The San Antonio Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Council was honored to welcome Representative Barbara Gervin-Hawkins (TX District 120) and Representative Ray Lopez (TX District 125) for a panel discussion on military support and veterans’ issues in preparation for Texas’ 88th Legislative Session. Both representatives have served on Texas’ House of Representatives important Defense and Veterans’ Affairs Committee in previous sessions and have championed supporting our military men and women in and out of uniform for many years.
Facilitated by the Chamber’s Military Affairs Council Chair Rick Crider, Port San Antonio’s Executive Vice President for Airport/Railport & Military Relations, the representatives were able to share insights from their experiences with their constituents and highlight potential advocacy items in the 2023 State Legislative Session.
“The state is committed to our military families and individuals who serve. By San Antonio being Military City USA, we should never stop asking and strive to take on issues that are relevant and supportive to our members - Ask and where we can, we will deliver,” relayed Gervin-Hawkins. Initiatives that she will continue to track surround support for the military’s LGBTQ+ community and their families, as well as an intense focus on approaching mental health priorities in nontraditional ways. She hopes to reach people where they are, “If people do not know about or have access to these services, the organizations are not being utilized.” Creating a comfortable conversation around mental health issues to our military by establishing genuine connections and promoting the work of organizations who support them is vital. Gervin-Hawkins also provided remarks on actively pursuing education opportunities for a smooth transition for active military, spouses, and veterans who can obtain reciprocity from their skillsets to gain teacher certifications.
Representative Ray Lopez charged the Council with prioritizing an emphasis on outreach to provide local services to the homeless population, to include our veterans who find themselves in hard times. His goal will be to create spaces to have open-minded conversations about controversial issues during this next legislative session and is currently working on priorities in advance of the beginning of next year. Lopez looks to bring awareness to increased efficiency and effectiveness of Veterans Affairs outreach, as well as advocating to help military service members who have a less than honorable discharge and may be unable to find employment after their time of service. He also suggested we continue to find ways to support the access to care for our veterans through support for telehealth and telemedicine programs, which will require advocacy of funding and resourcing.
“The business community has a large voice and has historically become engaged in many legislative initiatives. We must find those issues that create the win-win for both business and the state, and then our military members will benefit greatly,” said Gervin-Hawkins.
The Chamber is in the process of finalizing the State Legislative Agenda. For any Military Affairs related issues, please reach out to Lori Stinson, Vice President of Military Affairs and Leadership Development.