position: absolute; Miller claimed there havent been many rural hospital closures during his tenure, citing that a majority go back to 2005 a decade before he became commissioner. .widget-value {
At the top of Millers list is stopping China from buying farmland in the U.S. And Miller does want to expand and fully implement medical cannabis use. Both have deep Texas roots, but Sid Miller and Susan Hays offer RELATED: A conversation with incumbent ag commissioner Republican, Sid Miller. width: 50px; And she believes she would be the right agriculture commissioner to see the task through. Not always. text-align: left; margin-top: 1px; And the other reality we need to deal with is that cannabis products are already here. font-weight: bold; SAN ANTONIO - Susan Hays is a Democrat candidate Texas Agriculture Commissioner. It does not allow people access who deserve it and need it. Find yours here. In 2019, she advocated for and helped craft the Texas law allowing any hemp product with less than 0.3% THC. None of them are credible.. } Well, you anticipated what I was going to ask, because when you started talking about hospitals, I thought, agriculture commissioner, really? } the governor has said he does not support legalizing the drug, Beto ORourke, the Democratic nominee for governor, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH), Gov. Since 2010, there have been 27 rural hospitals that have closed in 22 communities, according to the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH). Editorial: We recommend Susan Hays in Democratic primary for Susan Hays did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey. U.S. Congress | We have the science on what it helps and what it doesnt., Legalizing medical marijuana would still depend largely on the Republican leadership in Texas Abbott, Lt. Gov. What can you tell them that might convince them to vote for a Democrat for this position? display: block; Thats awful to do to people. The states agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout. So are we, thats why were fighting back against the right-wing lie machine. She said a top priority is to address the rural hospital shortage by revitalizing agriculture programs now rotting in the basement that can boost rural economic development and rural hospitals. [My husband and I] largely live in Alpine, and we spent the pandemic watching nervously. In the face of historic crop losses from the drought, Miller, who has acknowledged humans have contributed to climate change, said producers will be turning to crop insurance. top: 0px; background-color: white; They want better for Texas, but paint different pictures of what that is. Take, for example, rural health care. .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} Voters can still cast votes without those IDs if they sign a form swearing that they have a reasonable impediment from obtaining a proper photo ID or use a provisional ballot. letter-spacing: .04em; The latitude its grown in really matters. } .results_row td:first-child { Candidates for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, incumbent Sid Miller (R) and Susan Hays (D) In the coming November election for Texas Governor, Lt. The arrest didnt seem to affect the outcome of the primary, which Miller won with more than 58% of the vote. Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Democratic challenger Susan Hays. There are a lot of farmers in Texas, family farms that go back generations, and there are a lot of farmers sitting at dinner tables late at night going through the bills, and they just dont see how they can stay in business. Incumbent Sid Miller defeated James White and Carey Counsil in the Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. Troy Nehls strange spat with Capitol Police and more, listen in the audio player above. Throughout her legal career, Hays worked at the Texas Legislature and the Texas Supreme Court, and co-founded Janes Due Process, a legal services nonprofit for pregnant minors. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy, Susan Hays has said often on } They have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. .votebox_legend { position: relative; Election Day results are unofficial because officials still have to account for late arriving mail-in ballots, ballots from military or overseas voters and provisional ballots. Voters who vote by mail can use an online tracker to check the status of their mail-in ballot. }. Texas is one of 12 Republican-controlled states that havent expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act. For local elections, you can find results on your countys website. Find more details here. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy, Susan Hays has said often on the campaign trail. School districts | Miller also led Hays 51%-40% among almost certain voters in a poll late last month by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { display: inline-block; Well, Ill start by saying Sid Miller needs to focus on his own job and quit throwing out red-meat sound bites. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { overflow-y: auto; letter-spacing: .03em; } } display: table; Susan Hays: Seeing how poorly that agency is run and the notorious graft and corruption. } But for too long, fear-mongering politics have hijacked and overshadowed conversations about what communities actually want and need to build real safety. Check if youre registered to vote, Not always. And yet, you think about, well, what about the ag department? New HBO Max series Love & Death anchors a Texas true crime story in the human condition. Get the latest. Its estimated that Texas would receive $6.3 billion annually, and coverage would be expanded to include 1 million enrollees. color: white; State and local courts | .widget-row.heading { Oct. 20, 20225 AM Central. Unfortunately for Texans, weve had an agriculture commissioner whose seven-year tenure has been full of ethical lapses and embarrassing errors in judgment. Every Texan deserves to feel and be safe. } Running for: Texas Agriculture Commissioner. And I watched that hospital stumble and not do well because of the economics of it. vertical-align: middle; Susan Hays also discusses her ideas for sustainable agriculture. Hays promotes practices that could help farmers boost their crop growth even with Texas changing climate. Susan Hays: Candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner color: #888; She sees the office as a way to help improve health care for farmers and rural communities. } font-weight: bold; display: inline; I was thinking when you were talking about drafting the hemp law Miller embraced it, as I recall now. } Hays has questioned Millers ethics and pointed to his controversies. Its a sleeper issue in this race.. Dan Patrick has been very adamant against marijuana legalization. And thats already happening in Texas. The results have been certified. font-size: 12px; Hays has more than doubled Millers fundraising efforts, reporting more than $111,500 to his $48,000, according to Oct. 11 campaign finance reports. Texas agriculture commissioner Miller cut ties with Smith but said his arrest was politically motivated. Texas leads the country in rural hospital closures. U.S. President | Public policy. font-weight: bold; And its particularly awful given the crisis thats ongoing with our rural hospitals. I spent the pandemic in Alpine, and I now pretty much live there. color: white; Texas farmers and ranchers are facing tough financial hardships from the effects of the drought and extreme heat. Susan Hays, Democratic candidate for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. It provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers, offers infrastructure grants in rural communities to attract development, markets Texas products and oversees measuring devices in grocery stores. } margin-top: 1em; You describe yourself as the first cannabis super lawyer. padding-left: 8px; Two Democrats, Hays and Ed Ireson, are running to put an end to Millers bumbling reign. A Conversation with Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Susan .race_header { While my campaign is over, the fight to restore integrity at the Department of Agriculture isnt, said Hays in the statement. .results_table { Any and every one of those controversies that have been falsely charged against me or some of my people have all been disproven. color: black; The job of this office is to maximize that. Susan Hays (Democratic Party) ran for election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. The agency is also responsible for helping rural hospitals with financial aid and technical assistance through its rural health division. Susan Hays. Several studies, reports and courts have found that voter fraud is relatively rare, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. The other Their visions of government, and its responsibilities, are worlds apart. .top_disclaimer { She directly against the corruption surrounding the selling hemp licenses for absurd prices ($25,000 vs. the expected $100). Source. Listen to her full Inside Texas Politics interview to learn more. And its not because we want giveaways to farmers farmers arent the type to take them. Race for Texas agriculture commissioner: Republican incumbent Sid Miller, Legalizing marijuana is a hot issue in the race for Texas agriculture commissioner, Hemp has been legal in Texas for three years. } Im running z-index:1; .election_results_text { The fight to expand Medicaid, save rural hospitals, and create a thriving rural economy, isnt. AUSTIN The race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner has focused less on the positions responsibilities and more on the controversies involving the Republican incumbent throughout his almost eight years in office. Your opponent is an incumbent with a whole lot more name recognition. GOP leaders say ballot shortage was targeted at Republicans. clearInterval(nTimer); Op-Ed: How This Election Is Putting Real Safety On The Ballot In Texas. div.oneoff-scrollbox.short { height:250px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } Hays has an extensive legal background, including as a cannabis attorney. Meanwhile, another 4 million Texans struggle with hunger and food scarcity because of inflation. width: 100% Miller banked $48,000 during the same period. A lot of what I witnessed has now led to the commissioners political consultant being indicted for trying to sell $100, unlimited hemp licenses for tens of thousands of dollars to the unwitting. } Susan Hays - Ballotpedia Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. The job of this position is to bring as many federal dollars back to Texas as possible. Ballot measures, Who represents me? margin-bottom: 0; font-style: italic; Hes proven himself to not be trustworthy.. .votebox-results-metadata-p { Hays At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. This will be Millers third term in the role. .inner_percentage.Democratic { You look at maps of where theres medical cannabis and Texas usually is counted as not having a program at all, because its such a joke. You must have known something. For more on the week in Texas politics, including U.S. Rep. Ive been a civil appellate lawyer for some years, and as I shifted my practice, I was named super lawyer in the cannabis category. .widget-row.Republican { Our medical cannabis program is comically rudimentary. }) } padding-left: 0; Miller opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Texas. Incumbent Sid Miller defeated Susan Hays in the general election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on November 8, 2022. Aside from Millers corruption, when you have a leader thats disengaged, its hard to get things done. .widget-row.Democratic { color: #0645ad; And not just traditional criminal black market, but PTA moms from Dallas come from Colorado with products. padding-bottom: 5px; However, polling locations may change, so be sure to check your countys election website before going to vote. Hays argues that if you dont also legalize and regulate, the black market will only continue to grow in the state. (Opinion), Israeli-Palestinian progress means mutual recognition (Opinion), Huffines: Lege property tax cut proposals are Band-Aid solutions, Ten Commandments don't belong in Texas public schools (Opinion). border-radius: 50%; font-size: 1.25em; background: #4c4c4c; If you voted through a provisional ballot because of an administrative issue or photo ID problem, you should receive a notice by mail letting you know if your ballot was counted by Dec. 2. Miller, a De Leon native, lives in Stephenville, where he began his political career as a school board member. Photo courtesy of Susan Hays The race for Texas agriculture commissioner is smokin maybe not by any popular political science metric as Texas Texas agriculture commissioner Horrors Of Texas Abortion Ban Recounted In The Senate, What The Latest Mifepristone Ruling Means For Texans, Banning Medication Abortion Is Deeply Unpopular, Documentary Sheds Light On Black Maternal Care. Instead of just throwing out press releases, attacking groups of peoples, or mimicking national red-meat politics. How is this playing out in socially conservative Texas? Hays believes it could be a cash crop opportunity for farmers and a boost to the Texas economy. font-weight: bold; Paper ballots are also stored in locked boxes and must be preserved for at least 22 months after an election. Do you value our journalism? Incumbents are bolded and underlined. $('.hideResponses').hide(); Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Early voting ended Nov. 4. Sid Miller and Susan Hays compete for Texas agriculture Miller continued, Together with the legislature and all of you, we will pass compassionate use, fund our rural healthcare, ban China from buying TX lands, and unleash our resources to meet our water and power needs for the next 100 years!. Medical marijuana becomes focal point in race - Spectrum News In recent days that speculation has solidified, with sources telling Texas Signal that by Jessica Montoya Coggins | Apr 26, 2023.float:right; And what I fear right now is that as the market gets further and further ahead of the government, its going to be harder to put some of the genies back in the bottle.. } Hays says after that, the state must figure out how to get more health care workers in rural Texas, such as providing rural students more incentives to enter medical school. To help people live better lives. background-color: green; Which is the exact opposite of what an AG Commissioner ought to be doing. I would get three different answers from three different people. overflow-x: scroll; By not legalizing marijuana, she said the state is missing out on economic development opportunities and tax revenues that could be used for health care funding. margin-right: 10px; Hays says number one, the state should expand Medicaid. As for the marijuana issue, Hays differs from her opponent, Republican incumbent Sid Miller, in that she wants to legalize marijuana, while Miller is only advocating expanding access to medical marijuana. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. One of the problems of getting into hemp, the varieties of hemp that are for sale arent predictable. Theres been so many closures. background-color: #db0000; text-align: left !important; With his signature cowboy hat and pressed blue jeans, Miller, 67, is the old-school image of a Texas cowboy. overflow-y: hidden; Sid Miller, who was elected in 2014, is seeking a third term as agriculture commissioner. font-weight: 200; Susan grew up in rural Texas in the middle of ranching and hunting country. font-size: 12px; .indicate_scroll { I was lucky to come of age politically at a time when people tried to make government work and what I see too much these days is leadership thats not even trying to govern. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. width: 100%; overflow-y: hidden; The results have been certified. display: inline-block; His opponent, Democrat Susan Hays, a former Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman, has made Millers ethics baggage a central message of her campaign. } Disclosure: Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. She directly against the corruption surrounding the selling hemp licenses for absurd prices ($25,000 vs. the expected $100). padding-left: 10px; line-height: 1.5em; Seeking ag commissioner job, Democrat Susan Hays focuses on So financially, theyre pretty sound, Miller said. padding-left: 10px; .widget-row.Libertarian { .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} p.survey-question {font-weight:bold;} And he touts the Texas Sunset Advisory Commissions review of the agency from 2021 in which the department was called well-managed.. And its not as easy to grow it and grow it well as people might think. Whether its Miller or Hays in office next year, the agriculture commissioner has several issues coming to a head. Securing a third term with strong support across rural Texas, the Republican pledged to expand medical use of cannabis and funding for rural health care. People arent afraid of it anymore. Texas Agriculture Commissioner It sounds like maybe the Legislature would be more of a fit, if youre talking about the kind of sweeping changes youre suggesting. However, hemp in Texas hasnt lived up to expectations. And Ill take the hemp program as an example. $('#candidate-connection-email-105181').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-email'); }); Another reason Texas leads the nation in rural hospital closures is because it has the largest number of rural hospitals in the country with 158. He is a University of Texas graduate, and Spanish is his first language. Texas Hays also has almost $169,000 cash on hand while Miller holds about $85,000. padding-top: 3px; display: inline-block; Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. .contact_office { margin-top: 0.3em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} margin-bottom: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; It needs to be updated and we need to be ready. $(".expand-all").on('click', () => { Millers family has been ranching since the 1700s, and Miller continued that tradition himself. He was drawn to the Republican Party because he saw it as the party of freedom. .votebox-results-cell--check { } .widget-row { padding-bottom: 7px;