CORPUS CHRISTI, TX – Today, Governor Abbott along with Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp, visited Corpus Christi to announce the Governor’s Commission to Rebuild Texas. The Commission, led by Chancellor Sharp, will oversee the response and relief efforts between state and local governments to ensure victims of Hurricane Harvey get everything they need as quickly as possible.

The Commission will provide a single point of contact and authority for overseeing the rebuilding of public infrastructure — focusing on restoring roads, bridges, schools and government buildings in impacted communities. While there may be some overlap, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will have responsibility for assisting individuals with homes damaged or lost in the storm. This effort does not override or replace the excellent disaster management efforts currently underway through FEMA and the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa offered the following remarks:

“Although the storm has passed, the long road to recovery is just beginning and we need a strong and collaborative team to rebuild our great state. Now is the critical time that our communities and families are in great need of resources, funding, and clear direction on how to begin rebuilding their lives.

I commend Governor Abbott for creating the Commission to work towards a quick recovery response for our devastated communities. Chancellor John Sharp was the perfect selection to lead this Commission and I thank him for his leadership in this challenging role.”

In addition to today’s visit to Corpus Christi, Governor Abbott and Chancellor Sharp will travel to regions impacted by Hurricane Harvey to meet with local officials regarding the needs of their communities. They will receive on-site briefings on the current response efforts and the ongoing recovery process. State agencies will also play a major role in coordinating with the Commission.

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 Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Today, the Trump Administration announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Ending DACA is cruel and morally unacceptable. This is not who we are as a country. We are not about hate or people ready to kick out young adults who were brought to this country as innocent children. Young adults who consider themselves Americans and who are proud of their country.

To end DACA is also shortsighted and works against America’s future growth and success. DREAMers make us more competitive as a nation and as a state by fostering economic growth, developing new ideas, and bettering our society. They are not eligible for welfare or any government benefits, yet DREAMers pay over $2 billion in state and local taxes each year.

Texas has always supported our DREAMers and was one of the first states to allow these high school graduates to pay in-state tuition. And the result has been tremendous — these DREAMers have excelled. They study hard, work hard, and contribute significantly to our society. Thousands have pursued their academic dreams and have entered our Texas workforce bolstering our economy. Without DREAMers our country would lose about $280 billion over a ten year period.

DREAMers live in our communities, they work with us in the Texas Legislature, they teach our children in classrooms, they provide healthcare in our hospitals, and most importantly, they are our family and friends.

We have made a significant educational investment in these students and they have not let us down. We cannot now let them down. Congress must act to provide a pathway for them to stay in our country. Legislators must put people over politics and craft a compassionate solution. I stand with these DREAMers and their families and offer support in this time of uncertainty.” 

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 Finance Committee, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs; and  Transportation as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX –  Texas’s highly successful annual Sales Tax Holiday is scheduled this year for Friday, August 11 through Sunday, August 13 and will offer Texans an opportunity to save millions in sales tax on clothing and various back-to-school items.  With the new school year almost upon us, the timing is perfect for students of all ages to stock up on clothes and supplies.

“The back-to-school season is an excellent opportunity for our Texas families to find bargains and low prices, and at the same time is an economic driver for our local businesses. I encourage you to take full advantage of the tax holiday and save more of your hard earned dollars by shopping during this coming weekend,” Senator Hinojosa stated.

Texans who shop during this weekend will not have to pay taxes on clothing, school supplies, or footwear priced under $100 and includes such items as baby clothes, diapers, and work uniforms. Items sold online as well as layaway plans also qualify. The following link to the Texas Comptroller’s webpage will provide more information and a complete list of tax-free items:

https://comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/publications/98-490/

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

A public information request was recently made to my office by Agua SUD for all documents related to Senate Bill 814, legislation I passed this session to increase transparency and curb conflicts of interests within the Agua SUD board. Today, I am releasing all information our office has on this issue, including all correspondence and documents in compliance with the Texas Public Information Act. Agua SUD should do the same and comply with all open records requests made by members of the public.

Since October of 2016 Agua SUD has received more than 30 open records requests from news outlets such as the Progress Times, The Monitor, Valley Central Channel 4, and other individuals requesting copies of all professional services agreements between Agua SUD and all the consultants they have hired. They refuse to release this public information and instead have appealed to the Attorney General’s office for an official opinion of whether they must do so.

These are taxpayer funds they are dealing with. The public has a right to know why, when, and how our government entities spend taxpayer money. Instead, Agua SUD is politicizing a taxpayer utility district for their own political agenda. I am amazed at the amount of time, energy, and taxpayer money that they are willing to waste to protect themselves and keep the public in the dark.

Agua SUD is an important utility district in one of the fastest growing areas in Hidalgo County. There must be transparency, accountability and protections of taxpayer money.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Criminal Justice; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Today, the Texas Legislature adjourned Sine Die for the 85th Regular Session. Sine Die is the last day of the 140 days every-odd numbered year the Texas Legislature meets.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Despite a difficult and challenging session, I am proud of what we accomplished this session for South Texas and the entire State. We had important legislative victories and crafted a balanced budget that takes care of Texans. This session I passed about 60 individual pieces of important legislation and secured millions of dollars for our priorities in South Texas and the Coastal Bend regions.

As Vice Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and one of five Senate conferees on SB 1, the state’s General Appropriations Act, I was involved in countless hours of budget negotiations that resulted in many of the cuts in the original version of the budget being restored.

In the final budget, I was able to secure $53.5 million for our medical school at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV). I was also able to secure first time ever funding for the Lone Star Unmanned Aircraft  Systems program at Texas A&M- Corpus Christi (TAMUCC), and $40 million for infrastructure to improve access to and from our Texas ports.

Although a tight budget for the next two years, it is fiscally responsible and invests in infrastructure, border security, healthcare, and our students. The budget will pave the way for an educated and healthy workforce and a successful Texas economy.”

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Criminal Justice; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Today, House Bill 351 authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Senator Judith Zaffirini, and Representative Terry Canales was sent to the Governor’s Desk with overwhelming approval from the Texas Legislature. HB 351 includes comprehensive changes recommended by the Texas Judicial Council to provide judges with new tools and procedures to hold low-income Texans accountable without jail time when they cannot pay their fines and court costs in criminal cases. 

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Our current system is counter-productive, and it traps people into a cycle of debt when they cannot pay their tickets and other low-level, fine-only citations. Our current practice also leads to license suspensions and arrest warrants. In 2015, fines in over 677,00 cases were satisfied through jail credit and over 230,000 Texas were unable to renew expired licenses until their fines and fees were paid off.

HB 351 allows courts to ask about a defendant’s ability to pay during the sentencing phase. After making that determination, courts would be allowed to reduce or waive fines and costs and offer community service as an alternative. In 2015, judges resolved fine-only cases with community service just 1.3 percent of the time. HB 351 seeks to put the justice system’s time and resources to more efficient use by holding people accountable while saving money and increasing public safety.”

As a condition of community supervision, HB 351 also allows a judge to require participation in a pretrial diversion program.  Furthermore, the bill extends the “Commission to Study Certain Penal Codes” to review criminal offenses outside the penal code and updates the threshold ladder for forgery crimes related to fake checks, money orders and other simple transactions to match the penalty ladder for the rest of Texas’ theft offenses.  Current law designates “fake checks” to be an automatic state jail felony. This would create consistency and keep non-violent offenders out of Texas state jails.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Today, House Bill 3649 authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and by Representative Abel Herrero was sent to the Governor’s Desk with overwhelming approval from the Texas Legislature.  HB 3649 makes communication between a domestic violence victim and their communications with family violence center advocates confidential.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Seeking lifesaving services should be safe and confidential. Thirty-nine states have some form of enhanced state-level victim information privacy protections for victims of domestic violence.  However, Texas lacks strong legal protections for private conversations between domestic violence victims and their family violence advocates.

HB 3649 shields information that family violence survivors share with victim advocates from disclosure, ensuring they can seek assistance without fear that their personal stories will be used against them. As survivors leave abusive homes for the safety of their families and themselves, this bill makes sure the state provides protection as well.” 

Over 70,000 Texans seek services every year and each of them deserves to have their private information respected.  Enhanced privacy and confidentiality stand as critical elements of fostering a therapeutic and effective environment for victims to seek help.  

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Today, Senate Bill 1136, authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and sponsored by Representative Terry Canales was sent to the Governor’s desk with overwhelming approval from the Texas Legislature. SB 1136 authorizes the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue for sporting-related facilities for the City of Edinburg.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Edinburg is experiencing rapid growth and quickly becoming a tourist destination, having just finished the construction of a 9,000 seat professional soccer arena attracting tourists from all over the state. SB 1136 will allow Edinburg to use the municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue to pay for the construction, maintenance, and expansion of the new soccer stadium and other sports related venues.

I am proud to author legislation that allows Edinburg to utilize municipal hotel tax revenue to build more sports related facilities, and at the same time attract tourists to the Rio Grande Valley so that our hotels and restaurants continue to experience significant growth and sales.”

SB 1136 amends the tax code to allow for the HOT revenue collection if certain criteria are met, specifically if the municipality’s sports facilities and fields have been used in the preceding year a combined total of 10 times for district, sate, regional, or national sports tournaments. The city has 10 years to ensure the tax revenue on the sports facilities are less than the revenues of the area hotels attributable to sporting or other events held at the facility of fiend. If not, the city will reimburse the municipal HOT revenue fund from the city’s general fund.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX – Yesterday, SB 712 authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and sponsored by Representative Todd Hunter was sent to the Governor’s desk with overwhelming approval from the Texas Legislature.  SB 712 authorizes a court to render a protective order that exceeds two years if the court finds that the offender commits an act(s) constituting felony-level family violence.  Lethal family violence felony offenses include strangulation, continuous violence against the family, continuous violation of a protective order, or enhanced assault family violence, among other felonies.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“In Texas, 158 women were killed by their intimate partner and 1 in 3 adult women are victims of family violence. The most dangerous time for victims are the weeks leading up to their escape and the weeks following.

Currently, courts may allow long-term protective orders, if there have been either two prior protective orders involving the same parties or if the offender has caused serious bodily injury to the victim. SB 712 will now include lethal family violence offenses to expand a protective order longer than two years to better protect victims.”

This session, Senator Hinojosa is working alongside fellow Nueces County lawmakers, Rep. Todd Hunter and Rep. Abel Herrero, to move a number of bills forward to end family violence. The lawmakers have also worked closely with the Texas Council on Family Violence and the Women’s Shelter of South Texas in finding the best ways to end domestic abuse.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.

AUSTIN, TX — Today, the Texas Senate confirmed the reappointment of Anne Cynthia “Cindy” Leon to the Texas Public Safety Commission for a term set to expire January 1, 2020. Cindy Leon was appointed by former Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Public Safety Commission in January 2011; served as the chairman from April 2012 to March 2017; and was reappointed as a member of the commission by Governor Greg Abbott on March 8, 2017.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“I was honored to support and confirm the reappointment of Cindy Leon to the Texas Public Safety Commission. Cindy, a resident of Mission, Texas, brings a border perspective to the Commission and a deep and personal understanding of the security issues we face on our borders. I congratulate her and her family for this honor and wish her much success as she continues to serve the State on the Public Safety Commission.”

Cindy Leon retired from a 36-year career with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. She was appointed to the position of HUD Regional Director, Region VI, by President George W. Bush on December 3, 2001 – she served in that capacity until her retirement.

Ms. Leon’s career in public service began with her first job as a VISTA volunteer in 1969. Later on, she became the Director of Native American Programs, the Director of Public Housing in the Denver Regional Office and the Director of HUD’s San Antonio office until her appointment of Regional Director – where she was responsible for the delivery of HUD programs and services to more than 33 million Americans living in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Arkansas and New Mexico.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part). Senator Hinojosa served as the Senate President Pro Tempore of the Texas Senate in the 84th Texas Legislature. Senator Hinojosa currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, and serves on the Senate Committees on Natural Resources & Economic Development; Criminal Justice; Agriculture, Water & Rural Affairs as well as the Sunset Advisory Commission.