GARCIA ON THE GO
Making every day count
Friday, April 5, 2013

On March 11, I was officially sworn in as your Texas Senate District 6 Senator. It was a short and impromptu ceremony, held so that I could immediately begin my duties as your new Senator. I am humbled that you have chosen me to fight for you in Austin, and I want ed to honor every family in District 6 by getting to work as fast as possible!

A public ceremony and celebration was held on March 21 for all of our supporters and constituents. Held in Austin on the Senate floor, buses were provided from three different locations in Houston. Hundreds of family, friends and supporters joined us including Sate Reps. Armando Walle, Ana Hernandez-Luna, Mary Ann Perez and Jessica shown in this photo after the ceremony.

The Senate was presented a budget that does not adequately fund public education or healthcare. Having just finished a campaign, the conversations and concerns of the voters of Senate District 6 were fresh on my mind. Repeatedly, and like most Texans, the number one concern I’ve heard from my constituents in Houston is public education. While SB 1 included an increase of $1.5 billion compared to the previous biennium, it dramatically underfunds education and does not account for an increase in student enrollment. With the budget that was voted on, we will have the lowest per student spending in over a decade.  And, we are at 49 of the 50 states with the lowest per pupil funding in the Nation. We can do better.

Failure to restore critical funding when the Rainy Day Fund is estimated to reach $12 billion is not the correct response to the loss of thousands of teachers, the closing of neighborhood  schools, and overcrowded classrooms that have already resulted from the $5.4 billion in cuts  sustained in 2011.

I have been appointed by Lieutenant David Dewhurst to the following Senate committees, and pledge to work hard for you as I fully vet legislation considered in these committees.

Intergovernmental Relations
I am excited to serve on the Intergovernmental Relations committee, where I have been able to use my years of experience as Houston City Controller and Harris County Commissioner to formulate and shape policy that ensures local governments are responsive to the needs of citizens across the state.

Jurisprudence
Our judiciary process, regulatory agencies, and oversight committees should be transparent, fair, and understandable -- not shrouded in mystery and accessible only to special interests.  As a lawyer and former Judge, it’s my priority to ensure that access to justice is obtainable for all Texans. 

Government Organization
Serving on the Government Organization committee has allowed me the opportunity to ask hard hitting questions about accountability and transparency in our state agencies as they improve their systems to better serve the people.

Nominations
Serving on the nominations committee gives me the unique opportunity to interview and fully vet the qualifications of people who are appointed to important government positions throughout the state.

Thank you. It is a privilege to serve the constituents of Senate District 6 and I have truly enjoyed my first month in office.

I am committed to providing the children in Senate District 6, and all Texas school children, with the resources necessary for a quality public education that prepares them for future success. Our children deserve no less than this, and that is why I voted no on a Senate budget that did not, in my mind, build a better future for Texas children. Texas can and must do better to invest in our children and the future of Texas and that includes providing access to health care. I promise to work hard to ensure that Texas no longer leads the country with the greatest number of uninsured people.

Putting People First,
Sylvia