AUSTIN, TX — Today, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa filed for re-election for another term in the Texas Senate. Senator Hinojosa intends to continue his work for Senate District 20 by providing for an educated and healthy workforce, investing in critical infrastructure, creating jobs, and furthering economic development. He has proven session after session that his approach to public policy and his decisions on legislation are based on what is best for our South Texas families.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“I am honored to serve the people of Senate District 20 and I have filed for re-election to finish the work I started when I was first elected. I have dedicated my life to public service and to advocating for fully funding public education, increasing access to affordable health care for everyone, especially our most vulnerable, investing in our transportation and drainage infrastructure, creating high paying jobs, and improving the quality of life for our South Texas families.

 With the population and economic growth in our South Texas communities, our region continues playing a role in shaping our state’s future. I am committed to keeping the needs of South Texas at the forefront and will continue working across the aisle to address issues challenging our state and put people over politics while governing with compassion. I will keep fighting to finish my work and meet the needs of our communities. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve my constituents and humbly ask for the continued support of voters in Senate District 20.”

Senator Hinojosa has received the prestigious honor of being named “Top Ten Best Legislators” for Texas Monthly magazine three times, and named “Top Ten Legislator” by Capitol Inside three times.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence, Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Redistricting, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Criminal Justice; Constitutional Issues; Future of College Sports; and Select Committee on Texas Ports.

AUSTIN, TX — Austin, TX — Today, Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr., announced he will not be seeking re-election to the Texas Senate, ending his legislative career after more than three decades of service to the State of Texas.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa released the following statement:

“Senator Eddie Lucio has dedicated his life to public service. I have worked alongside him in the Texas Senate for nearly two decades. As a longtime vice chairman of the Senate Education Committee and most recently as vice chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Lucio has been a strong voice for the people of his district and the Rio Grande Valley.

As a legislator, Senator Lucio worked to improve our public education system. He led the charge in ensuring our children with disabilities had the resources and support they needed to be successful in school. He fought for the historic funding for our public schools that led to pay raises for teachers and school employees. Senator Lucio has also been a longtime advocate for expanding higher education opportunities in South Texas including playing a key role in the creation of UTRGV and the School of Medicine.

As chairman of the Senate International Relations and Trade Committee and later chair of the Senate Intergovernmental Relations Committee, Senator Lucio was a leader in addressing issues with colonias in South Texas. He authored and passed a proposed constitutional amendment in 2007 that voters approved authorizing the issuance of $250 million in bonds to help meet the water and wastewater infrastructure needs of economically distressed areas. In 2019, Senator Lucio again led the way to get the voters to approve another $200 million in bonds to support communities that otherwise could not afford to secure access to safe drinking water.

I congratulate Senator Lucio on his successful legislative career. We have worked together on many important projects for South Texas. We are known in the Capitol and in the Valley as the one-two punch. His passion will be missed in the Senate but his accomplishments and legislative successes will have a lasting impact in the lives of many Texans. I wish Senator Lucio a happy and healthy retirement and much success in his future endeavors.”

“The greatest wealth is health” is an aphorism that captures the impact of health on our lives and underscores the importance of access to health care for all, regardless of income. It ties-in to the frequently debated question, namely, “Is health care a right or a privilege?”

In the Rio Grande Valley or “Valley”, almost half a million low-income Texans rely on Medicaid for healthcare. This program covers 1 in 12 adults, 2 in 5 children, and 5 in 8 nursing home residents statewide. An even greater share of these populations receive Medicaid services in the Valley because the number of individuals living in poverty in our border communities is almost double the number of Medicaid eligible individuals across the state. With our community disproportionately affected by higher rates of obesity, diabetes mellitus, influenza and pneumonia, and kidney and liver disease, Medicaid coverage is essential to our community’s health.

Because Medicaid provides an essential safety net to our community’s working poor, children, and seniors, it is essential that the current dispute between the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) and the federal government be resolved.

I am hopeful that our current Medicaid waiver and several related supplemental directed payment programs (DPPs) will be approved by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). These DPPs are essential to support health care services for thousands in the Rio Grande Valley, including providing nearly $180 million a year to hospitals to help cover these costs.

Years ago, multiple counties in the Valley, including Hidalgo County, implemented a new financing structure that has been successful, under legislation I authored, authorizing a Local Provider Participation Fund (LPPF). These LPPFs allow for hospital districts, counties and cities throughout Texas to fund the required non-federal share of Medicaid to be financed through mandatory payments from local hospitals, without raising property taxes. Such a financing structure is an integral part of our Medicaid ecosystem, especially in the Rio Grande Valley, where we simply do not have the dense, high-income tax base of the state’s urban centers.

However, these LPPFs have become a key sticking point in the negotiations between the federal government and the State of Texas. The ongoing dispute has disrupted Medicaid funding with no clear end in sight.

Every dollar of this essential funding expired on Aug. 30 and would have been replaced seamlessly on Sept. 1. Instead, the DPPs are stuck in limbo as Texas and the federal government navigate their dispute. Consequently, our local Medicaid providers have gone a full month without this essential funding—funding that is critical to supporting our safety net.

Much of our region is “medically underserved,” as defined by the federal government. That means most of our residents are within a two-hour drive of only one hospital, and many of those hospitals operate month-to-month, without the reserves to withstand a sudden and prolonged drop in Medicaid funding.

Our communities cannot afford to lose essential providers—especially during an ongoing pandemic! The loss of essential hospital Medicaid services would undermine our region’s recovery efforts and would further entrench longstanding disparities in health outcomes and inequitable access to care for our region’s strong Hispanic population.

I urge both sides to resolve this dispute as quickly as possible. Lives depend on it.

AUSTIN, TX — On Monday, October 18, the Texas Press Association presented Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa with the “Champion of Transparency” award for his record of supporting the Texas Public Information Act and legislation that improves legal notice requirements of government activities during the 87th Regular Legislative Session. Senator Hinojosa was a joint-author of SB 1642 (87R), which updates the public notice requirements and the proposal procedures for navigation districts.

Senator Hinojosa has authored and supported open government legislation throughout his career. This past regular session, he supported SB 1225 (87R), which clarified existing law around how governmental agencies can use the “catastrophe notice” provision of the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). Concerns were raised that some governmental bodies abused temporary suspension of responding to requests during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was not consistent with the intent of TPIA.

In addition, Senator Hinojosa supported other measures that promoted transparency including HB 1322 (87R) and HB 1154 (87R). HB 1322 requires state agencies to publish brief summaries of proposed rules on their websites. HB 1154 aims to increase transparency of special purpose districts by requiring them to post on a website specified financial and operating information of the district. Senator Hinojosa has a long record of supporting transparency and open government as the public has the right to know what the government is doing with their tax dollars.

In response to receiving the award, Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“I appreciate the Texas Press Association presenting me with the “Champion of Transparency” award. I look forward to continue working with TPA on measures that would strengthen the public’s access to information and provide additional transparency into the way our government works. The access to information assists voters to hold government officials accountable. It is important that Texans can remain informed on the administration of government at all levels.”

AUSTIN, TX — As the Third Called Special Session of the 87th Texas Legislature comes to an end, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa co-authored Senate Bill 8, legislation that will provide funding for projects in the Rio Grande Valley, Senate Bill 52 which invests in our universities, and Senate Joint Resolution 2 which would provide additional property tax relief for homeowners, if approved by the voters in May 2022.

SB 8 by Senator Jane Nelson, which appropriates $13.3 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act spearheaded by President Joe Biden and approved by the United States Congress earlier this year, was passed by the Texas Legislature and is now headed to the Governor for final approval. The bill includes $16.7 million for upgrading existing laboratory facilities associated with a level 1 trauma facility in Hidalgo County and new laboratory infrastructure in Starr County. Additionally, this bill appropriates $180 million in funding for recovery grants for tourism, travel, and hospitality industry, $2 billion for state and local hospital surge staffing, $500 million for broadband infrastructure, $95 million for food banks, an additional $15 million for community colleges for workforce training under the TRUE program, $52 million for the Sexual Assault Program for victims of domestic violence, and $7.2 billion to replenish the Unemployment Compensation Fund ensuring that businesses are not faced with an increase in unemployment taxes due to pandemic-related layoffs. These are just some of the highlights of items funded in the bill.

The Legislature also passed SB 52 by Senator Brandon Creighton, which invests in public universities across the state to fund capital projects or improve existing facilities on their campuses. Senate Bill 52 includes $44.9 million in funding for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley that can be used for a health affairs building or deferred maintenance, including the replacement of a chiller at one of their campuses as well as any other necessary repair needed to their existing facilities.

SJR 2 by Senator Paul Bettencourt proposes to increase the mandatory homestead exemption for school district taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. This will result in homeowners receiving property tax relief every year. Since this is a constitutional amendment, it would have to be approved by the voters in May 2022 before it takes effect.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa made the following statement:

“During the Third Called Special Session, our RGV legislative delegation worked together and advocated for funding for our South Texas priorities. I am pleased that in addition to funding grants for tourism, broadband expansion, replenishing the Unemployment Compensation Fund to help our businesses, and many other investments, we were also able to secure funds for local projects. We continue to secure funding that increases access to care and makes investments in health care infrastructure to better serve our community. Senate Bill 8 includes $16.7 million to upgrade existing laboratory facilities associated with a level 1 trauma facility in Hidalgo County and construct a new laboratory in Starr County.

I also applaud Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s request for construction projects for universities and appreciate Governor Abbott for adding this item to the special session call. Our universities not only educate our students, they are also economic drivers for our communities. Many institutions have facilities that need to be repaired or replaced and the $44.9 million appropriated to UTRGV in Senate Bill 52 can be used for construction or for the replacement of a thermal energy plant as well as new chillers to provide proper temperature control in their buildings.

Lastly, I encourage the voters to support Senate Joint Resolution 2 next May to provide much needed property tax relief to homeowners. This proposed constitutional amendment would increase the homestead exemption for school districts from $25,000 to $40,000, with no adverse impacts on our schools.”

AUSTIN, TX — As the Third Called Special Session of the 87th Texas Legislature comes to an end, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa co-authored Senate Bill 8, legislation that will provide funding for projects in the Coastal Bend, Senate Bill 52 which invests in our universities, and Senate Joint Resolution 2 which would provide additional property tax relief for homeowners, if approved by the voters in May 2022.

SB 8 by Senator Jane Nelson, which appropriates $13.3 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act spearheaded by President Joe Biden and approved by the United States Congress earlier this year, was passed by the Texas Legislature and is now headed to the Governor for final approval. The bill includes $3 million for the Texas State Aquarium. It also provides $3 million for housing at the UT Marine Science Institute. Additionally, this bill appropriates $180 million in funding for recovery grants for tourism, travel, and hospitality industry, $2 billion for state and local hospital surge staffing, $500 million for broadband infrastructure, $95 million for food banks, an additional $15 million for community colleges for workforce training under the TRUE program, $52 million for the Sexual Assault Program for victims of domestic violence, and $7.2 billion to replenish the Unemployment Compensation Fund ensuring that businesses are not faced with an increase in unemployment taxes due to pandemic-related layoffs. These are just some of the highlights of items funded in the bill.

The Legislature also passed SB 52 by Senator Brandon Creighton, which invests in public universities across the state to fund capital projects or improve existing facilities on their campuses. Senate Bill 52 includes $44.9 million in funding for Texas A&M Corpus Christi that can be used for the construction of the arts and media building.

SJR 2 by Senator Paul Bettencourt proposes to increase the mandatory homestead exemption for school district taxes from $25,000 to $40,000. This will result in homeowners receiving property tax relief every year. Since this is a constitutional amendment, it would have to be approved by the voters in May 2022 before it takes effect.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa made the following statement:

“During the Third Called Special Session, our Coastal Bend legislative delegation worked together and advocated for funding for our Coastal Bend priorities. I am pleased that in addition to funding grants for tourism, broadband expansion, replenishing the Unemployment Compensation Fund to help our businesses, and many other investments, we were also able to secure funds for local projects. The Texas State Aquarium Center for Wildlife Rescue was appropriated $3 million and the UT Marine Science Institute will receive $3 million for student housing replacement.

I also applaud Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s request for construction projects for universities and appreciate Governor Abbott for adding this item to the special session call. Our universities not only educate our students, they are also economic drivers for our communities. Many institutions are growing and need additional facilities and the $44.9 million appropriated to Texas A&M Corpus Christi in Senate Bill 52 will allow for construction of the arts and media building.

Lastly, I encourage the voters to support Senate Joint Resolution 2 next May to provide much needed property tax relief to homeowners. This proposed constitutional amendment would increase the homestead exemption for school districts from $25,000 to $40,000, with no adverse impacts on our schools.”

AUSTIN, TX — Yesterday, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill (SB) 4 by Senator Joan Huffman which outlines the Texas Senate district boundaries that will be in place for the next ten years. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, State Senator representing District 20, will continue to represent Hidalgo, Brooks, Jim Wells, and Nueces Counties, with some modifications.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“The Texas population grew by 4 million from 25,145,561 in 2010 to 29,145,505 in 2020. These additional 4 million residents have to be distributed evenly between 31 state senate districts. What’s more, regions of the state grew unevenly with most of the growth taking place in Houston, Dallas-Forth Worth, the San Antonio-Austin corridor, and the Rio Grande Valley (RGV).

While the RGV grew by over 12% with more than 100,000 people in ten years, Nueces County grew by 3.8% or nearly 13,000 residents. However, the population growth in other areas of the state were much larger including Bexar County which grew by 17.2% or 294,551 residents; Harris grew by 15.6% or 638,686 residents; Travis grew by 26% or 265,922 residents; Tarrant grew by 16.7% or 301,606 residents.

Due to these population increases across the state, the ideal population for each state senate district increased from 811,147 to 940,178, an increase of 129,031. That meant my senate district, Senate District 20, was under 3.5% or 32,504 residents from the ideal population.  

Redistricting is a difficult process. I would rather have kept Nueces County whole and not made any changes to my current senate district. However, given the population increases across the state and in the South Texas region, changes had to be made. Senate District 27, represented by Senator Eddie Lucio, was under 11.5% or 108,504 residents from the ideal population. Since SD 20 surrounds SD 27, adjustments were needed to comply with the Texas Constitution and the Voting Rights Act.  

As passed by the Texas Senate, Hidalgo County remains split. All of Brooks and Jim Wells Counties remain in SD 20. In Nueces County, 81% of the population remains in SD 20, and 19% shifts to SD 27 to comply with the Voting Rights Act and the Constitution. This change was not my preference but necessary to comply with the redistricting requirements. The key institutions in Corpus Christi remained in my senate district including: the Port of Corpus Christi, Texas A&M Corpus Christi, Del Mar College, Texas State Aquarium, Nueces County Courthouse, Corpus Christi Army Depot, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, downtown, and others.”

AUSTIN, TX — Today, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) adopted a resolution directing TRS staff to prepare and issue the 13th check authorized by the Texas Legislature during the Second Called Special Session. Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, co-author of Senate Bill 7 issued the following statement:

“I was proud to join Senator Joan Huffman as co-author of SB 7 to provide our retired teachers and other retired school personnel, a 13th check up to $2,400. This is the second 13th check the Legislature has approved for our retirees in less than four years. The $700 million in funds for this payment to our TRS retirees will come from General Revenue and not the TRS fund so that the pension fund can continue growing and become actuarially stronger.”

TRS members who retired on or before Dec. 31, 2020 or beneficiaries of a retiree who died on or before Dec. 31, 2020 and meet the criteria of the legislation, including being eligible to receive their annuity payment the month before TRS issues the one-time supplemental payment, will receive the one-time supplemental payment. Eligible retirees will receive the one-time supplemental payment capped at $2,400 in January 2022. Payments will be issued in the same manner in which retirees receive their annuity payment.

AUSTIN, TX — On Tuesday, September 14, 2021, the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services awarded $5.2 million to Doctors Hospital at Renaissance (DHR) in grant funding to support its Nurse Family Partnership program. Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa was a co-author of SB 156 (80R), establishing this grant program.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“The nurse-family partnership program is a critical program that has achieved amazing results. This program works with first-time mothers to promote successful outcomes for both mom and baby. Since we established this program 15 years ago, nearly 18,000 families have been served, with 9 out of 10 moms seeing positive results for themselves and their family.

I am excited to see the continued growth and support of the nurse family partnership program operated by Doctors Hospital at Renaissance. To date, DHR has been awarded nearly $12.5 million to help support these new families. Through this work, we are not only creating better physical and mental health outcomes for children and moms, but simultaneously preventing children from entering into the foster care system. By making smart investments to support families on the front end, we can save the state money both in terms of child protective services and health care. But more importantly, we strengthen these families and help create an environment where all children are able to grow up happy, healthy, and able to achieve their dreams.”

On Labor Day we recognize workers across our great state and nation and honor their sacrifice, dedication, and commitment. Our workers keep our families healthy, our children educated, our food supply stocked, and keep our economy thriving. This Labor Day, much like last year, we understand how critical essential workers like doctors, teachers, nurses, custodians, first responders, and food supply workers are to our daily lives. This year, I would also like to recognize our electricity linemen for the critical role they play in restoring power to our lives after a natural disaster. All these workers make an active decision every day that the health and well-being of their community is worth the risk they face in their jobs.

Last year at this time, Texas had an unemployment rate of 8.3%, or almost 1.2 million Texans without a job. That was already an improvement from the all high 13.5% in April 2020 when the peak of the Covid-19 impact occurred. Just recently, the Texas Workforce Commission announced that the Texas unemployment rate is now at 6.2% and that our state has added a total of 714,800 jobs since July 2020. While we still have much work to do to continue decreasing the rate to where we were before the pandemic, the improvements have been significant.

Just as important as it is to recognize our workers on Labor Day, we also recognize our employers. We appreciate all our businesses in Texas, from our mom-and-pop stores to the biggest corporations. These entities currently employ 14 million Texans and are the backbone of our economy. Texas is still one of the best places in our country for businesses. For the 17th year in a row, Texas has again been named the Best State for Business by Chief Executive Magazine.

Our workers and employers — Texans, are hardworking and refuse to give up. As we continue working together to recover from the pandemic, Winter Storm Uri, hurricanes, and other disasters, we must make sure we are looking out for each other. None of us want to go back to April 2020. We are not yet on the other side of Covid and the Delta variant. We can show our support to our businesses and workers, especially the healthcare workforce, by slowing the spread of the virus. That includes getting vaccinated, wearing masks, social distancing, and washing our hands. The sooner we can put Covid behind us, the more quickly our economy can thrive.

The impact of the Texas worker is felt both at home and abroad and it is because of their sweat, dedication, and perseverance that our state and nation is second to none. Labor Day is special to our families and our country and a day to recognize all our workers that make Texas and the U.S.A. a great place to live and raise our families.