El Paso will have strong voice in key senate committees: Sen. César J. Blanco
Fully staffed offices, constituent-filled halls, eager lawmakers, and assigned Senate Committees - The Texas Capitol is buzzing again and the 88th Texas Legislature is officially in session.
This week, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced Senate committee appointments for this session and El Paso won big with our assignments. I am truly honored to have been appointed to The Senate Committees on Health & Human Services; Natural Resources & Economic Development; Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs; Veteran Affairs; and Border Security. Membership on these committees will give El Paso a strong voice on key issues impacting our region.
Across the over 15,000 square miles that make up Senate District 29, quality healthcare is not easily accessible for residents, making our region historically medically underserved. By sitting on Health and Human Services for my second session, I will continue working towards meaningful solutions. A heavy focus will be placed on bolstering our healthcare workforce to address the medical profession shortage; expanding healthcare for new moms to reduce the maternal mortality rate, particularly for minorities; addressing food insecurity; and lowering the uninsured rate by expanding Medicaid. Fighting to ensure Far West Texans have access to quality and affordable healthcare is an essential priority.
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Senate District 29 includes both urban and rural communities, vast natural resources, and beautiful landscapes. From the Franklin Mountains and Hueco Tanks to the Big Bend and Balmorhea, our district has the most state park land in all of Texas, serving as a major economic engine in our region. We need to protect our public lands and invest in maintenance and acquisition efforts to grow our state park system for future generations.
Our region also produces abundant energy resources and as a result, plays a critical role in supporting our state’s energy security and keeping the lights on for all Texas families, and driving down energy costs. On the Senate Committee on Natural Resources & Economic Development (NRED), I will work to ensure Texas builds on its status as the 9th largest economy in the world, a global energy leader, and a national leader in creating new jobs, while being good stewards of our environment. Locally, I will continue to advocate for policies that bring investment and new good-paying jobs in the Paso Del Norte Region.
While the City of El Paso is mostly urban, neighboring communities and counties are heavily rural. Too often, rural communities are left behind - but I am committed to ensuring that that is not the case for our rural communities in Far West Texas. Texas is stronger when rural Texas is stronger!
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During the interim, traveling across the District, I had numerous conversations with constituents and local leaders in rural Far West Texas who don't care about partisan issues, but kitchen table issues that impact them every day. I'm looking forward to having a seat at the table on the Senate Committee of Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs to fight for water security to help our region grow and prosper, better healthcare closer to home, and broadband connectivity to prepare our kids for the workforce of tomorrow. All while directly supporting our farmers, ranchers, and agricultural industries.
Over 48,000 veterans call our region home and I’m proud to be included in that number as a Navy Veteran. For that reason, sitting on the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs is near and dear to me. We need to continue supporting those who have served and ensure veterans make a successful transition from service to civilian life by providing better access to healthcare, housing, higher education, employment, food security, and economic security. Two sessions ago, I passed a law that added mental health first aid in the Texas Veterans Mental Health Program, and we will build on that progress to continue to address mental health and veteran suicides.
One of the more defining traits of Senate District 29 is the fact that we are a border community. In fact, Senate District 29 spans over 350 miles along the Texas-Mexico border. We are a proud, vibrant, and welcoming community. But we are not without our challenges. In recent years, El Paso has been ground zero for the immigration and border security debate. Although immigration and border security are the responsibility of the federal government, Texas has increasingly dedicated state resources toward border security with little oversight and accountability. Let me be clear-- the State of Texas should not be in the business of border security or enforcing immigration law. Texas taxpayer dollars should be going toward schools, hospitals, roads, and critical services that families need. However, as long as state leaders continue to prioritize border security spending, as a member of the Senate Committee on Border Security, I will continue to push for accountability, more cost-effective measures, and humanitarian solutions. If Texas is going to be in the business of border security we need to make sure that border communities and NGO's on the front lines have the support and resources they need to provide humanitarian assistance, help migrants reach destination hubs to reconnect with families and support private property owners who experience damage to their property caused by human traffickers and smugglers.
These committee appointments are a huge win for El Paso and I look forward to delivering results for our families and communities. Let’s get to work!
César J. Blanco is Texas State Senator, District 29.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: El Paso will have strong voice in key senate committees: Sen. César J. Blanco
