4 major takeaways from Texas Sen. Charles Perry’s visit to San Angelo
SAN ANGELO, Texas (Concho Valley Homepage) — Texas Sen. Charles Perry came to San Angelo on the morning of April 17 for a meet-and-greet event in the Visitor Center. Here are the topics the senator spoke on and his plans for West Texas and the entire state going forward.
Water Supply
One of the most pressing matters on Perry’s mind is Texas’ water supply. He emphasized the importance of developing the state’s access to in-state and out-of-state water supplies so that Texans will be prepared.
“We have undeveloped water supply opportunities in the state that every region is going to need over the next 50 years, some sooner than later,” Perry said. “We need to have the conversation about when, and how, and how much it is going to cost to develop those other supplies.”
To this end, Perry stated that he has helped rural communities leverage their existing funds to improve their access to water, provided more funding to address water pipe leakages and has worked to access new sources of water located in and outside of Texas.
Perry stated that he plans to make matters related to the state’s water supply is primary focus going into the next Texas Senate session. He encouraged Texans to help start water supply discussions in their own regions in the meantime.
“The water conversation is hard because people believe that if their taps are running today, then we got all of our water needs figured out,” Perry said. “The truth of the matter is, we don’t. Areas around the state are going to find those taps dry one day and wonder why we didn’t have the conversation about preventing that.”
Border Security
Perry stated during the meet and greet that the state government’s intervention at the Texas-Mexico border has helped drive down the growth of illegal immigration.
He also addressed tensions between the Texas government and the federal government regarding Senate Bill 4, a bill authored by Perry that allows Texas law enforcement to arrest people suspected of crossing the border illegally. Despite the controversy generated by it, Perry claimed that the bill was meant to affirm state governments’ right to protect themselves and doesn’t detract from or renounce the federal government’s authority in the matter.
Rural Health Care
Another point Perry discussed was health care accessibility for rural communities. Perry stated that current discussions about rural health care across the nation gravitate toward an existing “bandwagon” of options. He then said that he would like to see Texas and United States legislature begin to explore other alternatives, naming telehealth services as a potential avenue to explore.
School Vouchers
Perry briefly touched on the public education system, where the conversation gravitated toward the subject of the school voucher system previously proposed by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott under House Bill 1. Touted by Abbott and his supporters as a method of providing parents and students with a choice of what school to attend by paying for private schooling through vouchers, the bill saw outcry from rural communities across the state — San Angelo included — due to concerns over how taxpayers dollars would be used.
Perry stated that he has remained neutral throughout school voucher discussions and claimed that he prioritized defending rural communities. He also said that his vote may no longer be needed in order to sway the conversation in favor of one way or the other, significantly reducing his leverage on the matter.
” My No. 1 job in school voucher conversations is to protect rural districts,” Perry said.
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