AUSTIN, TX — Today, the Cancer, Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) awarded the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) a Texas Regional Excellence in Cancer (TREC) $6 million grant. TREC is a grant program administered by CPRIT designed to strengthen cancer research at institutions located in regions of Texas that have historically received low levels of cancer research funding. Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, along with CPRIT Board Member Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, have been advocating for more cancer funding in South Texas.

In 2021, Senator Hinojosa wrote a letter to Dee Margo, Presiding Officer of CPRIT, stating his interest in bolstering the faculty and facilities at emerging research institutions so that they to can participate in the critical research and development occurring across medical fields, including cancer research. In 2022, Senator Hinojosa wrote a letter of support for UTRGV’s application submitted to CPRIT for this grant.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“Congratulations to UTRGV for receiving this $6 million grant award from CPRIT which will further help strengthen cancer research in the Rio Grande Valley. This grant will build on the work and investments we have made locally and with direct state appropriations to increase cancer care and research in the region. I appreciate CPRIT leadership, including Dr. Ambrosio Hernandez, for their support and this award that will allow the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer to grow and help us address cancer related health disparities in South Texas.”

The $6 million grant to UTRGV will support the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer research. This Center is focused on reducing cancer health disparities in the border region. The mission of the Center is to address and provide innovative scientific discoveries, reduce cancer-related health disparities in the Rio Grande Valley, improve the quality of patient care and serve as the leader for cancer research in the RGV.

AUSTIN, TX — Earlier this week, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa joined Senator Lois Kolkhorst as joint-author of Senate Bill (SB) 715 and Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 39, that if passed, would legalize sports betting in Texas.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“Texans are all about freedom of choice. The Legislature should provide our voters the right to decide for themselves if they want to engage in legal sports wagering. Last session, I introduced legislation that would provide voters that choice. This session, I am honored to joint author SB 715 and SJR 39 with Senator Lois Kolkhorst to give voters in November the opportunity to determine if they want to legalize sports betting in Texas. If these bills are passed, the state would be able to regulate, license and tax sports betting activity, which would bring us in line with 36 other states. Texans are already placing illegal bets on sports to the tune of billions of dollars per year – in many cases offshore sports books that offer no protections against bad actors and leave Texans with no legal recourse. The current status quo is unacceptable. It is only right that we give Texans a voice on this important issue.”

AUSTIN, TX — Today, Dade Phelan, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives announced House committee assignments for the 88th Legislature.

Senator Hinojosa released the following statement:

“Congratulations to all the House members of my Senate District 20 Legislative Delegation for their respective appointment as chairs and members of excellent committees. South Texas will be greatly represented by our members in powerful and key committees. I look forward to working with each one of them to push our priorities, pass legislation, and secure funding to improve the quality of life of Texans and keep the Texas economy strong.”

House Members in Senate District 20:

• Todd Hunter, Chair of State Affairs
• Terry Canales, Chair of Transportation
• Abel Herrero, Chair of Corrections
• Ryan Guillen, Chair of Homeland Security
• Oscar Longoria, Chair of Business & Industry
• JM Lozano, Chair of Urban Affairs
• Bobby Guerra, Chair of Resolutions Calendars
• Mando Martinez, Member of Appropriations; Vice Chair of Culture, Recreation & Tourism
• Sergio Munoz, Member of Ways & Means; Defense & Veterans Affairs

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.”