AUSTIN, TX — Today, the Texas Transportation Commission (TxDOT) approved $218.2 million for Hidalgo County transportation projects, including $150 million for the US 83/US 281 Interchange project. The monies will come from TxDOT under the 2017 Unified Transportation Program which authorizes projects for construction, development and planning activities and includes projects involving highways, aviation, public transportation, and state and coastal waterways.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“It’s great news that the Pharr Interchange project was approved by TxDOT to receive $150 million in funding. As one of the fastest growing areas of the state, infrastructure is key to continue our economic growth. The US 83/US 281 is critical to the flow of traffic of the economies of Pharr, Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, and Weslaco.

Since last year I have made the Pharr Interchange project a top legislative priority. This funding is critical to improve our transportation system and infrastructure needs to address the congestion and bottlenecks that presently exists.

We have had many meetings with our local elected officials, the Governor’s office, TxDOT staff and leadership, including Chairman Tryon Lewis and James Bass who made a visit to the Rio Grande Valley.

Thank you to the leadership of Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, McAllen Mayor Jim Darling, Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia, the Valley legislative delegation and the Hidalgo County MPO for working together to achieve such great success for our region. The strong local support and investment from our local communities played a key role in successfully obtaining these funds.”

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 Transportation Commission (TxDOT) approved $510 million in funding for Senate District 20, including Brooks, Hidalgo, Jim Wells, and Nueces counties. The monies will come from TxDOT under the 2017 Unified Transportation Program which authorizes projects for construction, development and planning activities and includes projects involving highways, aviation, public transportation, and state and coastal waterways.

The following funding was approved for each county in Senate District 20:

Brooks County            $58.2 million

Hidalgo County        $218.2 million

Jim Wells County        $70.0 million

Nueces County         $163.5 million

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“It’s exciting news for Senate District 20 that several transportation projects have been approved by the Texas Transportation Commission to receive a total of $510 million in funding. As one of the fastest growing areas of the state, infrastructure is key to continue the economic growth of South Texas.

Transportation funding for our district projects has been a top legislative priority. This funding is critical to improve our transportation system and infrastructure needs that will greatly benefit South Texas.

Thank you for our local elected officials and leaders for working together to achieve such great success for our region. The strong local support and investment into these projects from our South Texas communities played a key role in successfully obtaining these funds.”

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 539 authored by Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa was voted out of the Senate and will advance to the House for consideration.  SB 539 requires mediators that handle child custody cases to complete 4 hours of domestic violence training.

Currently, mediators that handle child custody cases have no domestic violence training requirement. To qualify as an impartial third party, a person must complete a minimum of 40 hours of training in dispute resolution techniques and an additional 24 hours of training in the fields of family dynamics, child development, and family law. Other professionals involved in child custody cases such as parenting time coordinators and child custody evaluators must have training on domestic violence.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“In 2015, five Texas women were murdered during custody exchanges. Overall, eleven children witnessed their mothers murdered, highlighting the need for improved and safer custody solutions. Child custody mediators need the tools to identify abusive behavior in the mediation process. SB 539 will increase safety for survivors and their children by requiring domestic violence training for mediators.”

An alternative to custody litigation, mediation increasingly serves as a less expensive and more timely option. Most family law attorneys and advocates recently surveyed indicated mediation is a practice utilized with survivor parents in child custody cases. Mediators with a base level of domestic violence knowledge can help accomplish safety in the mediation process.

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, Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, joined the Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the community of Edinburg for a groundbreaking ceremony of the new Driver License Mega Center. The new driver license center will feature advanced technology that provides driver license customers with the option of reserving a spot in line before arriving at the driver license office using their smart phone, landline, or computer. Reserving a spot in line before arriving significantly reduces the time customers have to spend in the office to receive services.

As Vice Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, Senator Hinojosa was instrumental in securing the funds for the construction of the driver license mega center. Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Last session, we worked with the Legislature and DPS to ensure funding for a driver license mega center in Edinburg. For years, the Driver License Division lacked sufficient office capacity in Hidalgo County to meet today’s demand for driver license services.

With the groundbreaking today, the new facility will significantly increase our capacity in the Rio Grande Valley by 60,000 transactions per year and will decrease wait times at all our locations in the Valley. I thank our community leaders, local public officials, and DPS, who all had a strong commitment on working together to shorten waiting periods for driver license applicants. I was pleased to have been a part of these efforts to improve services to the public.”

The new facility also will include space for class C driver license skills testing as well as two testing lanes for commercial driver license skills testing – a true asset for commercial motor vehicle drivers across the entire Rio Grande Valley. Commercial driver license applicants will be able to submit their application, take the written test and the road test all at this one new location.

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 Water Development Board (TWDB) approved a request from the City of Corpus Christi for a $51.3 million loan from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund to refinance construction of the Mary Rhodes Phase II transmission line.

Corpus Christi originally financed the construction of this project through the issuance of several bonds in the open market. The City requested to refinance these variable rate bonds with funding from the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and strictly followed all the requirements of the DWSRF program. TWDB commented today that the City met all required guidelines and that while this type of refinancing rarely happens, this strategy makes good sense for Corpus Christi. Because of this loan and refinancing, the City will save approximately $8.2 million.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“I am pleased that the TWDB has approved the City of Corpus Christi to receive a $51.3 million loan to refinance this critical construction project and save our taxpayers about $8.2 million. Water security is one of the most pressing social and economic challenges of our time and is vital to the development of our society and economies.

With these funds, we can safeguard against public health concerns and continue to provide critical water services to meet the demand of our growing local communities. I applaud Corpus Christi for working together towards a unique refinancing strategy and water project.”

The City of Corpus Christi’s regional water system serves communities in seven Coastal Bend counties, including Aransas, Bee, Jim Wells, Kleberg, Live Oak, Nueces, and San Patricio. With the population growth of the service area, the City did not have the water resources to meet the increase water demand in the next ten years.

In December 2009, Corpus Christi received a commitment from the TWDB for an $8.0 million deferred loan from the Water Infrastructure Fund for the planning and design of the Mary Rhodes II project. The project consisted of the construction of a new water intake structure, booster pump station, sedimentation basin, and 42 miles of pipeline to transport water from the Colorado River near Bay City in Matagorda County to the Lavaca-Navidad River Authority’s existing Lake Texana intake pump station in Jackson County (also known as the West Water Delivery System). The City completed the design of the Mary Rhodes II project in October 2013, began construction of the project in April 2014, and substantially completed the construction in December 2016.

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 Transportation Commission(TxDOT) recommended $150 million in funding for the US 83/US 281 Interchange project in the Rio Grande Valley. The monies will come from TxDOT under the 2017 Unified Transportation Program which authorizes projects for construction, development and planning activities and includes projects involving highways, aviation, public transportation, and state and coastal waterways.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“It’s exciting news that the Rio Grande Valley has been recommended by TxDOT to receive $150 million in funding. As one of the fastest growing areas of the state, infrastructure is key to continue the economic growth of the Rio Grande Valley. The Pharr Interchange is critical to the flow of traffic of the economies of Pharr, Edinburg, McAllen, Mission, and Weslaco.

Since last year I have made the Pharr Interchange project a top legislative priority. This funding is critical to improve our transportation system and infrastructure need that will greatly benefit our local communities. It will address the congestion and bottlenecks that presently exists.

We have had many meetings with our local elected officials, the Governor’s office, TxDOT staff and leadership, including Chairman Tryon Lewis and James Bass who made a visit to the Rio Grande Valley.

Thank you to the leadership of Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez, Hidalgo County Judge Ramon Garcia, the Valley legislative delegation and the Hidalgo County MPO for working together to achieve such great success for our region. The strong local support and investment into these projects from our local communities played a key role in successfully obtaining these funds.”

Pharr Mayor Ambrosio Hernandez also issued the following statement:

“As Mayor of Pharr and Vice-Chair of the regional Hidalgo County Metropolitan Planning Organization, transportation and infrastructure improvements have been my top priority. Over the past 18 months, I have used my position to impress upon our local leaders, our state officials, and our federal partners the importance of bringing resources to South Texas to meet the demand of our growing communities.

“We have worked as a regional consortium with a long-term strategy to show that our area has the vision, the knowledge, and the commitment to plan, coordinate and implement viable, regional transportation and infrastructure projects and attract necessary funding to get them done. I am pleased that our state legislature, especially our State Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, House Transportation Vice-Chair Representative Armando “Mando” Martinez, and the entire South Texas delegation, as well as the Texas Transportation Commission, have recognized the importance of projects such as the I-69 Interchange Expansion. On behalf of our citizens, I thank them for their support.”

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 Commission on Environmental Equality (TCEQ) released a draft list of projects to receive funds through the RESTORE Act Texas Bucket 1 grant program. The list includes four projects in Nueces County and one project in the Rio Grande Valley. Senate District 20 will benefit from potentially $28.1 million in funding to provide significant environmental and economic benefits to our communities.

Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“The $28.1 million in funding for critical environmental and infrastructure needs is a great benefit to our South Texas communities. Infrastructure is key to continue the economic growth of South Texas and at the same time restore and protect our environment.

These projects will advance our infrastructure needs, restore and protect our parks and beaches, increase our local tourism and economic development, and improve the safety of our families. The strong local support and investment into these project from our local communities played a key role in successfully obtaining these funds.”

• Raymondville Drain Project – $7 million grant for Phase 2 Restoration and Flood Control submitted by the Hidalgo County Drainage District #1.

• Texas State Aquarium – $5.1 million grant for the expansion of the Aquarium to increase tourism and education in Nueces County.

• Padre Balli and Magee Beach Parks – $7.5 million grant for restoration of parks and beach clean-up submitted by Nueces County Coastal Parks.

• Removal of Unauthorized Oil and Gas Well Stubs – $6.9 million grant to remove oil and gas well stubs and associated material in Nueces County submitted by the General Land Office.

• Shamrock Island Restoration – $1.5 million grant for the restoration and protection of Shamrock Island in Nueces County submitted by the Nature Conservancy.

The RESTORE grants, a reimbursement program, are funded by federal administrative and civil penalties paid by the responsible parties from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This project list was developed as part of a very competitive process with over 200 project applications.

The full project list will be included in the draft Texas Multi-Implementation Plan (MIP) that will be posted for public comment in the Texas Register as well as on the website, http://www.restorethetexascoast.org/. During the 45 day comment period constituents will have an opportunity to provide comments regarding the projects. Comments received will be taken into consideration for the final list Texas will submit to the U.S. Treasury for acceptance.

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 –  During yesterday’s State of the State address, Governor Greg Abbott announced that he will meet with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary, John F. Kelly, in the Rio Grande Valley today.

Since 2014, an unprecedented number of immigrants have streamed into South Texas. Cities, along with other government entities, law enforcement agencies, and community partners have provided food, shelter, transportation, and medical assistance to manage the influx.

Senator Hinojosa sent a letter to Governor Abbott to request that as he meets with Secretary Kelly, they discuss ways the federal government can provide immediate financial assistance to reimburse local taxpayers for the cost and sustainability of this humanitarian relief effort.

Senator Hinojosa issued the following statement:

“Our region finds itself at the center of this humanitarian situation. To date, the cities of McAllen, Mission, Weslaco; the counties of Hidalgo and Willacy; and the Lower Rio Grande Development Council have expended over an estimated $800,000 in the dedication of resources and deployment of equipment.

The attention devoted by our local law enforcement and communities to deal with this federal issue diverts valuable resources from normal operations and on-going community concerns. Public, private, and non-profit resources have been stretched to the limit. We must ensure our local communities are reimbursed for his ongoing humanitarian situation.”

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, Senator Jane Nelson, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance appointed Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa to the Higher Education Workgroup. The workgroup will submit recommendations to the Committee regarding funding for special items.

Senator Hinojosa offered the following statement regarding his appointment:

“Investing in our institutions of higher education is key to the future growth and success of Texas.

Funding for special items in the state budget play a critical role in ensuring that our universities are providing our students with the tools they need to successfully complete their degrees. They also allow universities to collaborate with their communities to help address local challenges and respond to workforce needs. More importantly, they push the state forward to achieving our 60X30TX goal.”

Higher education special items are items in the state budget that are not supported through formula funding and support the special mission of the institution. Special items can also be used to support new academic programs or address geographic disparities and other inequities among institutions.

These items are categorized into four objectives (instructional support, research, public service, and institutional support) and five objectives at the health related institutions (residency training, research, health care, public service and institutional support).

Other members of the workgroup include: Senators Kel Seliger (Chair), Lois Kolkhorst, Larry Taylor, and Kirk Watson.

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, Senator Jane Nelson, Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance appointed Senator Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa to the School Finance Workgroup. The workgroup will submit recommendations to the Committee regarding proposals to replace the school finance funding structure with a less complicated and innovative system that meets the needs of students.

Senator Hinojosa offered the following statement regarding his appointment:

“Our current school finance funding system remains inadequate. We cannot expect to succeed as a state if we do not make smart investments in our students, teachers, and schools.

The state’s funding formula fails to provide adequate funding or distribute it fairly among school districts in wealthy and poor areas. Our children and families should not be penalized or restricted because of the neighborhood they live in. Texas must provide an equal playing field to ensure similar access to educational funds for every public school system regardless of wealth or location.

Education is the best equalizer. We must give our school children the best resources we can for them to succeed and to simultaneously ensure our state’s future.”

Other members of the committee include: Senators Larry Taylor (Chair), Paul Bettencourt, Brian Birdwell, Kelly Hancock, Kel Seliger, and Royce West.

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.