By David A. Diaz - Legislative Media
A state constitutional amendment that is designed to bring a Veterans Administration Hospital to deep South Texas picked up a major endorsement on Tuesday September 1.
Gov. Rick Perry who was in Harlingen for a bill signing ceremony relating to a planned medical school for the Valley enthusiastically revealed his support for Proposition 8.
Proposition 8 which will be on the November 3 statewide ballot is the result of legislation spearheaded by Valley veterans and successfully carried through the Texas Legislature last spring by Rep. Ismael Kino Flores D-Palmview who was the author of the measure and Sen. Juan Chuy Hinojosa D-McAllen.
Hinojosa was the Senate sponsor of the legislation.
Rep. Armando Mando Martnez D-Weslaco Rep. Ryan Guillen D-Rio Grande City and Rep. David Leibowitz D-San Antonio were co-authors of the Valley VA Hospital constitutional amendment.
Proposition 8 states: The constitutional amendment authorizing the state to contribute money property and other resources for the establishment maintenance and operation of veterans hospitals in this state.
Governor: Vote Aye! for Proposition 8
Following the bill signing ceremony for the medical school which was hosted at the University of Texas Regional Academic Health Center in Harlingen Perry fielded questions from the audience and was asked how he will vote on Proposition 8.
Vote Aye! Perry quickly declared prompting cheers from a delegation of veterans who were part of a packed house of business and community leaders medical students and legislative leaders who gathered for the bill-signing ceremony.
That was a pretty simple one the governor grinned evidently pleased with the chance to remind voters in South Texas that he too is playing a role in helping bring a long sought-after Veterans Administration Hospital to voter-rich South Texas.
Perry who served as a pilot in the Air Force is facing a challenge in the March 2010 Republican Party primary from fellow political heavyweight U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in his reelection bid for governor.
Texas Democrats are also developing their own list of gubernatorial candidates which currently features Tom Schieffer of Ft. Worth a former state representative and lifelong businessman and Kinky Friedman a humorist and author.
Hutchison is already on board in pushing for increased medical resources for Valley veterans and is co-author of federal legislation by Sen. John Cornyn which is being carried by the Valleys congressional delegation in the House which calls for the construction of a $175 million VA Hospital in deep South Texas.
Proposition 8 allows Perry to share in the credit for state efforts to help South Texas veterans.
With the growth we see in the Rio Grande Valley I hope our friends in Washington. D.C. will do what is right what is appropriate and will not only expand the veterans services here but (bring) a Veterans Hospital that will provide service to the veterans here for years to come Perry said.
The governor noted the leadership roles taken by the South Texas legislators and singled out Hinojosa who was at the Harlingen event for his military service in Vietnam.
Chuy who is a former United States Marine he understands the importance of having a veterans facility here Perry said of Hinojosa prompting the Marine battle cry of Ooh! Rah! from several members of the audience.
Hinojosa also was a co-author of the legislation that will create the UT medical school in the Valley.
Flores Hinojosa and Martnez have promised to use their considerable influence among scores of major political business and community groups in Texas ranging from organized labor to business interests to veterans organizations to help rally support for passage of Proposition 8.
Proposition 8 is designed to help not only the Valley but to pool state and federal resources to help major regions of Texas which have large populations of veterans who need the specialized services provided by VA Hospitals Hinojosa said. The construction of a Valley VA Hospital would have a huge economic impact in the Valley for generations to come.
Endorsements requested from all top officials
Flores who was unable to attend the bill-signing ceremony in Harlingen later said the governors public support for Proposition 8 will help keep momentum for its passage on November 3.
The more big-names come on board to say they support Proposition 8 the better the chances are to help our veterans not only throughout Texas but especially in the Valley said Flores himself a U.S. Army veteran. I encourage all other major candidates for statewide office and every other elected leader from the school house to the courthouse to the White House to join this crusade for justice on behalf of our wounded war veterans and their families.
In previous legislative sessions Flores was the key architect of legislative measures that resulted in the construction of the Alfredo Gonzlez Texas State Veterans Home in McAllen and the Rio Grande Valley State Veterans Cemetery in Mission.
He also was author of a measure approved by lawmakers in the final days of the legislative session in late May which provides disabled veterans up to a 100 percent tax break from paying property taxes on their principal home.
Martnez a professional firefighter and emergency medical services expert who also is a co-sponsor of the Valley UT medical school legislation had a schedule conflict and was unable to make it to the medical school bill-signing ceremony.
Martnez said that there have been advances in increasing medical care for veterans in the Valley noting that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs finalized contracts with Valley Baptist Health System in Cameron County and with South Texas Health System in Hidalgo County to provide inpatient surgical emergency and mental health services to veterans enrolled in the VA benefits program.
However there is still a need for a full-fledged veterans hospital he added. The nearest hospital is approximately 300 miles away in San Antonio which is prohibitive for many patients.
Proposition 8 would require the Texas Veterans Commission and the Department of State Health Services to work with appropriate federal agencies to establish a veterans hospital in the Rio Grande Valley Martnez explained.
Under one major scenario being envisioned the approval of Proposition 8 would pave the way for Valley public or private entities to donate land for the site have the state government help pay for construction of the hospital and leave the costs of operating the hospital up to the federal government.
Need for Valley VA Hospital
On March 25 2009 Cornyn re-introduced federal legislation to build a top-notch VA hospital for veterans in the Rio Grande Valley. Veterans there are currently forced to drive hours and travel up to hundreds of miles for access to inpatient health care and Cornyns Far South Texas Veterans Medical Center Act of 2009 helps close the gap by authorizing construction of a full VA hospital in far South Texas to give these veterans more proximate access to inpatient medical care.
Cornyns new legislation goes a step farther than his bill from the previous Congress by using stronger language to bring a Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital to South Texas. It not only authorizes the VA to construct a hospital it requires them to do so.
In the 110th Congress Cornyn introduced the South Texas Veterans Access to Care Act which would have directed the VA to examine and then choose one of three policy options for meeting deep South Texas veterans inpatient health care needs:
- Public-private venture to provide services at an existing facility;
- Construction of a new full-service 50-bed hospital with a 125-bed nursing home; or
- A sharing agreement with a military treatment facility.
The bill would have required the VA Secretary to implement whichever option he selected. If he chose to build a new VA hospital the bill would have authorized $175 million for that purpose.
After its introduction Cornyn made several efforts to move the bill forward last Congress. In October 2007 he wrote to the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee leaders asking them to move his bill forward. On September 8 2008 he filed his legislation as an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill.
Enacted in 1876 the Texas State Constitution has been amended more than 400 times.
Proposed constitutional amendments must pass by a two-thirds vote in both houses of the state legislature to be considered on the ballot.
Proposition 8 is one of 11 amendments that will be on the statewide ballot on November 3.
During these summer months I encourage Texans to register to vote or update their registration if their address has recently changed to ensure they are eligible to cast their ballots in November said Texas Secretary of State Hope Andrade added. I hope Texans will recognize the role they can play in our states future and head to the polls this fall."
Legislative Media reports on major legislation that affects South Texans. For more on this and related stories and photographs please log on to www.EdinburgPolitics.com
