“…a rider authored by state Rep. Chuck Hopson (R-Jacksonville) stipulates that the private company would have to show a $10 million savings by privatizing a hospital over a four-year period.”
“State Rep Chuck Hopson, a Jacksonville Republican, authored the bill after a two-year-old and a 12-year-old in his district were killed by vicious dogs. He says, as the law stands now, it clearly isn’t a deterrent. So, he wants to make the punishment stronger.”
“Two prominent cases in Rusk County in East Texas convinced State Representative Chuck Hopson, a pediatrician, that more had to be done. The death of 10-year-old Justin Clinton in 2009 and 2-year-old Kaden Muckleroy in 2010 led Hopson to team with Representative Mark Shelton to strengthen the penalties in cases where the victims of attacks are children or elderly.”
More than 40 government, community and business leaders traveled to Austin on Tuesday to meet with state legislators.
The trip, billed as “Rusk County Days,” was organized by the Henderson Area Chamber of Commerce. Most of the group rode a chartered bus to Austin for the two-day event.
State Representative Chuck Hopson briefed the group on recent action on the state budget during a luncheon Tuesday afternoon. Tuesday evening, State Senator Kevin Eltife gave his perspective on the budget debate.
Wednesday morning, the group was recognized by both the House and Senate during the opening portion of the day’s business.
“The Texas House of Representatives passed the omnibus spending bill HB 1 at 11 p.m. Sunday. Of the 317 amendments considered in the final hours of debate, state Rep. Chuck Hopson (R-Jacksonville) added a rider which will make it more difficult to privatize any of the state hospitals.”
“House Bill 612, authored by Rep. (R) Chuck Hopson, is designed to increase penalties for timber theft and accidental harvesting.
“We have timber stolen pretty regularly in East Texas,” Hopson said. “The way things are now, it’s the (value) of the timber harvested times three (for a fine) and that’s the current law.””
“At a time when rural Texas is struggling to meet its needs, it is more important than ever to have the support of members like Rep. Hopson.”
“This will be one of the toughest legislative sessions Texas has faced,” Hopson said. “Texas must address an unprecedented budget short fall, pass much needed voter identification legislation, and redraw legislative districts.”
The budget that we have is the amount of money it will take to educate the number of kids that we have now. And both of them are getting kids every day.
We’re the second fastest growing state in the United States. We’re getting a lot of kids coming in daily, and we’re not budgeting for them right now in this initial budget – so we’ve got to address all that too.”
Manufacturers PAC of Texas (MPACT) Endorses
State Representative Chuck Hopson
AUSTIN – The Texas Association of Manufacturers (TAM) political action committee, the Manufacturers PAC of Texas (MPACT), today announced its endorsement of incumbent State Representative Chuck Hopson (HD-11) for his reelection in 2010.
“Representative Hopson received our endorsement due to his tireless efforts to advocate for a strong manufacturing climate in Texas. As a result, he has helped strengthen an industry that provides and creates jobs with the highest average salaries in the private sector, for workers in his district, as well as statewide,” said Warren Mayberry, Chairman of MPACT.
“In this global economy, it is extremely important for Texans to elect leaders who understand the positive impact of maintaining and expanding the state’s manufacturing industry. Representative Hopson not only gets it, he is a champion of our industry” added Luke Bellsnyder, Executive Director of TAM.
Manufacturing is the engine that drives prosperity in Texas and across the United States. It is central to our economic security – creating high quality jobs and benefits, and providing significant tax revenue for schools and other government services.
For a complete list of the Texas Association of Manufacturers’ policy principles, please visit www.manufacturetexas.org.
MPACT is the Political Action Committee for the Texas Association of Manufacturers that represents over 450 businesses ranging in size from small enterprises to some of the largest companies in the state with thousands of employees. TAM members comprise every sector of the manufacturing industry across Texas.
Jacksonville, TX – Over the last two weeks, Representative Chuck Hopson has received several new endorsements in his campaign for reelection. Among the groups and organizations who announced their support for Hopson is the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) and Texas State Rifle Association (TSRA) PAC.
“As a lifelong defender of the 2nd amendment, and co-author of the “Castle Doctrine” which allows citizens to protect themselves in their homes without fear of prosecution, I am honored to receive the endorsement from both the National Rifle Association and the Texas State Rifle Association,” said Hopson.
Hopson also received endorsements from the following:
Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND
Texas Department of Public Safety Officers Association
Texas State Teachers Association
Texas Apartment Association
Texas Association of REALTORS
Texas Nurses Association (RN/APN PAC)
“Welcome to ChuckHopson.com! I hope that you will find information here that is both useful and interesting, and that you'll continue to provide me with your input and ideas.
Representing District 11 in the Texas Legislature is truly an honor. Let’s continue to work together to make our region and our state an even better place to call home.”
