the event were, front row, from left: former Mayor Richard García; Librarian Leticia S. Leija; Dustin’s sister, Danielle; Dustin’s brother, Derek; Dustin’s mother, Elisa; Rep. Verónica Gonzáles; Rep. Aaron Peña; and Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa. Not shown is Dustin’s father, Daniel, and Mayor Joe Ochoa, who was absent because of a death in his family.
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With passing of his brother, Mayor Ochoa loses his mentor and father-figure in life
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
As profound as the loss of a brother is to anyone, the death on Wednesday, April 18, of Alejandro Ochoa, Sr. of Edinburg marked a solemn day for his surviving brother, Mayor Joe Ochoa, who said he lost his mentor and father-figure as well.
Alejandro, 72, a life-long Edinburg resident and Korean War veteran who was wounded in the line of duty, would come back from overseas as a proud U.S. Marine to work with the City of Edinburg for more than three decades.
The former veteran, whose prayer services on Friday, April 20, prominently featured the flag of the U.S. Marine Corps, impacted the development of his community not only as a public servant, but also as a beloved and trusted advisor to his younger brother, Joe, who has been mayor for more than a decade.
“He worked for the City of Edinburg for 34 years, and we would always discuss different issues,” the mayor reflected Friday evening, after a rosary for his brother was concluded. “What always impressed me about him was that he was a very well-organized individual. He planned way ahead on things to come. A lot of my vision, my planning and organizational skills are skills that he instilled in me. I attribute a lot of my successes to him.”
In the mayor’s eyes, Alejandro was a man of humility who stood tall as a mountain.
“My brother was a very simple individual. He never asked anything of anyone. He served his country well as a Korean War veteran, where he was wounded,” Mayor Ochoa said. “He has always been that type of person.”
Alejandro, who along with his wife, Hilda, would successfully raise a wonderful family, also accepted the mantle of responsibility for his siblings after their own parents’ untimely deaths.
The mayor remembered that as a young man, their parents – who came from humble beginnings – both passed away, and Alejandro helped fill the devastating void that was left,
“Coming back from college, I was only able to enjoy my parents for two years after that, because they died when I was in my mid-20s,” Mayor Ochoa said. “He led me through some difficult times. He was my advisor, and then my father when my parents died when I was getting out of college. He was my mentor.”
Alejandro was generous with his time and his resources, even though the family had struggled financially as they were growing up.
“We didn’t have any money – my father was a laborer, my mother washed clothes and ironed for people,” Mayor Ochoa recalled. “One of the things I remembered was going off to the University of Texas and not having any money. Students didn’t get their loans and grants coming in until the middle of the school semester. He sent me money to be able to survive that first semester. That was my big brother.”
Several hundred people attended the Friday evening prayer service, including elected officials and community leaders.
As part of the eulogy, delivered by the mayor, Alejandro, true to form, had prepared in advance for the terrible day that was sure to come, taking care of all his affairs in order to reduce the trauma for his family, the mayor said.
Alejandro especially wanted to comfort his relatives and friends, instructing several months earlier that the following passage be read during his services:
“I know you’re sad and afraid, because I see your tears. I’ll not be far, I promise that and hope you’ll always know that my spirit will be close to you, wherever you may go.
“Thank you so for loving me, you know I love you too. That’s why it’s hard to say goodbye and end this life with you.
“So hold me now, just one more time and let me hear you say, because you care so much for me, you’ll let me go today.”
Alejandro entered into eternal rest on Wednesday, April 18, 2007, at Retama Manor Nursing Home in Edinburg. He was born July 17, 1934 in Hargill and lived all his life in Edinburg. He was preceded in death by his parents, Aniceto and Angélica Ochoa; a sister, Irene Ochoa; a brother, Aniceto Ochoa, Jr.; and his best friend, Óscar Ponce.
He is survived by his loving wife, Hilda; two sons, Alejandro Ochoa, Jr. (Rosalinda), Alberto Ochoa; a grandson, Alejandro Ochoa, III; and granddaughter, Carolina Ochoa; a brother, Mayor Joe Ochoa; a sister, Alicia O. (Fidel) Rodríguez; mother-in law, Esperanza R. Sáenz; and numerous nephews and nieces.
Alejandro was a loving husband, father, grandfather and a true friend to all. He took great pride in being a Marine and served his country during the Korean Conflict. After leaving the corp he went to work for the City of Edinburg and retired in 1991 after 34 years.
The family thanked the dedicated nurses, nursing assistants and the physical therapy staff of Retama Manor Nursing Home, Dr. Miguel Alemán and his staff for their care and concern shown to Alejandro and his family.
A very special thank you was extended to Mr. Miguel (Mike) Cruz, who helped care for Alejandro at home, in the hospital and at the nursing home for the last five months.
He was loved by many and will be greatly missed by all that knew him.
Visitation was held from 5 to 9 p.m. with a 7 p.m. rosary on Friday, April 20, 2007, at Memorial Funeral Home, 208 E. Canton in Edinburg. Funeral service was at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 21, 2007, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Edinburg. Interment followed at Hillcrest Memorial Park in Edinburg. Military honors were conducted by the U.S. Marines Corps.
Pallbearers were Jaime Rodríguez, Luis Rodríguez, Óscar Rodríguez, Ricky Rodríguez, Omar Ochoa and Carlos Ochoa.
Funeral services were under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home in Edinburg.
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Despite being wounded, Dustin Sekula sacrificed life to save trapped Marines
“Although he was just barely 18 years old, he was as big a man as you will ever see.”
-Major John Terri, U.S. Marine Corps,
recalling Dustin Sekula’s heroism
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
Several hundred residents at the Friday, April 20 grand opening of the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library found out, without a doubt, that the namesake of the $3 million, 36,000-square-foot learning center was a true American hero in every sense of that word.
The 18-year-old U.S. Marine from the three-time All-America City was killed in action on April 1, 2004. He was the first resident of Hidalgo County to be fatally wounded in combat in Iraq.
That sacrifice moved the Edinburg City Council, under the leadership of then-Mayor Richard García, to announce that a planned new city library would bear his name in his honor.
Few in South Texas knew the full details of his bravery, with official military statements revealing little, only that Sekula, a graduate of Edinburg North High School, “died due to injuries sustained from enemy fire in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.”
But with heavy cloud cover blocking out the sun during the Friday morning ceremonies, the true nature of Sekula’s courage came to light, bringing honor upon himself, his family, his hometown, his fellow Marines, and his beloved nation.
The day after he died, Sekula was bestowed with the Purple Heart, which is a military honor awarded in the name of the President to veterans who are killed or wounded in combat.
Heroism revealed
Three years after his death, the Marines announced that Sekula was also posthumously bestowed with the Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with Combat V, a decoration signifying heroism.
Major John Terri, representing the U.S. Marine Corps, said that Sekula’s conduct under fire went beyond the call of duty.
“It was really determined that some extraordinary action on Dustin’s part took place, and it was determined that more honor should be bestowed upon this Marine,” Terri said. “I can tell you that on that night, on April 1, Dustin stood up. Although he was just barely 18 years old, he was as big a man as you will ever see. It’s important to Lisa that you know exactly what happened that night.”
Terri then read the official account of Sekula’s actions that led to his death, but that saved the lives of his brothers-in-arms.
According to the Summary of Action prepared by Sekula’s company commander:
At approximately 2200 hours on 1 April 2004, the 3rd section of the 81mm Mortar Platoon was on a combat patrol escorting an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team to an enemy weapons cache south of the city of Kubaysah in the Eastern Al Anbar Province of Iraq.
Private First Class Sekula (he was posthumously promoted to Lance Corporal) was riding in an open high-back HMMWV as a member of the security element for this patrol. As the patrol reached the edge of the city, Anti-Coalition Forces (ACF) initiated an ambush with a volley of automatic weapons fire from a concealed machine gun position.
Private First Class Sekula’s HMMWV was to the left of the enemy firing position at a distance of approximately ten meters. The enemy was firing from a ditch that was not visible to the patrol due to low visibility and terrain.
Fought fearlessly
During the initial volley of enemy fire, Private First Class Sekula was struck in his right shoulder, and was knocked to the floor of the vehicle, temporarily incapacitated by the impact of the round.
Private First Class Sekula, determined to fight on, lifted himself to the edge of the vehicle and immediately returned a heavy volume of fire on the enemy while the driver attempted to move out of the kill zone.
Disregarding the proximity of his exposed position to the enemy machine gun and ignoring the pain of his own wounds, Private First Class Sekula continued to provide suppressive fire, which enabled the remainder of his squad to dismount, return fire, and managed to move the HMMWV to a position approximately thirty meters from the enemy firing position.
At this point, another volley of machine gun fire was directed at the vehicle. Realizing that his vehicle was still in the kill zone and his fellow Marines were not in a position to return fore on to the enemy position, Private First Class Sekula held firm, returning suppressive fire from his exposed position in the open cargo bed of the vehicle.
He continued to fight fearlessly. As he maintained suppressive fire on the enemy position, he was struck again, this time in the face and mortally wounded by enemy machine gun fire.
Because of his sustained suppressive fire, the Marines of the patrol were able to assault the machine gun position and force the enemy to break contact.
In disregarding his own wounds and maintaining fire on the enemy position, Private First Class Sekula paid the ultimate sacrifice so he could protect the men of his patrol and accomplish the mission they had been assigned.
His actions that night demonstrated, in the clearest focus, what is means to be a sturdy professional, and his actions have served as inspiration to all those around him.”
Sekula is survived by his immediate family, which includes his father, Daniel, his mother, Elisa, his brother, Derek, and his sister, Danielle.
(The Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library, located at 1906 South Closner, has all of the resources it offered at its now-former location at 401 East Cano, plus new services and features, such as teen programs, Wi-Fi Internet access, independent study rooms, a computer training room, a young adult reading area, and a children’s reading area. Residents may call the library at 383-6246 for more information.)
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Library marks political and personal milestones for former Mayor García
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
As the solemn drama and joyful celebration surrounding the grand opening of the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library played out on Friday, April 20, former Mayor Richard García – who spearheaded the construction and naming of the multi-million dollar complex – took the high road by being low-key about the role he played in bringing the dream into reality.
Normally, any public project that carries the price tag and emotional symbolism of the library, named after one of Edinburg’s fallen heroes from the war in Iraq, draws every political figure that had anything to do with it.
Sekula is a U.S. Marine who in April 2004 became the first Hidalgo County resident killed in action in the war in Iraq.
He is survived by his immediate family, which includes his father, Daniel, his mother, Elisa, his brother, Derek, and his sister, Danielle.
Then-mayor García and the Edinburg City Council had already planned to build a new library, but when the tragic news broke of Sekula’s death in combat, they announced their desire to name the facility in honor of the 18-year-old native son.
That vision came to fruition on April 22, when the grand opening ceremony opened the doors of one of South Texas’ latest advancements in education.
But in García’s case, the one-time U.S. Army veteran didn’t even ask to be among the dignitaries at the front podium who shared center stage with Sekula’s immediate family, state and local leaders.
Instead, García sat quietly among the seated audience, beaming with pride over the state-of-the-art public library, reflecting over the loss of Dustin Sekula’s life, and hoping that the addition of this learning resource will help countless residents make a better life for themselves.
“It is just fabulous to see what this developed into,” said García, who continues to serve the city as president of the five-member Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council.
“I expected to see something great for the city, but it is beyond great,” he said of the $3 million, 36,000-square-foot, two-level building. “They did a beautiful job. I can’t get over the size.”
The aesthetics of the building’s architecture and furnishings notwithstanding, García said thee library is above all, an education resource for all.
“I think there is a lesson here. When I was growing up, this was a sleepy little village. A few of us received an education,” he said. “Many of the people I went to school didn’t go on to college because finances were a problem for all of us.”
But a public library breaks down the wall facing many working families who thirst for knowledge and education.
“In Spanish, we say, ‘querer es poder,’ which has a double meaning. It can mean desire is power, but it can also mean that ‘where there is a will, there is a way,’ García said.
“When they came to me and my city council with this need for a library in this city, that is the first thing that came to my mind: ‘querer es poder,'” he remembered. “We sat the city staff down, and even though there were budget considerations, I said, ‘Let’s find a way.’ I am thankful to them for all their work, because they did find a way, and we have this today. That is a lesson to be learned. It should guide our lives in the way we look at things.”
Although very pleased with this major achievement from his administration, García said he also had a lot of personal satisfaction invested in the former library, whose future use has not yet been determined by the city.
“I was remembering the former library, and I was just looking at my name up on the Founder’s Wall from the old library,” he reflected. “I guess I have lived a lifetime since we broke ground a year ago. I remember my wife (Peggy, who passed away in 2006) used to do puppet shows on Saturday mornings (at the old library) as a volunteer many years ago. My daughters used to hang out in the children’s wing.”
But life goes on, he acknowledged, and he views the new library as the hope and salvation of today’s young people and future generations to come, including his own family.
“I have gained a grandson since then, and maybe he will get a shot at doing the same thing, being an Edinburg resident,” García added. “And I am pleased about that, too, of course.”
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Senate passes Sen. Hinojosa’s comprehensive reforms for Texas Youth Commission
By MELISSA DEL BOSQUE
After two years of comprehensive work on youth corrections reform, Sen. Juan ‘Chuy’ Hinojosa’s omnibus Texas Youth Commission reform bill, Senate Bill 103, was unanimously voted out of the Senate on Thursday, April 19.
The entire Senate was signed on as co-authors of the measure. It now goes to the Texas House of Representatives for action in that chamber.
“I want to thank the entire Senate and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst for their assistance in getting this bill passed and for their input in this comprehensive legislation.” said Hinojosa. “We are rebuilding the Texas Youth Commission from the ground up so that we have a humane system for rehabilitating youth that is accountable to the people of Texas.”
Hinojosa and his staff began looking into the juvenile justice system two years ago when riots broke out at the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg. Hinojosa pre-filed his comprehensive reform legislation and has continued to work with stakeholders since the TYC controversy erupted to rebuild the scandal-wracked commission.
Hinojosa’s bill calls for improved security by requiring TYC guards and other staff to undergo at least 300 hours of training before being assigned to guard duty; caps the guard-to-youth ratio at no more than 12 to 1 to maintain order and safety; and requires fingerprint and national criminal history checks for employees.
SB 103 also creates a Parents Bill of Rights to guarantee swift and accurate access to information about caseworkers’ duties and the agency’s grievance policies.
In addition, Hinojosa’s reforms call for the establishment of a panel within TYC to review sentencing guidelines bringing strict accountability to the process. His bill features structural improvements to TYC’s governing board and strengthens the agency’s emphasis on community rehabilitation instead of automatic incarceration.
The senator’s bill also provides for the creation of a criminal investigation unit to look into crimes committed by TYC youth, or against them by guards and other juvenile justice employees.
Hinojosa’s legislation ends the practice of housing 10- or 11-year-olds with 19- or 20-year-olds; creates an independent authority and law enforcement trained personnel from the Inspector General’s Office to ensure safety in TYC facilities; and authorizes child advocacy groups to visit facilities and work with youth.
“I look forward to working with the House now to pass comprehensive reforms for TYC,” Hinojosa said.
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House approves giving retired teachers a one-time “13th check” in September to boost pension earnings
By ORLANDO SALINAS
and
DAVID A. DÍAZ
Thirteen could wind up being a lucky number for state lawmakers seeking reelection in 2008 if a bill that would give a one-time, extra monthly pension check in September to qualified retired teachers becomes law.
On Monday, April 16, the House of Representatives unanimously approved House Bill 1105 by Rep. Ruth McClendan, D-San Antonio, that would require the Teacher Retirement System to make a one-time supplemental payment, or “13th check,” to eligible TRS annuitants no later than September of 2007, according to the House Research Organization.
This additional payment would be equal to the amount of the annuitant’s August 2007 gross annuity payment and subject to all applicable tax withholding and other required deductions, the HRO noted.
The House Research Organization is a non-partisan team of lawyers and researchers, funded by the House of Representatives, that provides detailed background on all major legislation considered by the full House.
While McClendan is the main author of the legislation, Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, was one of five joint authors of the measure, which must still still be approved by the Senate and Gov. Rick Perry.
The rest of the Valley state representatives also were listed as co-authors of HB 1105.
“Providing a benefit increased to our retired teachers is long over due,” said Peña. “At the beginning of session I made a promise to local retirees that we would get something done. This bill allows us to provide some immediate relief to our retired teachers while laying the foundation for a permanent annuity increase.”
A week earlier, the House of Representatives approved their version of the state budget that included funding to cover the cost of HB 1105.
The bill increases the state’s contribution to the TRS Pension Fund from the current constitutionally mandated minimum of 6 percent to 6.7 percent. That increase will allow the pension system to amortize its liabilities over 31 years. State fiscal policy does not allow the Teacher Retirement System to increase benefits unless the fund is deemed actuarially sound.
“We will require TRS to cut a 13th check for our current retirees,” said Peña. “For too long these Texans have lived on fixed incomes while inflation has far outpaced any recent cost of living adjustments. I am proud that the Texas House is trying to fulfill our commitment to the men and women in communities all across the state who dedicated their lives to educating our children.”.”
The Texas Constitution, Art. 16, sec. 67(b)(3) requires that the state contribution to state retirement systems, including the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) pension fund, be at least 6 percent and no more than 10 percent of payroll. These constitutional limits are established in statute in Government Code, sec. 825.404(a).
The current statutory state contribution rate to the TRS pension fund is 6 percent of payroll. Government Code, sec. 811.006 prohibits the Legislature from granting benefit increases to retirees unless the pension fund is considered “actuarially sound,” meaning that the pension system is able to amortize all of its liabilities over 31 years.
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Sen. Lucio appointed vice chair of Texas Legislative Tourism Caucus
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
The South Texas enator who represents one of the areas with the highest tourism rates, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., was recently named Vice Chair of the Legislative Tourism Caucus for 2007-08.
Rep. Lois Kolkhorst from Brenham is the new Chair of this 80-member body dedicated to maintaining and expanding the state’s travel and tourism industry. Lucio has served two consecutive terms on the Board of Directors. He is Chair of the Senate International Relations and Trade Committee and serves on the Committees on Business and Commerce, Finance, State Affairs, and the Subcommittee on Emerging Technologies & Economic Development.
Rep. Tony Goolsby, R-Dallas, will serve as Secretary and Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, as Treasurer. Members of the newly elected Board of Directors include: Rep. Alma Allen, R-Houston; Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth; Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell; Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine; Rep. Harvey Hilderbran, R-Kerrville; Rep. Bryan Hughes, R-Mineola; Rep. Tracy King, R-Batesville;, Sen. Kel Seliger (Amarillo), Rep. Vicki Truitt, R-Southlake; and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo.
“I consider this appointment extremely important, especially to my district where thousands of tourists annually visit South Padre Island and the surrounding area, including a constant flow of visitors from Mexico,” said Lucio. “Tourism generates jobs and spurs both our local and state economies.”
The Economic Development and Tourism Division in the Office of the Governor reported that Cameron County hosts an estimated two million domestic visitors annually, and in 2005 they contributed more than $625 million to the local economy through visitor spending. This spending supports nearly 8,000 tourism industry jobs with wages totaling around $135 million. Visitor spending also generates approximately $34 million in state tax receipts and $13 million in local tax receipts.
Most of these visitors vacation in South Padre Island and many also cross the border into Mexico for a day. Conversely, Mexican visitors’ expenditures along the U.S.-Mexico border reportedly generate $9 billion in sales annually.
“It will be my goal to ensure that Texas continues to expand its travel and tourism opportunities so that people from throughout the country, the world and our own Texas residents can enjoy our marvels, attractions and hospitality, and so that we can benefit economically from this great industry,” added Lucio.
Tourism is a $49 billion industry for the state, and visitor spending in the state directly supports more than 500,000 jobs.
The Texas Gulf Coast region alone draws millions of visitors, stretching 350 miles from South Padre Island and the Rio Grande Valley, all the way to Beaumont and the Louisiana border. In 2006, South Padre Island was named by the National Geographic Adventure Magazine as one of the top 10 nationwide Trips with a Splash for 2006. South Padre Island was selected for its exceptional water sports, and even received recognition on ABC’s “Good Morning America” show.
“Tourism has long been recognized as a strong economic development generator of revenue and jobs for the Texas economy,” noted Lucio. “I am proud to be a part of the Tourism Caucus to help promote this industry for the benefit of Texas.”
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Sen. Hinojosa pushing for new state holiday honoring Hispanic icon Dr. Héctor P. García
By DAVID A. DIAZ
The late Dr. Héctor Pérez García of Corpus Christi, a Texas political giant and civil rights champion whose distinguished life included time spent in Edinburg and Hidalgo County, could have a new state holiday named in his honor if a bill by Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, is approved by the Texas Legislature.
Senate Bill 1805, which was approved by the Texas Senate on Thursday, April 20, would designate the third Wednesday of September – which also falls in the middle of National Hispanic Heritage Week – as Dr. Héctor Pérez García Day in memory of his significant contributions to the Mexican American civil rights movement.
The holiday wouldn’t involve any day-off for government employees or public schools, but it would require that “Dr. Héctor Pérez García Day” would be “regularly observed by appropriate ceremonies and activities in the public schools and other places to properly commemorate the importance of the contributions made by the longtime South Texas leader,” according to Hinojosa.
It also would be the second state holiday designated in honor of an Hispanic. In 1999, legislation filed by Sen. Carlos Truan, D-Corpus Christi, was approved designating March 31 as “César Chávez Day” in Texas.
“This bill would incorporate into the state academic curriculum lessons learned from Dr. García’s efforts on behalf of civil rights and veteran causes,” said Hinojosa, himself a U.S. Marines combat squad leader in Vietnam. “That day would committed to teaching the lessons of Dr. Hector P. García.”
García was born in Llera, Tamaulipas, Mexico, according to archives, and his parents and family fled with him to escape the Mexican Revolution in 1917, immigrating to Mercedes. He attended Edinburg Junior College as a young man, hitchhiking 30 miles daily. He would go on to attend the University of Texas at Austin.
An identical measure – House Bill 3535 by Rep. Juan García, D-Corpus Christi (no relation to Dr. García) – was heard in a public hearing on Monday, April 17, before the House Culture, Recreation and Tourism Committee.
Rep. Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville/Willacy County, is a joint author of HB 3535, while two other Valley state representatives – Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco, and Rep. Eddie Lucio, III, D-San Benito – are co-authors of HB 3535.
“Dr. García left an undeniable impact on Texas, the nation, and the world,” said Hinjosa. “His service and accomplishments in life were many and included some of the most memorable occasions in recent Texas history.”
In 1948, García founded the American GI Forum, aimed at giving Hispanic veterans equal access to the education, job training, and home loans promised by the GI Bill of Rights, Hinojosa noted.
García, whose passing in 1996 left a remarkable legacy, was a physician/surgeon, Army veteran who served in World War II, a civil rights champion, and a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, among his many achievements.
But he was most famous for the role he took in the first major political stance taken by his GI Forum, when a Mexican American soldier who was killed in action was refused a burial site in Three Rivers because it was reserved for Anglos.
“Dr. García made national headlines with the group’s first big fight, which came after the family of a Hispanic World War II veteran killed in the Philippines was turned away at a Three Rivers funeral home and told to bury him in a segregated cemetery for Hispanics,” Hinojosa recalled. “The doctor contacted state and federal lawmakers and eventually secured a full military burial for the veteran, Private Félix Longoria, in Arlington National Cemetery.”
The event made the cover of the New York Times and marked the launch of the American GI Forum as a civil rights organization, according to a Senate committee bill analysis of the proposed holiday.
From then until his death in 1996, García fought for Mexican-American rights, both locally as a respected doctor and in the national arena, the bill analysis noted.
García was an alternate ambassador to the United Nations, the first Mexican-American to serve on the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, and a recipient of the nation’s highest civilian honor when he received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1984.
Throughout his distinguished career, García was awarded multiple accolades from various governments and other organizations. They include:
?The U.S. Army’s Bronze Star and six battle stars, 1942-1946;
?The American G.I. Forum’s Medalla al Merito, 1952, for his work with Mexican American
veterans;
?The Republic of Panama’s Condecoracion, Orden Vasco Nunez de Balboa, with the rank of
commander, 1965;
?The 8th United States Marine Corps District honored him with a plaque in recognition of
his service to the war deceased, 1967;
?A humanitarian award from the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People’s
Corpus Christi chapter, 1969;
?The Distinguished Service Award from the National Office of Civil Rights, 1980;
?The Presidential Medal of Freedom, 1984;
?Honor Al Merito Medalla Cura Jose Maria Morelos y Pavon A.D.P.E., Mexico City, México.
?Corpus Christi Human Relations Commission’s Community Service Award, 1987;
?The Coalition of Hispanic Health and Human Services Organization’s Humanitarian
Award, 1988;
?The National Hispanic Leadership Conference’s Hispanic Heritage Award, 1989;
?The Midwest/Northeast Voter Registration Project’s National Hispanic Hero Award, 1989;
?MAPA Award for outstanding service to Hispanics from the Mexican American
Physicians’ Association, 1990;
?The National Association of Hispanic Journalists’ Distinguished Lifetime Service Award,
1990;
?The Equestrian Order of Pope Gregory the Great from Pope John Paul II, 1990; and
?Corpus Christi State University’s first honorary doctorate of Humane Letters, 1991.
••••••
Senate passes Sen. Zaffirini’s measure to improve the Community Living Options Process
By NICK ALMANZA
The Texas Senate on Thursday, April 19, passed the committee substitute for Senate Bill 1870 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which would require the Department of Aging and Disability Services (DADS) to contract with local mental retardation authorities (MRA) to implement the community living options process (CLOP) for adults residing in Texas state schools.
The bill would ensure the integrity of the process by requiring that it be conducted free of conflicts of interest so it provides maximum benefits for persons with intellectual disabilities who reside in state facilities.
Current law perpetuates a conflict of interest by allowing state school personnel to administer the CLOP to residents aged 22 or older. The CLOP was created to inform persons with intellectual disabilities and related conditions and their legally authorized representatives about alternative community living options.
“This bill ensures that adults with disabilities who are residents of state schools receive complete information regarding their community living options,” Zaffirini said. “As legislators we have an obligation to improve and enhance the quality of life for persons who have developmental disabilities. Providing comprehensive information for them and their families is essential to meet this goal, and I am proud to sponsor this legislation.”
In 2006 the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigated the Lubbock State School and found that Texas fails to provide community services to persons who reasonably can be accommodated, and, contrary to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, that interdisciplinary teams appear to endorse and promote the retention of persons in state institutions.
CSSB 1870 would enable DADS to respond to DOJ by requiring DADS to contract with local MRAs to develop a more effective community living options information process. What’s more, the bill would eliminate the conflict of interest created when state school personnel are responsible for informing residents of their community living options.
The bill must be passed by the House of Representative before it can be sent to Gov. Rick Perry for final approval.
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Texas House approves bill that would help save fuel taxes for Edinburg fire department fire trucks
By ORLANDO SALINAS
Volunteer fire departments all across the state, including Edinburg’s fire department, would be exempt from paying gasoline and diesel taxes if actions by the Texas House become law.
State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, is one of five joint authors of HB 685 which would give volunteer fire departments an opportunity to receive a state tax rebate for gasoline and diesel purchased for official firefighting business.
“Volunteer fire departments provide critical emergency services to almost every community in my legislative district,” said Peña. “These brave men and women donate their time and sometimes their own resources to operate and maintain these departments. This sales tax rebate will allow these departments to provide more essential services to our communities.”
The state tax on gasoline and diesel fuel is 20 cents per gallon. Volunteer fire departments will be eligible to apply for a rebate with the State Comptroller of Pubic Accounts for fuel purchased for fire department business. The bill precludes volunteer fire fighters from using the rebate for their own personal vehicles.
The cost of fueling emergency service vehicles and fire trucks constitutes a large portion of a volunteer fire department’s budget. These departments usually receive some funding from a local government or a local emergency service district. Many departments supplement their budgets with grants, private donations, and fundraisers.
“These fire engines and heavy duty emergency service vehicles aren’t known for their fuel economy,” said Representative Peña. “As fuel prices continue to rise it is appropriate that the state provide some help to these departments that serve the public good.”
HB 685 is now headed to the Senate.
David A. Diaz contributed to this report.
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Senate approves bill by Sen. Hinojosa, Sen. Lucio to create mechanism to help cities obtain water rights
By MELISSA DEL BOSQUE
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, passed Senate Bill 847 on Thursday, April 20, to create a mechanism for transferring water rights for municipalities.
Currently, there is no existing law providing a fair mechanism for the transfer of irrigated water rights to municipal water rights in the Lower Rio Grande region, according to a bill analysis of the measure. A process needs to be established for the subdivision of urban non-agricultural land on water rights in certain counties, including Willacy, Cameron, and Hidalgo counties.
SB 847 authorizes irrigation water rights owned by water districts, other than a drainage district, in the Lower Rio Grande region that cover counties adjacent to Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico or adjacent to such a county to be converted from irrigation water rights to municipal water rights for use by municipal suppliers in the region and details the conversion process in a uniform manner for the Lower Rio Grande region.
“For many years there has been much debate over how to transfer irrigation water rights to municipalities,” Hinojosa said. “We are one of the fastest growing areas in the country and water has become the top issue of concern for our region. This bill helps address some of the issues we have been grappling with regarding the prices and processes for the conversion of water rights.”
Lucio, Jr. is co-author of SB 847.
“I commend my colleague, Sen. Hinojosa, for spearheading this bill which will shape the future of South Texas when it comes to water rights,” Lucio. “It was a pleasure working alongside Sen. Hinojosa in bringing together the coalition that has helped us solve major water rights problems for the entire region.”
SB 847 is the result of 18 months of negotiation from stakeholders representing the irrigation districts and the municipalities.
“This bill is the product of a lot of hard work and negotiations from all of the parties involved,” Hinojosa said.
An identical bill is being carried in the House of Representatives by Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen. That measure, called a companion bill, is House Bill 1803, which was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday, April 11.
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Reforming Windstorm Insurance
By REP. JUAN GARCÍA
D-Corpus Christi
Despite being promised that the 2003 changes in insurance law would provide relief, Texas homeowners continue to pay the highest premiums in America.
Windstorm insurance rates in Texas are twice the national average. Responsible home and business owners know they need an insurance policy, but they’re forced to assume more and more of the risk through higher deductibles, caps on replacement costs, and fights over payouts. Along the coast, companies are refusing to renew tens of thousands of property policies. It’s no coincidence that “Home For Sale” signs increasingly dot the Coastal Bend as many families simply can’t keep up.
What steps is the Texas Legislature considering to address this crisis?
One proposal calls for changing the State Insurance Commissioner from a gubernatorially-appointed position, as it is now, to an elected one, as twelve other states do. The idea is that if the commissioner were directly accountable to voters every four years, he or she would be much more responsive to consumers, and help end the “revolving door” between the office and the corporate boards of large insurance companies. Opponents contend that this would only invite those same large insurance interests to “buy” their candidate with exorbitant campaign contributions. However, Texas voters already select the state’s agriculture commissioner, the state’s chief tax collector, and the railroad commissioners (overseers of the oil and gas industry).
Another measure addresses policy-owner frustration over a spike in their premium anytime they actually make a claim. The bill would guarantee that homeowners would not be penalized for making their first claim by prohibiting insurance companies from increasing premiums until after a second claim during a given three-year period. Policy-holders should not be punished for making legitimate claims on a policy they have faithfully made monthly payments on for years.
Still another idea being debated is an attempt to stem the flow of insurers willing to write windstorm policies in the so-called “Tier 1” areas (the coastal counties). The measure would end “cherry-picking” and provide an incentive for companies to stay in the area by prohibiting them from writing homeowners insurance anywhere in Texas for five years after they quit writing such policies along the coast. The legislation would not apply retroactively, so companies that have already left would be welcomed back, and hopefully those considering leaving, after weighing the loss of the entire Texas market, would think twice.
A final initiative would address the shortfalls of the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), the last resort for citizens when coverage is not available. The TWIA, or the ‘Pool’ as it is commonly referred to, has over the years been allowed to slip into disrepair, with assets equaling only a tenth of exposure. Fixing it will require accepting as a premise that when a major hurricane comes, the damage will not be just a coastal disaster, but will have a severe impact on the entire state (residents of northern Mississippi and northern Louisiana learned this when foodstuffs, petrol, and manufacturing goods couldn’t get in or out of devastated ports after Katrina). The measure calls for an additional fee on premiums statewide, either pre or post-event, to be used in the bond market to fill the gap in the Pool’s mismanaged resources.
Statistics indicate that the “Big Storm” striking the Coastal Bend is not a question of ‘if’, but a question of ‘when’. Hurricane Season is just a few months away. Finding the right formula of measures is critical for this legislative session.
Rep Juan Garcia represents Calhoun, Aransas, San Patricio, and parts of Nueces Counties.
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Senate approves measure by Sen. Zaffirini to modify repayment portion of “B-On-Time” Loan Program
By NICK ALMANZA
The Texas Senate on Wednesday, April 18, passed Senate Bill 1496 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which would amend the loan forgiveness provision of the Texas B-On-Time Loan Program to allow students who are graduated within five years from an eligible four-year institution with at least a 2.5 grade point average (GPA) to have 50 percent of their loans forgiven.
SB 1496 builds upon the success of SB 4 (2003) by Zaffirini, which created the B-On-Time Loan Program. It provides Texas students with a zero-interest higher education loan and requires them to be graduated with a 3.0 GPA within four years for a four-year degree or within five years for a five-year degree to have 100 percent of their loans forgiven.
“This legislation is a priority of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst,” Zaffirini said. “The bill would promote timely graduation, ease the cost of higher learning and increase higher education access.”
SB 1496 would encourage students to complete their degrees timely and make the requirements for loan forgiveness less stringent. Its purpose is to increase student participation.
Several universities and community colleges throughout the state reported recently that work-study and low-income students seldom take out student loans. These students, many of whom must work, claim the loan forgiveness criteria of B-On-Time are difficult to satisfy. SB 1496 would enhance higher education access and affordability by modifying the B-On-Time program to make loans more appealing to students.
“I truly am delighted this bill was passed by the Senate, and I appreciate especially the leadership of Lt. Gov. Dewhurst in including the B-On-Time loan program among his higher education priorities,” Zaffirini said. “We created B-On-Time to make college more affordable and to encourage students to be graduated timely.”
The bill must be passed by the House of Representative before it can be sent to Governor Rick Perry for final approval.
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CVS/pharmacy cited by Attorney General Abbott for allegedly exposing hundreds of customer records
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott took legal action on Tuesday, April 17, against CVS/pharmacy for allegedly exposing its customers to identity theft.
According to court documents filed by the Attorney General, CVS violated a 2005 law requiring businesses to protect any customer records that contain sensitive customer information, including credit and debit card numbers.
Investigators with the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) discovered that a CVS store in Liberty, near Houston, exposed hundreds of its customers to identity theft by failing to properly dispose of records that contained sensitive information. The investigation was launched after reports indicated that bulk customer records were tossed in a dumpster behind the store. Investigators also found several medical prescription forms that included each customer’s name, address, date of birth, issuing physician and the types of medication prescribed. The documents obtained by OAG investigators also contained hundreds of active debit and credit card numbers, complete with expiration dates.
“Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States,” Attorney General Abbott said. “Texas law protects sensitive personal information in order to prevent this widespread crime. Texans can rest assured that we will continue aggressively cracking down on vendors who jeopardize the confidentiality of their clients’ sensitive information.”
CVS is accused of violating the 2005 Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act, which requires businesses to protect and properly dispose of documents that include clients’ sensitive personal information. Under the law, the OAG has the authority to seek penalties of up to $50,000 per violation.
The Attorney General also charged CVS with violating Chapter 35 of the Business and Commerce Code, which requires businesses to develop retention and disposal procedures for their clients’ personal information. The law provides for civil penalties of up to $500 for each abandoned record.
Attorney General investigators are also working to determine if any exposed data has been used illegally. Consumers who interacted with CVS’ Liberty location should carefully monitor their bank, credit card and any similar statements for evidence of suspicious activity. Customers should also consider obtaining free copies of their credit reports.
Consumers who wish to file a complaint may contact the Office of the Attorney General at (800) 252-8011 or file a complaint online at http://www.oag.state.tx.us. Consumers can also obtain information on how to detect and prevent identity theft.
The April 17 legal action against CVS is the fourth identity theft enforcement action by the Office of the Attorney General in recent weeks. On April 2, Attorney General Abbott took legal action against Fort-Worth based RadioShack Corporation after a Corpus Christi-area store improperly dumped several boxes of receipts that contained customer-identifying information.
On March 14, the Attorney General took legal action against Jones Beauty College in Dallas for improperly discarding student financial aid forms with Social Security numbers and other personal information. Also in March, Attorney General Abbott took legal action against On Track Modeling, a North Carolina-based talent agency that abruptly shut down its Grand Prairie office and abandoned more than 60 boxes containing hundreds of confidential client records.
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Senate approves Sen. Lucio’s bill to create address confidentiality program to protect crime victims
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. announced the Senate has approved his bill that would create an address confidentiality program to assist eligible victims of family violence, sexual assault or stalking.
Currently, an address confidentiality program does not exist for victims of family violence in Texas. According to the Texas Council of Family Violence, 143 women died in 2005 as a result of domestic violence, some of which might have been avoided if the addresses of family violence victims had been kept confidential.
In cases of family violence, the violence often escalates when victims leave the relationship and seek a new address.
Without the existence of such a program, many victims of family violence do not obtain a driver’s license or register to vote, for fear of making their address open to the public. There is an increasing need for address confidentiality for victims of family violence due to the public’s increased accessibility to personal information.
The purpose of an address confidentiality program would be to protect the identity of victims of family violence, sexual assault, and stalking through the establishment of a confidential mailing address. Such programs protect these victims by allowing them to conceal their whereabouts so their assailants cannot locate them.
Lucio’s Senate Bill 74, which was approved by the Senate on Thursday, April 12, would direct the Attorney General to establish the program by designating a substitute post office box address that a victim of these crimes can use in lieu of a physical address.
“There is currently no mechanism in Texas designed to help victims of family violence, sexual assault or stalking from keeping their locations confidential to protect them from their assailants,” said Lucio. “This program affords such protection.”
These particular crimes are intrusive to the victims because of the ongoing threat that those who harmed or stalked them can still locate them. “I think about the address confidentiality program as something which could have saved my grandmother’s life if it had been available to her,” said Donna Bloom of the Texas Advocacy Project, who testified in support of SB 74 and whose grandmother was killed in her home by her grandfather after she had ended the relationship.
Lucio added, “Often, victims of these crimes remain in danger even if they move, so if we can create a safety net for them through this program, then perhaps we can protect more lives.”
The bill must now be considered in the House.
Rep. Verónica Gonzáles. D-McAllen, is carrying an identical measure – House Bill 569 – which was approved by the House State Affairs Committee on Thursday, April 4.
Gonzáles is the primary author of HB 569, while Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco, Rep. Eddie Lucio, III, D-San Benito, and Rep. Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville/Willacy County, are joint authors of the Gonzales measure.
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Rep. Martínez appointed to Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures
By SCOTT JENKINES
Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco, on Wednesday, April 18, was appointed by House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, to serve on the Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) “Strong States, Strong Nation” 2007 annual meeting on August 5-9 in Boston, Massachusetts is expected to draw more than 7,000 attendees, including state legislators, legislative staff and private sector representatives.
“It is an honor to have been appointed to serve on the Health Committee of the National Conference of State Legislatures,” Martínez said. “I feel the issues facing this committee directly affect us all no matter where we reside, we are all affected. I am proud to be serving this federal responsibility to this extent.”
Martínez said the National Conference of State legislators will have the opportunity to share ideas and learn from experts about how to build and maintain strong state governments. The annual conference provides several forums to discuss legislation on various specific public policy issues including: higher education, civic education, health care and state economies.
“Knowledge and accessibility to health care is not only an issue affecting my district, but one that affects all Americans,” Martínez observed. “It is my hope that I, along with my fellow colleagues, will be able to compare and share innovative public policy on health care, so that all children and adults will have an opportunity to access quality and affordable health care.
by Legislative Media | Apr 10, 2007 | Politics |
Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas, left, and Maverick County Judge José Aranda have been working in Austin on state transportation issues of mutual concern to the Texas Border Coalition, which is an allliance of elected leaders and economic development officials from the 14 Texas counties that border Mexico. One of those issues, the possible development of a light passenger rail system for the border region, has been approved by a major House committee and could be set for debate by the full House of Representatives as early as Thursday. See related story later in this posting.
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On Saturday, April 28 at 11 a.m., the Edinburg Chamber of Commerce, City of Edinburg, Hecho en Tejas and the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library in Edinburg will host the first Edinburg Books and Brunch Series at the new library, located at 1906 South Closner. Sponsoring the event is Corrina’s Tea Room. The Books and Brunch Series is the first of future literary events to come and will include readings, book signings, coffee, sandwiches and deserts. The first series features writers Dagoberto Gilb, Erasmo Guerra and special guest Dr. Rene Saldaña and is free to the public.Dagoberto Gilb, an award-winning fiction writer (Woodcuts of Women) is the editor of Hecho en Tejas. As part of the Rio Grande Valley book tour, he will be doing several readings throughout the Valley. Hecho en Tejas is an anthology of Texas-Mexican authors dating back to the days of the Spanish explorers. The book’s comprehensive sweep includes ballads and corridos, poetry, essays, short stories, letters, photographs, novel excerpts and political declarations such as Juan Nepamuceno Cortina’s 1859 proclamation declaring the establishment of the Republic of the Rio Grande. The anthology is published by The Southwestern Writers Collection (SWWC) at Texas State University-San Marcos. For more information please call Evana Vleck at 383-4974.
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More Valley lawmakers get on board in support of border light rail plan proposed by Rep. Martínez
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
State Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, and Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, have added their support for a far-reaching plan by Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco – contained in his House Bill 2510 – that could eventually lead to the creation of light rail systems along the Texas-Mexico border.
In general, a light rail system uses special trains designed for urban travel, with capacities of up to 250 passengers per train, along with a bus system, to transport people and luggage while avoiding traffic congestion and other bottlenecks associated with larger population centers.
“HB 2510 will allow the citizens of Hidalgo County, along with the counties that border Mexico, to address one of the issues that results from growth – transportation,” Martínez said.”As our areas grow, so will the need for alternative forms of transportation. My bill, HB 2510, addresses this issue. With a population of over 1.4 million in the Rio Grande Valley, a light rail system will prove to be an invaluable form of transportation.”
Although Martínez envisions a light rail system to link the major cities in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, he said he wrote the legislation to allow any of the 14 Texas counties that border Mexico to be able to set up their own versions of light rail.
Gonzáles and Guillen recently added their names as joint authors to Martínez’ House Bill 2510 that would create a light rail district to study, and if necessary, adopt the rules to create and establish a light rail system in the border region.
“I applaud and thank Representatives Verónica Gonzáles and Ryan Guiilen for joint authoring HB 2510. Together, we will make light rail a reality in the Rio Grande Valley,” he said. “Additionally, I want to thank Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas and the entire Hidalgo County Commissioners’ Court for providing a resolution in support for HB 2510. This resolution was very important to the members of the Transportation Committee.”
In addition, according to Scott Jenkines, Martínez’ legislative chief-of-staff at the State Capitol, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, has agreed to carry the measure in the Senate.
The Martínez/Gonzáles /Guillen measure is on a fast track, receiving unanimous approval from the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday, April 3. It could be set for action by the full House as early as Thursday, April 13.
If eventually approved by the Texas Legislature and supported by Gov. Rick Perry, HB 2510 would provide the legal authority for any border county to set up the creation, administration, powers, duties, operations, and financing of a commuter rail district, including granting the authority to issue bonds and granting the power of eminent domain.
The new governmental entity would not need voter approval to be created; however, any financing plan that would involve the use of local property taxes would require the approval of the majority of voters in a county-wide election.
According to a bill analysis of the measure provided by the House Transportation Committee, which held the public hearing on the bill, a light rail passenger district could provide a new option for border leaders grappling with increasing motor vehicle traffic congestion and the many related problems.
“The Border Region, especially the Rio Grande Valley, is one of the fastest growing areas in Texas as well as the entire United States,” the bill analysis noted. “As populations grow, so do transportation needs. To address the growing transportation needs and associated problems, alternative forms of transportation need to be studied. If deemed feasible and acceptable, such alternative forms of transportation should be considered for implementation.”
Martínez had earlier predicted legislative support by the transportation panel.
“I am very pleased that the Transportation Committee unanimously voted out HB 2510 and sent it to the Committee on Local and Consent Calendars,” Martínez said.”I appreciate Chairperson Mike Krusee’s, and the remaining eight members’, support of my light rail bill.”
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CHIP expansion sought by Texas BorderCoalition receives final approval by Houseof Representatives
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
An additional 100,000 children in Texas by 2009 could be added to the crucial Children’s Health Insurance Program, known as CHIP, following overwhelming approval by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 3, of House Bill 109, which is supported by the Texas Border Coalition.
TBC is an alliance of elected officials and economic development leaders from the 14 Texas counties which border Mexico. They represent an estimated 2.1 million residents.
HB 109 cleared third and final reading Tuesday evening on a 126 – 16 vote, and will be picked up in the Senate by Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, D-San Antonio. Rep. Sylvester Turner, D-Houston, who also is the House Speaker Pro Tempore – second in command – was the principal author of the legislation.
The legislation features key priorities for the Texas Border Coalition, including making it easier for working families to purchase the affordable and comprehensive health insurance protections offered by CHIP, which is administered by the state.
“Common sense policies – like reducing paperwork, deducting child care costs when determining eligibility and not counting families’ savings against them – will ensure that more of our children receive health care,” said Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, one of the many co-authors of HB 109.
El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez, chair of the TBC Healthcare Committee, said the organization was in strong support of the HB 109 because it would move “more kids into insurance, saves local tax dollars, helps education and improves our state’s economy.
“People without health insurance are very likely to obtain their medical care from an emergency room,” Rodriguez added. “In fact, uninsured children are five times more likely than insured children to use the emergency room as their primary source for medical care.”
Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, was one of the five primary joint-authors of the legislation and was a key negotiator in ensuring that more children became eligible to receive healthcare under the program.
“The legislation will allow children to receive continuance coverage for a year at a time rather than having to re-qualify every six months. It eliminates a 90-day waiting period for coverage to begin and makes it easier for families to enroll their children for services,” Peña said.
Turner hailed the House passage as a sign of bipartisanship by both political parties.
“Today was a victory for the working poor. The House has shown its support for ensuring the well-being of our children and it’s now up to the Senate to do the same,” said Turner. “All the time and effort that went into drafting this legislation and working on a bi-partisan compromise with Chairman John Davis, Chairman Patrick Rose, and my fellow joint authors, has always been about the children.”
HB 109 addresses key policy changes to the current Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which will insure approximately 102,224 qualified children per month in Texas by the end of fiscal year 2009.
Turner allowed the bill to stay true to its original intent by keeping the provisions that extend the period of eligibility to twelve months and eliminate a 90-day waiting period for children not previously covered by some type of insurance. As passed, HB 109 protects taxpayers by maintaining and revising the asset and verification tests to increase the limit of allowable liquid assets and vehicle amounts.
Rodríguez provided details on how the border region would be impacted.
According to the Comptroller, in 2005, Texas’ border Metropolitan Statistical Areas (El Paso, McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito and Laredo) had about 11 percent of all uninsured Texans, or more than 600,000, he said.
“Three of these MSAs – Laredo, El Paso and Brownsville-Harlingen-San Benito – had the highest rates of uninsured among all Texas counties, at 36, 33.2 and 32.4 percent respectively,” Rodríguez said. “The Corpus Christi and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSAs were not far behind, with uninsured rates of 28.3 and 27.8 percent respectively.”
From September, 2003, to February, 2007, enrollment in CHIP declined statewide from 507,259 to 325,479. For the same period, along the 14-county border, enrollment declined from 80,958 to 48,084; that is, 32,874 children of working families along the border lost their CHIP benefits, he noted.
Insurance coverage is critical to the education of Texas children, Rodríguez contended.
“Children without health insurance are 25% more likely to miss school because of illnesses, and school districts in Texas lose millions per day because of absenteeism,” he said.
“Employee productivity also increases with insurance coverage because working parents need to take less time from work for their sick children. CHIP is also good for Texas business; a 2003 report by the Perryman Group noted that the program contributes $1.4 billion in Gross State Product and supports 22,562 jobs,” Rodríguez added.
The Texas Border Coalition maintains a web site at http://www.texasbordercoalition.org.
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Sen. Hinojosa counters McAllen Monitor’s editorial; he says CHIP is a government program that works
By SEN. JUAN “CHUY” HINOJOSA
The newspaper editorial by the McAllen Monitor entitled “Privatization works, even if firms don’t,” suggested that the spectacular failure of a politically connected corporation to meet its obligations under a taxpayer-funded state contract to enroll eligible families in social service programs such as CHIP should not be taken as a failure of privatization itself.
Perhaps you also agree with the Houston-area lawmaker who huffed that his family never had insurance when he was growing up so why should anyone else need it.
I don’t agree. The Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was passed by a bipartisan Legislature and signed into law by a Republican governor because it is that rarest of government programs — one that works. To qualify, families must have jobs but earn too little to afford private health coverage for their children.
For every $1 Texas spends to fund the program, the federal government kicks in $2.60. And local taxpayers no longer have to foot the bill for uninsured children whose families take them to hospital emergency rooms for routine medical care.
In other words, CHIP is government at its best — a little extra help for those who are working hard and paying their taxes. The bottom line of any business is making a profit — period. The bottom line of government should be serving its constituents in a fair and transparent way that is both humane and worthy of the people who it serves.
Competition is good, especially if it makes vital public programs like CHIP more effective and efficient. Privatization for the sake of shifting tax dollars to political cronies makes no financial or moral sense, and it weakens accountability. This notion that government can be run like a business sounds good until you find out that the business some politicians have in mind is Enron or Halliburton. It should also be noted that Accenture is incorporated in Bermuda where it does not have to pay U.S. taxes.
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Planned shopping center in Edinburg lands JCPenney as a major anchor
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
Edinburg and its planned shopping center have landed JCPenney, one of the country’s largest department store retailers, which has selected the three-time All-America City to be part of a 150 store nationwide expansion that began last fall.
The announcement by First Hartford Realty of Manchester, Connecticut, which is developing The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, will reportedly result in the construction of a 104,000-square-foot JCPenney retail structure, the first of as many as two dozen stores that will eventually be part of the projected $80 million complex.
The Shoppes at Rio Grande Valley, which is scheduled to be built in stages over the next three years, is located on about 130 acres of currently vacant fields in south-central Edinburg.
The shopping center is bordered by U.S. Expressway 281 and Business 281 to its east and west, respectively, with Trenton Road serving as its southern border.
Ramiro Garza, executive director of the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, said details on the groundbreaking schedule for the new JCPenney store will be announced later this spring by company and shopping center officials.
However, the news that JC Penney has chosen the Edinburg shopping center is expected to help land other high-quality stores, he said,
“Eventually, the shopping center could result in 800,000-square-feet of retail space, create up to 1,300 jobs, and have a $90 million annual economic impact on the city,” Garza added.
But for now, the addition of a local JC Penney introduces the company’s newest style of store, known as the off-mall concept, to deep South Texas.
According to a JCPenney announcement last October, Mryon E. (Mike) Ullman, III, JCPenney chairman and chief executive officer, explained the retail giant’s expansion plans, including the use of the off-mall stores, by the Plano, Texas-based national corporation.
The announcement continued:
“There is growing demand for JCPenney stores in markets across the country. We are addressing this by launching the most aggressive store opening program in more than 25 years, which will allow us to offer our customers even more access to style and quality at smart prices,” said Ullman.
Fueled by the success of its new off-mall format, continued improvement in operating results and strong free cash flow, JCPenney previously announced that it expects to open at least 50 stores per year from 2007 through 2009. Eighty percent to 90 percent of the new JCPenney stores, including 17 of the 20 opening Oct. 6, will adopt the off-mall format, although the company continues to pursue opportunities to acquire mall stores in attractive locations. The company currently has 25 stores open in the off-mall design.
The off-mall format, covering approximately 100,000 square feet on a single level, features wider aisles, new lighting designs and concentrated customer service centers. The new store layout helps shoppers easily locate major brands such as The Original Arizona Jean Company, Chris Madden for JCPenney Home Collection, nicole by Nicole Miller, SouthPole, Worthington, Stafford, Bisou-Bisou, Oshkosh, Nike and more.
“Our off-mall stores have exceeded our expectations, generating higher sales per square foot than our mall-based stores and more frequent visits by customers,” continued Ullman. “We have a unique advantage in that our off-mall department stores provide a neighborhood presence that offers convenience and accessibility for mid-week shopping, while complementing our mall stores which continue to be a weekend and holiday shopping destination.”
J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc., the wholly owned operating subsidiary of J. C. Penney Company, Inc., is one of America’s largest department store, catalog, and e-commerce retailers, employing approximately 151,000 associates. As of July 29, 2006, J. C. Penney Corporation, Inc. operated 1,021 JCPenney department stores throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. JCPenney is the nation’s largest catalog merchant of general merchandise, and jcp.com is one of the largest apparel and home furnishings sites on the Internet.
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El Paso state senator invokes Jesus Christ in chastising GOP cuts in health programs
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
On the eve of Good Friday, one of the most solemn days in Christianity, Sen. Elliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso, condemned Republican efforts to cut state taxes at the expense of the poor, invoking the teachings of Jesus Christ to demonize the GOP as the heartless party of the rich.
His essay, featured on his political website, http://www.Shapleigh.org, was released at noon on Thursday, April 5, soon after the Legislature had adjourned for spring break and Easter.
No reaction had been developed by Republican leaders as of this article’s deadline for publication.
In his essay on his political website, which was e-mailed April 5 to key media outlets and community leaders statewide, Shapleigh was unforgiving in his judgment of the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, especially in how the GOP leadership decides to use a multi-billion dollar state budget surplus.
His comments come as a long-standing lawsuit, Frew v. Hawkins, seeking more money to provide health care to poor children comes to a conclusion on April 13
“With a $14.3 billion surplus, what would Jesus do about Frew?” Shapleigh asked. “Throughout the Bible, from Ecclesiastes to Matthew, Jesus teaches us to defend those who are defenseless. Instead, in an 8-6 vote, 7 Republicans and 1 Democrat voted to rob Peter to pay poorer Paul, all to keep tax cuts tucked away for the wealthy.”
Shapleigh declined to identify the Democrat by name.
His website posting laying out his contentions follows verbatim:
By SEN. ELLIOT SHAPLEIGH D-El Paso
What would Jesus do about Frew?
Frew v. Hawkins, of course, is the lawsuit by low-income Texans wanting to fully fund basic medical services for poor children in Texas. Frew was filed in 1993 after years of funding allegedly so low as to violate basic Constitutional guarantees.
During a session when a lawmaker wants to introduce the Bible into classrooms and “In God We Trust” is permanently displayed in the Senate Chamber, we need to ask what would Jesus do about Frew.
So, what would Jesus do?
For decades, conservatives in Austin have cut and cut again basic health care services. As a result, Texas covers fewer Texas children with health care than any state in America. After 13 years of litigation, Susan Zinn, the activist attorney who filed the suit has won. The Frew case has a final hearing on April 12.
Last Friday (March 30), in the Senate Finance Committee, a rider was introduced by Sen. Robert Duncan (R-Lubbock) to take whatever funds the Frew case costs the state from existing funds spent on Medicaid and CHIP. In other words, he wants to rob poor Paul to pay poorer Peter. Why? The reason, of course, is tax cuts.
“[I]f the [Frew] decision requires additional spending when the Legislature is not in session, we’re going to stay within the four corners of the appropriations bill, and we’re not going to the rainy day fund to pay for it,” said Sen. Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, the Senate Finance Committee chairman, on passage of the rider.
Of course, the “rainy day fund” is $8.5 billion in tax cuts tucked safely away in the House version of the budget for 2010-2011, right when Republicans run in their primaries.
These tax cuts are not for you and me; they are for people who make over $85,000. In fact, 95% of all the tax cuts will go to people who make $85,000 or more.
So, the moral choice in the Frew rider is to rob poor Peter to pay poorer Paul, so more of your tax money can go to millionaires.
With a $14.3 billion surplus, what would Jesus do about Frew? Throughout the Bible, from Ecclesiastes to Matthew, Jesus teaches us to defend those who are defenseless.
As Jesus said in Proverbs 22:16, “He who oppresses the poor to increase his wealth and he who gives gifts to the rich—-both come to poverty.”
In Proverbs, Jesus continued, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
Over the course of American history, caring for the poor has been a core value.
After the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln made caring for widows and orphans in poverty a priority. Franklin D. Roosevelt, the author of Social Security, said following the Great Depression, “These unhappy times call for the building of plans that build from the bottom up and not from the top down, that put their faith once more in the forgotten man at the bottom of the economic pyramid.”
Later, John F. Kennedy cautioned, “If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”
Today, when we look into our heart of hearts, Texans know that our first responsibility is to take care of the most vulnerable among us—to defend the rights of the poor and needy.
We are a government of people, by people, for people. We should take care of kids.
Instead, in an 8-6 vote, 7 Republicans and 1 Democrat voted to rob Peter to pay poorer Paul, all to keep tax cuts tucked away for the wealthy.
Do you believe that is what Jesus would do with Frew?
Keep the Faith!
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House Democrats pass restoration of health insurance for 100,000 children
By KEVIN VICKERS
House Democrats successfully passed a bill today that will restore 102,000 children to the rolls of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). The CHIP program was slashed by the Republican leadership in the 2003 legislative session. Shortly thereafter, 250,000 children lost their health insurance coverage.
“The reason this bill passed today is because Democrats across the state pointed out the heartless and immoral nature of the 2003 cuts and we have kept that issue alive ever since,” said Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston. “After the Republican leadership took two steps backward and slashed children’s health insurance in 2003, Democrats fought hard to make sure that we took one step forward today.”
The House Democrats were disappointed that amendments to the bill to make it more comprehensive – in particular one that would have fully restored the 250,000 children to the program – were rejected.
“Fully restoring the cuts made to CHIP and expanding coverage that thousands of more Texas children could receive health coverage is the best public policy we could have advanced with this legislation,” Coleman said. “But at the end of the day, I’m a progressive, and I believe in progress, so I was proud to vote for the bill and restore CHIP coverage for 102,000 Texas children.”
Other amendments offered would have repealed the assets test and other restrictive policies that prevent children from receiving health coverage for CHIP.
“Repealing the assets test would have ensured we don’t punish families for something as simple as saving money for college,” House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam, D-Waco said. “Our work to fully restore CHIP isn’t finished, but we’ve taken an important first step with today’s passage of HB 109.”
Another amendment would have ensured that the dental benefits package provided through CHIP would cover anesthesia.
“Our children shouldn’t have to suffer through a painful procedure because the state is too cheap to pay for the anesthesia,” Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine said. “My hope is that, when the bill goes to the Senate, Governor Dewhurst will add the anesthesia coverage and maintain the other important restorations within the legislation.”
House Democrats pledged to keep the pressure on as the bill arrives in the Senate. Just as the Democrats have been successful in calling attention to the CHIP issue, the House Democratic leaders said they were hopeful that the bill will improve in the Senate and be signed as soon as possible by the governor.
“Democrats want to do a lot more to help our children, and we have a long way to go to deliver a government whose priorities are in line with the people of this great state,” said Dunnam. “But today is a good day and I am proud of the work my colleagues and I have done to protect the children of Texas.”
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Rep. Peña: Alarming trend in copper theft addressed by Texas House of Representatives
By ORLANDO SALINAS
The Texas House of Representatives on Wednesday, April 4, unanimously approved House Bill 1766 by Rep. Aaron Peña, Jr., D-Edinburg, that would increase the penalty for theft of aluminum, bronze, and copper wiring.
HB 1766 would increase the penalties for the theft of insulated or noninsulated wire or cable that was at least 50 percent aluminum, bronze, or copper and worth up to $1,500. Penalties would increase from misdemeanors to a state jail felony.
As the price of those metals has increased so has there been a global crisis in the theft of items comprised of those materials, the Valley legislator said.
“Aluminum, bronze, and copper wiring are commonly used by municipalities, electric utilities, railroads and telecommunications companies to provide vital services,” said Peña. “Perpetrators are hauling off hundreds of dollars worth of wiring, causing thousands of dollars worth of repairs, lost productivity and commerce but of most concern are the issues of public safety.”
The Department of Homeland Security has reported that the theft of copper has degraded the electric power grid’s reliability, causing outages affecting thousands of customers. The theft of downed power lines and grounding cables following major storms has also hindered recovery efforts in some states.
At least seven individuals were electrocuted last year while attempting to steal copper wire from electric power generation or substation facilities.
“Current Texas law provides penalties for theft that generally vary by the value of the item stolen,” said Peña. “The theft of a train signal wire has a significant business cost but it can lead to deadly accidents and derailments. In these cases the punishment didn’t fit the crime. This law aims to change that and send a message that stealing wire isn’t worth it.”
Home owners, builders and small businesses have also shared their frustrations with the theft of wires from construction and building sites.
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Senate passes child passenger safety bill being carried by Sen. Zaffirini
By NICK ALMANZA
The Texas Senate on Wednesday, April 4, passed Senate Bill 60 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which would strengthen current child passenger safety protections.
The bill requires that children 7 years and younger, unless they are four-feet nine-inches tall, be secured in a child passenger safety seat while riding in a motor vehicle.
“This is a bill that will save lives, preclude tragedies and injuries and qualify Texas for $3.2 million in federal funds while saving the state $17 million in health care expenditures.” Zaffirini said. “Each year more than 1,600 children die in vehicular accidents, which is the leading cause of unintentional, injury-related death among children 14 years and younger. SB 60 will strengthen Texas child passenger safety laws and ensure a greater level of public safety.”
In 2005 the Texas Legislature directed the Texas Department of Public Safety Committee on Child Passenger Safety to examine the need for a booster seat law in Texas. The committee advised Texas to pass a law based on national recommendations. SB 60 reflects the committee’s recommended language.
The DPS Child Passenger Safety Committee determined that SB 60 would reduce Texas health care expenditures by more than $17 million and that that an average $30 booster seat generates $2,000 in cost benefit savings. What’s more, by raising child passenger safety standards, Texas also will be eligible for $3.2 million in federal transportation grants each year from 2008 to 2009.
Current law requires only children who are younger than five and shorter than 36 inches be secured properly in child-passenger safety seats during the operation of a vehicle. Children between the ages of five and eight and who are between 36 and 57 inches represent an age group that is at great risk of death or severe injury due to the gap in current law. SB 60 will eliminate this gap and strengthen current child passenger safety protections.
Originally SB 60, as recommended unanimously by the Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security, included a four-month temporary grace period to inform Texas drivers about this new measure and a fine for non-compliance between $100 and $200.
Zaffirini on April 4 amended the bill to extend the warning period from four months to one year and reduce the penalty to $25, instead of up to $200.
“I amended SB 60 because we want to educate parents about the importance of booster seats and child passenger safety, not punish them,” she said. “A one year grace period will allow the state to inform more families and increase the impact this bill will have on public safety.”
The bill must be passed by the House of Representative before it can be sent to Gov. Rick Perry for final approval. The continued progress of this and all bills authored by Zaffirini can be monitored via the Internet at http://www.zaffirini.senate.state.tx.us or by contacting the Texas Legislative Reference Library’s toll free in-state hotline, 1-877-824-7038.
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Gov. Perry urges Legislature to keep transportation projects on track
Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday, April 3 encouraged the Legislature to support the state’s current transportation system and to ensure vital transportation projects continue as planned. The governor was joined by U.S. Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters and Dr. H. K. Park, executive vice president and general manager for Samsung Hard Disk Drive, at the Samsung Austin Semiconductor expansion site currently under construction.
“Our message today is that building needed infrastructure is essential to creating jobs and attracting economic development investments in Texas,” Perry said. “And you can’t accomplish that with a two-year moratorium on needed road projects.”
During the remainder of the session as the Legislature debates critical issues affecting Texas, Perry encouraged the Legislature to consider the successes from past sessions, highlighting key aspects of the existing transportation system. Texas is currently:
• Pouring more concrete and building more roads than any state in the nation; • Attracting multi-billion dollar investments from private partners to build needed roads now; and • Using billions of dollars advanced up front by private concessionaires to build numerous other projects in local communities.
The governor also noted that the land needed for highways will always be owned by Texas, and drivers will always have a non-tolled alternative to toll projects.
“But let no one be confused: there are no such things as freeways,” Perry said. “There are taxways and tollways, and for 50 years we have tried taxways that have been underfunded by Austin and Washington and that have left local communities choking on pollution and brimming with congestion.
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Teacher pay raises, CHIP funding increases included in House state budget, says Rep. Martínez
By SCOTT JENKINES
Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco, helped pass a statewide teacher pay raise on Thursday, April 5, as part of the votes cast during more than 18 hours of debate, and 200 amendments to Texas’ $150 billion state budget bill (House Bill 1).
Martínez voted for an amendment to increase public school employee pay.
“Ensuring that Texas’ children have access to top-notch public schools is my top priority. Our state must do everything possible to attract the best and brightest educators,” said Martínez. “I voted to provide an across-the-board pay raise for every public school teacher, counselor, librarian and school nurse because a great education begins with them.”
He noted that the House version of the state budget also included crucial funding to improve the Children’s Health Insurance Program and other measures important to young Texans.
“I support a state budget that fully funds the children’s health insurance program, improves access to higher education, strengthens our public schools and provides the necessary funds to ensure Texas children are secure now and in the future,” said Martínez. “I voted for amendments that would strengthen House Bill 1.”
The numerous amendments adopted April 5 helped alleviate some of the concerns about the initial shortcomings of the bill. Martínez voted in favor of the amended bill and will work with Sen. Juan :Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen, Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, as it moves through the Senate.
The House state budget bill and the version that will be approved by the Senate, which will not be identical, will then go to a legislative conference committee, where appointed members of the House and Senate will iron out the differences.
“We made a lot of ground on Thursday. We started with a bill that needed some changes, and we finished with a bill that contained some great provisions, like the across-the-board teacher salary increase,” Martínez noted.
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Family violence, stalking victims could more easily qualify for unemployment insurance benefits
By NICK ALMANZA
The Senate Business and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, April 3, unanimously recommended passage of Senate Bill 142 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which would make less burdensome the list of required evidence of eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits provided to victims of stalking or family violence.
“Because it is difficult for a victim of domestic violence or stalking to obtain multiple forms of evidence and because some judges in certain counties rarely issue protective orders, the multiple eligibility requirements for UI make it difficult for many victims to access benefits,” Zaffirini said. “This bill would allow victims to present only one form of evidence regarding the violence they are suffering in order to obtain easily the benefits needed to support themselves and their families while evading potentially dangerous domestic situations.”
In 2003 the Texas Legislature passed a measure that allows persons who must leave their job to protect themselves from family violence or stalking to be eligible for unemployment compensation. Victims must substantiate the existence of family violence by providing three pieces of evidence, including an active or recently issued protective order documenting family violence or stalking of the employee; a police record documenting family violence against, or the stalking of, the employee; and a physician’s statement or other medical documentation of family violence against an employee.
SB 142 would make persons eligible for UI benefits if they left the workplace for protection against family violence or stalking and are able to provide only one of the three forms of evidence mandated by the 2003 legislation.
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Dr. Linda Villarreal of Edinburg recognized for her contributions by the House of Representatives
Dr. Linda Villarreal, an internist who has been an active player in promoting improved access to medical care for the poor in Hidalgo County, has been honored for her accomplishments by the Texas House of Representatives.
Highlights of her career are included in House Resolution No. 1297, authored by Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen. HR 1297 was unanimously approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, April 3.
The resolution follows verbatim:
WHEREAS, Dr. Linda Villarreal is being honored by the Zonta Club of West Hidalgo County for her outstanding contributions to her community; and
WHEREAS, Dr. Villarreal is known for her competency, compassion, and dedication to practicing preventative medicine, and her endeavors in promoting the health and vitality of her friends and neighbors have earned her their lasting respect and admiration; and
WHEREAS, Outside of managing her own practice, “Dr. Vee,” as she is affectionately called, is a regular volunteer at a local free clinic and is a member of the American Medical Association and the Texas Medical Association-Council on Legislation; this former chief of staff for Edinburg Regional Medical Center is also a mentor to several medical students, a physician advisor for the Texas Medical Foundation’s research pilot program on diabetes, and a member of the Border Health Caucus; in addition, she has worked tirelessly for the Health Services District and given generously of her time and expertise to the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association, Arthritis Foundation, VAMOS, and Easter Seals; and
WHEREAS, The strength of our communities depends on the dedication of individuals like Dr. Villarreal, whose considerable talents have benefited countless people who live and work in South Texas; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby commend Dr. Linda Villarreal on her years of professional and civic service to her community and extend to her best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Dr. Villarreal as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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Carol Lynn Looney of Edinburg recognized for her contributions by the House of Representatives
Carol Lynn Looney of Edinburg, who has been part of the economic, educational and cultural advancements of the city, has been honored for many contributions by the Texas House of Representatives.
Mrs. Looney, whose husband, attorney Cullen R. Looney is a former Edinburg state representative, received the public recognition on Tuesday, April 3, when the House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 1296 by Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen.
The resolution follows verbatim:
WHEREAS, Carol Lynn Looney is being honored by the Zonta Club of West Hidalgo County for her outstanding contributions to her community; and
WHEREAS, A graduate of Beaumont High School and The University of Texas at Austin, Mrs. Looney has long benefited her community through her tireless volunteer service, and her endeavors in behalf of her friends and neighbors have earned her their lasting respect and admiration; and
WHEREAS, Through the years, Mrs. Looney has lent her time and expertise as a president of the Freddy Gonzalez Elementary School PTO, board member and chair of the Museum of South Texas History, and as a member of The University of Texas-Pan American International Women’s Board; in addition, she is a member of the Edinburg Junior Service League and St. John’s Episcopal Church, where she is involved in the Altar Guild, and she has ably served as a board member of the International Museum of Art & Science, Gladys Porter Zoo, United Way, and the Tip-O-Tex Girl Scout Council; and
WHEREAS, The strength of our communities depends on the dedication of individuals like Mrs. Looney, whose considerable talents have helped make Hidalgo County a better place in which to live, work, and raise a family; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby commend Carol Lynn Looney on her years of service to her community and extend to her best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mrs. Looney as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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McAllen Mayor Cortéz, a member of the Texas Border Coalition, honored by Texas House
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
McAllen Mayor Richard Cortéz, only the second Hispanic mayor in that city’s history, has been honored for his many accomplishments by the House of Representatives with a legislative resolution authored by Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, D-Palmview, and Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco.
The measure, unanimously adopted by the House of Representatives, was filed on Friday, March 23, and approved by the full House a week later, on Friday, March 30. In addition to being mayor, Cortéz is on the governing board of the Texas Border Coalition, an alliance of elected leaders and economic development officials from the 14 Texas counties that border Mexico.
Cortéz, through the Texas Border Coalition, has been instrumental on various state and federal legislative initiatives of the organization, including opposing the controversial proposed construction of a wall that would separate the U.S. from Mexico as a way to address the issue of illegal immigration.
Rather, Cortéz and the other leaders of the Texas Border Coalition are championing their own immigration reform recommendations, both at the state and federal levels, with proposals that would strengthen border security while not adversely affecting legitimate travel and trade.
The resolution follows verbatim:
Whereas, Mayor Richard F. Cortéz has truly distinguished himself through his outstanding service to the McAllen community, and he is being honored for his accomplishments at the ninth annual “A Night at the Oscars”sponsored by the Rio Grande Valley Chapter of the Muscular Dystrophy Association; and
Whereas, Elected to office in 2005, Mayor Cortéz has brought to his role a wealth of insight gained over the course of his life as a successful businessman, public servant, and community volunteer;
Whereas, Mayor Cortéz is a certified public accountant with a career that has spanned more than three decades; he is a senior partner with the public accounting and management firm of Burton, McCumber & Cortéz, L.L.P., where he is in charge of the litigation support department; and
Whereas, His civic involvement is equally impressive, encompassing service with the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, McAllen Chamber of Commerce, McAllen Community Development Council, Rio Grande Valley Partnership, McAllen International Museum, and Boys & Girls Club of McAllen and The University of Texas–Pan American Business Council; he has also held leadership positions with the Border Trade Alliance, McAllen Housing Finance Corporation, McAllen Public Utilities Board, and International Bank of Commerce-McAllen; and
Whereas, Mayor Cortéz has worked tirelessly in behalf of his fellow Texans; supported by his wife, Elva, four children, and nine grandchildren, he is a dynamic leader who will undoubtedly continue to be an outstanding advocate for his community and for the state; now, therefore, be it
Whereas, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby honor Mayor Richard F. Cortéz for his dedicated service in behalf of the residents of McAllen and extend to him best wishes for the future; and, be it further
Resolved, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mayor Cortéz as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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District Clerk Hinojosa, County Clerk Guajardo to host major conference in McAllen on April 12, 13
Hidalgo County District Clerk Laura Hinojosa and County Clerk Arturo Guajardo will be hosting about 100 of their colleagues in McAllen on Thursday, April 12 and Friday, April 13 as part of a major conference of the County and District Clerks Association of Texas, Region VIII.
Region VIII represents 32 South Texas counties.
The session, which will include appearances by Hinojosa’s father, U.S. Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, along with Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas, and members of the Hidalgo County Commissioners Court, will be held at the Holiday Inn, 200 W. Expressway, McAllen.
The Thursday session will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., while the Friday meeting will be held from 8 a.m. to noon.
“The purpose of the County & District Clerk Association of Texas is to promote professional standards, to provide the means for education of its members regarding the statutory and constitutional duties of the offices of the county clerk and the district clerk, and to participate in the legislative, judicial and executive processes of government beneficial in the performance of the member’s duties,” said Ricardo Contreras, who issued the announcement on behalf of Laura Hinojosa and Guajardo.
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NAHJ disappointed with decline in percentage of journalists of color in U.S. newsrooms
By DANIELA MONTALVO
The National Association of Hispanic Journalists is once again disappointed by the lack of progress made toward achieving diversity in the nation’s newsrooms.
As pointed out in the 2007 newsroom census released March 27 by the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE), minority representation in newsrooms slipped by 0.25 percent, to 13.62 percent. The percentage of Latino journalists dropped from 4.51 percent to 4.41 percent.
“Our industry is in the midst of rapid change, but one thing remains the same,” said NAHJ President Rafael Olmeda. “Latinos continue to be severely underrepresented in the newsroom workforce. We are asked to adapt to changes in the industry, learn new skills and think differently about the way newspapers deliver the news to readers. Is it too much to ask the industry to adapt to changes in the U.S. population, changes that make newsroom diversity more necessary than ever?”
This year, for the first time, ASNE’s census included journalists working full-time online, an addition that makes it appear in the survey that newsrooms added nearly 2,000 jobs. Including online journalists helped the numbers for minorities, who make up 16 percent of that sector, according to the survey. Without including online journalists, the picture for minority hiring and retention is even more bleak.
Minorities also make up 10.9 percent of newsroom supervisors, another decline from last year.
Through the Parity Project, NAHJ has proven that news organizations that commit to increasing Latino representation can succeed. The project has not only improved numbers; it has improved coverage of the Latino community and relationships between news organizations and their readers. To date, 150 Latinos have been hired at 25 Parity Project partners.
When ASNE committed in 1978 to achieving parity in the nation’s newsrooms by 2000, the intention may have been noble, but ASNE President David Zeeck referred to it Tuesday as a “hot check” because the association did not have the ability to deliver. Today, the industry strives to reach that goal by 2025, but it is clear to NAHJ that it will be impossible for news organizations to achieve parity at the current rate. The population of the United States is increasingly non-white, while the population of newsrooms just took a step in the other direction.
NAHJ believes it is time for diversity to cease being a slogan or a “value.” It’s time for diversity to be an unqualified commitment at all levels, from coverage to hiring to upper management.
NAHJ encourages media organizations to work with our association and other partners in Unity: Journalists of Color to play an active role in increasing representation in our newsrooms. The Parity Project, in addition to being a strong program, should be a model to the entire industry of how commitment backed by action can change a newsroom.
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Senate approves bill by Sen. Lucio declaring April as “Fruit and Vegetable Month”
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
The Texas Senate on Wednesday, April 4, gave approval to a bill by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. that designates April as Fruit and Vegetable Month for Texas.
“Senate Bill 555 was necessary because unfortunately, only 23 percent of Texans report consuming the recommended levels of fruits and vegetables,” said Lucio. “This number is unacceptable and needs to be raised by several levels. Declaring April Fruit and Vegetable Month will help encourage Texans to consume more fruits and vegetables.”
Various studies have proven there are countless health-related benefits of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables contain antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber that may prevent many chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends adults consume 3.5 to 6.5 cups (7 to 13 servings) of fruits and vegetables daily and children eat 2 to 5 cups per day (4 to 10 servings) depending on their ages. Ninety percent of Americans do not eat the recommended amounts.
“I represent an area of Texas rich with fertile soil and a mild climate, ideal for growing some of the tastiest and most nutritious fruits and vegetables in the country,” noted Lucio. “Nothing can compare to the Ruby Red Grapefruit grown here.
“But no matter where the fruits and vegetables are raised, our children and families should be eating a lot more of them.”
The senator is confident that his bill will “open the door of awareness to the people of Texas and will be part of the strategy to reach out and educate the public of the important contribution of fruits and vegetables in a nutritious diet and healthy lifestyle.”
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Rep. Martínez announces grant writing seminar to seek funding for health and health-related programs
By SCOTT JENKINES
Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco, on Thursday, April 5, announced that a grant writing seminar to help communities seek and obtain funding for health and health-related programs in rural and underserved areas will be held in Weslaco on April 19 and 20.
The seminar will be hosted by the Center for Community Health Development’s (CCHD).
“The center strives to recognize and analyze the practices affecting the health of our community and procedures designed to increase the overall health status,” said Martínez. “Another goal of CCHD is to provide knowledge regarding disease prevention and prevention research to health providers, scholars, and the general population”
The first day of the seminar will concentrate on civic agencies; while the following day will train the health and human service agencies. The seminars will focus on discussing types and sources of funding and reading an RFP. It will also provide valuable tips to successfully write proposals.
“The Center for Community Health Development provides assistance to agencies with understanding and applying data to research and conduct projects,” said Martínez. “It is also a very reliable organization as it will continue its support throughout the entire grant writing process and help in locating potential financial donators.”
For more information, please contact Delia Morales at (956) 688-6325 or view http://www.cchd.us/services.htm
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Financial aid director placed on leave, investigation begun at The University of Texas at Austin
By ANTHONY P. DE BRUYN
Lawrence W. Burt, associate vice president and director of student financial aid at The University of Texas at Austin, on Friday, April 5, was placed on paid administrative leave pending the completion of an investigation into allegations of conflict of interest.
This action results from allegations made on Thursday, April 4, in a letter sent to William Powers Jr., president of The University of Texas at Austin, by the office of Andrew M. Cuomo, attorney general of the state of New York. The attorney general alleged that Burt received stock from Student Loan Xpress Inc., a company that is included on the university’s preferred lender list.
“It is important that the university confirm and ensure the integrity of its financial aid program,” Powers said, “and maintain unimpeachable practices on behalf of students and their families.”
Powers asked James R. Huffines, chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, and Mark G. Yudof, chancellor of the University of Texas System, to authorize the Office of the General Counsel of the University of Texas System to conduct an investigation in collaboration with the university. The investigation will be led by Vice Chancellor and General Counsel Barry D. Burgdorf of the University of Texas System
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Mario Cuomo, New York attorney general, provides details on alleged student loan deceptive practices
On March 15, New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo revealed deceptive practices that he has uncovered in his nationwide investigation into the college loan industry.
According to Cuomo’s announcement, the New York attorney general said in a letter sent to every college and university in New York state, and certain other schools across the country, that he warned them to end or fully disclose potential conflicts of interest in their relationships with private lenders. He also cautioned students and their families to protect themselves against these practices.
Industry practices revealed include: Establishment of so-called “preferred lender” lists without disclosing the basis for selection or the specific benefits associated with these preferred lenders; revenue sharing and other financial arrangements between schools and lenders; denials or impediments to a student or parent’s choice of lender based on the borrower’s selection of a particular lender or guaranty agency; impediments to competition in the lending industry that stifle better loan terms for students and parents.
Cuomo said, “There is an unholy alliance between banks and institutions of higher education that may often not be in the students’ best interest. The financial arrangements between lenders and these schools are filled with the potential for conflicts of interest. In some cases they may break the law.”
Cuomo continued, “I do not want another college-bound class to be taken advantage of by schools or by lenders. Students and their families need to know about the practices in the industry so they can better protect themselves when being steered toward a lender by a college or university. With this knowledge, students have the power to select the lender that is truly best for their situation.”
The New York attorney general has been leading an ongoing investigation into the $85 billion-per-year student loan industry. In February, he requested information from more than 60 public and private colleges and universities nationwide regarding the standards they use to determine which lending companies are included on their “preferred lender” lists. Financial aid administrators often produce such lists to direct their students toward the lenders that are most preferred by the schools but may not be the best deals for students and parents.
On March 15, Cuomo notified over 400 colleges and universities throughout the country, including all in New York state, to end relationships with lenders that have the potential to mislead students and compromise their ability to obtain the best rate for their student loans.
In his letter, Cuomo revealed the following problematic practices in the student loan industry:
1 Lenders pay financial kickbacks to schools based on a percentage of the loans that are directed to the lenders. The kickbacks are designed to be larger if a school directs more student loans to the lender. And the kickbacks are even greater if the schools make the lender their “exclusive” preferred lender.
2 Lenders pay for all-expense-paid trips for financial aid officers (and their spouses) to high-end resorts like Pebble Beach, as well as other exotic locations in the Caribbean and elsewhere. Lenders also provide schools with other benefits like computer systems and put representatives from schools on their advisory boards in order to further curry favor with the schools.
3 Lenders set up funds and credit lines for schools to use in exchange for schools putting the lenders on their preferred lender lists.
4 Lenders offer large payments to schools to drop out of the direct federal loan program so that the lenders get more business.
5 Lenders set up call centers for schools. When students call the schools’ financial aid centers, they actually get representatives of the lenders.
6 Lenders on preferred lender lists agree to sell loans to a single lender so there is actually no real choice for the student.
7 Lenders sell loans to other lenders, often wiping out the back-end benefits originally promised to the students without the students ever knowing.
Rebecca Weber, Executive Director of the New York Public Interest Research Group (NYPIRG), said, “NYPIRG, as a consumer group and a student group, is particularly concerned about deceptive lending practices that appear to target students and their families. The Attorney General is alerting the colleges to the dangers of doing business with predatory lenders and we think that’s a crucial move as this investigation continues.”
Cuomo also urged students and parents to use these findings to consider whether a college or university is currently engaged in questionable practices. The Attorney General’s office has prepared a pamphlet to help those seeking student loans make more informed decisions. The pamphlet is being distributed to every high school in New York State. It is also posted on the Attorney General’s website at http://www.oag.state.ny.us.
The investigation is being handled by Executive Deputy Attorney General for Economic Justice Eric Corngold and Assistant Attorneys General Joy Feigenbaum, Melvin Goldberg, and Kevin R. Harkins.
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UTPA to be featured in PBS documentary series
The University of Texas-Pan American will be featured in one of 13 episodes of the State of Tomorrow documentary television series, which begins airing this month on PBS stations across the state.
The series examines some of the most exciting work being done by researchers and academics in public higher education to address major challenges facing Texans today. The University of Texas Foundation and Alpheus Media, Inc. in partnership with KLRU-TV, Austin PBS, co-produced the series, and it is paid for with private funding from sponsors including AT&T Inc., Exxon Mobil Corp., and IBC Bank, among others.
UTPA will be highlighted in the eighth episode of the series titled “Faces of the New Texas.” The episode focuses on the increasing population of the state, particularly the growing Hispanic population, and education and access. Dr. Blandina “Bambi” Cárdenas, UTPA president, will discuss how higher education can better serve and reflect its community.
“We are proud The University of Texas-Pan American was chosen to participate in this series and this particular episode, which will highlight our growing Hispanic student population and our dynamic efforts as a University and member of the UT System to make access to higher education possible and affordable for all,” Cárdenas said.
Also featured in the episode will be The University of Texas at Brownsville and The University of Texas at El Paso.
The wide-ranging series explores major challenges in areas including public health, homeland security, energy policy, economic development and education, and highlights new research in biosafety, nanotechnology, and proton therapy.
Faculty from Texas A&M, Texas State, Texas Tech, University of Houston, University of North Texas and University of Texas systems are featured in the series, representing a collaboration among Texas’ public higher education groups that is thought to be unprecedented.
“Public higher education offers solutions to many of the major challenges facing Texas, and it is important for Texans to know that whether or not they ever set foot on our campuses, we work to ensure that they are the beneficiaries of education’s service to society,” said UT System Chancellor Mark G. Yudof.
The State of Tomorrow series, which began airing on Sunday, April 8, will be broadcast beginning at 7:30 p.m. each Sunday at 7:30 p.m. on the local PBS station, KMBH-TV 60 (Time Warner Cable Cable Channel 10).
by Legislative Media | Apr 3, 2007 | Politics |
Wanda Garza of McAllen, during a Thursday, March 29 meeting in Austin of the Texas Border Coalition, shared a copy of an editorial cartoon depicting difficulties that face Texas workers if they do not have enough training to keep and hold good jobs. Garza, who chairs the TBC Workforce Development Committee, praised the House of Representatives for the Tuesday, March 27 passage of House Bill 48, which would protect millions of dollars a year for the state’s Skills Development Fund, which pays for crucial workforce training along the Texas border region. The bill, whose principal authors are Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, now goes to the Senate for action. Featured in this photograph with Garza is El Paso County Attorney José R. Rodríguez, while in the background, from left, are Celestino Hernández of Eagle Pass and Ignacio Madera, Jr. of Austin. See story later in this posting.
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Gov. Rick Perry on Wednesday, March 28, announced that he had abolished the Texas Youth Commission’s governing board and replaced it with a juvenile prison czar during a press conference in Austin. Perry was flanked by various legislators, including Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, and Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who were appointed to the select committee investigating the agency. See story later in this posting.
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The Texas Disability Policy Consortium and the AARP in conjunction with a coalition of aging and disability groups and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Lardo, on Wednesday, March 29 rallied at the State Capitol to encourage legislators to eliminate waiting lists and fund access to community care for 90,000 persons with disabilities. Currently more than 90,000 Texans are on waiting lists for home and community based services and care. “With only 61 days before the 2007 legislative session adjourns sine die, it is absolutely imperative that we unite to pass good legislation, stop bad bills and focus especially on increased funding to reduce the waiting lists for health and human services programs,” said Zaffirini. “We should do everything in our power to adopt a 10-year plan to eliminate waiting lists and invest the much needed resources so long term care services can be provided at home.” As vice chair of Senate Finance, Zaffirini worked to secure funding for a 10 percent wait list reduction and will continue to work toward increased funding for an additional 10 percent.
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House passes Texas Border Coalition’s bid to protect Skills Development Fund
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
A measure seeking to prevent a decrease in September of $6.4 million a year in the state’s Skills Development Fund, which is a customized workforce training program that has been beneficial in the Texas border region, was approved Tuesday, March 27, by the House of Representatives.
It now goes to the Senate. As of March 27, no Senate sponsor had been selected by the House authors of the legislation.
The legislation, House Bill 48 by Rep. Norma Chávez, D-El Paso, would protect a funding formula that dedicates money to the Skills Development Fund and the Texas Enterprise Fund. Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, and Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio are joint authors of the measure.
It is one of the top legislative priorities of the Texas Border Coalition. TBC is an alliance of elected officials and economic development leaders from the 14 Texas counties which border Mexico. They represent an estimated 2.1 million residents. The goal of the Skills Development Fund, according to the Texas Border Coalition, is to increase the skills levels and wages of the Texas workforce.
“Let business dollars work for business,” said Chávez. “This bill keeps more money for worker training and creates more jobs. The positive impact of enhancing the Skills Development Fund is universal because employers, workers, and the economy all benefit.”
The Skills Development Fund is an important part of the TBC’s efforts to bring higher paying jobs to the border areas by providing a trained workforce.
“Over 12,000 workers have been trained or retrained and millions of dollars have been spent in our areas to provide that training,” said Guillen. “Economic growth and job creation are a major part of the solution to other border problems such as limited health care and educational opportunities,” Guillen said.
Wanda Garza of McAllen, chair of the TBC Workforce Development Committee, praised the lawmakers for their work in the House.
“We would like to commend Rep. Chávez, as well as border and Texas legislators, for their commitment to skills training. Protecting the Skills Development Fund will directly impact economic growth in every community across the state. We must have a skilled workforce in order to stay competitive in the global economy.”
Without passage of HB 48, the Skills Development Fund’s share of dedicated money, which is generated from an assessment on employers, would drop from 33 percent to 25 percent on September 1. According to the House committee’s bill analysis, dropping from 33 percent to 25 percent would represent a loss of $6.4 million a year to the Skills Development Fund.
HB 48 would keep the 33 percent share intact and prevent the $6.4 million annual loss to the Skills Development Fund.
The skills development program is a customized workforce training program, with funds distributed as a partnership grant between a business and a community college in the area, according to a bill analysis of the proposal.
The Texas Border Coalition maintains a web site at http://www.texasbordercoalition.org.
According to the House Research Organization, which provides analyses of all major legislation set for debate by the full House, supporters of the measure such as TBC say:
HB 48 would result in more money for the skills development fund by retaining the percentage allocated to the fund in the most recent fiscal year, rather than diminishing that percentage beginning on September 1, 2007.
Skills and workforce training is under-funded in Texas. The Texas Workforce Commission has said it receives three requests for training for every dollar it spends, demonstrating a need for skills development in Texas without a means to provide it.
The skills development program is a customized workforce training program, with funds distributed as a partnership grant between a business and a community college in the area. The job training can be either for new workers or for incumbent workers to acquire new skills. The program trains workers only when an employer has demonstrated a need and requested that employees be trained in a specific area. The funds for training are put to immediate and specific use.
One of the best ways to combat unemployment is to have a more stable, larger, and better trained workforce, and the skills development fund can help with this. As the cost of training increases, it would be beneficial to have a dedicated funding source for an effective training program.
The skills development fund would a better place to allocate more of the money from the employment and training investment assessment (ETIA) because the Texas Enterprise Fund uses money from current employers to attract future competitors. The TEF has been used primarily to attract out-of-state employers with money from in-state employers paying a state tax.
Through this program, in-state employers use their own money to provide tax breaks to get their competition to Texas at their disadvantage. These are tax breaks for which in-state employers often are not eligible.
Further, the TEF has benefited primarily urban areas of the state, while the skills development program benefits communities in all regions of Texas. The TEF rarely is used by itself but is often used in conjunction with other subsidies so that the benefit the TEF brings is low for each dollar spent.
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House budget includes combined $5 million in state funding for UT-RAHCs in Edinburg and Harlingen
By ORLANDO SALINAS
and
DAVID A. DÍAZ
As the Texas House of Representatives began debate on the state’s $151.1 billion budget during the final days of March, critical funding for the University of Texas – Regional Academic Health Centers in Edinburg and Harlingen were included prominently in the House of Representatives’ version of the state budget.
In February, Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, filed legislation securing that amount for both campuses, which are part of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.
Initially, Peña said he wanted $5 million for the Edinburg RAHC campus, but the legislation that was finally approved in the House budget leaves it up to the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio on how much each campus receives from that appropriation, according to James Lampley, Peña’s chief-of-staff in Austin.
However, Lampley remained confident that the Edinburg RAHC would get enough state funding for its needs during the Legislature’s upcoming two-year budget cycle, which begins September 1.
Peña negotiated with House leaders to include the $5 million in combined funding RAHC funding in Article 3 of the budget bill.
“Getting these $5 million in Article 3 of the state budget is critically important in assuring that the RAHC gets the funds it needs to staff this facility with world-class scientists,” said Peña. “There were hundreds of amendments and contentious debate on the budget bill. I worked hard to ensure that this funding makes it to our community.”
The Senate still has to pass its version of the state budget, which could include more, less, or different funding formulas for the Edinburg RAHC and all other state government agencies and functions.
The University of Texas-Pan American serves as a partner in providing faculty, administrative and research support for the Edinburg facility.
Research areas may include the study of diabetes, emerging infectious diseases, aging, environmental health, mental health and other conditions that may affect residents in deep South Texas.
The $20 million Edinburg RAHC campus houses 12 laboratories, state-of-the-art class room spaces and administrative offices.
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Rep. Peña: Reducing drug demand necessary part of an effective border security plan
By ORLANDO SALINAS
As the Texas House of Representatives debated immigration and border security on Wednesday, March 28, many of the witnesses testified about the growth of drugs, violence and the rise of drug cartels on the border.
Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, responded to those concerns by amending the House’s version of the state’s budget to include $4 million for a substance abuse treatment center to be located in Edinburg.
House Bill 1, the House’s budget plan, was approved after hours of debate on Thursday, March 28.
“An integral part of the strategy in making our state safer is to give people the tools to break the dependency of drugs,” said Peña. “Cutting demand will cut the supply of drugs and violence along our border. South Texas needs a facility where families can help their loved ones break the devastating cycle of substance abuse.”
The treatment facility, included in Article 11 of the bill, is a part of a broader state-wide strategy to stem the flow of drugs and violence through our borders and address substance abuse and rehabilitation issues in our criminal justice system.
HB 1 includes over a $100 million for border security. The border security component of the legislation provides funding for local and state law enforcement to hire more personnel. The bill also includes monies for training, operations, DPS helicopters and pilots and grants for local police departments and sheriffs offices.
“Providing increased funding for border security, coupled with substance abuse treatment programs for the general public and inmates in the state criminal justice system is a new approach for the state of Texas,” said Peña. “Many of my colleagues in the legislature have embraced the idea that drug and alcohol treatment can keep many people out of our criminal justice system.”
The budget includes more funding for substance abuse treatment and diversion programs for low level, non-violent offenders at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The bill also adds treatment and capacity dollars at the local level to give judges and the parole board an alternative to sentencing offenders and considering probation and parole options.
The Texas Juvenile Probation Commission will receive an increase of funding for mental health and substance abuse treatment services and post-adjudication facilities. This is expected to keep hundred of kids from entering into the Texas Youth Commission.
“I have long advocated the strategy of treatment and diversion rather than spending hundreds of millions of dollars in building more prisons,” said Peña. “The more we can keep adults and kids out of our prisons the better we are all off. It is important that we are looking at a variety of strategies to combat the terrible effects that illegal drugs have in our community.”
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ECISD trustee candidates draw for positions on ballot
By GILBERT TAGLE
School board candidates seeking election to the ECISD Board of Trustees in the May 12th elections drew for ballot spots Tuesday, March 20.
The election is to fill positions for Place 4 and Place 5 on the board currently held by Melba González and Gregory “Greg” García, respectively.
Both incumbents did not, however, draw first position on the May 12 ballot. The top position on the ballot for Place 4 will read: Robert Pena (who is challenging González), followed by Melba Gonzalez.
The top position on the ballot for Place 5 will read: Dr. Martín Castillo, followed by Cris Treviño in the number two spot, and Gregory “Greg” Garcia in the number three spot.
The Edinburg school district also released key contact information about the candidates, which is contained in public documents filed with ECISD, for distribution to the community.
Place 4
Robert Peña, 1112 Loyola, Edinburg, Tx 78540
(w) 318-1000/(c) 207-3644
Employment: Robert is a businessman involved in construction
Campaign Treasurer is Alex Zúñiga, of Edinburg
(h) 381-5800
Melba González (Pl. 4 Incumbent and current board president)
P.O. Box 1042, Edinburg, Texas 78540
(h) 318-0148/(c) 457-9793
Employment: PSJA ISD elementary school teacher
Campaign Treasurer is María Natalia González
(c) 533-1798
Place 5
Dr. Martín Castillo, Jr., 3020 W. Rogers Road, Edinburg, Tx 78540
(h) 381-0551
(c) 393-1130
Employment: Chiropractor in Pharr
Campaign Treasurer is Felipe de la Garza — (h) 383-6454
Cris Treviño, 975 Ebony, Edinburg, Texas 78539 — (h) 383-1415
Employment: Did not list
Campaign Treasurer is Cris Treviño
Gregory “Greg” García (Pl. 5 Incumbent)
604 E. Van Week, Edinburg, Texas 78539 — (w) 968-2504
Employment: Boys & Girls Club in Weslaco
Campaign Treasurer is Xavier Morín
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Gilberto Garza voted sole finalist for ECISD superintendent’s job
By GILBERT TAGLE
The Edinburg Consolidated ISD Board of Trustees voted Tuesday, March 27, to make Gilberto Garza Jr. the sole finalist for the job of superintendent of schools.
Garza has been leading the Edinburg school district since August when he was named acting superintendent by the school board. He was named interim superintendent in December.
Garza is a veteran educator in the Edinburg school district who served as a teacher, an elementary school principal, and director of Elementary Education prior to being tapped to fill the superintendent’s job which became vacant early last August.
Dr. Jacques Treviño, attorney for the school board, said that under the government code the district must post notice of the school board’s decision to make Garza the sole finalist for the job for 21 days. At the end of that time period the school board has the option of voting to officially make Garza the superintendent of schools or continuing it search for a new superintendent.
Board president Melba González said the same down-to-earth nature and fairness in leadership that Garza has demonstrated as a principal and as an administrator has made him a successful interim superintendent of schools.
“Mr. Garza has brought unity to the school district in dealing with important academic, financial and operational issues. The response from the community to Mr. Garza’s role as interim superintendent has been very positive,” said González. “He is doing an excellent job and we are confident that our district will rise to new heights under his leadership.”
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House passes House Bill 1, the state’s proposed $150 billion, two-year budget, says Speaker Craddick
By ALEXIS DELEE
Early Friday morning, March 30, the Texas House of Representatives passed House Bill 1 (HB1), the Appropriations Bill for the 2009-2010 biennium. HB 1 presents a fiscally conservative and responsible budget that funds the state’s responsibilities while saving revenue for future appropriations, according to Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, R-Midland.
The budget totals just over $150 billion, an increase of 5.4 percent from the previous biennium. Compared to the state’s population growth and the rate of inflation since that time, this increase represents a fiscally conservative use of taxpayers’ money. This amount also leaves $4.2 billion unappropriated, which will be carried forward to the following biennium.
In addition, the state’s Rainy Day fund is expected to accumulate $4.3 billion by the end of the 2009 fiscal year. The combined $8.5 billion ensures that homeowners will continue to enjoy property tax reductions enacted during the 79th Legislature.
“I’m thrilled that we were able to accomplish so many goals at once with this budget,” Craddick said. “We have met the state’s funding obligations, put away revenue for future appropriations and protected tax cuts for Texas homeowners.”
Several key programs saw increased general revenue funding with HB 1. When compared to FY06-07 funding, education received a $3.6 billion increase, covering the Teachers’ Retirement System, financial aid and additional funding for public schools and higher education.
More than $2.5 billion was added to health and human services for increased Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program costs, improved provider rates for physicians and other healthcare professionals, increased trauma funding for hospitals, and a new mental health crisis stabilization program. Additionally, corrections received nearly $600 million to meet projected inmate population growth and increase border security.
Before debating HB 1 on the House floor, members voted to require that any new spending item added to the budget must be accompanied by removing another item of equal value. In this way, representatives worked to ensure that they maintained fiscal responsibility in crafting the budget for the 2009-10 biennium.
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House Democrats pass historic teacher pay raise, kill school vouchers, say party leaders
BY KEVIN VICKERS
Texas House Democrats on Thursday, March 29, passed an historic increase in teacher pay and killed efforts to fund private school vouchers today, flying in the face of opposition from Republican Speaker of the House Tom Craddick.
Led by Reps. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, and Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton, Democrats in the House led a bipartisan coalition to convert a controversial and divisive teacher incentive pay program—which is opposed by teachers across the state—into an across-the-board pay raise for every teacher in Texas and drove a nail into the coffin of private school vouchers.
During Thursday’s debate on the $165 billion Texas budget, Noriega authored a measure to increase teacher pay by approximately $900 annually for every Texas teacher, librarian, counselor, and nurse.
“Hardworking Texas teachers deserve to be paid what they are worth. Texas teachers are paid thousands of dollars below the national average. The teacher pay raise we passed today will help to get Texas teacher pay closer to the national average,” commented House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam, D-Waco.
Following the vote increasing teacher pay, Heflin led a bipartisan coalition to kill efforts to rob public schools to pay for private school vouchers.
“Texans have spoken and we’ve been on their side—we hear them loud and clear,” said Dunnam. “Texans support our public schools and they simply do not believe it is right to rob our public schools to pay for more failed social experiments. Today, a bipartisan majority of the House rejected the radicalism of Rick Perry (and) Tom Craddick.”
“By passing an across-the-board pay raise for Texas teachers and killing vouchers, House Democrats are delivering on the promises we have made the people of Texas. We will continue to work hard for hard-working families,” Dunnam concluded.
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Rep. Peña secures $750,000 for Museum Park in state budget approved by Appropriations Committee
By ORLANDO SALINAS
The Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg stands to receive $750,000 for construction of a park and renovations to the historic Hidalgo County Jail House if efforts by Rep. Aaron Peña are successful.
The state budget, approved on Thursday, March 29, included a rider in Article 11 authored by the Edinburg Democrat securing that amount for the museum.
“This year’s budget includes more funding for our state and local parks,” said Peña. “Our state has shown that it is committed to enhancing our quality of life by investing in our communities. This appropriation will only serve to improve the beauty of our community.”
The funds will be applied to the completion of the Will Looney Legacy Park in downtown Edinburg. The project includes the conversion of recently acquired property to a sanctuary that features educational stations, a palapa, an archeology pit, and a windmill. The park will also feature a sculpture commissioned by the Looney family in honor of their son, Will, and his grandmother, Mrs. Margaret Looney.
The funding may also be used for the preservation of the Museum’s cornerstone structure, the 1910 Hidalgo County Jail House building, a Texas Historic Landmark. A companion structure to the former Spanish revival county courthouse, the jail was designed by Atlee B. Ayres and includes a hanging tower, which was used once in 1913. The jail is deteriorating due to rising damp and age. A master plan for its preservation has been developed.
“Growing up in Hidalgo County we have all heard stories about the old county jail,” said Peña. “I am going to continue to fight to save this South Texas treasure.”
The budget is now headed to the Senate for consideration. After passage in that chamber the bill heads to conference for final approval.
Peña is serving his third term in the Texas House of Representatives. He is Chairman of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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Rep. Gonzáles’ bill to protect home buyers from toxic drug exposure risks unanimously approved by House
By RICARDO LÓPEZ-GUERRA
Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, on Tuesday, March 27, passed her first bill of the 80th Legislature with unanimous support of the House.
Her House Bill 271 requires disclosure by home sellers whether they are aware of any previous use of a residence for the manufacture of methamphetamines.
Residents living in former meth labs can suffer long-term effects such as cancer; damage to the central nervous system, liver, kidneys; birth defects and miscarriages.
“A home is a huge investment – for many of us our largest investment – and buyers should know exactly what they are getting” she said.” HB 271 protects the public from the lingering effects of meth labs.”
Gonzáles’ bill defends the interests of buyers and sellers.
“The disclosure protects those in the chain of sale – that is the seller, the realtor and most importantly, it protects the buyer of the home. Children are especially vulnerable to develop adverse health effects from exposure to residue from methamphetamines,” Gonzáles said.
Like mold, if meth labs have not been properly cleaned, young children and others with compromised immune systems can suffer respiratory problems for the rest of their lives. “Meth is the new mold,” said Gonzáles. “Disclosure in this bill promotes consumer health and the integrity of the real estate industry.”
In 2005 alone, Texas seized 269 meth labs which raised the urgency to address the need to extend the protection of buyers’ health as well as the liability of banks and realtors selling homes that were previously used to manufacture methamphetamines. “I commend the state and local authority’s efforts to prevent and reduce the existence of meth labs, but it is also necessary to address how to deal with the long term effects produced by meth labs after they have ceased to exist,” said Gonzáles.
Gonzáles is currently serving her second term representing parts of McAllen and Hidalgo County in the Texas House. In addition to serving on the influential Judiciary and Public Health Committees, she has also been elected by her colleagues to serve as Secretary of the House Democratic Caucus and has been appointed to the National Conference State Legislature standing committee on Health.
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Senate approves $250 million funding authority by Sen. Lucio for water/wastewater Services
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
The Senate on Tuesday, March 27 approved Senate Joint Resolution 20 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, the Chairman of the International Relations and Trade Committee.
Lucio’s measure would would allow the Texas Water Development Board to issue the an additional $250 million in general obligation bonds for economically distressed areas to obtain water and wastewater services statewide if approved by Texas voters.
“As Chairman of IRT, for the last two years, I’ve been working with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst to address the water and wastewater needs of distressed areas of our State. Today, with the passage of SJR 20, we are a step closer to bringing essential water and wastewater services to the most economically distressed areas in Texas,” said Lucio.
“On behalf of the communities impacted by the IRT Committee, I want to thank Lt. Gov, Dewhurst for appointing me to the powerful Senate Finance Committee,” said Lucio. “This appointment has enabled me to work with Finance Committee Chairman Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Kip Averitt, R-Waco, to address a number of issues outlined in our IRT Interim Report, including acquiring the necessary funding to finish out the original Economically Distressed Areas Program – EDAP I – and setting aside the necessary debt service revenue in the base state budget to support the newly expanded statewide EDAP II program, which would be funded by SJR 20.”
SJR 20 is the accompanying joint resolution of the bill Lucio amended last session with the help of Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, and Rep. Kevin Bailey, D-Houston, which took the Economically Distressed Areas Program statewide. SJR 20 provides for a constitutional amendment that if approved would give the TWDB up to $250 million in Bonding Authority to address the estimated $5.4 billion in water & wastewater needs for distressed areas of the state.
Lucio added, “My committee, along with the Texas Water Development Board, identified communities statewide during the interim that are in dire need of water and wastewater services, and SJR 20 will afford them an opportunity to apply for critical EDAP funding.”
When approved by the House, SJR 20 will be one of the constitutional amendments up for voter approval in November. “My good friend, Rep. Norma Chávez from El Paso, will be the main sponsor of SJR 20 in the Texas House of Representatives. Her leadership and understanding of the water/wastewater needs of Texas will ensure that SJR 20 will be found on the Governor’s desk in the weeks to come,” added Lucio.
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Rep. Peña encourages immediate action from TYC conservator
By ORLANDO SALINAS
The embattled Texas Youth Commission has been placed into a conservatorship, thus allowing a single executive to take control of the agency.
Gov. Rick Perry made the announcement on Wednesday, March 28, flanked by various legislators, including Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, and Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, who were appointed to the select committee investigating the agency. The press conference revealed the strategy of permanently abolishing the Texas Youth Commission’s board and replacing it with a juvenile prison czar.
“Less talk and more action, this is what many of us are demanding,” said Peña. “Today’s announcement will allow the agency’s conservator to start cleaning house. The first to go should be the firing of the 111 TYC employees with felony convictions. I strongly encourage the conservator to take immediate action.”
Jay Kimbrough will serve as conservator until the end of the legislative session in May. After that, the goverrnor will appoint, with the Senate’s approval, another conservator who will serve as the agency’s new chief. Texas law gives conservators the power to hire and fire employees.
“I have seen and heard enough,” said Kimbrough. “We want a fresh start and we are going to have a fresh start.”
Speaker of the House Tom Craddick expressed his support for Kimbrough’s selection by Perry.
“I applaud the Governor’s decision to appoint a conservator to the Texas Youth Commission. This is a serious issue that the Legislature has done an excellent job of quickly addressing. The appointment of Jay Kimbrough will further ensure a rapid and thorough investigation of this issue so we can guarantee the safety and well-being of these children and good management of this agency.”
Peña has been participating in bi-weekly committee meetings investigating all aspects of the management and operation of the Texas Youth Commission. The committee was created after allegations of sexual misconduct came to light in a West Texas juvenile center.
“The sense that we get in testimony from officials and employees at the TYC is that things aren’t moving fast enough,” said Peña. “Even after the increased scrutiny of the commission I am getting word that working conditions at our facility in Edinburg and others centers are getting progressively worse.”
For the past 18 months Peña’s office has maintained a dialogue with guards, staff and teachers from the Evins Center who have shared their concerns of conditions at the unit.
“Today’s announcement will result in having all superintendents of the various juvenile centers reapply for employment,” said Peña. “They should be aware that their re-hiring will be dependent on how well they were able to do their job in the past. This is a positive step in moving this agency forward.”
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Concerns at Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg raised in letter to TYC by Rep. Peña
Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, in a March 27 letter to Ed Owens, Acting Executive Director for the Texas Youth Commission, which oversees the Evins Regional Juvenile Center in Edinburg, raised some of his concerns regarding reported abuses at the South Texas state facility.
His letter follows verbatim:
March 27, 2007
Ed Owens
Acting Executive Director, Texas Youth Commission
P.O. Box 4260
Austin, Texas 78765
Dear Mr. Owens,
At the request of a group of teachers from the Evins Regional Juvenile Center my office was called to a meeting on March 24, 2007 to discuss issues of working conditions at the Edinburg unit. I am writing you this letter to share with you their concerns. A summary of their sentiments follow:
•Claim that Local Administration has created a hostile working environment for those who have expressed concerns about conditions at the Evins Center
• Some teachers and staff feel intimidated and believe they have been subject to retaliation for speaking out against administration of policy
• Local Administration has contributed to hostile working environment by selectively applying policy to curry favor
• Claim that there is selective application of state and federal education policy
• Lesson plans were not required until recently
• No technology allowed in classrooms, no music or vocational programs are available to youth
• Large number of uncertified teachers employed at Center
• Expressed little confidence in grievance policy
• Claim that Local Administration has insensitive attitude towards students and staff
• Principal uses abusive language and gestures in meetings with teachers and staff
• Local Administration has on occasion expressed derogatory attitudes towards youth at facility
• Claim unsafe and unsanitary working conditions at Evins Center
• For six weeks the Center has faced severe water pressure problems limiting the use of toilets and lavatories
• Doors at Center malfunction often being open and closed when they aren’t supposed to
On various occasions over the last year and a half my office has met with guards and staff members from the Evins Center to discuss workplace issues. It concerns me that these educators believe that working conditions have worsened at the Evins Center even after the recent scrutiny of all TYC centers across the state. That same sentiment was expressed to me at the last meeting I had with guards and staff on March 11, 2007.
It remains our duty to provide safe conditions for the rehabilitation of our youth and for the employment of our staff at our TYC centers. I will continue to monitor conditions at the Evins Center. If I can be of any assistance or to discuss this matter further please do not hesitate to contact me or my staff.
Sincerely,
Aaron Peña, Jr.
Chairman, House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
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Congressman Hinojosa: new report documents what works for first-generation college students
By SUSAN TREBACH
Raising aspirations, navigating the admissions process and robustly supporting the transition to college life are all essential parts of the college access formula for first-generation students, according to a new study by the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education.
Congressman Rubén Hinojosa, D-Mercedes, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning and Competitiveness, said the researchers focused on Texas students because “our state is making a sincere effort to increase disadvantaged student participation in college.”
Hinojosa cited the College for Texans Campaign and the Higher Education Assistance Pilot Program as evidence of Texas’ commitment.
Hinojosa said that seeking Texas students’ perspectives proved effective: “The Pell Institute’s report enhances our understanding of the complexities of life for first-generation students.”
“Congress now has the opportunity to turn these insights into some effective strategies as we move forward in reauthorizing the federal Higher Education Act,” he continued. “We appreciate this timely, valuable addition to our information base.”
“Straight from the Source: What Works for First-Generation College Students” offers a comprehensive look at the college access struggles of Texas students who are the first in their families to pursue post-secondary education. Based on intensive focus group interviews with students in Dallas, Edinburg, El Paso, Houston, Kingsville, and San Antonio, the report is a best-practices road map for policymakers and college access professionals across the country.
“As these students make clear, it is not enough to raise first-generation students’ hopes and dreams,” said Colleen O’Brien, Director of the Pell Institute and a co-author of the report. “To make the successful leap to college, disadvantaged students need intensive help with the admissions and financial aid processes and a real comfort level with both campus life and college academic support resources. And once they are in college, the challenges to stay enrolled are just as significant.”
In Texas about 365,000 students (35%) currently attending college are first-generation. They are under-represented at four-year colleges and over-represented at two-year institutions. They tend to be female, from minority backgrounds and from families with mean incomes of $45,000 a year. Nationally, 6.5 million current college students are first-generation.
The report, funded with a grant by the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation (TG), reveals the academic, financial, familial and work issues first-generation students confront on a daily basis as they strive to succeed in college. Some of the key recommendations include:
• First-generation students need to understand why college matters and trust the people delivering the information;
• The message that a college education can move the entire family forward is particularly salient;
• Involving parents and family members early in the process prepares everyone for the challenging transition;
• Pressures on students to earn money for both family and college conflict with students’ need to spend more time on academic work;
• Prior exposure to college life and, once they are enrolled, access to college-based support services are extremely important to first-generation students.
For an online view of the entire report, go to http://www.pellinstitute.org
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Gov. Perry appoints Thomas Wingate judge of the 430th Judicial District Court
Gov. Rick Perry on Monday, March 26 appointed Thomas P. Wingate of Mission as judge of the 430th Judicial District Court serving Hidalgo County. Wingate will serve until the next general election.
Wingate is legal counsel to Wingate Law Offices and CEO of Security Land Title, a Texas title insurance company. He served six years in the U.S. Army as a Captain in the Judge Advocate Generals Corps.
Wingate retired from the Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel after 21 years of service. He is a board certified specialist in commercial and residential real estate law by the State Bar of Texas Board of Legal Specialization. He is also a member of the Supreme Court of Texas and the U.S. Court of Military Appeals.
Wingate received a bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s University and a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin.
This appointment is subject to Senate confirmation.
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Senate approves pro-consumer, pro-worker bills by Sen. Lucio
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
The Senate on Thursday, March 29 approved a bill by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, designed to assist consumers to comparison shop for home and auto insurance, and another to assist injured employees with legal representation.
Senate Bill 611, the one-stop-shop for insurance comparison, would offer consumers the ability to log onto a website and view a listing of insurers offering homeowners and automobile insurance in this state. The website would simplify one of the most complex financial services to interpret and decide upon.
“Since coverage levels vary so greatly between the different policies, policyholders cannot shop based on price alone,” said Lucio. “My bill directs the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel to develop this website with side-by-side comparisons of different policies, rates charged, the percentage by which rates have fallen or risen in the past three years, and other pertinent information.”
Executive Director of Texas Watch, a statewide consumer advocacy and research organization, Alex Winslow, noted, “This legislation will go a long way toward making our insurance market more transparent for consumers by giving them tools they need to make the best choices for their families.”
Senate Bill 287 would provide district courts the authority to appoint an attorney to represent injured employees who have won approval throughout the administrative process of the legitimacy of their employment-related injuries. Generally insurers opt to go to court because the cost is less for legal fees than for payment benefits. Injured employees are usually at a disadvantage in the court room because they cannot afford legal representation and insurers can. When employees represent themselves, the insurer usually prevails.
“No one should have to forfeit a court case with merit because of the lack of money to hire an attorney,” explained Lucio. “Our judicial system should be based on equity, and through this bill, we can ensure fairness to both sides in workers compensation cases.”
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Senate passes SB 64 by Sen. Zaffirini to eliminate PAC campaign contribution disclosure loophole
By NICK ALMANZA
The Texas Senate on Thursday, March 29 unanimously passed Senate Bill 64 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, which requires general-purpose political committees (PACs) to disclose contributions of more than $5,000 during the last nine days of a campaign. This disclosure is required of candidates and their campaign committees for contributions of $1,000.
The bill closes a legal loophole that allows large contributions to general-purpose PACs to go unreported for months after a general or primary election.
“We must ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which is why I filed SB 64,” Zaffirini said. “All PACs should be held to the same standards as candidates and campaign committees. This bill provides this essential level of parity.”
Under current law the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) is not authorized to issue penalties automatically for PACs that fail to file timely special reports near an election. SB 64 also will authorize the TEC to notify and issue automatic penalties for campaign committees that fail to submit those reports timely.
The bill must be passed by the House of Representative before it can be sent to Gov. Rick Perry for final approval. The continued progress of this and all bills authored by Zaffirini can be monitored via the internet at http://www.zaffirini.senate.state.tx.us or by contacting the Texas Legislative Reference Library’s toll free in-state hotline, 1-877-824-7038.
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TXU Corp. could be fined $210 million by state Public Utilities Commission, says Sen. Lucio
By DORIS SÁNCHEZ
The Texas Public Utilities Commission staff has recommended a $210 million fine against TXU Corporation, which includes $70 million that would be reimbursed to consumers, said Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville.
The remaining $140 million would be assessed for administrative penalties. It is important that TXU customers be compensated for their overpayments and that refunds go directly to them.
“I am pleased that the Public Utility Commission (PUC) staff has acted expediently to formalize the alleged violations of market power abuse by TXU Corp,” said Lucio. “I feel confident that we are headed in the right direction towards fairness and equity for the consumer.”
The PUC is in the initial step of making a final determination on the independent report. The PUC staff recommendations must still go through the hearing process and be approved by the three PUC Commissioners before final penalties can be assessed.
On March 12, an independent report concluded that TXU, one of the largest generators of electricity in Texas, manipulated the wholesale electric market, causing at least $70 million in higher electricity prices across the state in 2005. That same week, the Senate approved a package of electric utility bills to improve competition in the retail electric market, discourage market and price manipulation, and bring rate relief to Texas households.
Lucio amended one of the electric utility bills to strengthen language that would require refunds to be passed to consumers or to an organization that offers emergency payment assistance. The amendment also included language that would require PUC to make a final determination within 30 days after the Independent Market Monitor issued a report on market power abuses or violations, and that the report be referred to the Attorney General’s office for further investigation and prosecution.
This legislation that passed the Senate in mid-March will likely come before the House this week.
••••••
A Down Payment on Texas’ Future
By SEN. EDDIE LUCIO, JR.
and
SEN. RODNEY ELLIS
Texas faces a looming crisis: while our diverse, high-tech economy relies on a highly skilled, highly educated workforce, we rank near the bottom in the nation at producing college graduates. We lag particularly behind in graduating Hispanics and African Americans
As Texas becomes a more heavily minority-majority state, the future literally depends on increasing college access and success for Hispanic and African American Texans.
Unfortunately, all our efforts to close the gaps in college participation continue to fall far short of what is necessary and, unless the state significantly increases investment in direct grant aid, more and more students and families will be priced out of a college education, further jeopardizing our social and economic future.
So what is Texas doing about this challenge? Sadly, not nearly enough.
In 1999, Texas leaders promised high school students that if they worked hard and followed the rules, we would help them pay to go to college. Senator Rodney Ellis(Houston) and I co-authored legislation to create the TEXAS Grants program, which provides tuition and fees to students who have taken the Advanced or Recommended curriculum in high school. By every account, this program has been a runaway success.
Since we created the program, 161,000 students have received a TEXAS Grant to help them achieve the dream of college. The program has been the key to increasing minority college participation to meet the goals of the Closing the Gaps initiative.
No area has benefited more from this program than the Lower Rio Grande Valley. In just the last four years, 26,423 students have received $67.6 million to help them pay for college. Unfortunately, that success will be destroyed unless the Legislature takes dramatic steps today.
Frozen funding and skyrocketing tuition costs, thanks to tuition deregulation, have forced over 70,000 students to lose their TEXAS Grants in just the last two years and, if nothing is done today, the number of students left behind will soon explode. If funding is not dramatically increased, 150,000 students – 75 percent of those eligible – will be left behind every year, making TEXAS Grants an empty, broken promise.
Texas already compares poorly to other states – our competitors for new jobs – in producing college graduates. The numbers speak for themselves:
·Texas ranks 41st in the nation in the rate of college enrollment;
·Texas ranks 34th in the percentage with a bachelor’s degree or higher;
·Only 26 percent of Texans aged 25-65 have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher;
·Only 13 percent of Hispanic Texans have earned an Associate’s Degree or higher;
·Texas spends, on average, $180 million less on direct grant aid than the other five largest states, California, New York, Florida, Illinois and Pennsylvania;
Unless we significantly increase direct grant aid to students, our state will fall further behind our competitors in producing the graduates needed to fuel the 21st century economy.
To address this looming crisis, we have filed legislation to put our money where our mouth is and fulfill the state’s promise to Texas students and their parents. Our plan, SB 1176, would dedicate $897 million to the TEXAS Grant program, and ensure that every eligible Texas student has a chance to go to college.
This is simply a matter of priorities. We have a $14 billion budget surplus, so the money is there to keep our promise. If Texas is serious about Closing the Gaps and ensuring the doors to college are open to every student who wants an education, we will make this down-payment on our children’s future.
(Senator Eddie Lucio represents South Texas in the Texas Senate. Senator Rodney Ellis represents Houston in the Texas Senate.)
by Legislative Media | Feb 19, 2007 | Politics |
State Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, has much to smile these days after finally paying off campaign loans that had helped finance her successful first run for elected office in the spring of 2004. The South Texas Democrat, featured her during a recent legislative session in McAllen at South Texas College, slowly but surely whittled away at $145,000 in campaign loans until she paid them off last fall. Her financial activities are detailed in her campaign finance report, released in mid-January, that covers the last six months of 2006. Details on her contributions and expenditures are provided later in this posting. Shown with her are from left: Jack Damonr, executive director of Region One Education Service Center in Edinburg; Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, and Mario Reyna, Division Dean of Business, Science and Technology for STC and president of the Mission Chamber of Commerce.
••••••
Representatives from Amigos Del Valle, Incorporated, on Tuesday, February 13, were honored with a resolution in the Senate chamber by Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, for their work to improve the lives of seniors citizens in the Rio Grande Valley. Amigos Del Valle is a consortium of county and city governmental entities that provide nutrition, transportation and housing services to the senior citizens of Cameron, Hidalgo and Willacy counties. “This agency assists and encourages senior citizens to live healthy, productive and self-sufficient lives,” said Lucio. “Their work is to be commended and supported.” Amigos Del Valle began offering services to seniors in 1975 with a budget of $375,000, and by 2005 the agency’s budget had increased to approximately $7 million. Thousands of senior citizens have used these services to maintain their health and to live their lives with dignity. The agency consists of an established network of employees and more than 500 volunteers, providing assistance through 32 senior centers, nine senior multifamily rental housing projects and a central kitchen facility. Organizations such as the National Council of La Raza, the Southwest Society on Aging and Hispanic Business Magazine have honored Amigos Del Valle for its outstanding services. Shown from left are: Sen. Carlos Uresti, D-San Antonio; Hinojosa; Emilio Vera, Amigos Del Valle board vice president; former Edinburg Mayor Pro Tem Fred Longoria, board member; José E. Garza, executive director; Luis González (King); Blanca Loya (Queen); Dewhurst; and Lucio.
••••••
Manuel Benavidez, Jr., featured center, a founding and current member of the South Texas College Board of Trustees, was honored by the Texas House of Representatives for his recent selection as the 2006 Western Region Trustee Leadership Award from the Association of Community Colleges. Benavidez, who represents Starr County on the STC Board of Trustees, is shown here during a separate event involving the community college system, which serves Starr and Hidalgo Counties. Shown in this photo with him are trustees Michael Allen and Irene García. The House resolution honoring Benavidez was authored by Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City. The text of that resolution follows later in this posting.
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Rep. Verónica Gonzáles pays off final $50,000 in campaign loans that once towered at $145K
With no opponents to worry about last year, Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, was able to raise enough money during the last six months of 2006 to finally pay off the final third of her campaign finance loans from a San Antonio bank that once found her $145,000 in debt.
Between July 1 and December 31, Gonzáles, whose House District 41 legislative district includes southwest Edinburg, the second-term lawmaker raised $78,560 in campaign contributions from scores of individuals and firms, which helped her pay off $49,999.90 in remaining campaign finance loans she originally drew in 2004 from Frost Bank in San Antonio.
Gonzáles used those loans, along with hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional financial contributions from her many supporters, to defeat long-time incumbent Rep. Roberto Gutiérrez, D-McAllen.
By not drawing any opponents last year – state representatives must run every two years –
Gonzáles was able to focus on raising money to get out of debt. Even after spending more than $63,000 during the last half of 2006 for political expenditures — much of that going to eliminate the bank loans balance – she wound up with more than a $25,000 surplus in her campaign account.
Her campaign finance reports are available online at:
http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/filer.php?acct=00054908coh
Gonzáles’ campaign finance report, along with the campaign reports of all state lawmakers, cover the period between July 1 and December 31, 2006.
Her loans from the bank, which were also guaranteed by some of her law partners in her McAllen law office, peaked at $145,000 as of June 20, 2004, and she whittled away at that debt until she made a final $15,000 bank loan repayment on October 30.
On her campaign form, she listed her officeholder address as 605 Water Lilly in McAllen. Her campaign treasurer was identified as one of her law partners, Charles Wesley Kittleman, who listed his address at 301 Toucan in McAllen.
Gonzáles, who says she is a business attorney, is a partner in the firm of Kittleman, Thomas,
Gonzáles, LLP, located at 4900-B North 10th Street in McAllen. Recently, two attorneys linked with political office joined her 13-member firm: Ramón Rosales, Jr., the municipal judge with the City of Mission, and Tracy A. Spillman, former senior attorney to Justice Fred Hinojosa, formerly of the 13th Court of Appeals.
Whether she draws any opponents next year – she will be on the March Democratic Party primary ballot in March 2008 and would have to face any Republican in the November 2008 general election – remains to be seen.
But she and her supporters have demonstrated the willingness to dig deep into their pockets to win and hold on to the legislative seat, spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in her successful rookie campaign against Gutiérrez in the 2004 Democratic Party primary and runoff.
Gonzáles campaign information
Like many well-financed candidates, Gonzáles is not without her share of generous/wealthy supporters, and she has effectively tapped into bankrolls of Austin-based lobbyists and political action committees which often represent the lion’s share of campaign finance contributions.
Her single largest contribution between July 1 and December 31 came from José González, Jr. of McAllen, an attorney with The Watts Law Firm, who gave her $5,000 on December 5.
The Watts Law Firm, a personal injury law firm based in Corpus Christi, is among the top political contributors to Democratic Party causes.
Other major contributors during the final six months of 2006 were:
•R.L. Glazer, chairman of the board of directors of Glazer’s Distributors of Dallas, gave her $3,000 on November 29;
•BG Distribution Partners of Houston, a beverage distributor, gave her $3,000 on November 29;
•Texas Association of Mortgage Attorneys PAC of Houston donated $2,500 on November 29;
•Farmers Employee and Agent PAC of Texas of Austin donated $2,500 on October 20;
•Advanced Orthopaedic Institute of McAllen on McAllen donated $2,500 on September 29;
•Eric Chin, owner of Dos Logistics of Weslaco donated $2,000 on December 5;
•Stanley and Linda Harper of Mansfield, cattle breeders with Harper Cattle Company, gave a total of $1,500 in $500 donations on July 24, August 6, and August 8; and
•Joe A. García of Austin, a lobbyist with The García Group who also represents the City of McAllen, gave a total of $1,500 with two donations – $1,000 on November 29 and $500 on July 24.
Twenty-one individuals or firms each gave her $1,000, one firm gave her $800, two individuals and two firms each donated $750, one individual donated $620, 33 individuals or firms each gave her $500, one individual donated $400, one individual gave her $350, and 30 individuals, firms, or couples each gave her between $100 and $250.
Her largest campaign expenditures were dominated by campaign finance loan repayment to Frost Bank. In addition to the $15,732.29 loan repayment on October 30, Gonzáles also made loan repayments to the bank of $15,000 on October 2, $10,000 on July 6, $5,000 on July 24, $3,062.85 on November 16, $2,000 on November 6, and $1,512.84 on July 13.
Other notable expenditures during the last half of 2006 included a $4,250 payment to Monte Cristo Golf and Country Club, Rt. 1, Box 985-D in Edinburg, for golf tournament fees relating to a campaign fundraiser on October 2, and a $1,000 payment to the House Democratic Caucus, P.O. Box 12453 in Austin, for the 2007 annual dues on December 13.
Contributions
Four individuals, one couple, and 16 firms each donated $1,000 to Gonzáles:
•Valero PAC of San Antonio on December 7;
•Texas Automobile Dealers Association PAC of Austin on December 6;
•Texas Consumer Finance Association PAC of Austin donated $1,000 with two $500 contributions (December 5 and July 24);
•Texas Dental Association PAC – DENPAC of Austin donated $1,000 with two $500 contributions (November 6 and July 11);
•Alan and Patti Harper of Arlington, cattle breeders with Harper Cattle Company, donated $1,000 with two $500 contributions (October 19 and July 24);
•Associated General Contractors of Texas – PAC of Austin on October 18;
•USA Logistics Carriers LLC of McAllen on October 9;
•Roerig Oliveira & Fisher of Brownsville, the law firm for which Rep. Rene Oliveira, D-Brownsville, is a partner, donated $1,000 with two $500 contributions (October 2 and September 26);
•Texas Friends of Time Warner of Houston on September 30;
•Jeffrey Sern of Bellaire, an attorney with Stern Miller & Higdon, on September 29;
•Gilbert Enríquez, former Edinburg school board trustee, on September 28;
•Texas Medical Association PAC – TEXPAC of Austin on September 27;
•Maxxam Inc. Texas PAC of Houston on September 25;
•Burton McCumber & Cortéz LLP of Brownsville on September 14;
•Atlas & Hall, LLP of McAllen on September 13;
•Glen E. Roney of McAllen, chairman of the board of Texas State Bank, on September 7;
•International Bank of Commerce PAC STATE of McAllen on September 6;
•Joseph F. Phillip of Mission, an investor, on August 16;
•HILLCO PAC of Austin on July 24; and
•AT&T Texas PAC of Austin on July 5.
One firm, the Texas Optometric PAC of Austin, on November 6 donated $800 to Gonzáles.
Two individuals and two firms each donated $750 to Gonzáles:
•Greg LaMantia of McAllen, a beer distributor with L&F Distributors LTD, on October 30;
•Carlos C. Guerra of Linn gave her a leather hanging travel bank valued at $750 on October 7;
•Texas Association of Defense Counsel PAC of Austin on October 4; and
•Texas Apartment Association PAC of Austin on September 26.
One individual, José Guerra of Linn, a realtor with El Sendero Properties, on September 30 donated $620 to Gonzáles.
Three individuals, two couples, and 28 firms each donated $500 to Gonzáles:
•ACC Capital Holdings – PAC of Austin on December 9;
•Texas Gas Service PAC of Austin on December 9;
•Abbott Laboratories Employee PAC of Abbot Park, Illinois on December 8;
•Robert De Los Santos, a project manager/developer of New Braunfels, on December 8;
•Association of Texas Professional Educators PAC of Austin on December 8;
•La Joya Federation of Teachers of McAllen on December 7;
•HSBC North American PAC of Prospect Heights, Illinois, on December 6;
•Robert and Gordon Johnson of Austin, attorneys with Johnson & Johnson, on December 6;
•Target Texas of Austin on December 6;
•Ron Lewis and Associates of Austin on December 5;
•Professionals Political Action Committee of Omaha, Nebraska, on November 29;
•Wholesale Beer Distributors of Texas PAC of Austin on November 29;
•Raba-Kistner PAC of San Antonio on November 29;
•HCA Good Government Fund of Austin on October 26;
•Wells Fargo Bank Texas State PAC of San Antonio on October 23;
•James & Kathy Collins of McAllen, a broker/real estate developer with Rioco Corporation, on October 20;
•Halff Associates State PAC of Dallas on October 20;
•Texas State Teachers Association PAC of Austin on October 20;
•Independent Bankers Association of Texas PAC of Austin on October 17;
•John King of McAllen, an attorney, on October 13;
•Carrigan McCloskey & Roberson LLP of Houston on October 12;
•Texas Bankers Association BANKPAC of Austin on October 10;
•Sen. Eddie Lucio Campaign Candidate Office Holder Account of Brownsville on September 30;
•Salinas and Sahadi LLP of McAllen on September 29;
•R.I. Pecina of Mission, a broker/owner of The Pecina Real Estate Group, on September 29;
•Strong Structural Steel LTD of McAllen on September 29;
•Glen and Pat Jarvis of McAllen, with the Law Offices of Glen Jarvis, on September 28;
•Jason Eberlie, president of Eberlie Materials, Inc. of Donna on September 28;
•Law Office of Jacques Treviñõ of Edinburg on September 28;
•Law Offices of García, Quintanilla and Palacios of McAllen on September 27;
•Lewis, Monroe & Peña of Edinburg on September 27;
•González, Gaytan, Garza & Castillo, LLP of McAllen on September 27;
•Wilette & Guerra LLP of McAllen on September 27;
•Robert Elizalde, an agent for State Farm Insurance, of McAllen on September 26;
•David Alaniz, president of Southern Mechanical Air Conditioning of McAllen, on September 20;
•Alejos Sánchez of Edinburg, a contractor, on September 20;
•Arthur Benjamin, president of ATI Enterprises of Dallas, on September 18;
•Mark Wright of McAllen on September 14;
•Robert F. Boggus of McAllen on September 12;
•Keith Patridge of Mission, president of the McAllen Economic Development Corporation, on September 8;
•Michael Toomey of Austin on July 23;
•The Texas Lobby Group LLP of Austin on July 23; and
•Russell Kelley of Austin, a lobbyist, on July 11;
One individual, Mario Martínez of Austin, on September 29, donated $400 to Gonzáles on September 29.
One firm, Trinity Industries Employee PAC of Dallas, on July 24 donated $350 to Gonzáles.
Four firms each donated $300 to Gonzáles:
•Cantey Hanger – PAC of Austin on November 7;
•Andy Brown for State Representative of Austin on November 1;
•Texas Credit Union League PAC of Dallas on August 16; and
•Fullbright & Jaworski LLP Texas Committee on Austin on July 24;
Seven individuals and 12 firms each donated $250 to Gonzáles:
•Chris Bell Campaign of Houston on December 9;
•Lloyd Gosselink Blevins Rochelle & Townsend, PC of Austin on December 9;
•Independent Insurance Agents of Texas PAC of Austin on December 8;
•Verizon Good Government Club of Austin on December 7;
•Caballero Governmental Affairs of Austin on November 29;
•Ch2M Hill Texas PAC of Dallas on November 29;
•Don Durden of Comfort on November 29;
•Hughes and Luce, LLP of Austin on November 29;
•TCB PAC of Houston on November 29;
•Texas Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association PAC of Austin on November 29;
•Neal F. Runnels of McAllen on September 26;
•Merck PAC of Washington, D.C. on September 28;
•Bickerstaff Heath Pollan and Caroom LLP of Austin on September 21;
•Edward Thomas of Austin on September 21;
•Robert Galligan of Mission on September 15;
•Judy Bruce of Manchaca on July 24;
•Bill Pewitt of Austin on July 24;
•Dan Shelley of Austin on July 24; and
•Texas Hospital Association PAC of Austin on July 21.
One individual and one firm each donated $200 to Gonzáles:
•Robert Ramírez of McAllen on December 6; and
•Homepac of Texas of Austin on July 24.
One individual, Rosalie Weisfeld of McAllen, on July 7, donated $180 to Gonzáles.
One couple, two individuals and one firm each donated $150 to Gonzáles:
•Mario Muñoz of Austin on November 29;
•Once Call Concepts PAC of Austin on November 29;
•Bill Summers of Weslaco on November 16;
•Mr. and Mrs. Adolfo Martínez of Mission on July 26;
One individual, Michael Ramey of Pharr, on September 30, donated $120 to Gonzáles.
One couple, two individuals, and four firms each donated $100 to Gonzáles.
•McAllen Federation of Teachers on December 7;
•Friends of Clint Hackney and Company PAC of Austin on November 29;
•Clint Hackney of Austin on November 29;
•Fred L. Kurth of Mission, president of Melden & Hunt, Inc., on September 30;
•Richard and Elizabeth Cantú of Palmhurst on September 27;
•Texas Chiropractic Association PAC of Austin on September 12; and
•Security 1st Federal Credit Union of McAllen on August 16;
Expenditures
$15,732.29
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on October 30.
$15,000
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on October 2.
$10,000
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on July 6.
$5,000
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on July 24.
$4,250
•Monte Cristo Golf and Country Club, Rt. 1, Box 985-D in Edinburg, for golf tournament fees relating to a campaign fundraiser on October 2.
$3,062.85
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on November 16.
$2,000
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on November 6.
$1,512.84
•Frost National Bank, P.O. Box 1600 in San Antonio, for a campaign loan repayment on July 13.
$1,000
•House Democratic Caucus, P.O. Box 12453 in Austin, for the 2007 annual dues on December 13.
$741.51
•Jones & Cook Stationers, 5001 N. McColl Road in McAllen, for stationary on September 27.
$502.50
•HEB, 901 Trenton Road in McAllen, for turkeys donation reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra on November 21.
$500
•Palmer Drug Abuse Program, 115 North 9th Street in McAllen, for a donation on August 4.
$364.04
•CopyZone, 4131 North 10th Street in McAllen, for brochure printing reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra, on August 17.
$350
•Peak Performance, P.O. Box 427 in McAllen, for a benefit marathon sponsorship on November 2.
$278.48
•Esperanza Chapa, P.O. Box 6792 in McAllen, for Chrismas Card design and print on December 7.
$235
•McAllen Evening Lions Club, 205 N. 15th Street in McAllen, for a donation on August 3.
$232.72
•Texas Department of Criminal Justice Manufacturing and Logistics, P.O. Box 4013 in Huntsville, for a reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra for a constitutional chair on August 3.
$225
•Creative Academic Achievement Pro-Success Learning Center, 205 North 15th, McAllen, for a donation on November 21.
$200
•Muscular Dystrophy Association, 222 E. Van Buren in Harlingen, for a donation on August 14.
$170.46
•Sam’s Club, 1400 E. Jackson Avenue in McAllen, for a reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra for bottled water for a marathon sponsorship on November 28.
$120.70
•Central Market, 4001 N. Lamar Blvd in Austin, for gift baskets on July 28.
$106.96
•Hobby Lobby, 7600 N. 10th Street in McAllen, for a framing reimbursement to Edna Dougherty on July 1.
$101.21
•Hewlett-White, 212 North Main Street in McAllen, for a floral arrangement for a constituent on July 14.
$100 each
•Digital Graphics Concepts, P.O. Box 6792 in McAllen, for brochure design on August 15; and
Edinburg All-Stars Pinto Division, P.O. Box 3454 in Edinburg, for a donation of July 14.
$57.24
•Kittleman Thomas & Gonzáles LLP, 4900 N. 10th Street, Suite B, in McAllen for telephone/copy/fax expenses on September 11.
$46.71
•Kittleman Thomas & Gonzáles LLP, 4900 N. 10th Street, Suite B, in McAllen for telephone/copy/fax expenses on October 6.
$39
•Quips ‘n’ Quotes Post Office, 5011 North 10th in McAllen, as a reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra on December 12.
$23.40
•Quips ‘n’ Quotes Post Office, 5011 North 10th in McAllen, as a reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra on December 13.
$22.73
•CopyZone, 4131 North 10th Street in McAllen, for presentation reimbursement to Ricardo Lopez-Guerra on October 19.
$17.09
•Kittleman Thomas & Gonzáles LLP, 4900 N. 10th Street, Suite B, in McAllen for telephone/copy/fax expenses on December 5.
$15.60
•Quips ‘n’ Quotes Post Office, 5011 North 10th in McAllen, as a reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra on December 12.
$8.64
•HEB, 901 Trenton Road in McAllen, for a turkey donation reimbursement to Ricardo López-Guerra on November 22.
By DAVID A. DIAZ
[email protected]
••••••
Sen. Hinojosa files bill to allow greater access to state government documents
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, on Friday, February 16, filed Senate Bill 446 to implement an Open Document Format for all government documents in Texas to insure that documents in Texas are free and accessible to every Texan.
SB 446 levels the playing field for multiple software providers and saves money for Texans since they will not have to buy specific software to access government documents.
Hinojosa said his bill will ensure that public documents are accessible to everyone in the future, and that Texas can manage its government documents in the most cost affordable way.
“As a representative of the people of Texas, I want to insure that our historical documents and our future government documents are always accessible to the people they belong too,” Hinojosa said. “Senate bill 446 allows our documents to be presented in an open format. Most Texans don’t realize that the fine print in corporate licensing agreements is creating a legal barrier that could deny access for future generations down the road.”
Jake Knoblach, founder of Uptime Computing, based in Austin, said that he was pleased to hear that Texas will be among the first states to begin using an open document format.
“Texans can be proud today knowing that Sen. Hinojosa understands that our government cannot be truly open when the people’s documents are kept in closed digital formats,” Knoblach said.
Open Document Format (ODF) is available for free and compatible with several different software packages. Massachusetts has already adopted Open Document Format for all of its government documents.
••••••
Rep. Peña files bill seeking $5 million in state funding for UT RAHC in Edinburg
Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, has filed legislation which proposes to secure $5 million in state funding for the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center at Edinburg. Peña filed House Bill 1375, which would appropriate the funds beginning in September 2007.
“We have a first-class research facility next the campus of the University of Texas Pan American,” said Peña. “These $5 million will help recruit and staff the RAHC with first-class scientists to match.”
Dr. Francisco Cigarroa, President of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio, lauded Peña’s efforts.
“The $5 million dollars is essential for the overall growth of the Regional Academic Health Center and the economic impact to the Rio Grande Valley and our great State of Texas.”
The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio administers the RAHC’s medical education division in Harlingen and the medical research division in Edinburg. UTPA serves as a partner in providing faculty, administrative and research support for Edinburg’s facility. Research areas may include diabetes, emerging infectious diseases, aging, environmental health, mental health and health services.
“The RAHC not only serves as a medical research facility but it can spur economic development in our community,” said Peña. ‘”The influx of scientists, researchers and technology can have the effect of creating businesses to support their projects.”
The text of House Bill 1375 follows:
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to making an appropriation to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for the purpose of supporting the Regional Academic Health Center.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. In addition to other amounts appropriated for the state fiscal biennium beginning September 1, 2007, the amount of $5 million is appropriated for that biennium out of the general
revenue fund to The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio for the purpose of supporting the Regional Academic Health Center established under Section 74.611, Education Code.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect on the 91st day after the last day of the legislative session.
Peña is serving his third term in the Texas House of Representatives. He is Chairman of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and is a member of the House Committee on Ways and Means.
••••••
Texas Daily Newspaper Association opposes public information restrictions proposed by some Valley lawmakers
The Texas Daily Newspaper Association, a membership service organization representing newspaper publishers and editors of Texas daily newspapers, is tracking state legislation that affects the media and the public. Included in the list of legislation it is tracking are several measures by Valley lawmakers.
Those bills, and the TDNA’s position on those measures as of February 19, follows:
•Senate Bill 74 by Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville
The Texas Press Association OPPOSES SB 74.
Relating to the creation of an address confidentiality program to assist victims of family violence, sexual assault, or stalking in maintaining confidential addresses.
Type: public information
Status: referred to State Affairs, 1/23
Comments: [SAME AS HB 569 by Verónica Gonzáles.] Would amend Code of Criminal Procedure chapter 56, so that victims could participate in an address confidentiality program. Requires attorney general to destroy all information relating to a participant on the third anniversary of the date of participation in the program.
•House Bill 569 by Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen
The Texas Daily Newspaper Association OPPOSES HB 569
Relating to the creation of an address confidentiality program to assist victims of family violence, sexual assault, or stalking in maintaining confidential addresses.
Type: public information
Status: referred to Juvenile Justice, 2/6/07
Comments: [SAME AS SB 74 by Lucio.] Would amend Code of Criminal Procedure by adding Subchapter C titled ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, OR STALKING. This simply may be conforming language: substantial protections already in statute, under Public Information Act 552.138 titled FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER CENTER and SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM INFORMATION.
•House Bill 597 by Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City
The Texas Daily Newspaper Association OPPOSES HB 597.
Relating to the creation of an address confidentiality program to assist victims of family violence or stalking in maintaining confidential addresses.
Type: public information
Status: referred to Juvenile Justice, 2/6/07
Comments: Would amend Code of Criminal Procedure by adding Subchapter C titled ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY PROGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF FAMILY VIOLENCE OR STALKING. This simply may be conforming language: substantial protections already in statute, under Public Information Act 552.138 titled FAMILY VIOLENCE SHELTER CENTER and SEXUAL ASSAULT PROGRAM INFORMATION. See similar bills, HB 172 by Raymond and HB 569 by Gonzáles.
•House Bill 1042 by Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg
The Texas Daily Newspaper Association OPPOSES HB 1042..
Relating to excepting certain crime victim information from required disclosure under the public information law.
Type: public information
Status: referred to Criminal Jurisprudence, 2/12/07
Comments: [SAME AS SB 636 by Hegar.] Would amend Public Information Act, Section 552.132, Government Code, titled EXCEPTION: CONFIDENTIALITY OF CRIME VICTIM INFORMATION. Adds “claimant” to the exception.
••••••
TV news icon Dan Rather addresses students and public at the University of Texas-Pan American
Distinguished TV journalist Dan Rather described himself as lifetime reporter not only from Texas but “of Texas” to a packed house at The University of Texas-Pan American Fine Arts Auditorium on Tuesday, February 13.
Rather addressed students, faculty and community members as the third speaker in this academic year’s Distinguished Speakers Series.
Still looking fit and strong of voice at age 75, Rather reflected on his beginnings in a business where he called himself lucky and how journalism had changed over the years from his start at a small radio station in Huntsville, Texas while going to college at then Sam Houston State Teacher’s College.
My goal early on was to become a world-class reporter with quality, integrity and trustworthiness,” said Rather, who only 48 hours earlier had been in Kabul, Afghanistan preparing a story for his current weekly news show “Dan Rather Reports” on the new cable channel HDNet. Rather left CBS in 2005 after more than 40 years with the network.
“I am humbled that I have been so blessed and lucky to be in journalism for as long as I have and that I have been able to live my dream,” said Rather, who has won numerous accolades for his work including Emmy and Peabody awards.
Rather, who first went to Afghanistan in 1980 during the Soviet invasion of the country, told local reporters at a press conference that there are great differences between Iraq and Afghanistan and predicted that 2007 would be a particularly bloody and expensive year for Afghanistan.
“In the long sweep of history, what happens in Afghanistan may be even more important to U.S. national security and peace and stability in the world than what happens in Iraq,” he said.
Another situation, Rather said, that is especially threatening to U.S. national security is the increasing influence of the drug cartels in northern Mexico, calling it an underreported important story.
“There is a tendency to say ‘it’s Mexico, it’s down there.’ But, what happens in Mexico affects everyone in the United States,” he said.
To a question about his use over the years of colorful, often folksy analogies and descriptions during live broadcasts, that have come to be called “Ratherisms,” Rather said they stemmed from growing up in Texas around people who talked that way.
“My father worked with his back and his hands all his life in the oil fields. It made the day go easier if you didn’t describe things the same old way every time. For example, you can say ‘the boss is mad’ but it gives everyone a little smile if you say ‘the boss is as mad as a rained-on rooster,’” the Wharton, Texas native said.
The Distinguished Speaker Series is funded by student fees with the goal of bringing prestigious speakers offering different world view perspectives to help educate and inspire students. During a private dinner with a group of student leaders and University administrators, Rather was able to share a bit of his story on how he became a journalist and where the future of media is headed before fielding questions.
Rather discussed with students the role of journalism in politics. He said journalists are a part of the “system of checks and balances” for the country as well as its watchdog.
“What does a good watchdog do? A good watchdog barks at everything that is suspicious … A watchdog is not an attack dog,” he said. “Despite what some people will have you believe, this is my opinion, the greater danger is not that the press in its watchdog role will become an attack dog, the greater threat is that it will become a lapdog.”
He also touched on how the Internet has changed the way the public gets its news. While Rather said he was bullish on use of the Internet in news reporting, he worries about its lack of accountability and said as the world dives deeper into the Internet era, a new definition for “news” will have to be identified.
“We need to redefine who is and who isn’t a journalist, and what is a journalist,” he said. “I will come straight out at you and be candid and I would prefer that this not nail me as yesterday’s man, but about this I am a little old fashioned. Not everybody who has some information and puts it out is a journalist or at least in my opinion is worthy of the name journalist.”
Before his remarks and a question and answer session at his public presentation to an audience of more than 700, Rather asked for a moment of silence to honor the contributions and sacrifices of the men and women in uniform in Iraq and Afghanistan. Rather, who has covered combat at the front lines from Vietnam to Iraq, several times choked back emotion when talking about covering American troops and his other significant life experiences.
Rather said his career started in an institution very much like UTPA where a lot of students were the first in their families to attend college. His parents, he said, never got an education beyond the ninth grade but recalled that his father was an avid reader of newspapers, calling them a “poor man’s University” and instilled in Rather the idea that news was important. That coupled with growing up hearing world-renown journalist Edward R. Murrow’s “This is London” reports during the London blitz in World War II cemented his goal to be a great reporter.
“Radio became my best friend. His (Murrow’s) reports were not only known for their news value but also for their immediacy, for the way they took the listener right into the heart of what was happening,” said Rather, noting Murrow’s coverage helped changed the course of history and showed Rather the power of great journalism.
“The news is the raw material of democracy. It is the best and sometimes only way for citizens to assess whether our elected leaders, our laws and our policies are serving our interests or not,” he said.
Rather expressed concern about the greater concentration of ownership of news outlets in fewer hands, many by conglomerates where news is not their primary business and where an important news story might conflict with the interest of one of their other businesses and be suppressed or with reporters being told how to write the news.
“News of integrity often begins and ends with news owners who have guts,” he said.
Rather ended his talk by giving the audience the best definition of news that he has found and encouraging continued interest by people, especially young people in current events and public life.
“News is something that you the public needs; it is something that is important for the public to know which someone, somewhere, most often a powerful person doesn’t want you to know. That’s news, all the rest is advertising,” he said. “Consider your news sources with care. Demand accuracy and truth from your news and from your elected leaders. Don’t be afraid, as too many of us journalists have become, of asking the tough questions. In a democracy, questioning authority is the purest form of patriotism.”
For Elvis Cavazos, a senior majoring in chemistry, meeting Rather at the dinner was very exciting and something he will always remember. He said he was amazed at how someone of Rather’s stature was so down to earth and approachable.
“I really enjoyed the fact that he is from Texas and that he has not lost any of that Texan mentality and I really enjoyed learning that after traveling the world he still identifies himself as a Texan rather than a citizen of the world or a member of the global community,” Cavazos said.
The Weslaco native said he appreciated hearing Rather’s own personal stories and his views on journalism and the direction the country is heading.
“I guess the main lesson I learned was to do the things you want to do and to not let anyone, no matter their position or your position, affect your decision in life,” Cavazos said.
••••••
Edinburg school board moves to make campus safety a priority, hires 18 more officers for elementary schools
In keeping with its commitment to make school safety a high priority, the Edinburg school board in December approved the funding for 18 new Police Security Officers (PSOs) to serve the district’s elementary schools who have not had the presence of security on their campuses, announced Gilberto Garza, Jr. interim superintendent of schools.
After a recent successful job fair at the Central Administration building specifically to fill new security officer positions, the Edinburg school district hired 18 new PSOs from among 100 plus applicants, said Garza.
The school board voted to amend the budget by $256,626 to hire the PSOs effective January 4 through the remainder of the 2006-2007 school year. The budget amendment covered costs for officer salaries for 97 days; costs for employee uniforms and equipment; and costs for employee benefits. The costs for the PSOs for the 2007-2008 school year will be included in the new budget when it is prepared.
“The board of trustees and the school district are completely and totally committed to making school safety a high priority,” said Garza. “We want to make every effort possible to ensure that our students, faculty, staff and parent volunteers who attend school and/or work at our 35 campuses are safe and secure each and every day.”
The addition of 18 officers brings the number of PSOs the district has to 40. B Because PSOs are not certified police officers, they are not licensed to carry firearms, but they do provide a police presence nevertheless. The district also has 50 commissioned police officers who are armed.
Garza said that each of the middle schools have three police officers; three PSOs; and a truancy officer to help the principal and staff maintain order and provide security. Each of the high schools has three police officers; four PSOs; a truancy officer; and a camera monitor for the security cameras, said Garza.
Garza said the Edinburg CISD is also implementing other efforts to address campus safety. He said every school campus has its own Emergency Operations, a plan that custom fits their school and its needs.
Additionally, Garza said there are school guidance activities; enforcement of the Student Code of Conduct; Crisis Management training and procedures; mutual aid partnerships with local, county and state law enforcement agencies; safety and security drills; campus visitor check-in procedures; and Lockdown and Intruder procedures that are some of the everyday Standard Operating Procedures the district is using to address school safety.
“Our lockdown procedures are initiated whenever it is determined by our campus principals there is an immediate and/or potential threat to our students and campus staff,” said Garza. “The purpose of the lockdown is to protect students and staff by keeping them inside of building and separating them from any and all imminent danger by locking doors and avoiding window areas, closing curtains and turning off lights.”
“During a lockdown, no one is allowed to enter or exit a building until the all-clear signal is given,” said Garza. “Our campus staff and students are familiar with the lockdown process.”
Visitors to school campuses are asked to sign in and show identity if they are seeking to check out students, Garza said.
“Our procedures call for students to only be released to individuals who have been authorized to pick up or check out students,” said Garza. “If an issue were ever to arise, rest assured that the campus principal, staff, central administration and school district police will mobilize to address the issue and bring about as quick and immediate a resolution as possible.”
••••••
Bill to set up video lottery terminals is filed by Rep. Flores
Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, D-Palmview, on Tuesday, February 13, filed legislation that will bring video lottery terminals (VLTs) to Texas, helping to keep gaming dollars in the state and provide more than $1.2 billion in new annual revenue.
HB 1405 would also help save the Texas horseracing industry, which is struggling to compete with tracks in neighboring states that offer alternative forms of gaming, including VLTs.
“When it comes to spending gaming dollars, it’s clear that a vast majority of Texans would rather spend it inside state lines,” said Flores. “Authorizing VLTs at locations where gaming is already conducted, such as racetracks, will level the playing field with neighboring states, bring significant new revenue, and promote economic activity around racing and agribusiness.”
Under HB 1405, VLTs – electronically stimulated games of chance displayed on video terminals – connected to a state-selected and state-controlled video lottery central system are to be placed at locations determined in accordance with the law.
According to the bill, only state-controlled video lottery games would be authorized to be conducted in Texas and only in locations licensed as video lottery terminal establishments, including racetracks and locations on Native American lands. Ultimately, voters would have to approve authorizing VLTs in Texas if the constitutional amendment passes both chambers.
HB 1405 will also help the agribusiness sector, which would benefit from increased sales of feed and equipment such as travel trailers. The Texas Department of Agriculture states that the overall Texas horse industry represents more than $16 billion in total expenditures. Of that amount, more than 33 percent can be attributed to racing and related production. The Texas racing industry is currently struggling to compete with neighboring states, which offer legalized alternative forms of gaming at their racetracks, and thus higher purses. Many horse breeders and related businesses are leaving the state due to low purses.
“Each year, billions of dollars leave Texas for neighboring states that have VLTs, which, among other things, is hampering our racing and agriculture industries,” said Flores. “This bill will help save the horseracing and related industries in Texas and stop the export of a homegrown state resource.”
During the 79th Legislature, the Perryman Group, an economic analyst firm, reported that VLTs operating tracks in Texas would provide almost $1.5 billion in yearly state revenue and would create 72,000 jobs. Much of the revenue would come from the reported $2.8 billion that leaves Texas every year when citizens go across state lines for gaming.
Under Flores’ bill, the state would receive 35 percent of the net terminal income for each video lottery terminal. The retailer or manager would retain 65 percent. The state share would be deposited in the State Video Lottery Account, which is a special account in the general revenue fund.
Flores serves as Chairman of the Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures and represents District 36, which includes parts or all of the Cities of Hidalgo, Granjeno, McAllen, Mission, Palmview, Penitas, and Pharr.
••••••
Hidalgo County delegation courts legislators
Hidalgo County Judge J.D. Salinas and several officials were in Austin on Friday, February 14, to visit state legislators at the Texas Capital in hopes of winning more state funding for their constituents.
“We send letters and make phone calls, so we’re in constant contact with our state representatives and senators,” Salinas said. “And we know they’re fighting hard for Hidalgo County.
“But there’s nothing like showing up on the House floor or the Senate floor and having the rest of the state take a look at us and making the connection to our needs here,” Salinas added. “We want more attention from the state for South Texas—and not just for immigration concerns, either. The state needs to help us with health care, roads and infrastructure.”
The delegation’s scheduled included resolutions in honor of Hidalgo County’s history and achievements which were read on the House and Senate floors, where Salinas met Speaker of the House Speaker Tom Craddick and Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.
••••••
Hidalgo County honored by state lawmakers during Hidalgo County Day at Capitol
House Resolution 386, filed on February 14. recognized the history and achievements of Hidalgo County, one of the largest metropolitan regions of the state.
The legislation was jointly authored by Rep. Ismael “Kino” Flores, D-Palmview; Rep. Verónica Gonzáles, D-McAllen, Rep. Armando “Mando” Martínez, D-Weslaco; and Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg.
The test of the resolution follows:
RESOLUTION 386
WHEREAS, Citizens of Hidalgo County are gathering at the State Capitol to celebrate Hidalgo County Day on February 14, 2007; and
WHEREAS, Inhabited by humans for 11,000 years, this region of the Rio Grande delta has been the home of the Coahuiltecans, the Karankawa, the Lipan Apaches, and the Comanche; and
WHEREAS, The first Spanish visitors arrived in the 17th century; in 1749 Jose de Escandon established four towns along the Rio Grande; 19 land grants were issued in the area by the governments of Spain and Mexico, leading to the creation of many successful cattle and sheep ranches; and
WHEREAS, After the end of the Mexican-American War in 1848, the region became part of the United States and a popular way station for prospectors traveling to the California Gold Rush;
established in 1852, Hidalgo County was named for Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, an advocate for Mexican independence; in the early 20th century, the town of Chapin was renamed Edinburg and made county seat; and
WHEREAS, The arrival of the railway in 1904 helped introduce large-scale farming in the county, particularly of citrus, cotton, corn, and sugarcane; with the establishment in 1924 of a regional
Texas Agricultural Experiment Station in Weslaco, the towns along Highway 83 began to thrive and came to be described as “the longest main street in the world”; and
WHEREAS, While farming and ranching remain important to the county, the discovery of oil in 1934 increased the region’s prosperity; today the county is a major port of entry into the United States, and the shipment of goods from Mexico is an essential part of the county’s economy; and
WHEREAS, The educational needs of the county’s citizens are well served by The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg and South Texas College in McAllen; the county also boasts the Museum for South Texas History, which explores the history and blended cultural heritage of South Texas, and the International Museum of Art and Science, an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution; the Valley Symphony Orchestra and Chorale performs a six-concert subscription season every year, as well as eight educational concerts; and
WHEREAS, Residents and visitors alike enjoy the many attractions of Hidalgo County; the Texas Citrus Fiesta in Mission every winter features a carnival and the Parade of Oranges; in Weslaco the Rio Grande Valley Onion Festival in April includes food booths, entertainment, and onion recipe contests; the Rio Grande Valley Livestock Show in Mercedes draws an average attendance of
160,000 every March; with nearly 400 species of birds, the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge near Alamo is an international destination for birders; and
WHEREAS, Led by County Judge J. D. Salinas and County Commissioners Sylvia S. Handy, Hector “Tito” Palacios, Joe M. Flores, and Óscar L. Garza, Jr., the residents of this dynamic region of the Lone Star State have much to be proud of, as they celebrate the past and work to build a bright and prosperous future; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby recognize February 14, 2007, as Hidalgo County Day at the State Capitol and extend to the visiting delegation
sincere best wishes for an informative and enjoyable visit to Austin.
••••••
“Jessica’s Law” set for public hearing on Tuesday, February 20, before House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
The House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence announced on Wednesday, February14, that t it would consider House Bill 8, also known as Jessica’s Law, in a public hearing on Tuesday, February 20.
The bill’s author, Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Houston, said the legislation will make Texas a leader in the fight against sex offenders.
“In Texas, we have always set the mark for other states when it comes to the way we deal with our most evil and violent criminals,” Riddle said. “There is nothing more evil than a person who would sexually assault a child, and there is no higher priority for this legislature than making sure our children are safe from these predators.”
Jessica Lunsford was only 9 years old in February of 2005 when she was abducted from her bedroom in Florida by convicted sex offender, John Couey. He took her to his house and sexually assaulted her for three days before burying her alive in his backyard.
The Florida legislature was the first to pass “Jessica’s Law” that same year, and since then the title has been shared by dozens of pieces of legislation in more than 20 states that aim to increase penalties for sex offenders.
Riddle said HB 8 would deny parole to those convicted of sexually assaulting victims younger than 14 years old on a first offense, and would make repeat offenders eligible for the death penalty on a second offense. The bill also lengthens by ten years the statute of limitations for sexual assault of a child, and mandates GPS monitoring of civilly committed offenders.
The committee will meet at 2:00 p.m. in room E2.016.
Riddle is a member of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, serving as chairman of budget and oversight for that panel on the House Appropriations Committee.
Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, is chairman of the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence, and as such, determines what legislation is heard by that committee.
The committee hearing agenda follows:
HB 62
Leibowitz
Relating to the proximity of the residences of certain sex offenders or sexually violent predators to schools; imposing a criminal penalty.
HB 63
Leibowitz
Relating to the proximity of a school bus stop to the residence of a sex offender.
HB 165
Raymond
Relating to certain requirements imposed on a sex offender who enters the premises of a public park.
HB 8
Riddle / et al.
Relating to the prosecution, punishment, and supervision of certain sex offenders and to certain crimes involving sex offenders.
HB 148
Phillips
Relating to the eligibility of certain repeat sex offenders for release on parole.
HB 1042
Peña
Relating to excepting certain crime victim information from required disclosure under the public information law.
••••••
Speaker Craddick appoints Rep. Guillen to serve on Border Legislative Conference
Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, on Friday, February 16, was appointed by Speaker of the House Tom Craddick, R-Midland, to represent the Texas House of Representatives on the Border Legislative Conference (BLC).
“I’m pleased to name Ryan to the BLC,” Craddick said. “His motivation and dedication will greatly benefit the conference.”
The Border Legislative Conference is a binational program that brings together legislators from the ten U.S. and Mexico border states to address challenges and economic opportunities common to both countries. The BLC serves as a mechanism for sustained dialogue and collaboration among its members. Its goal is to strengthen legislative institutions and empower state legislators to develop effective public policy for the border region.
“I am honored by my appointment,” Guillen said. “I hope to make a contribution to the BLC with my ideas and hard work as we focus on the most effective ways to improve the quality of life on both sides of the US-Mexico border.”
Guillen was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2002 and is currently serving his third term. He is vice chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee and also serves on the Calendars and Natural Resources Committees.
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Rep. Peña votes for measure that would reduce school property taxes for elderly, disabled home owners
The House Committee on Ways and Means on Wednesday, February 14, unanimously voted in favor of legislation that will cut school property taxes for the elderly and disabled.
State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, is a member of the tax writing committee. He is also a coauthor of the tax proposal carried in House Bill 5 and House Joint Resolution 1.
“This is a significant step towards cutting property taxes for our senior and disabled Texans,” said Peña. “There is no reason why these valued citizens should not enjoy the full tax relief granted to other Texans. This is a wonderful example of another bipartisan effort to bring meaningful relief to our community. I am happy to have had a part in this worthwhile effort.”
Property tax cuts passed in the last legislative session exempted those homeowners who qualify for a school property tax rate freeze.
HB 5 would provide a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of property taxes that school districts may impose, reflecting any reduction in the rate of those taxes. HJR 1 requires that the proposed constitutional amendment be put to the voters of the state of Texas.
The Wednesday, February 14 vote occurred during the first meeting this session of the House Committee on Ways and Means. Peña said he was eager to work on and pass legislation that would reduce the tax burden on those members of our community who could least afford it.
“We have a duty to provide a fair and equitable tax system,” said Peña. “I will keep working to ensure that tax relief goes to those who need it the most.”
According to the bill analysis of the measure, whose principal author is Rep. Leo Burman, R-Tyler, House Bill 5 was prompted by the following events:
During the 79th Legislative, 3rd Called Session, legislation was passed to provide homeowners with a reduction in their ad valorem taxes. Under Section 1-b (d), Article VIII, of the Texas Constitution, homeowners who are 65 years of age or older, or homeowners who have a disability, are eligible to receive a ceiling on the amount of school property taxes they will owe on their homestead based on the amount they owed the year they qualified for the freeze. Therefore, in order for elderly and disabled Texans to receive a proportional reduction in ad valorem taxes, there must be an allowance for such a reduction in the Texas Constitution and a statutory change in law.
HB 5 would provide a reduction of the limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that school districts may impose on residence homesteads of the elderly or disabled to reflect any reduction in the school districts tax rate and would provide protection to a school district that would lose any local revenue.
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Sen. Lucio votes for lifting spending cap and extending school property tax cuts to seniors
In order to pay for the local property tax cut passed last session, the Texas Senate voted on Wednesday, February 14, voted to approve a measure that would allow the state budget to exceed the spending cap for the upcoming biennium.
According to the state constitution, the budget may not exceed estimated economic growth in Texas, as determined by the Legislative Budget Board. This year the LBB determined that growth was anticipated at 13.11 percent, which caps the budget at $63 billion in non-dedicated state funds. Cutting property taxes down to $1 per $100 valuation will require $14 billion in general revenue funds to offset the revenue loss to local school districts, but that expenditure would put the state over the budget cap.
On Wednesday, Finance Committee Chair Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, introduced Senate Concurrent Resolution 20 before the Senate, which would permit lawmakers to write a budget that would exceed the spending cap, permitting an appropriation of $14.19 billion devoted solely to cutting property taxes by one-third.
Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, said he voted for Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) 20 because he said it would guarantee property tax relief “as we promised during the last special legislative session and to move the budgetary process forward.
“Without this vote our hands would have been tied and I would not have been able to work on a budget that I hope will restore funding to the Children’s Health Insurance Program or other vital state services,” Lucia said. “However, my primary reason for giving my approval to lifting the budget cap was for our school children. Nothing is more important to me than our children and funding our public schools adequately.”
Ogden said this resolution would allow the Legislature to deliver on last session’s promised cuts without drastically slashing government services.
“If we are going to live up to our promises, which is to cut property taxes by $14 billion and pay for it with general revenue, and we are going to write a state budget that is at least as good as the base bill, we have got to vote to exceed the constitutional spending cap of $63 billion by at least $9 billion,” Ogden said.
Also Wednesday, the Senate approved Senate Joint Resolution 13, by Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco. This measure would pass along the one-third property tax cut to Texans over 65, whose property taxes were frozen at a lower rate by past Legislatures.
Lucio said he also supported that measure.
“I was also glad to support SJR 13 that will extend property tax cuts to our seniors. Our seniors, more than most, deserve to be part of the property tax cuts we enacted last year,” Lucio explained.
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Francisco Barrientes, Edinburg war hero, state role model, honored by Texas House of Representatives
Francisco Barrientes, who recently had an Edinburg middle school named in his honor, was again recognized with a House resolution documenting his many achievements on behalf of his community and nation.
On Thursday, February 15, the House of Representatives approved House Resolution 364, authored by Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg.
The text of the resolution follows:
RESOLUTION 364
WHEREAS, Francisco Barrientes of Edinburg is receiving due acknowledgment for his years of exemplary service to the youth of his community with the dedication of a new middle school in his
honor; and
WHEREAS, A lifelong resident of the town he is proud to call home, Mr. Barrientes has registered thousands of hours of volunteer work in behalf of area children over the past 35 years; his outstanding contributions to public education have been previously recognized by Governor Rick Perry and the State Board of Education with a prestigious Texas Hero for Children award; and
WHEREAS, This graduate of Edinburg High School and decorated veteran of the U.S. Army dedicated himself to making a positive difference in the lives of his fellow man after sustaining serious injuries in the Vietnam War; miraculously surviving enemy grenade fire and a gunshot wound to the face, he recognized he had been given a second chance at life, and that new life would be one of meaningful service to others; and
WHEREAS, Ably fulfilling his mission, Mr. Barrientes has given wholeheartedly of his time and talents to his community; his efforts at local schools began in 1980, and over the last 2-1/2
decades, he has volunteered more than 22,000 hours to the children and staff of Lyndon B. Johnson Elementary, fulfilling a range of duties, including assisting with traffic control, helping to coordinate student transportation for field trips, and working to ensure the success of fund-raising events; in addition, he is often called on by parents, who seek his wise counsel in instilling positive values in their children; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Barrientes also has been involved with the Edinburg Parks and Recreation Department and Edinburg Pony League baseball; in addition, he is a regular speaker at Veteran’s Day activities across the Rio Grande Valley, as well as a longtime and valued member of Holy Family Catholic Church; and
WHEREAS, A loving husband and father of three, Francisco Barrientes is an inspiration to all those whose lives have been enriched by his commitment to the youth of Edinburg, and as the halls of the middle school bearing his name are soon filled with children, we may hope that they too will come to learn of and respect this extraordinary man and that their hearts are filled with his sincere desire to serve; and
WHEREAS, Representative Aaron Peña has justly recognized Francisco Barrientes by authoring this resolution in his behalf during the Regular Session of the 80th Texas Legislature; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Francisco Barrientes on the naming of an Edinburg middle school in his honor and extend to him best wishes for the future; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Barrientes as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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José Delgado, 2006 honor graduate of Edinburg High School, honored by Texas House of Representatives
José Delgado, an Edinburg man, who is now a student at Texas A&M University majoring in aerospace engineering, has been honored by the Texas House of Representatives for his many achievements during his young life.
The public recognition, contained in House Resolution 365 filed by Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, follows:
RESOLUTION 365
WHEREAS, José Delgado, a 2006 honor graduate of Edinburg High School, was named a 2006 Texas Migrant Interstate Program (TMIP) Exemplary Student at a ceremony on South Padre Island on November 17, 2006; and
WHEREAS, Currently enrolled at Texas A&M University in College Station, where he is majoring in aerospace engineering, Mr. Delgado was one of three students selected by TMIP and the Texas
Education Agency to receive this prestigious honor; and
WHEREAS, During his years as a migrant student, Mr. Delgado maintained a high standard of academic success while staying actively involved in the migrant education program; and
WHEREAS, José is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Guadalupe Delgado, who support him in his desire to take a proactive role in giving migrant students the opportunity to break away from the migrant life cycle; and
WHEREAS, The impressive achievements of José Delgado are a testament to the determination as well as abilities of this remarkable young man, and he truly may look forward to a future bright with promise; and
WHEREAS, Representative Aaron Peña has justly recognized José Delgado by authoring this resolution in his behalf during the Regular Session of the 80th Texas Legislature; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate José Delgado on his impressive academic accomplishments and extend to him best wishes for
continued success and happiness; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Delgado as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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Manuel Benavidez, Jr., founding board member of South Texas College trustee, honored by House of Representatives
Manuel Benavidez, Jr., a current member of the South Texas College Board of Trustees who is a founding member of the two-county community college, has been honored by the Texas House of Representatives for his many efforts and successes on behalf of higher education in deep South Texas.
House Resolution 417, filed by Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, was approved by the House of Representatives on Friday, February 16.
The text of the resolution follows:
RESOLUTION 417
WHEREAS, Manuel Benavidez, Jr., of Rio Grande City received the 2006 Western Region Trustee Leadership Award from the Association of Community College Trustees, presented at the ACCT
Annual Community College Leadership Congress in Orlando, Florida, on October 12, 2006; and
WHEREAS, A founding member of the Board of Trustees of South Texas College in McAllen, Mr. Benavidez was appointed by Governor Ann Richards at the time of STC’s founding in 1993 to represent Starr County in the creation of a new community college for South Texas; he won a six-year term as trustee in 2000 and was reelected in 2006; and
WHEREAS, As a member of STC’s Board of Trustees, he has served as chair, vice chair, and secretary of the board; he has also chaired the Facilities Committee and served on the Education and Workforce Committee; and
WHEREAS, A staunch advocate for the growth of STC, Mr. Benavidez was instrumental in helping the college pass a $98.7 million bond for the expansion of its five campuses; he worked to include STC as one of three Texas community colleges offering a bachelor of applied technology degree; at the Summit on College Readiness in February 2006, he opened the summit by addressing 150
educators, business leaders, and government officials on the need to prepare students for higher education; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Benavidez has been active in promoting community colleges generally; his testimony before the Texas Legislature to advocate allowing eligible high school students to attend
college-level technical classes while still in high school helped ensure enactment of such legislation; he served on the ACCT’s Board of Directors from 2003 to 2005, chairing the ACCT Diversity Committee during that same period; he has also been the Western Region representative for the Association of Latino Community College Trustees; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Benavidez was recognized at the ACCT Annual Congress in 2005 with the Lifetime Membership Award for his leadership on the issues of diversity and equal opportunity; he has
been an indispensable participant in the improvement of educational opportunities in Starr County and in the growth and success of South Texas College, and he is most deserving of special recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 80th Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Manuel Benavidez, Jr., on his receipt of the 2006 Western Region Trustee Leadership Award from
the Association of Community College Trustees and extend to him best wishes for his continued success; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Mr. Benavidez as a token of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
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Heart attack prevention bill will save lives, reduce costs
By Rep. René Oliveira
Coronary heart disease is the single largest killer of Americans, and responsible for more than one- half million deaths each year. Heart disease now kills more Hispanics than any other group in America. For decades, African Americans were heart disease’s most prevalent victims, but Hispanics now lead the nation in per capita heart disease-related deaths.
As a representative from the heavily Hispanic Rio Grande Valley, and a beneficiary of a recent heart scan that saved me from a potentially life-threatening heart attack, I am proposing that insurance companies cover the costs of such heart scans in patients who are at risk of a heart attack through the Texas Heart Attack Prevention Bill, H.B. 1438, the first of its kind in the nation.
The Association of Eradication of Heart Attack analyzed the costs and benefits of heart scan screening tests. It determined that, in Texas, 4,300 cardiovascular disease deaths would be prevented each year through Computed Tomography, or CT scan screening, saving an estimated $1.6 billion annually.
Texas has learned the life-saving and cost-saving lessons of early detection and prevention of breast cancer through mammography which was once not covered by most insurers. Instead of reacting to a costly health catastrophe, pro-actively using the latest technology to save lives while reducing and containing long-term medical costs makes sense for both patients and insurers.
According to the Texas Heart Attack Prevention Bill, patients determined to be at intermediate or high risk by a formula considering age, family history, and other risk factors, would have their atherosclerosis tests (Heart CT Scan or Cartoid Artery Ultrasound) covered by insurance. Also, anyone with diabetes would be covered. The legislation limits the insurance reimbursement for the test to $200.
Currently, the test costs patients $300 to $600 or more, but many heart experts believe that the additional volume of tests being performed will reduce the costs of screening.
But costs associated with heart disease reach far beyond a hospital bill. The emotional toll on the victim’s family, loss of income, loss of productivity in the workplace, and the cost to employers of hiring and retraining new workers, are all significant.
Half of Americans who suffer heart attacks do not survive them. And 80 percent of men and women who suffer heart attacks would have been considered at low to intermediate risk the day before their events if tested by conventional means.
Most people are completely unaware that their lives are in danger until heart attack strikes. Any step we take to fight the nation’s number one killer, while reducing costs to patients and insurers alike, is a giant step in the right direction.
René Oliveira is state representative for District 37. A Democrat, Oliveira resides in Brownsville.
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Comprehensive wellness program proposed for state employees by Sen. Lucio
As part of his continuing effort to improve nutrition and overcome the obesity crisis among Texans, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville, is proposing legislation that will enhance the health and wellness outlook of state employees through innovative policy.
Senate Bill 72 encourages employee participation in wellness activities through incentives, such as allowing all state employees to dedicate 30 minutes, three times per work week, to physical activity. They would also be encouraged to take advantage of on-site wellness seminars and allowed eight hours of additional leave time if they fulfilled certain health requirements, including a physical examination and health risk assessment.
“It is my earnest hope that we motivate as many state employees as we can through programs that should produce positive results, like weight loss, stress reduction, and improved mental and physical health,” said Lucio. “The goal is a healthier and happier state workforce.”
The bill would create a 17-member Worksite Wellness Advisory Board, administratively connected to the Department of State Health Services (DSHS). In addition to the Advisory Board, the bill would establish wellness councils at state agencies to generate employee involvement and identify inner-agency wellness policies. An agency with over 5,000 employees would be required to hire a full-time wellness coordinator.
The Advisory Board would have to:
• adopt an online health risk assessment that employees can utilize
• create and maintain internet links to health links for employees
• design an outreach campaign to educate state employees
• create a list of healthy food items and encourage cafeterias to serve items recognized by the board as “healthy”
• negotiate gym discounts for state employees
• host an annual conference for agency wellness councils
• review best practices and participation rates.
Overweight and obesity costs for Texas adults that included healthcare expenditures, indirect lost productivity, costs of illness and premature death for 2001 totaled $10.5 billion. It is projected that it will cost this state $26.3 billion for overweight- and obesity-related problems by 2040.
“Certain parts of Texas rank among the highest in the country in rates of diabetes and heart disease caused by poor nutritional habits and inactivity that result in overweight and obesity,” said Lucio. “SB 72 should be a beacon of promise in alleviating these and other life-threatening illnesses among one of the state’s largest workforce segments.”
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Senate Higher Education subcommittee, chaired by Sen. Zaffirini, held first hearing on February 12
The Senate Higher Education Subcommittee held its first hearing of the 80th Legislative Session on Monday, February 12, and heard testimony from Dr. Raymund Paredes, commissioner of higher education, who reviewed the status of higher education in Texas and priority issues.
Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo, chair of the subcommittee, described the legislative panel’s higher education priorities and praised Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s leadership in appointing the subcommittee and defining its important charges.
“The subcommittee’s priorities include tuition deregulation, the top ten percent law, financial aid, affordability, graduation rates, accessibility and incentives to improve the efficiency and transparency of our higher education institutions,” Zaffirini said.
Paredes summarized strategies associated with the “Closing the Gaps by 2015” plan that seeks to close gaps in higher education participation rates; the state’s need to graduate more students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); and the importance of early education in creating a “college going culture.” He also underscored the disproportionate representation of low-income students at community colleges and the need to improve transfer rates from two- to four-year institutions.
“Our priorities include improving access to and the affordability of higher education, especially for low- and middle-income families,” said Zaffirini. “We must examine the state financial aid programs to see how we can make them more efficient and effective in achieving the goals of Closing the Gaps.”
Dewhurst recently re-appointed Zaffirini to chair the subcommittee. Members are Sens. Kip Averitt, R-Waco; Dan Patrick, R-Houston; Royce West, D-Dallas; and Tommy Williams, R-The Woodlands.
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Sen. Hutchison files bill to establish Hispanic Serving Institutions graduate program
Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, Chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, and Jeff Bingaman, D-New Mexico, a member of the Health, Education Labor and Pension Committee, on Tuesday, February 13, introduced the Next Generation Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI) Act, legislation to establish an HSI graduate program.
“Hispanic-Serving Institutions strengthen our educational system and enhance academic opportunities,” said Sen. Hutchison. “This legislation builds on the early success of HSIs to create a graduate program which will help open new doors for our students.”
The legislation provides fellowships and support services for graduate students as well as facility and faculty improvements. It provides new technology for distance education and collaborative arrangements with other institutions. In addition, the legislation increases the authorization of the current HSI program to $175 million and authorizes $125 million for the new HSIs graduate program for Fiscal year 2008.
Sen. Hutchison organized and serves as the co-chair of the Hispanic-Serving Institutions Coalition in the Senate. Under her leadership, HSI funding has increased more than 800 percent since Fiscal Year 1995. This funding has allowed more of the 42 HSIs in Texas to receive development grants.
In November 2006, Sen. Hutchison passed a resolution that recognizes the national role of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities as an advocate and champion for Hispanic higher education and congratulates the organization on its 20th anniversary. The resolution further applauds HSIs for their work to provide quality education for all students and encourages the institutions and their supporters to continue their outstanding efforts.
The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities was founded in San Antonio, Texas with 18 founding member institutions. The organization has grown to include 207 certified HSIs, 126 associate members, 79 partners and over 45 institutions in Latin America, Spain and Portugal. Certified HSIs currently enroll more than half of all Hispanic students in college.
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Gov. Perry: First high-intensity phase of Operation Wrangler made Texas safer
Gov. Rick Perry on Tuesday, February 13, announced that the first high intensity phase of Operation Wrangler led to the apprehension of numerous criminals and drug shipments and made Texans safer. The first high-intensity phase of Operation Wrangler was conducted from January 17 to January 29, and involved the coordinated efforts of state, local and federal law enforcement agencies. Operation Wrangler remains an active law enforcement operation and will reenter the high intensity or “surge” phase in various geographic regions at various times in the future.
“The initial high intensity phase of Operation Wrangler has taken hundreds of criminals and thousands of pounds of illegal drugs off Texas streets,” Perry said. “This latest operation has not only made Texans safer, it underscores the need for lawmakers to provide the $100 million Texas needs to continue these operations while the federal government implements new border security measures.”
Operation Wrangler is the second phase of Operation Rio Grande, which was launched February 2006 and reduced all crime by an average of 60 percent in sheriff-patrolled areas of border counties during five surge operations. Operation Wrangler is the statewide expansion of those highly successful border security surge operations.
“We have a border security strategy that works,” Perry said. “When we substantially increase law enforcement personnel and resources, we see a significant disruption of criminal and illegal activity.”
Under continuing Operation Wrangler efforts, Perry said his office will continue to coordinate and stage similar intelligence-driven security operations along the border and drug and human smuggling corridors across the state.
“The international drug cartels and human smuggling rings will not be given the advantage of knowing when or where these operations will occur, what type of activities they will encompass, or how long the operations will last,” Perry added. “But they can be certain that when it comes to border security, Texas is not sitting idly by.”
The Border Security Operations Center within the State Operations Center serves as a central point of coordination for state, local and federal officials during Operation Wrangler. The 11 Joint Operational Intelligence Centers (JOIC) are positioned throughout the state and provide real-time information and intelligence in support of these surge operations. The JOICs located at border patrol offices along the border include El Paso, Marfa, Del Rio, Laredo and McAllen. Other centers are located along smuggling corridors at area law enforcement departments in Houston, Corpus Christi, Garland, Waco, Lubbock and Midland. Several New Mexico law enforcement agencies, including the state police and the border sheriffs, participated in this coordinated effort.
In addition to the more than 1,700 Texas Army National Guard (TANG) troops Gov. Perry activated for Operation Jump Start to support U.S. Border Patrol activities, he activated an additional 604 troops, comprising 12 armed security platoons. The TANG will continue to be deployed to various crossovers along the Rio Grande River to support Operation Wrangler, and will be accompanied by a Border Patrol agent and a local law enforcement officer.
Local, state and federal agencies involved in the statewide surge of Operation Wrangler included local sheriffs’ offices and police departments; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Department of Transportation; the National Park Service; the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department; the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; the Texas Civil Air Patrol; the Texas Cattleman’s Association; Texas Military Forces; Texas Task Force 1; the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Immigration & Customs Enforcement; the Railroad Police; the U.S. Transportation Security Agency; the U.S. Postal Service; the U.S. Coast Guard; and the University of Texas Center for Space Research. The above agencies and others will continue to work together, and targeted surge operations will be conducted based upon the evolving threat.
Perry has proposed that the Texas Legislature approve an additional $100 million during the legislative session to sustain border security efforts and ongoing operations.
“As I have said before, a strong Texas border means a safer America,” Perry said. “And until the federal government fulfills its responsibility to secure the nation’s borders, we will continue to exhaust all available means at the state level to secure the Texas-Mexico border and protect our families and communities.”
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Charles Gary Rodríguez sworn in by governor as Lieutenant General in the Texas National Guard
Gov. Rick Perry on Thursday, February 15, administered the oath of office to Charles Gary Rodríguez as lieutenant general in the Texas National Guard. Lt. Gen. Rodriguez serves as the State of Texas Adjutant General and is stationed at Camp Mabry in Austin. As adjutant general, Rodríguez is responsible for command of more than 21,000 soldiers, airmen and civilians of the Texas military forces, which include the Texas Army and Air National Guard, the State Guard and the Adjutant General’s Department.
In September, Perry announced the promotion of Major General Rodríguez to the rank of lieutenant general in the Texas National Guard. On Thursday, February 15, Perry pinned a third star on Rodríguez, officially promoting him to lieutenant general. Very few Texas National Guardsmen earn this honor.
Rodríguez previously served on the development advisory board of the Texas A&M University College of Education as former co-chair of the education council in the San Antonio Greater Chamber of Commerce School Boards Committee. Additionally, he served eight years as a board member of Texas STARBASE, a youth development non-profit organization in Houston, and three years as president of the Graduate Alumni Association of the Union Institute.
A 1975 graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Rodriguez received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering with a humanities concentration. He also received a Master of Arts degree in marketing research from Wheaton College Graduate School in Illinois, a master’s degree in marketing from Keller Graduate School of Management in Illinois, and a doctorate in philanthropic leadership from the Union Institute and University in Ohio.
Rodríguez received numerous military awards and decorations, including the Legion of Merit, Meritorious Service Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Army Achievement Medal, the Army Reserve Component Achievement Award (with 4 Oak Leaf Clusters), the Overseas Service Ribbon, the TX Lone Star Distinguished Service Award, the TX Medal of Merit, the TX Faithful Service Medal, and the Air Assault Badge.
Rodríguez has more than 31 years of commissioned service and served as the Texas Assistant Adjutant General for Homeland Defense in the Texas Joint Force Headquarters, stationed in Austin. He is married to Cappy Rodriguez, a 20-year commissioned officer veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. Their two adult children are married and reside in San Antonio. Rodríguez is the son of the late Army Col. Joseph Rodríguez. His father received the Congressional Medal of Honor for service with valor during the Korean War. His mother lives in El Paso.
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Sens. Cornyn, Feinstein introduce bill to ensure Homeland Security funding is based on risk
Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Vice Chairman of the Republican Conference, joined U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. on Thursday, February 15, to introduce bipartisan legislation requiring that federal homeland security grants for state and local governments be allocated on a risk-based assessment.
The Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act of 2007, S. 608, would improve the way homeland security dollars are distributed and ensure funding goes to the most vulnerable places in the country in a fiscally responsible way.
“We must ensure that homeland security funding goes where it’s needed most,” Cornyn said. “It’s critical that we more effectively protect our nation’s citizens, vulnerable infrastructure and places where an attack could devastate the economy. So I hope our colleagues will support this bill to greatly improve the way homeland security resources are allocated.”
The Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act of 2007 would ensure that funding is most efficiently allocated by establishing a formula for homeland security grants based on risk, which takes into consideration threat, vulnerability and consequence. It requires states to quickly distribute federal funds to areas where they are most needed, provides greater flexibility and allows states to use the funding for other hazards consistent with federally established capability standards.
The Feinstein-Cornyn legislation would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002. It is an updated version of a bill introduced last year and is in line with Department of Homeland Security changes for 2007. It also simplifies the Urban Areas Security Initiative by ensuring that all previously eligible areas are certified.
The bill is co-sponsored by Sens. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., Robert Menendez, D-N.J., Frank Lautenberg, D-N.J., Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., and Barack Obama, D-Ill.
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One-Stop-Shop for auto and home insurance policies
By Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Texans may get a “one-stop-shop” offering them homeowners and automobile insurance information with just a click of the mouse.
I recently filed Senate Bill 611 that would offer people the ability to log onto a website and view a listing of each insurer writing residential property and automobile insurance in this state.
An information vacuum has occurred since the Legislature and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) allowed carriers to offer different homeowners insurance policies.
Since coverage levels vary so greatly between the different policies, policyholders cannot shop based on price alone.
Senate Bill 611 directs TDI and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel (OPIC) to develop this website allowing consumers to easily make side-by-side comparisons of different policies, rates charged, the percentage by which rates have fallen or risen in the past three years, as well as companies’ complaint data, enforcement actions, penalties, financial ratings and other relevant information.
All this information will help consumers choose the insurance company and the coverage that best meets their insurance needs.
Alex Winslow, executive director of Texas Watch, a statewide consumer advocacy and research organization actively involved with insurance issues, said that “this legislation will give homeowners greater ability to shop the insurance market. Homeowners need as much information as possible so that they can make smart and informed decisions.”
Information already published by TDI and OPIC should be gathered in one convenient place and publicized widely in order to help consumers shop the market.
As more people gain access to the Internet, and as we expand telecommunication services to rural and remote areas of the state, this bill can facilitate what is currently one of the most complex financial services to decipher and decide upon. If we require drivers to buy auto insurance and homebuyers to insure their properties, then we should simplify the insurance seeking process and make it more accessible. An informed consumer is a wiser shopper.
The proposed web site would include basic information, such as the insurer’s full name, address, phone and fax numbers and even email if available.
Whether an insurer uses credit scoring in underwriting would also be available on this site, as well as a link to the insurer’s credit model or a link explaining how to request the credit model. Also available would be an insurer’s financial rating and an explanation of the meaning and importance of the rating. I would venture to say that almost any question a person may have regarding these two types of insurance would be found on the website, and all would be provided at no cost to the consumer.
Insurers would have to report quarterly with the Commissioner of Insurance any changes in losses, premiums and market share since Jan. 1, 1993. Of course the Commissioner would in turn report to the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the House and the Legislature on market share, profits and losses, and other facets of the industry that affect each insurer.
As Mr. Winslow explains, “This legislation will go a long way toward making our insurance market more transparent for consumers by giving them tools they need to make the best choices for their families.
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City Council sets Tuesday, February 20, work session on Sugar, Canton road work, will also consider retail center, baseball stadium projects
EDINBURG CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF EDINBURG,
HIDALGO COUNTY, TEXAS
Location:
University of Texas – Pan American
International Trade and Technology Building
1201 West University Drive
300 Block, Dr. Miguel Nevarez Drive
FEBRUARY 20, 2007
WORK SESSION AGENDA
6:30 P.M.
I. Discussion and Update on the Following Projects:
Sugar Road
Canton Road
REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
7:00 P.M.
I. CALL TO ORDER, ESTABLISH QUORUM.
A. Prayer.
B. Pledge of Allegiance by Noe Garza, Councilmember.
II. CERTIFICATION OF PUBLIC NOTICE.
III. PUBLIC COMMENTS.
IV. MAYOR’S REPORT.
V. CITY MANAGER’S REPORT.
VI. PRESENTATIONS.
A. Presentation of Proclamation Recognizing February 24, 2007 as National Trio Day, as Requested by the UTPA Upward Bound Program.
B. Presentation on Proposed Improvements to the Edinburg Baseball Stadium by the Edinburg Coyotes Baseball Team.
VII. AWARDING OF BIDS/RESOLUTIONS.
A. Consider Authorizing the Purchase of Tennis Court Lighting from Musco Sports Lighting, L.L.C., in the Amount of $45,430.
B. Consider Authorizing the Purchase of Eighteen (18) Computers for the Dustin Michael Sekula Memorial Library from Monies Provided by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s PAC-HUG Program, in the Amount of $16,249.86.
C. Consider Authorizing the Purchase of Playground Equipment for Escandon Park from the Playwell Group, Dallas, TX., in the Amount of $79,217.85.
D. Consider Awarding Bid No. 2007-51, Los Lagos Entry Monument Signs, to Peterson Construction Inc., from McAllen, Texas, in the Amount of $40,000.
E. Consider Rejecting Bid Number 2007-53, Reconstruction of One (1) Residence in the Housing Assistance Program.
F. Consider Resolution Authorizing the Interim City Manager to Execute a Multiple Use Agreement with the State of Texas, Texas Department of Transportation for the Installation of Bus Shelters and Other Related Improvements on State Highway Right-of-Way.
G. Consider Resolution Approving Economic Development Programs Pursuant to Chapter 380 of the Texas Local Government Code.
H. Consider Resolution Approving an Economic Development Agreement Relating to the Development and Construction of a Retail Shopping Center.
VIII. CONSENT AGENDA.
A. Consider Authorizing Interim City Manager for the Renewal of Interlocal Cooperation Agreement with Hidalgo County and the City of Edinburg for Providing Services through the Hidalgo County Library System.
B. Present Annual Report for Officer Initiated Contact Data By the Police Department, as Required by the Texas Racial Profiling Law, (S.B. Number 1074).
C. Consider Authorizing Interim City Manager to Execute a Lease Renewal Agreement to Provide for Congressional District No. 15 Local Office.
IX. EXECUTIVE SESSION.
The City Council will convene in Executive Session, in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act, Vernon’s Texas Statutes and Codes Annotated, Government Code, Chapter 551, Subchapter D, Exceptions to Requirement that Meetings be Open, §551.071, Consultation with Attorney; Closed Meeting.
1. Legal Discussion Regarding: Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone Requested By First Hartford Realty Corporation.
2. Legal Discussion Regarding: The Construction Agreement with Velasco Construction Development L.P. for the Public Safety Complex Addition and Renovation.
3. Legal Discussion Regarding: Status on Negotiations with Fortuna Enterprises.
4. Legal Discussion Regarding: Status of Interlocal Agreement Between the City of McAllen and the City of Edinburg on Drainage Improvements.
OPEN SESSION:
The City Council will convene in Open Session to take necessary action, if any, in accordance with Chapter 551, Open Meetings, Subchapter E, Procedures Relating to Closed Meeting, §551.102, Requirement to Vote or Take Final Action in Open Meeting.
X. ADJOURNMENT.
I hereby certify this Notice of a City Council Meeting was posted in accordance with the Open Meetings Act, at both bulletin boards located at the main entrances to the City Offices of the City of Edinburg, and at the 210 West McIntyre entrance outside bulletin board, visible and accessible to the general public during and after regular working hours. This notice was posted on February 16, 2007 at 7:18 p.m.
By: /s/Myra Garza, City Secretary
City of Edinburg, Texas
[All matters listed under Consent Agenda are considered to be routine by the Governing Body and will be enacted by one motion. There will be no separate discussion of these items. If discussion is desired, that item will be removed from the consent agenda and will be considered separately.] IF ACCOMMODATIONS FOR A DISABILITY ARE REQUIRED, NOTIFY THE CITY SECRETARY DEPT. AT 383-5661 PRIOR TO THE MEETING DATE. WITH REGARD TO ANY ITEM, THE CITY COUNCIL MAY TAKE VARIOUS ACTIONS; INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO RESCHEDULING AN ITEM IN ITS ENTIRETY FOR A FUTURE DATE OR TIME. THE CITY COUNCIL MAY ELECT TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ANY ITEM WHETHER OR NOT SUCH ITEM IS POSTED AS AN EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEM AT ANY TIME DURING THE MEETING WHEN AUTHORIZED BY THE PROVISIONS OF THE OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
