AUSTIN, TX — On Monday at 10:00 AM, the Senate Finance Committee will hold its first public hearing of the legislative session. The agenda includes an overview of the Biennial Revenue Estimate by Comptroller Glenn Hegar, an overview of Senate Bill (SB) 1, the appropriations bill, by Jerry McGinty, Director of the Legislative Budget Board, and will begin hearing from the heads of our of general government agencies. The hearing on Monday will be the first of many public hearings and meetings that will take place over the next several months to decide how the record surplus revenue will be spent for Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025. The Senate Finance Committee will be led by Senator Joan Huffman who was named chair in January of 2022. Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, will serve as vice chair.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“I’m looking forward to kicking off the budget writing process with our first hearing set for Monday at 10:00 AM. SB 1, as filed, is just a starting point. These public hearings are an opportunity for the members of the Committee to hear invited testimony from all state agencies and to get the public’s input on how our tax dollars should be allocated.

The starting point, All Funds budget, including federal funds, is $288.7 billion. This includes $130.1 billion in General Fund (state) dollars which is an increase of $11.9 billion from the previous session. This means that we are still $4 billion below the spending limit, which was adopted in November 2022, and $17.1 billion below the Consolidated General Revenue Limit. On top of that, we have an estimated $5.4 billion of the federal American Rescue Plan Act funds remaining to be allocated.

The proposed budget already includes $15 billion for property tax relief, of which $3 billion will be used to increase the homestead exemption from $40,000 to $70,000. It also includes $650 million for community colleges to increase student performance and workforce training, $600 million for school safety initiatives, billions of dollars across agencies to support mental health initiatives, and salary increases for state employees. These are just some examples of the investments already included in the budget.

I remain committed to using this opportunity with historic revenues to provide property tax relief, increasing salaries for teachers, state employees, and peace officers. I also look forward to supporting our retired teachers and investing in our roads, broadband, water and drainage infrastructure, and the electric grid. I encourage the members of the public to attend the hearings to provide input as we move forward with the budget writing process.”

The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled public hearings on SB 1 from Monday, January 30^th until Friday, February 17^th. Additional information and a list of agendas with the agencies scheduled to testify, can be found at, https://capitol.texas.gov/Committees/MeetingsByCmte.aspx?Leg=88&Chamber=S&CmteCode=C540.

The House of Representatives will soon appoint members to the House Appropriations Committee. When organized, House Appropriations will undergo a similar process hearing from all state agencies and also seeking input from the public.

AUSTIN, TX — Today, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick announced Senate committee assignments for the 88^th Legislative Session. Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa will serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. He will continue serving on the Senate Border Security Committee, the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, and the Senate Jurisprudence Committee. Earlier this session, Lt. Governor Patrick had also appointed Senator Hinojosa to the Senate Special Committee on Redistricting and named him vice chair of that committee.

This is Senator Hinojosa’s 9^th legislative session to serve on the Senate Finance Committee and 8^th session as vice chair. This is an influential leadership position that will benefit the South Texas region.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“I am honored that Lt. Governor Patrick has again entrusted me with the important responsibility of serving as Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee. I look forward to working with Chair Joan Huffman, the committee members, and House Appropriations to craft a state budget that will make significant investments that will further strengthen our communities and the Texas economy. Given the historic $32.7 billion surplus, we have a great responsibility to address critical issues such as providing property tax relief, increasing salaries for teachers, state employees, and peace officers. We will also provide additional support to our retired teachers, increase funding for community colleges and workforce training, and invest in our roads, broadband, water and drainage infrastructure, and the electric grid.

With my committee assignments this session, I am committed to working with my colleagues to bring forth practical solutions that will further strengthen our economy, ensure increased access to affordable health care for our most vulnerable, support public education funding for our students and teachers, and keep our communities safe. Above all, I will work to make Texas a better place to live and raise our families.”

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa proudly represents the counties of Nueces (part), Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part).

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX — The Texas Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 21 by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa and Senator Morgan LaMantia on January 18, 2023 to recognize and commend Corpus Christi Fire Chief Robert Rocha. Chief Rocha will be retiring on January 20th as chief of the Corpus Christi Fire Department after more than four decades of service and 11 years of leadership as chief. Senator Hinojosa presented a copy of the resolution to Chief Rocha at his retirement reception which took place at the Corpus Christi Firefighter Association Hall.

“I’m honored to present this Texas Senate resolution to Chief Robert Rocha for his service, commitment, dedication, and leadership of the Corpus Christi Fire Department,” said Senator Hinojosa.  He added, “I’ve had the honor of working with Chief Rocha since he was named chief. He has worked tirelessly to improve the department, advocate for the needs of firefighters, and take care of the needs of our Coastal Bend communities. He led his department and our city through challenging times including Hurricane Harvey, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Winter Storm Uri. We are grateful for his service and I wish him a happy and healthy retirement.”  

AUSTIN, TX — The Texas Constitution requires all Texas Senate members elected after redistricting to draw lots to determine who will serve a two-year or four-year term. After that, senators serve four-year terms for the next decade. Yesterday, senators drew lots for term length and Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa drew a two-year term.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement after drawing a two-year term:

“I am honored that the voters of Senate District 20 have placed their trust in me by re-electing me in 2020 and 2022. By drawing a two-year term, I look forward to the opportunity for re-election next year. I will work tirelessly this session to continue addressing issues that are a priority for our families, the business community, and that improve our quality of life and the Texas economy. I will do so by focusing on bread and butter issues such as education, health care, inflation, job training, and investing in infrastructure.”

AUSTIN, TX — Today, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa was sworn-in for his seventh term representing Texas Senate District 20. The ceremony took place in the Senate Chamber at the Texas Capitol.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement after being sworn in:

“I am honored to continue working representing my constituents of Senate District 20. We have 140 days to focus on addressing critical issues like border security, property taxes, affordable health care, education, workforce training, transportation, expanding broadband access, flood mitigation, power grid reliability, and human trafficking. With the $32.7 billion surplus Comptroller Glenn Hegar announced yesterday, we also have an incredible opportunity to not only fund the state’s needs, but also make significant investments that will further strengthen the Texas economy. This includes reducing high property taxes, increasing salaries for our state employees and our teachers, and investing in our infrastructure.”

AUSTIN, TX — This week, Texas Workforce Commissioner Representing Labor Julian Alvarez announced he will be departing the agency effective December 15, 2022. Commissioner Alvarez was appointed as Commissioner Representing Labor by Governor Abbott in February 2016, and reappointed in March 2017.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa released the following statement:

“Commissioner Julian Alvarez did an outstanding job as the Commissioner Representing Labor at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). I had the honor of voting for his nomination and did so without hesitation because I knew he had the experience, leadership, and knowledge needed to find solutions and serve the workforce development needs of Texans. As a native of South Texas, I knew that he understood the needs of our communities and would work tirelessly to advocate for funding and policies to increase workforce training and education for our workers.

One of the first meetings I had with Commissioner Alvarez was to discuss with him SB 1351 which I authored and passed during the 2015 session that transferred the Jobs and Education for Texans (JET) program from the Comptroller to the TWC. This program provides grants to eligible entities to teach and prepare our students with the work skills they need to succeed. These grants help our students get the essential technical skills and helps put Texans back in the workforce in today’s job market. Commissioner Alvarez was a leader in promoting the grant program and in ensuring our school districts in South Texas, along with our community colleges — Del Mar College and South Texas College, received funding.

Commissioner Alvarez regularly travelled all across our state and had an open door for everyone. He was innovative and had many excellent recommendations and implemented policies that will benefit our workers and employers for many years. He was instrumental in the expansion of apprenticeship programs by hosting conferences and meeting with industry and business leaders to educate and highlight the importance of apprenticeships to build up our workforce. These efforts led to his appointment by the U.S. Department of Labor as the Apprenticeship Ambassador.

I appreciate Commissioner Alvarez’s service to the State of Texas. His passion for workforce training, education, apprenticeships, and building partnerships will be missed at the Texas Workforce Commission but his accomplishments and successes will have a lasting impact in the lives of many Texans. I wish Commissioner Julian Alvarez much success in his future endeavors.”

AUSTIN, TX — Yesterday, the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB) approved $44 million in financial assistance for the City of Edinburg for the planning, acquisition, design, and construction of a wastewater system improvements project. The financial assistance will consist of $43,925,000 in financing and $75,000 in principal forgiveness from the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF). By securing financial assistance through the CWSRF program, TWDB estimated that the City could save nearly $11 million over the life of the financing. Edinburg will not have to increase property taxes to pay for the financing. The City will pledge revenue from the wastewater system to cover all existing and proposed debt.

The City of Edinburg currently provides drinking water and wastewater services to approximately 30,500 water connections and 25,300 wastewater connections. The proposed three-phase project will make improvements to Edinburg’s wastewater treatment plant to expand its capacity in anticipation of the growing population expected by 2030. Edinburg is the fifth fastest-growing large city in the state and ranks in the top 20 in the country. The current population of approximately 105,000 and continues to grow by an average of about seven people per day. As result, to accommodate the population growth and comply with state regulations, the project will include construction of a new plant on the north side of the City’s service area and make improvements to address capacity issues to the existing plant. In addition, financial assistance will allow the City to address existing sanitary sewer overflows and conduct an emergency preparedness plan.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“The growth the City of Edinburg is experiencing make this project necessary. The funding approved by the Texas Water Development Board ensures that the City will continue to provide drinking water and wastewater services to all residents in the future. I want to thank Edinburg officials for their continued efforts in obtaining funding for this project.”

AUSTIN, TX — Yesterday, Governor Greg Abbott announced that the City of Corpus Christi has been awarded a $1,611,159 Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grant (DEAAG) for the Wastewater Collection System Line and Manhole Replacement Projects at the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi (NASCC). Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa has been a longtime advocate for these grants. During the 2021 legislative session he supported the appropriation of $30 million for grants to military defense communities.

“These grants are critical to our military installations and allows them to build up their infrastructure, to increase the military value of their base, and help avoid a potential BRAC closure,” said Senator Hinojosa. He added, “This grant will be used to replace the deteriorating 80 year old wastewater collection system at the base, allowing it to become compliant with Department of Defense standards. The funds will be used to and install a total of 21 manholes and replace wastewater collection lines.”

The City of Corpus Christi applied for the grant in August 2022 and included a letter of support from Senator Hinojosa. The project is an important part of the continuing partnership between the City and the Navy who have committed a $2.4 million match for this project.

“I am pleased the Texas Military Preparedness Commission recognized the importance of providing these funds to the Naval Air Station Corpus Christi,” said Senator Hinojosa. He also added, “I appreciate the leadership of City of Corpus Christi Mayor Paulette Guajardo, the City Council, and City staff for working with the U.S. Navy and submitting the application requesting these DEAAG funds. I am committed to continue working to protect the mission of our Texas military installations.”

EDINBURG, TX – On Tuesday, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa was re-elected to the Texas Senate. Senate District 20 includes Brooks, Hidalgo (part), Jim Wells, and Nueces Counties (part).

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

I am grateful to the constituents of Senate District 20 for re-electing me to continue serving you as your State Senator! I appreciate the voters of Brooks, Jim Wells, Nueces, and Hidalgo Counties. I am honored that you continue to place your trust in me to keep working and fighting for the needs of our South Texas families.

We could not have succeeded tonight without the efforts of so many supporters from the Coastal Bend to the Rio Grande Valley, as well as statewide. I want to thank my family for their unending support, and each member of my campaign staff and volunteers for their strong commitment, energy, and countless hours of hard work.

I will continue to strive for common sense solutions that address problems. As we enter another year facing Covid, we must deal with the effects it has had on our economy, our workforce, and our schools. There is still much more work to be done on critical issues like border security, property taxes, affordable health care, education, transportation, expanding broadband access, flood mitigation, power grid reliability, and human trafficking. I look forward to working on these issues and more when the Texas Legislature convenes in January. I am grateful to have won another term and I remain committed to you and our families.   

Semper Fi!

AUSTIN, TX — Today, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission unanimously named Dr. David Yoskowitz of Corpus Christi as the new Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Dr. Yoskowitz will replace Carter Smith who announced in June that he would be retiring in January 2023 after serving as executive director for 15 years. 

Dr. Yoskowitz has been serving as the Senior Executive Director of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi since July of 2020. He has spent much of his career on the A&M-Corpus Christi campus, holding both faculty and administrative positions over the past 20 years.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has a $400 million per year budget and employs over 3,000 staff at 199 regional offices, state parks, wildlife management areas, fish hatcheries, and other facilities across the state. The mission of the agency is “to manage and conserve the natural and cultural resources of Texas and to provide hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations.”

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement on the naming of Dr. Yoskowitz as the new executive director:

“Congratulations to Dr. David Yoskowitz on his appointment as the new Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. As a Texan, Dr. Yoskowitz knows and understands how important the functions of this agency are to Texans. As a Coastal Bend resident and Director of the Harte Research Institute, he has played a key role and worked on research and developed policies that balance both the economic and environmental health of the Gulf of Mexico region. I have no doubt that given his graduate degrees in economics, his decades of service at the Harte Research Institute, and his passion for conservation and education, Dr. David Yoskowitz will do a great service to all Texans. I wish him much success and look forward to working with him during the upcoming legislative session.

I would also like to extend my appreciation to Carter Smith for his leadership and service to the State of Texas. He was an excellent Executive Director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. His legacy includes acquiring new public lands, successfully managing and administering grant funding approved by the Legislature for parks in many communities across the state, launching initiatives and programs for children and families to get outdoors, and for protecting our natural resources for future generations of fishermen, hunters, and our families to enjoy. I wish him a happy and healthy retirement.” 

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, Senate Committee on Jurisprudence, and the Senate Committee on Redistricting, and serves on the Senate Committees on Border Security; Criminal Justice; Natural Resources & Economic Development; Transportation, and Special Committee to Protect All Texans.