By David A. Daz - Legislative Media
Weslaco has the crucial experiences and highway system infrastructure along with superior military public safety food distribution and emergency response resources already in place or soon to come online making it the best choice to serve as the disaster relief headquarters for the Rio Grande Valley
Rep. Armando Mando Martnez D-Weslaco told fellow state lawmakers on Wednesday April 8.
In addition the Mid Valley Airport in Weslaco is centrally located to serve all regions of deep South Texas especially major coastal population centers such as Brownsville Port Isabel South Padre Island and Raymondville which usually suffer the worst damages whenever hurricanes or powerful tropical storms hit the Valley.
Weslacos legislative city and public safety leaders laid out their positions before the House Committee on Defense and Veterans Affairs which held a public hearing early that morning on House Bill 848 by Martnez.
HB 848 would require the governor to designate the Mid Valley Airport as the disaster response headquarters to better protect South Texans during times of natural and man-made catastrophes.
Those and other advantages of the Mid Valley Airport were highlighted by Weslacos top leadership despite public opposition registered by the Edinburg City Council which f avors a rival bill which is being carried by
Rep. Aaron Pea D-Edinburg.
Peas version House Bill 2152 is identical in language to Martnez HB 848 with the exception that Peas bill substitutes the words South Texas International Airport at Edinburg for Martnez Mid Valley Airport designation.
Pea filed his HB 2152 several weeks after Martnez first filed HB 848.
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