Legislative Achievements
During the 80th Legislature, Guillen favored the expansion of the Texas Children's Health Plan (CHIP), which provides affordable quality health coverage for children. He helped pass the expansion of CHIP to include funding for vision, dental, mental and home health, and hospice services. Guillen also helped pass a bill that allows for the issuance of up to $500 million in general obligation bonds for student loans, more than doubling the previous allowance.
During the 81st Legislative Session, he filed and passed legislation creating a drainage district to protect Starr County residents from flood waters. He favored the expansion of CHIP funding for vision, dental, mental and home health, and hospice services.
In the 82nd Legislature, despite steep budget cuts Guillen successfully filed and passed more bills than any other Representative in the Texas House. He fought against cuts to education funding and passed bills improving public safety and government efficiency.
The threat of violence from across the border has always been a concern for Representative Guillen. He worked to pass the $110 million Border Security measure and represents the Texas House of Representatives as a member of the Border Legislative Conference. The conference brings together legislators from ten U.S. and Mexico border states to address environmental issues, resolve problems, and leverage economic opportunities for the hard-working families on both sides of the border.
Representative Guillen was instrumental in providing $13 million and adding 181 new employees to the Texas Veterans Commission for veteran job training. Another bill he supported exempted veterans of conflicts related to the September 11, 2001 World Trade Center attacks from paying tuition for state universities.
Guillen believes student potential is dependent on family, community, and teachers; therefore the representative filed a bill for the fiscal security of the teacher retirement fund and supported higher teacher salaries. Guillen has also worked toward allowing community colleges to offer four-year degrees and "reach out" to high school students in need of career and technical training.
Read more about this topic: Ryan Guillen
Famous quotes containing the words legislative and/or achievements:
“Freedom of men under government is to have a standing rule to live by, common to every one of that society, and made by the legislative power vested in it; a liberty to follow my own will in all things, when the rule prescribes not, and not to be subject to the inconstant, unknown, arbitrary will of another man.”
—John Locke (1632–1704)
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—Simone Weil (1909–1943)