by Legislative Media | Apr 12, 2015 | Politics
Featured, front row: As Valley lawmakers celebrate Gov. Greg Abbott’s promise to help deep South Texas, the governor gives an appreciative handshake to Ana María García, Regional Director for U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, during the governor’s appearance at the Edinburg Conference Center at Renaissance on Thursday, January 22, 2015. Back row, from left: Rep. Óscar Longoria, Jr., D-La Joya; Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg; Rep. R.D. “Bobby” Guerra, D-McAllen; Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen; and Sen. Sylvia García, D-Houston.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
More than $30 million would be available to help build a proposed Interdisciplinary Engineering and Academic Studies Building at the Edinburg campus – currently The University of Texas Pan American – of The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation have announced. UT-Pan American, along with The University of Texas at Brownsville and the Regional Academic Health Centers in Edinburg and Harlingen, are in the process of utilizing their assets and resources to create a new university, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, which will include a full-fledged School of Medicine with campuses in Edinburg and Harlingen. The EEDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council, along with the mayor and city council, have made the construction of the new engineering complex one of their legislative priorities at the State Capitol. The proposed financing is included in a statewide measure, House Bill 100, of which Canales is a co-author, which received final approval in the House of Representatives on Thursday, April 9. An identical measure is being considered in the Senate. House Bill 100, whose primary author is Rep. John Zerwas, M.D., a Republican from Richmond – and Chair of the House Committee on Higher Education – authorizes the issuance of $3.1 billion in tuition revenue bonds throughout the state for institutions of higher education – including in the UT and Texas A&M systems – to finance construction and renovation of infrastructure and facilities “The UT System has plans for a $50 million, state-of-the-art academic complex that would help prepare more engineering students while also addressing space requirements for other academic disciplines as needed,” Canales said. “What the House has approved – $30.6 million – goes a long way toward helping the UT System reach this very important goal.” Canales noted this latest project is in addition to several major facilities already underway at the Edinburg campus. “In 2013, the UT System authorized funding for the construction of a $70 million Science Building Annex at UT Pan American and $54 million for a UT medical school academic building next to the Edinburg campus,” Canales said. “This is in addition to the $42.6 million, 1,000-seat Academic and Performing Arts Center at UTPA, also already funded, which is well on its way to being completed.” All higher education institutions seeking revenue through House Bill 100 had to settle for less than they had originally requested, but still are on the way to receiving major facility upgrades and new construction at their respective campuses, the House District 40 lawmaker explained. Canales said the UT System could provide the balance to reach the $50 million target for the new complex through numerous ways, including by using some of its own vast financial resources, through cost-savings at UTRGV, private contributions, or other options. “We have come up with most of the bonding authority requested by the UT System, and I am confident they will do what it takes to meet the needs of our best and brightest students,” Canales said. The $30.6 million for the new facility in Edinburg authorized by HB 100 would be raised in part through the use of tuition revenue bonds, which are funds generated from tuition charges levied against students or universities. As more students are enrolled, more money from tuition is generated that is used to help repay the debt from tuition revenue bonds. The majority of the money for the new construction, however, comes from funds provided by the Texas Legislature, not from the students. Canales gave credit to UT-RGV leaders, including President Guy Bailey and UT-Pan American Ad Interim President Havidán Rodríguez, as well as to the Edinburg mayor, Edinburg City Council, and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, for helping rally legislative and political support for what would be the latest and one of the largest new facilities on the Edinburg campus. “Mayor (Richard) García, along with President Bailey and President Rodríguez, continue to play vital roles in helping the Valley state legislative delegation successfully fight for our fair share of state and UT System resources,” said Canales. “Once final legislative approval is secured, and we get the governor behind it, as I expect he will support this legislation, there will be another monument of higher education rising into the Valley skyline.” Mayor García also serves as President of the Board of Directors for the EEDC, which is the jobs-creation arm of the Edinburg City Council. Agustín “Gus” García (no relation to the mayor), serves as EEDC Executive Director. “The decision of the House of Representatives to support UT Rio Grande Valley through $30.6 million in legislative funding for UTRGV’s Engineering and Academic Studies Building will enhance the learning experience for our students and greatly impact student success. We are thankful to Representative Canales for his commitment to UTRGV and the entire Valley delegation for their support on this endeavor and all of our major priorities for this legislative session,” said Bailey, the founding president of what will become one of the largest higher education systems in the state. Once the funding plan clears the Legislature, facility programming could begin in October 2015, with design development approval scheduled for August 2016, leading to occupancy by August 2018. “The University of Texas Pan American continues to experience an increase in its student population, and with nearly 30,000 students enrolling and transitioning to UT Rio Grande Valley, it is imperative that we address our critical need for space to support this enrollment growth,” said Rodríguez, who has the honor of being the final president of UT Pan American. Rodríguez, who also serves on the Board of Directors for the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, will remain with UTRGV as its founding Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs. “Enrollment in UTPA’s engineering programs has already exceeded 2,200; however, our current engineering building was only designed to accommodate about 1,400 students. UTRGV is the perfect steward of these state funds, which are going to be utilized in the best interest of our students and to ensure their success,” said Rodríguez. “The support of our legislators speaks volumes about our strong and ongoing partnerships and their interest in the success of our students in South Texas.”
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Mar 19, 2015 | Politics
Active duty U.S. military personnel in Texas would be able to purchase and drink alcoholic beverages beginning at age 18 years under legislation that has been filed by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, featured here addressing constituents during the Thursday, February 6, 2014 grand opening of his District Office in Edinburg.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
House Bill 3831, introduced on Friday, March 13, would lower the drinking age from 21 to 18, but only for men and women who are serving their country in the U.S. armed forces, allowing them to purchase and be served those beverages anywhere in the state. Such military servicemen and servicewomen would still be subject to all other state laws relating to the consumption of alcoholic beverages, including punishments for driving under the influence and public intoxication. They also would have to show valid military identification proving they are on active duty. According to the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), the Common Access Card (CAC), a “smart” card about the size of a credit card, is the standard identification for active duty uniformed service personnel, Selected Reserve, DoD civilian employees, and eligible contractor personnel. It is also the principal card used to enable physical access to buildings and controlled spaces, and it provides access to DoD computer networks and systems. “These young men and women bravely volunteer to defend our country against the tyrants, despots, and dictators of the world, they receive the best hand-to-hand combat training, they handle the most sophisticated weapons and weapon systems on the planet, and they are required to meet the highest standards of conduct in their profession,” said Canales. “Surely they have earned the right to have a mixed drink, beer or wine when they leave their military bases to come into our towns and cities, just like anyone who is at least 21 years of age can enjoy.” Canales’ HB 3831 is the latest attempt in Texas to lower the drinking age for active duty military veterans, the House District 40 state lawmaker said, and noted other states are filing similar legislation this year. Rep. J.M. Lozano, R-Kingsville, filed House Bill 892 during the 83rd Regular Session of the Texas Legislature in 2013. However, that measure never received a public hearing before the House Committee on Licensing and Administrative Procedures, and the proposal died. Canales’ legislation, HB 3831, as of Thursday, March 19, was awaiting an upcoming referral to a House committee. “Texas has some pretty tough laws to crack down on DWI, and even laws that can result in a $500 fine for a driver or a passenger to have an open alcohol container in a vehicle, and I strongly support those laws,” said Canales, who is a member of the crime-fighting House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence. “But trying to play ‘nanny’ to U.S. military professionals is nonsense. They should be treated as adults in every sense of the word.” Canales said he would offer an amendment to his bill to make the law contingent on Texas getting a waiver from the federal government that would keep federal transportation funding in place. The U.S. government has a policy that it will deny a portion of federal transportation money for states which lower the drinking age from 21 to 18. The National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984 punishes any state that allows persons younger than 21 years to purchase and publicly possess alcoholic beverages by reducing its annual federal highway funding to that state by 10 percent.
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Feb 25, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Edinburg City Councilmember Richard Molina and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg.
Texas juveniles who are placed by a court on deferred disposition or community supervision for illegal drug use, but who have not been convicted of that crime, could be required to participate in state-approved substance abuse education programs, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, featured right, has proposed. The House District 40 lawmaker on Wednesday, February 19, filed House Bill 642, which would give a presiding judge the authority to require a young offender, under age 18, to learn about the terrible consequences of unlawful drug abuse as a requirement for avoiding a harsher penalty or permanent criminal record. “Currently, minors who are convicted of drug offenses can be required to attend an alcohol awareness program. These programs are designed to help increase a minor’s awareness of the potential dangers and detriments of alcohol use,” Canales explained. “Unfortunately, this requirement does not extend to minors who are placed on deferred disposition or community supervision for drug-related offenses.” Deferred Disposition is a form of probation, which allows for dismissal of a charge if certain criteria(s) are met. Community supervision means the placement of a defendant by a court under a continuum of programs and sanctions, with conditions imposed by the court for a specified period. But, many young people who commit these offenses – often minor in nature – are entering pre-trial programs where they are not actually convicted of the crime, the House 40 state lawmaker continued. “A large percentage of juvenile crimes are misdemeanors involving kids with small amounts of drugs. These kids do not need to go to jail. They need an approach tailored to their issues,” Canales said. “Judges need more power to require local programs aimed to help our youth.” His legislation also comes as a major national study, with a conservative Texas point of view, shed more light on the need to provide juvenile offenders with local rehabilitation efforts in or near their home regions. That first-of-its-kind investigation comparing Texas youth with nearly identical characteristics shows that juveniles treated by court-approved programs closer to home “are far less likely to reoffend than those incarcerated in state correctional facilities,” the Council of State Governments (CSG) Justice Center, in partnership with Texas A&M University, announced on Thursday, January 29. Featured with Canales as part of a visit to the Texas Capitol in early February by Edinburg leaders is City Councilmember Richard Molina. Molina is a U.S. Army veteran who served in Operation Joint Forge-Bosnia and was honorably discharged. Molina was an employee of the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Department and later served as an Edinburg Police Sergeant for 11 years. Molina is now the owner and manager of Molina Rental Properties in Edinburg.
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Feb 23, 2015 | Politics
Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, featured on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 at The University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen.
Photograph By JOSUE ESPARZA
The public’s right to know about how executions take place in Texas – including current, controversial secret information regarding the lethal drugs used to administer the death sentence – would be dramatically strengthened under legislation filed on Friday, February 20, by Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg. House Bill 1587 by Canales would require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to provide details about the names of the drugs used in the lethal injections, along with the identity of their manufacturers, the expiration dates of the deadly concoction, the results of laboratory tests performed on those ingredients, and pertinent information relating to the toxic substance. “In Texas, we do not give the bureaucrats the absolute authority to decide what the public can and cannot know about what their government is doing,” said Canales. “When it comes to the death penalty, Texans will not allow state government to keep secrets about this drug, which wields the power of life and death.” His support of disclosing such details in the name of open government has drawn strong support from Kelley Shannon, Executive Director of the Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas. “The people of Texas need information to scrutinize their government and hold it accountable,” said Shannon, who helps lead the non-profit 301(c)(3) organization, which is devoted to promoting open government, freedom of speech, and freedom of press. “With the death penalty, we are talking about the ultimate punishment for a crime. The people have the right to know how their state is carrying out punishment by lethal injection.” On January 23, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court announced it will review later this year the drug protocol increasingly used across the country to determine whether the use of lethal injections, under certain circumstances, constitute cruel and unusual punishment. “The U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming case will deal with the very important American protection against cruel and unusual punishment, which is a very complicated issue,” Canales said. “House Bill 1587 deals with the people’s right to know where Texas taxes are being spent to buy lethal drugs to use in executions. I will always fight for the people’s right to know about what their government is doing in their name.”
•••••• (more…)
by Legislative Media | Feb 11, 2015 | Politics
Featured, from left: Dr. Guy Bailey, President, The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley, and Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, at the International Trade and Technology Building, The University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg, on Friday, May 16, 2014.
Photograph By MARK MONTEMAYOR
With state legislation already filed that proposes students at The University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley have the right to vote on the official athletics nickname for their school, Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, wants the UT System Board of Regents to delay final approval of a multi-million dollar campaign that would include promoting Vaqueros (cowboys) as the national image of the deep South Texas university and medical school. The nine-member UT System governing board – which is welcoming two new regents for its Wednesday, February 11, and Thursday, February 12 public meeting in Austin – is scheduled to take a final vote for UT-RGV’s branding campaign, which will include projecting the controversial Vaqueros mascot and athletics nickname on a national level. However, thousands of alumni and students of UT-Pan American in Edinburg, which is the largest campus of UT-RGV, have protested the loss of the Bronc as their mascot and rejected the selection of Vaqueros as the new symbol of UT-RGV, prompting Canales to file House Bill 901 on Friday, January 29. In his hand-delivered letter to the UT System Board of Regents, dated Monday, February 9, Canales explained he is asking the regents to wait on “consideration on the branding of UT-RGV in order to allow for the university’s athletic nickname to be considered in an election by the full student body. I am writing this letter in support of the hundreds of students and constituents that have contacted my office, subsequent to the selection of the UT-RGV athletic nickname in November 2014.” The Vaqueros representation will be part of a $5 million, two-year marketing and communications initiative, approved by the Board of Regents in May 2014, to launch UT-RGV in the eyes of the world as a state-of-the-art, advanced institution of American higher education. “During this selection process, the future students of UT-RGV have contacted my office repeatedly to express their outrage at not having a voice in the process,” Canales wrote to the regents. “As you might be aware, House Bill 901, if passed, would require a student election to determine the UT-RGV athletic nickname. Again, I respectfully request that you delay further consideration of the athletic logo and word marks for UT-RGV until the students have had a chance to weigh in on this important issue.” Under HB 901, the students at UT-RGV – which also has campuses or facilities in Brownsville, McAllen, Harlingen, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island – would be able to vote on the official athletics nickname, which can be different from the mascot. HB 901 would place “Broncs,” “Ocelots” and “any other options the university chooses, including nicknames nominated by students and approved by the university,” on the ballot for the election, which would have to take place by December 31, 2015. “Ocelots” is the mascot and athletics nickname for UT-Brownsville. The UT-RGV administration, led by Bailey, would be responsible for holding the election. Separate from the letter, Canales said such a student election “would be a powerful lesson in democracy.” The complete agenda packet and live coverage – and archived broadcast coverage – of the meetings is available online at http://www.utsystem.edu/board-of-regents/meetings/board-meeting-2015-02-11
•••••• (more…)
