By David A. Diaz - Legislative Media
Again Puts Hispanics in Negative Light says Rep. Flores
Texas Monthly which on Friday June 5 released its list of the best and worst state lawmakers has again portrayed Hispanic and border lawmakers in a negative fashion said Rep. Ismael Kino Flores D-Palmview.
As has happened in previous years South Texas fared poorly The Rio Grande Guardian an award-winning internet political newspaper which focuses on the Texas border noted in its coverage of the Texas Monthly story which was posted on the magazines online edition.
Not one border or Hispanic legislator made the Ten Best The Rio Grande Guardian observed.
In the final days of the legislative session which ended on June 1 Flores successfully championed two major issues of statewide impact: he received approval for a bill that will provide up to 100 percent property tax break for tens of thousands of U.S. military veterans who are disabled as a result of their service to the country and he passed a bill that will require the state government to work with the U.S. Veterans Affairs Administration to build a VA Hospital in the Valley and in other portions of the state.
Also Flores played a crucial role along with other border and Hispanic lawmakers in passing legislation in late May that will place the Tejano Monument a planned bronze monument that will honor the past and future contributions of Texans of Mexican American descent on the historic south lawn of the Texas Capitol.
The Valley legislative delegation also excelled in securing passage of a bill its number one priority that will lead to the creation of a $100 million University of Texas Health Science Center in deep South Texas that will include a major medical school.
The list of accomplishments for border Valley and South Texas legislators just this session alone could fill the pages of Texas Monthly said Flores the only Valley representative on the powerful House Appropriations Committee which helped write the states $182.3 billion budget.
He said the article is just the opinions of a few writers with little understanding of the complicated legislative rules that govern the passage of laws and even less time to review the actions of 181 state lawmakers.
Readers should take the magazines story with a grain of salt particularly when considering Texas Monthlys documented history of ignoring South Texas he added. There is only one minority lawmaker on their Top 10 list even though minorities represent more than 50 percent of our states population.
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