January 24, 2019 600 AM
AUSTIN – Today, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick announced Senate Committee appointments for the 86th Legislature. Senator José Rodríguez was appointed as Vice Chairman of the new Agriculture Committee, and was reappointed to serve on the Senate Committees on Transportation, and Natural Resources and Economic Development. In addition, the Senator will serve on the new Water and Rural Affairs Committee.
“El Paso has critical needs in transportation and economic development, and I am pleased to be able to sit on committees that will play a vital role on making decisions about those issues,” said Sen. Rodríguez. “Water also is critical to our desert community’s future, and the rural counties I serve include significant natural resources and farming communities.
“I will also continue to be actively engaged in the public education finance discussion. This is critical to the future of Texas and must be done right. The legislature has the funding, and there is renewed momentum to make public education the top priority,” Rodríguez said.
Texas Senate committees are the first place legislation is debated and considered after filing. A bill must be voted out of committee before it can be brought to the Senate floor for further debate and voted on by the 31-member body.
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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Agriculture (Vice Chair), Transportation, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Water and Rural Affairs.