Affordable Housing for Texas

          Late this afternoon, Representative John V Garza's HB 1576 passed the House for a final vote and now goes to the governor's desk for approval. The bill would require appraisal districts honor any examinations by the IRS for tax exemptions for affordable housing. It basically allows builders to more freely create homes for those in need, without being speculated by two separate entities, this bill will eliminate that redundancy. 

Private Schools Still not Allowed to Compete in the UIL

           47 states allow private schools from competing with public schools, both academically and athletically. Late tonight, Texas remained one of the three states to not include them in UIL competition.
       
          Senator Dan Patrick's (R-Houston) SB 1214 was not able to be voted on in time for the deadline at 12:00 AM Wednesday morning. District 117 Texas State Representative John V Garza sponsored the bill in the House and was disappointed to see the time expire. However, if there is a special session in the summer, who knows where it will appear as an amendment? And, even then, we will not stop fighting to allow private schools compete. It is good for the kids, the parents, and Texas as a State.

Working for our Veterans

     The National Veterans Outreach Program stopped by our offices today to thank Texas  District 117 Representative John V Garza for sponsoring SB 327 which would allow veterans services like the ones based in San Antonio be contracted by government agencies. 

Carlos Martinez is the President of the National Veterans Outreach Program (NVOP) of the American GI Forum. Yolanda Suarez-Senior Vice President of Business Operations.

The National Veterans Outreach Program, is a Veteran Service Organization, is headquartered in San Antonio Texas with field office throughout the State of Texas.

They provide job training, job placement for veterans of all era’s.

Also, The NVOP started one of the first Veterans Homeless Centers in America.

As a Veteran Service Organization (VSO), The American GI Forum National Veterans Outreach Program, Inc., or NVOP as many refer to it, is a 39 year old organization that has served veterans with special challenges to employment since its founding in 1972. It is an organization that has cobbled many opportunities together to create an extensive continuum of care for veterans considered by many across the country as unique and innovative.

The Key Players in SB 341

The Texas House of Representatives
Have been dealing with BexarMet legislation for years.

SAWS Chief Robert R. Puente
Supports his company consolidating BexarMet. 

Bexar County State Rep. Lyle Larson
Supports SAWS management of BexarMet

State Rep. Jose Menendez
Sponsors the bill in the House

State Representative John V Garza
Will not support a bill without provisions that
provides representation for the rural communities.

BexarMet General Manager Tom Gallier
Believes his water company can be reformed.

State Senator Carlos Uresti
Introduced SB 341

Here is a list of BexarMet ratepayers, and other groups who oppose this bill without Rep. Garza's amendments:

Public Education Summit

Rep. John V Garza meets with the superintendents from his district.

     On May 10th, 2011 in the Members Lounge of the Texas Capitol, District 117 Representative John V Garza (R-San Antonio) invited the superintendents of his district to talk and work together in addressing the current state of Texas public education. The participants included: Mrs. Michelle Carrol-Smith (Lytle ISD), Mr. James Stanseberry (Medina Valley ISD), Dr. John Folks (Northside ISD), Dr. Juan Antonio Jasso (Southside ISD), and Dr. Lloyd Verstuyft (Southwest ISD).
    
     The group met with Rep. Garza and his staff on the issues most pertinent to their districts and public education as a whole. They addressed numerous problems with the current system in terms of equality of apportionment and brought to light the inconsistencies of government mandates and available resources. The meeting was ended with a visit by Chairman of the Committee on Public Education Rob Eissler (R-The Woodlands) who explained the present and future state of education in Texas. "What's neat about Bexar County is you're already meeting and talking together, and you're on the leading edge of what's coming; and that is finding ways to do your job better, without a lot more money," he said.

     Rep. John V Garza saw the meeting as a positive step in joining with the leaders of education in his district, to solve the problems that face Texas' Public Education.

HB 2761 Passes on the Floor

 

       To help create and maintain a more transparent and accessible Home Owners Association in Texas, Rep. John V Garza (R-San Antonio) introduced and helped pass HB 2761 late tonight. The bill would require that all records of HOA meetings in Texas be kept open to the public in an archive. This way, homeowners and property owners would have access to the information that they need.

      Th bill passed with an engrossed vote tonight.

Rep. Garza Introduces Emergency Bill to Aid Texas Volunteer Firefighters (HB 3863)

A truck is forced to turn around by a fire in Potter County, Texas. (Wildfire Today)

     In Texas, so far, over 2.2 million acres have been burned by the devastating wild fires rampant throughout the state. A total of 1,100 buildings have also been destroyed including hundreds of homes. The effort to contain and stop the fires have fallen to the brave firefighters of the state. This is not an easy or cheap task, with costs estimated at $2 million a day (KTXS News). Over 500 men and women work throughout the day to put out the fires that ravage the Texan landscape. Much of them, volunteers that rely on fundraisers to pay for their costs.

     This is where the fundamental problem lies. The State only permits two tax exempt fundraisers for volunteer firefighters every year. Seeing that this year alone; containing the fire looks to be an incredibly expensive task, firefighters need to find means to create revenue to pay for equipment and support.

     That is why State Rep. John V Garza (R- San Antonio), has introduced a bill that would help aide the fighters by allowing them 10 tax exempt fundraisers for the next two years. In House Bill 3863, volunteer firefighters are allowed to make more money and fund their efforts in protecting the State and the people living in the threatened homes.

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