Senator Hinojosa passed bi-partisan legislation to study the expansion of the cruise industry in the Coastal Bend area which holds the potential to bring hundreds of new jobs to the area. Hinojosa serves as Co-Chair of the Cruise Industry Committee, which is conducting an economic impact study to help determine how the legislature can aid expansion of the cruise industry along the Texas Coast. This effort, along with Hinojosa’s support for Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, the Port of Corpus Christi, small businesses, and the millions he’s helped secure for infrastructure is helping fuel the Coastal economy.
- Collaborated with Texas A&M -Corpus Christi (TAMCC) and county and local governments to achieve the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) designation for TAMCC to be selected as one of only six entities nationwide that will develop Unmanned Aircraft Systems research and test sites. This designation will be a great economic boost adding thousands of jobs and millions of dollars to our South Texas economy.
- Senator Hinojosa was appointed to the Joint Interim Committee to Study Water Desalination, the process of converting salt water into fresh water so it is suitable for human consumption and irrigation. This is an important component of any solution to Texas’ water shortages, and it is critical that the Coastal Bend and South Texas is at the forefront of these discussions.
- Passed legislation requiring the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to take over the greenhouse gas permitting program from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). With Texas as the permitting authority for greenhouse gases, businesses and industries can obtain air permits more efficiently and with less costs so that they can create the jobs our communities need sooner.
- Crafted the Texas Enterprise Zone Program to create jobs in economically distressed communities by providing businesses with performance-based incentives to locate and invest in economically distressed areas. It has proven to be one of the most successful economic programs in Texas. From 2000 to 2013, Senate District 20 has received more than $3.1 billion in investment from our local businesses.