Lines in the Sand

Photo By John Anderson

Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos

Capitol Phone: 512/463-0114

"My agenda has got to remain somewhat fluid," says Barrientos, "but it will include teachers, kids, and state employees." Indeed, he's become the teachers' go-to guy in the Senate, and he'll be working the education beat again this session. "Teachers in Texas are still not average compared to the rest of the country," he said. "They need health insurance." Barrientos says he'll work on legislation to provide health insurance for teachers, and also on a pay raise for state employees and an attempt to get children enrolled in the Children's Health Insurance Program.

"I've also got an issue I've been looking at," Barrientos said. "I should hold a press conference on it soon. We've got 150,000 people in prison, and 54% of them are not violent offenders. The TDCJ was asking for $544 million for 8,000 new beds and an additional $172 million to run the prisons. They have since backed off, but what our office is doing is pushing for $50 to $80 million to put the nonviolent offenders into drug- and anger-management, to divert them into rehabilitation programs instead of sending them into prisons where they are locked up with cold-blooded killers." Barrientos says that alternative rehab programs for nonviolent offenders will take some pressure off the prison system and allow the state to increase salaries and hire more prison guards "to keep people from escaping from our prisons." Barrientos has also filed a bill to provide for immediate DNA testing of individuals convicted of sexual assault. "If the [evidence indicates] the accused perpetrator is not guilty," Barrientos says, "we can get him out of this system."

Barrientos' take on the census data that informs redistricting is somewhat different from that of his Republican colleague Jeff Wentworth. Barrientos sees most of the growth on the border and in South Texas, and along the San Antonio-Austin corridor. "That's where you logically have to look at putting the two congressional seats," he said. And while the Republicans -- who control the Senate, the Legislative Redistricting Board, and both executive offices, have the advantage in redistricting, Barrientos said, he isn't ready to roll over in a partisan fight. "We have 15 members of this Senate," he said of the 31-member body. "If they want to play hardball, you can count on 11 Democrats coming together if we are getting pillaged." The Senate's two-thirds rule requires two-thirds of the body to vote to bring any issue to the floor, so the Democrats can block any plan they don't agree with.

Barrientos has represented Travis County since 1985 and has thus far filed four bills.