Herrero, Ortiz, Jr. to Host Hearing on Corpus Christi State School

Today, State Representatives Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) and Solomon Ortiz, Jr.  (D-Corpus Christi) announced they will host a public hearing on incidents and issues related to the Corpus Christi State School. Numerous cases of abuse, exploitation, and neglect are alleged to have occurred at the school, a residential facility for people with mental retardation/developmental disabilities.

"We cannot wait for the next legislative session to address these issues," Rep. Herrero said. "State school clients and their families need assurances now that conditions at the state school will improve."

Representatives Herrero and Ortiz have put pressure on state agency officials to improve conditions at the school and have called on legislative leaders to explore possible reforms.

"The purpose of the hearing is to get at the root of the problems at the state school," Rep. Ortiz said. "We must make sure the state is living up to its obligation to treat people with disabilities with dignity and respect."

The hearing will be sponsored by the Legislative Study Group, a caucus of the Texas House of Representatives chaired by Representative Garnet Coleman (D-Houston).

"I commend Representatives Herrero and Ortiz for taking on this very important issue," Coleman said. "It's imperative to stand up for the residents of our state schools and start finding ways to improve the system."

The hearing will begin at 9:00am on Wednesday, September 5th, at City Council Chambers in the Corpus Christi City Hall, located at 1201 Leopard Street.

State agency officials, advocates, community members, state school employees, clients and their families are invited to testify at the hearing. To arrange to testify at the hearing, please contact Rep. Herrero's office at (361) 882-2277 or Rep. Ortiz's office at (361) 991-0047.

Bush Administration Rules Harm Efforts to Insure Children

Last month both houses of Congress passed a reauthorization and expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), the joint state-federal program that provides health insurance for millions of children whose parents make too much to qualify for Medicaid but can't afford private insurance. 

Congress comes back from its August recess September 4 to meet in a conference committee to iron out the differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill. (For an excellent elaboration on the differences between the two bills and what makes a good SCHIP reauthorization bill, click here to read a thorough policy paper from the Center for Public Policy Priorities).

Yet Congress' progress is imperiled by a veto threat from President Bush, and today the New York Times reports that the Bush administration is implementing new rules that will stifle efforts to insure more children in this country ( click here to read the article from the New York Times). Those rules include:

• Imposing waiting periods for enrollment (like the 90-day waiting period the Texas Legislature eliminated this past session)

• Requiring states to cover 95% of children at or below 200% of the poverty level before allowing them to enroll children above 250% of the poverty level

• Charging co-payments and premiums that approximate the cost of private health insurance coverage

You can read the letter from the Center for Medicaid and State Operations outlining the new rules by clicking here.

No state has met the standard of covering 95% of children at or below 200% of the poverty level, so that rule effectively bars states (including Texas) from ever expanding their CHIP programs to cover children above 250% of the poverty level. Additionally, Texas has had such a terrible experience with its 90 day waiting period that it eliminated it in HB 109 this past session. Why would we impose on the nation something that clearly hasn't worked in Texas?

It's important to stay in touch with your member of Congress on this issue. Click here to find your member of Congress, and tell him/her that nothing should stand in the way between our children and the health coverage they deserve.

I promise to keep you up to date on this issue. As always, please don't hesitate to contact my office with any questions or comments by responding to this e-mail or calling 713-520-5355.