Posted @ Saturday, April 30, 2011

Representative Mike Villarreal, Democrat of San Antonio, who in the last legislative session added the amendment to the bill by Representative Rob Eissler, Republican of The Woodlands, said the involvement of U.T. and A&M was an important piece of the plan. “That really sets the tone for the program,” Mr. Villarreal said. “It’s not about rushing students through high school. It’s really about excellence in education.”

Posted @ Friday, April 29, 2011

Austin - Today Rep. Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) strongly criticized the House Ways and Means Committee for approving a tax break for yachts at the same time that the Legislature is proposing drastic cuts to education, nursing homes, and other basic services. Yesterday the Committee, of which Rep. Villarreal is a member, approved HB 2187 by Rep. John Davis (R-Houston).

Posted @ Thursday, April 28, 2011

Austin - Early this morning State Rep. Mike Villarreal, Vice Chair of the House Redistricting Committee, voted against the proposed redistricting map for the Texas House of Representatives.  The bill, HB 150, passed on a vote of 92-52.

Posted @ Sunday, April 24, 2011

AUSTIN — A tax break for big yachts might seem like a long shot in these tough times, but a Houston lawmaker is floating the idea as an economic issue.

Posted @ Friday, April 22, 2011

In this volume of Mike's Mic, Mike compares the Senate and House budgets as they currently stand.
 

Posted @ Thursday, April 21, 2011

Save Texas Schools needs YOU on Friday, April 22, 11am-12:30pm to join hundreds of others!

Posted @ Thursday, April 21, 2011

With just a little more than five weeks left in the legislative session, I am in the thick of the fight to put our children and seniors above outdated tax loopholes.  Read my e-newsletter to find out more. 

Posted @ Thursday, April 21, 2011

The legislative process is like a labyrinth with many dead ends and a few pathways forward.  It is intended to prevent legislation - good or bad - from becoming law.  Right now one of my bills, HB 135, has won the approval of the Public Education Committee but has been stalled in the Calendars Committee, the group which determines which bills will make it to the full House for consideration.

Posted @ Thursday, April 21, 2011

Come and learn about the great slate of candidates for City Council District 1.  

April 26, 6:30 p.m. - Mark Twain Elementary School, 2411 San Pedro Avenue

Congratulations to the leaders of the Alta Vista, Beacon Hill, Downtown Residents, and Shearer Hills/Ridgeview Neighborhood Associations for partnering with the League of Women Voters to organize such an important forum.

Click here to download a flyer.

Posted @ Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Villarreal has had a rather dark view of the rationality of some of his colleagues ever since he tried to improve the state’s abstinence-only sex education programs by requiring that the information imparted be medically accurate.

Posted @ Wednesday, April 20, 2011

State Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, chided the Texas Senate Finance Committee Wednesday for failing to consider a change to the state’s “high-cost” gas exemption, which costs the state $1 billion a year in lost tax revenue.

Posted @ Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Last week, Texas Monthly spoke with Rep. Mike Villarreal about the tax exemption for high-cost natural gas drilling and its cost to the state.

Posted @ Tuesday, April 19, 2011

"We accept that this is a political process, and Democrats have about a third of the votes," said committee member Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio. "We're not drawing the map, but we do feel obligated to protect the Voting Rights Act."

Posted @ Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Social work students from UTSA are teaming up with SAM Ministries and Haven for Hope to bring musicians from San Antonio together to perform with musicians from the Haven for Hope Community. The initiative aims to promote healing through music, connect members of the Haven Hope community with one another as well as members of the larger community, and to create a transformative learning experience for students in the class. B Heard Saturday, April 30 3 - 8 p.m. Haven for Hope 1Haven for Hope Way San Antonio, TX 78207 For more information on the event, please contact Dr. Bob Ambrosino at UTSA (210) 458-2026 or Melanie Ford at SAM Ministries (210) 220-2422.

Posted @ Friday, April 08, 2011

Instead of making our own Mike's Mic this week, we are posting the Dallas Morning News' video of Representative Villarreal's lemonade stand press conference.  Texans thirst for a budget that makes big corporations pay their fair share and prioritizes public education, provides an affordable path to college, and keeps nursing homes open.  Unfortunately, revenue for public schools, higher education, nursing homes, and other investments is leaking out of the system. The Comptroller says we have $74 billion in revenue for the next budget, but she also tells us that tax exemptions cost the state $64 billion per biennium.  Without tax exemptions, we would have $138 billion. Some of those exemptions are justified, so we aren't talking about eliminating all of them. But the budget is $8 billion short of our legal obligation to schools -- surely we can squeeze $8 billion for our children's classrooms out of the $64 billion in tax exemptions. These tax loopholes leave a sour taste in my mouth. ...