The Republicans in the House of Representatives recently voted to cut $36 billion in spending on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, a.k.a. food stamps) - all while the need for food stamps is increasing at an unprecedented rate.
An unfortunate (but unsurprising) byproduct of the current economic reality, food stamp enrollment reached an all-time high in 2011: 45 million people across the U.S. - or one in seven people - received SNAP benefits, showing an increase of 70 percent between 2007 and 2011. Three-quarters of these households include a child, a person age 60 or older, or a disabled person. And in a sign of the times, even advanced degree holders have had an increase in need for food stamps: "Of the 22 million Americans with master's degrees or higher in 2010, about 360,000 were receiving some kind of public assistance."
When funding for nutrition assistance falls short, people in need turn to food banks. But they don't have enough to go around either. Celia Cole, CEO of the Texas Food Bank Network, spoke out against the cuts:
"Feeding our neighbors is a shared responsibility. Food banks will not be able to make up the difference from this proposed cut, and Texas families will suffer the consequences if it becomes law."
Fortunately, despite the popularity of cutting spending generally, most people actually don't want it cut from SNAP: a recent public opinion poll found that 77% of voters (and 63% of Republican voters) oppose cutting SNAP to reduce government spending. So perhaps there is hope that the funding cuts won't come to fruition, or at least won't be as dire.
SNAP only provides about $1.50 a meal, or roughly $30 per week per person. As far as government benefits go, it's not a lot of money. You may have heard about Mario Batali joining the ranks of those who attempted the food stamp challenge this week, which involves eating only what food stamps can cover. The answer: not much.
But for 45 million people, it can mean the difference between having a complete meal or going hungry.
It may be the last race on your Democratic ballot, but it can be one of the most important: the race for your local Democratic Party County Chair.
Exemplary county chairs build the Democratic party in their area, recruit candidates, expand turnout programs, and play a big role in winning crucial elections. The role can be a tough needle to thread, as chairs must work well with activists, candidates, officeholders, and donors, and make sure the party stays focused on activities that actually win elections for Democrats. It's a thankless, tiresome, and unpaid job, and we commend those who do it year after year. The people who run and win these positions are key to turning our entire state blue, inch by inch and county by county, and we urge voters to look into the candidates for this race and support the person best capable of organizing strong GOTV programs and recruiting the best candidates to run and win.
With that in mind, Burnt Orange Report is endorsing several uncontested county chairs in recognition of their tremendous party building efforts, and also endorsing in select contested races where we believe there is a compelling reason to support one candidate.
On May 14th, Texas District Court Judge, Stephen Yelenosky, released a letter stating his intended ruling in a lawsuit seeking to reverse an air pollution permit which would allow the massive Las Brisas power plant and port addition to be built next to downtown Corpus Christi. The permit, issued by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), allows the proposed 1,320 megawatt power plant to emit massive emissions of toxic pollutants into the air.
Environmental Integrity Project attorney Erin Fonken, representing the Sierra Club in the lawsuit, said:
The court has announced that it intends to rule against the TCEQ because, in issuing the permit, TCEQ committed a number of critical legal errors. Among the legal errors are TCEQ's failure to require the new power plant to comply with the Clean Air Act's protective air toxics standards and the failure to adequately account for the millions of tons to petroleum coke that will be dumped and piled on site before it is burned in the power plant's main boilers.
A Valero Refinery Looms Over Refinery Row Neighborhoods Where Las Brisas Would Be Built
Las Brisas (the name is Spanish for, ironically, “the breezes”) would be located in the thin stretch of land between IH-37 and the Nueces River known as “Refinery Row.” In addition to 16 massive refineries and several chemical plants, Refinery Row is home to a number of small neighborhoods that contain a large portion of the city’s African-American population.
One of these neighborhoods, Dona Park, has a history as one of the most polluted places in the state. Residents of Dona Park have lived for years with dangerous levels of lead, arsenic, and cadmium pollution from the Encycle metal smelter located, literally, across the street from this modest community. While a 2011 TCEQ study of Dona Park residents and soil did not show unsafe levels of these toxic pollutants, a 2011 StateImpact Texas interview with local residents shows a deep distrust of that assessment. “There's a lot of birth defects, learning disabilities caused by the lead," said longtime resident Tammy Foster. "You've got kids born with no ear, miscarriages, cancer, Alzeheimer's, mysterious tumors on pets. Just all kinds of bizarre things.”
If Las Brisas were built, it would emit “approximately 12 million tons per year of greenhouse gases, as well as thousands of tons per year of dangerous pollutants that contribute to smog pollution and health impacts such as asthma attacks and heart disease,” according to the Sierra Club. As it is a plant built on speculation and not to meet current needs, the plant faces strong opposition from city officials, business owners, and local residents.
“The Las Brisas proposal is still the wrong answer for Corpus Christi,” said Flavia de la Fuente, with Sierra Club. “The city is taking such strong steps toward being a more livable, sustainable place. Proposals to further tie Corpus Christi to dirty coal and petroleum coke industries, like Las Brisas and potential coal export projects, are a step in the wrong direction. This court decision is great news for the leaders and residents who are working so hard to build a brighter future for Corpus Christi.”
US Representative Blake “Ducky Pajamas” Farenthold (R - 27th District), however, is a big fan of Las Brisas. He considers attempts to halt construction on the petroleum coke fired behemoth to be “another example of backdoor regulation.” There are several Democrats running to unseat Farenthold (including Ronnie McDonald, Rose Meza Harrison, and Jerry Trevino), but the 27th looks to be a strong Republican district this cycle.
(Kristin Houle, Executive Director of the Texas Coalition Against the Death Penalty, brings us this upsetting news about another potential wrongful execution here in Texas. - promoted by Katherine Haenschen)
An article published in the Columbia University Human Rights Law Review sheds new light on the case of Carlos DeLuna, who was executed by the State of Texas in 1989. Read articles in The Huffington Post and The Guardian for powerful summaries of this shocking case.
One of the most thorough investigations of a criminal case in U.S. history, the article "Los Tocayos Carlos: An Anatomy of a Wrongful Execution" uncovers evidence that Carlos DeLuna was likely innocent of the 1983 murder of Wanda Lopez in Corpus Christi. The article also provides compelling evidence of the identity of the real killer - Carlos Hernandez - a violent and dangerous man who was well-known to law enforcement yet was ridiculed by prosecutors as a "phantom" of DeLuna's imagination during his trial.
Everything that could go wrong in a death penalty case did so for Carlos DeLuna, a poor Hispanic man with childlike intelligence who maintained his innocence from the time of his arrest to his execution just six years later. Among the many issues calling into question the reliability of DeLuna's conviction are:
A single cross-ethnic eyewitness identification conducted at night, at the crime scene, while the suspect was in the back seat of a police squad car;
No corroborating forensics and a sloppy crime scene investigation;
Grossly inadequate representation at the trial and appellate levels, including failure of his court-appointed attorneys - one of whom had never tried a criminal case in court, let alone a capital murder case - to present any witnesses or mitigating evidence during the sentencing phase; and
Prosecutorial failure to turn over potentially exculpatory evidence to the defense.
Carlos Hernandez boasted for years around Corpus Christi that he committed the murder for which DeLuna, who he called his tocayo (twin or namesake), had taken the fall. Indeed, the two Carloses looked so similar that their families mistook photos of the men for each other.
The execution of an innocent person represents the ultimate failure of our criminal justice system. That mistake is compounded when the real perpetrator remains free to commit more violent crimes. While DeLuna was on death row, Hernandez's violence against women continued and he eventually was sent back to prison, where he died in 1999.
Carlos DeLuna's wrongful conviction and execution highlight many of the flaws that persist in the broken death penalty system. Since 1973, 140 people - including 12 in Texas - have been exonerated from death rows nationwide due to evidence of their wrongful conviction. For most, it took decades to secure their exonerations.
All of the factors that sent DeLuna to the execution chamber - faulty eyewitness testimony, shoddy legal representation, and prosecutorial misconduct - continue to put innocent people on death row today. Cameron Willingham, Ruben Cantu, Gary Graham, and Troy Davis, to name only a few, were executed despite doubts about their guilt.
Los Tocayos Carlos is based on an 18-month investigation by Columbia Law School Professor James Liebman and a team of students.
The youth sent to the Texas Juvenile Justice System are some of the most chronic delinquent offenders in the state. Ninety-three percent are boys, 79 percent have unmarried parents, 78 percent are Hispanic or African-American, 62 percent need alcohol or drug treatment, 56 percent are from low-income families, 42 percent need mental health treatment and 36 percent have been abused or neglected. And they also have really good ideas about how to improve the juvenile justice system.
In late April, a group of youth with experience in the juvenile justice system spoke at the Capitol about their recommendations to make the system more effective. The Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS), a nonprofit association of organizations that serve youth in at-risk situations, hired this team of young people who met at the Capitol every other Saturday throughout the school year to learn about advocacy, brainstorm ideas and practice public speaking. To inform their recommendations, they attended state-level policy meetings, read professional reports, interviewed practitioners involved in the juvenile justice system and surveyed their peers.
After several months of training and preparation to become advocates, the youth presented their ideas to policymakers and practitioners involved in juvenile justice at the Texas State Capitol. Their recommendations addressed topics including family conflict, law enforcement, the intake process at lock-up facilities, the court system, mental health services and re-entry services for when youth are transitioning back home:
Offer youth sufficient opportunities to talk with their parents over the phone when they are detained, prior to a court hearing. This will give them time to resolve conflicts with their parents and help ensure their parents will support them in the courtroom and upon release.
Youth should be provided with life skills and job training opportunities while in the system, as many face the reality of finding work difficult once they are released. As one of the young people said during a training meeting, "We don't know how to do the things that you need to know to be adults. I don't know how to write a check or talk in an interview."
Lack of skills, coupled with returning to tough environments, are among the reasons they cite for youth returning to the juvenile justice system or to adult prison.
Probation officers should work with youth to ensure that terms of their probation (for example, ankle monitors and meeting times) do not exclude them from participation in sports or other extracurricular activities. Those activities may be key to staying out of trouble.
Assist youth with obtaining important identification documents and reaching milestones related to adulthood. For example, help youth complete driver's education and obtain a driver's license.
Youth should be allowed to admit themselves into emergency shelters without parent/guardian approval.
Though common-sense, these ideas are the types that may not come to light unless the people experiencing the system actually speak up about it.
TNOYS will be working with the Austin nonprofit Media Awareness Project to get the youths' presentations on film so they can continue to share their ideas with people who were not able to attend the Capitol event. In the meantime, it's worth thinking about how many policy areas would be improved if the people experiencing broken systems were empowered to speak up.
Last week, the federal district court in Washington, D.C. accused the state of Texas of dragging its feet in preparing for the July 9 trial in the Voter ID case.
In its order scolding the state and attempting to hasten the progress of the case, the court ordered Texas that by the end of the day on May 9, the lead counsel of record for Texas certify "without equivocation, under oath, and in good faith" the following:
1. Texas can "comply fully with every deadline, term and condition set forth in this Order;"
2. "Texas has completed production of all relevant databases to the United States, and will produce to Defendant-Intervenors by May 9, 2012" all underlying data and supplemental information necessary for comparison and analysis;
3. "Texas will produce all non-privileged documents to Defendants [United States]... without imposing a further qualification for documents that are not 'of public record.'"
4. "Texas will not require the service of a subpoena to produce any witnesses (or documents in the possession of a witness) from current state legislators or their staff, the Texas Legislative Council, the Department of Public Safety, the staff of the Secretary of State, the staff of the Lieutenant Governor, or the staff of the Governor."
5. "Texas will not assert any new privileges as to any documents or witnesses other than those already represented to this Court."
6. "Texas will not violate any further discovery deadlines or Orders from this Court and will comply fully and in good faith with such discovery."
This article is part of a series of profiles on contested Democratic primaries around Austin and across the state of Texas. These articles do not constitute an endorsement. They are for informational purposes.
One of the more hotly contested local races in Travis County this year is for Precinct 3 Constable. Incumbent Richard McCain has represented the district -- located in western Travis County -- since 2005, when he defeated an incumbent Republican. McCain is facing a primary challenge from Sally Hernandez, chief investigator in the county District Attorney's office. A constable is a peace officer whose role is to serve civil process papers like subpoenas and warrants as well as to direct crime-fighting forces within their precinct.
Let's meet the candidates:
Sally Hernandez is a graduate of St. Edwards University who started her career in 1981 working at the Llano Sheriff's office. In 1988, she began working for the Precinct 3 Constable's Office for Constable Kevin Miskell. In 1992, Hernandez served as Sergeant Investigator in the Travis County District Attorney's office. In 2005, Hernandez became Chief of Investigations -- her current position -- under Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.
Hernandez has been endorsed by the vast majority of Democratic clubs, including the Austin Progressive Coalition, Capital Area Progressive Democrats, University Democrats, and the Austin Tejano Democrats. Hernandez says there's a broad base of support for a new constable in Precinct 3 from voters dissatisfied with McCain's "inability to work with others." Hernandez argues that this hurts citizens of Precinct 3 by hampering the effective communication of their community's law enforcement with surrounding communities. Hernandez describes herself as a cooperative, community-minded public servant who can bring a new focus to Precinct 3. "I have mentored a number of women who have gotten out of prison and have successfully transitioned back into our community," Hernandez told BOR. She is also committed to helping more women find careers in law enforcement, claiming that McCain only hires women during elections. Hernandez is very pleased with her level of support thus far in the campaign. "I've been overwhelmed by the number of people who have become part of the campaign. It's very humbling to have people devote their time and resources," she said.
"Constable is a service position," Constable Richard McCain told BOR. "It's about serving the community with law enforcement that needs to be fair and unbiased to keep the corruption out." McCain touts a record of increasing patrols for neighborhoods, fingerprinting more than twenty thousand children in Travis County for the Missing and Exploited Children Identification Program, and decreasing civil process response times.
McCain has been constable since 2005, and has a total of 16 years in law enforcement. He describes himself as an able community-focused public servant who isn't distracted by local politics. He argues that Hernandez has swept the local Democratic club endorsements because "the same fifty people belong to all the clubs; it's the façade of politics, not the real thing." He also rejects Hernandez's implication that he only hires women at election times. "Sally Hernandez is the only one who has made that claim...Half of my staff is women." He also explained that he couldn't possibly hire women only during elections because of the high cost of background checks, and points out that he is a single parent of a daughter to whom he has dedicated his life.
McCain's core argument is that he has been the humble constable Travis County needs, and they can see that in his results. Hernandez argues that there is an unmistakable dissatisfaction with McCain's ability to cooperate with other county law enforcement agencies, and Precinct 3 needs a change in constable leadership. This is an intense race, and it's ultimately the voter's judgment call into whose corner they fall.
Garnet Coleman is a progressive champion who deserves another term in the Legislature. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him for HD-147.
Coleman is a spectacular legislator, an unabashed progressive, and a champion for the poor and powerless. He is a leader in the Texas Legislature working to make bills more effective and more progressive. Outside of the Capitol he works hard to elect Democrats up and down the ballot to give our party more support at all levels of government. As we wrote in our legislative preview, Coleman is a strong Democrat and party loyalist who walks the walk, and he not only deserves another term, he deserves to be in a chamber with a Democratic majority so he can really show what he can get done.
Burnt Orange Report unanimously and enthusiastically endorses Garnet Coleman for re-election to HD-147 and urges all Democrats and progressives to support him.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
Joseph Carlos Madden has already been working hard to fight for our progressive values in the Legislature as a staffer. He's the best choice to follow Rep. Scott Hochberg, and we unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him in HD-137.
There are a lot of first-time candidates on the ballot this year, but few are as qualified and knowledgeable about the workings of the Legislature as Joseph Carlos Madden. Madden has served as Chief of Staff for progressive champion Garnet Coleman, and also as the Executive Director of the Legislative Study Group. He has already reviewed and analyzed thousands of bills that have come to the floor of the State House to determine their impacts on Texas families. Ask Madden a question about a policy issue, and be prepared for an answer that is as rapid, thorough, and thoughtful as if he wrote the bill himself.
Madden's Hispanic cultural background fluency in Spanish are an asset in this diverse, multicultural district. He was the first member of his family to graduate from college, and worked his way through the University of Texas as an electrician's apprentice, simultaneously interning at the HDCC and for Democratic representatives. As a precinct chair he has worked hard to elect Democrats in Harris County, and been actively involved with the local party. Madden is an outstanding Democratic candidate in every way possible, and will be an exemplary member of our Democratic caucus.
This will be a close race, with four solid candidates running to replace Rep. Scott Hochberg, and we expect it to go to a run-off. Of Madden's opponents, we commend Jamaal Smith on his work in the legislature and for the Harris County Democratic Party, and are pleased to see him making his first run for office as well. However we give the edge to Madden for his tireless work to make Texas a better place, and his tremendous experience as a legislative staffer.
Madden has the experience and legislative know-how to step into Hochberg's seat and make an immediate difference for working Texas families. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him in the Democratic primary for HD-137.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
Of the solid candidates in HD-101, Chris Turner is the strongest campaigner and will be the best legislator. We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse him for election in the Democratic primary.
The new HD-101 was drawn as a safe Democratic district in Tarrant County, and has attracted three solid candidates. However, we think that Turner is the best of the bunch, in terms of his abilities as a legislator, credentials as a Democrat, and talents as a campaigner. In 2008 Turner was elected to the state house. As a freshman legislator in the minority party he was still able to be an effective leader and pass several pieces of legislation, including measures to stop seniors and customers from being gouged by utility rate hikes and legislation that allowed the children and widows of deceased veterans use the benefits their loved ones earned while serving our country. He's probably best known for creating a lottery ticket that serves as a funding mechanism for the Fund for Veterans Assistance, which provides emergency funding for veterans in need and counseling for returning vets suffering from PTSD. The program has already generated over $15 million in revenue for Texas veterans.
Turner also has a solid background as a Democratic organizer. He managed Congressman Chet Edwards' campaign for four cycles, keeping the Democrat in office despite his Republican district. He also worked for the Tarrant County Democratic Party as Executive Director, working hard to build the party.
Turner has two opponents. One of them, former State Representative Paula Pierson, is a distinguished public servant and would make a fine legislator. Unfortunately, HD-101 can only send one of these two former state representatives back to Austin. We think that Turner was more effective when he was in the state house, and will be a better representative of this bright blue district.
Burnt Orange Report unanimously and enthusiastically endorses Chris Turner in the Democratic primary for HD-101.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
Toni Rose is the most trustworthy Democratic candidate in HD-110. We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse her for election in the Democratic primary.
Rose is a mental health professional with a history of Democratic activism. Her perspective on mental health issues will be crucial in the Legislature, and her experience will allow her to advocate for programs that support mental health across Texas. Rose received a degree in criminal justice, which provides her with expertise particularly important to this South Dallas district. The intersection of her work in mental health and knowledge of the criminal justice system will enable her to lead on these issues.
Rose has a long record with organizations actively involved in bettering her community. She served as 2nd Vice President to the local NAACP, and Vice President of Voter Outreach with the League of Women Voters of Dallas. She is also involved with the United Negro College Fund, Texas Coalition of Black Democrats, and Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She also served on the City of Dallas planning and judicial nomination commissions. Her grassroots activism and deep involvement with the people of this district make her the better choice.
We have serious concerns about her opponent Larry Taylor, owing to his Republican primary voting history. In 2008, he did not vote in the Democratic primary for Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton -- he voted in the Republican primary, apparently caring more about local Republican races than helping to elect the country's first African-American president. HD-110 is the most Democratic district in the state, and as such voters should elect a staunch Democrat who works to build our party and support our values year after year.
Rose is the candidate we trust the most. We unanimously and enthusiastically encourage voters in HD-110 to support her in the Democratic primary.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
Tina Torres is a staunch advocate for families and children, and will bring a strong female voice to the San Antonio state house delegation. We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse her for election to HD-117.
Torres is an attorney with a strong record of community service. She was raised in a family with a staunch commitment to bettering the community -- her mother was a teacher and the first Hispanic woman elected to the State Board of Education, and her father was a San Antonio city council member. Part of her law practice includes family law, and she has served on the boards of non-profits that advocate for families and children. We are particularly impressed that she is a volunteer with CASA, a non-profit that trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children who are under the protection of the court. Her on-the-ground experience in the community will make her a forceful advocate for the needs of children in her district, especially as Republicans in the legislature fight to take away programs that help low-income families succeed.
When Torres entered the race, some Democratic operatives in the area expressed the sentiment that it wasn't "her turn." Real leaders don't always wait their turn. They seize the opportunity to make a difference. Additionally, we believe that a strong female voice is a necessary and valuable addition to the San Antonio delegation in the lower chamber.
Torres has demonstrated strong campaigning prowess since entering the race, and raised substantial funds in a short time. We believe she will be the strongest challenger to incumbent Republican John Garza, who ousted Democrat David Leibowitz in 2010. It is crucial that we take this seat back, and fill it with the strongest advocate for all people in Texas, especially those who are most routinely victimized by Republicans in the legislature. In our opinion, Torres is the best person to do exactly that.
We unanimously and enthusiastically endorse Tina Torres in HD-117, and encourage voters to support her in the primary and general election.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
Mary Ann Perez is the strongest candidate in the open race for HD-144. We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse her in the Democratic primary and general election.
Perez is a Houston Community College Board of Trustees member and heavily involved in her kids' schools, as well as with Hispanic community organizations. On the HCC board she has developed partnerships with area employers to help prepare a qualified workforce. She works as an insurance agent, and as a member of the Legislature, she will be a tireless advocate for quality education and job creation. She is the strongest candidate in the primary and the general election.
The 144th shifted in redistricting to become a genuine swing district, one that has voted for Democrats and Republicans at all levels of the ballot. Incumbent Ken Legler decided not to file, likely choosing to retire rather than run and lose in November. The 48.2% Spanish surname voter registration number suggests that a Hispanic Democratic will be the strongest candidate to win in November. Both Republican candidates are Hispanic, which could be a factor in this district in terms of splitting the Hispanic vote come the fall.
We think Perez will run the strongest campaign all the way through the finish line in November and win this seat for the Democrats.
We enthusiastically and unanimously endorse Mary Ann Perez in HD-144 in the Democratic primary and general election and encourage voters to work hard to elect her in both.
Endorsements are made based on a weighted consensus of the staff, which guides the type and tone of endorsement. Members of the Burnt Orange Report staff employed by campaigns abstain from voting on those races.
It may be the last race on your Democratic ballot, but it can be one of the most important: the race for your local Democratic Party County Chair.
Coleman is a spectacular legislator, an unabashed progressive, and a champion for the poor and powerless. He is a leader in the Texas Legislature working to make bills more effective and more progressive. Outside of the Capitol he works hard to elect Democrats up and down the ballot to give our party more support at all levels of government. As we wrote in our legislative preview, Coleman is a strong Democrat and party loyalist who walks the walk, and he not only deserves another term, he deserves to be in a chamber with a Democratic majority so he can really show what he can get done.
There are a lot of first-time candidates on the ballot this year, but few are as qualified and knowledgeable about the workings of the Legislature as Joseph Carlos Madden. Madden has served as Chief of Staff for progressive champion Garnet Coleman, and also as the Executive Director of the Legislative Study Group. He has already reviewed and analyzed thousands of bills that have come to the floor of the State House to determine their impacts on Texas families. Ask Madden a question about a policy issue, and be prepared for an answer that is as rapid, thorough, and thoughtful as if he wrote the bill himself.
The new HD-101 was drawn as a safe Democratic district in Tarrant County, and has attracted three solid candidates. However, we think that Turner is the best of the bunch, in terms of his abilities as a legislator, credentials as a Democrat, and talents as a campaigner. In 2008 Turner was elected to the state house. As a freshman legislator in the minority party he was still able to be an effective leader and pass several pieces of legislation, including measures to stop seniors and customers from being gouged by utility rate hikes and legislation that allowed the children and widows of deceased veterans use the benefits their loved ones earned while serving our country. He's probably best known for creating a lottery ticket that serves as a funding mechanism for the Fund for Veterans Assistance, which provides emergency funding for veterans in need and counseling for returning vets suffering from PTSD. The program has already generated over $15 million in revenue for Texas veterans.
Rose is a mental health professional with a history of Democratic activism. Her perspective on mental health issues will be crucial in the Legislature, and her experience will allow her to advocate for programs that support mental health across Texas. Rose received a degree in criminal justice, which provides her with expertise particularly important to this South Dallas district. The intersection of her work in mental health and knowledge of the criminal justice system will enable her to lead on these issues.
Torres is an attorney with a strong record of community service. She was raised in a family with a staunch commitment to bettering the community -- her mother was a teacher and the first Hispanic woman elected to the State Board of Education, and her father was a San Antonio city council member. Part of her law practice includes family law, and she has served on the boards of non-profits that advocate for families and children. We are particularly impressed that she is a volunteer with CASA, a non-profit that trains volunteers to advocate for abused and neglected children who are under the protection of the court. Her on-the-ground experience in the community will make her a forceful advocate for the needs of children in her district, especially as Republicans in the legislature fight to take away programs that help low-income families succeed.
Perez is a Houston Community College Board of Trustees member and heavily involved in her kids' schools, as well as with Hispanic community organizations. On the HCC board she has developed partnerships with area employers to help prepare a qualified workforce. She works as an insurance agent, and as a member of the Legislature, she will be a tireless advocate for quality education and job creation. She is the strongest candidate in the primary and the general election.
