Counties | padding:7px 8px 8px; And then there is rural health care, a topic Hays evoked at a recent rally with gubernatorial candidate Beto ORourke at Texas Tech University. } } In a recent Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll, 67% said they would support legalization to help treat illnesses. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Elections in 2023 | .mw-content-ltr td.votebox-results-cell--text, } } And she believes she would be the right agriculture commissioner to see the task through. .widget-value { .key-messages li:last-child { margin-bottom: 0px;} Ethics should be easy.. } .votebox-scroll-container { color:white; font-weight: bold; Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. He points to the work the department did with distilleries during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide sanitizer and other resources. The Texas Attorney Generals office also opened 390 cases looking at potential electoral fraud from January 2020 to September 2022, but it only secured five election-related convictions during that period. Trump was in power, and Sid was an early Trump supporter. width: 250px; I could lose everything: Dallas drag performers say Texas bills could impact their jobs, Facebook users can now apply for a portion of a $725 million settlement. padding-left: 0; margin-bottom: 0; font-weight: bold; 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. A Chronicle investigation reveals the extent of the ballot paper shortage in Harris County's November election, including how the shortages could impact the future of Texas' election laws. And its particularly awful given the crisis thats ongoing with our rural hospitals. The consequences of that ban were on full display in the U.S. Senate when Amanda Zurawski testified about her harrowing ordeal that should never have happened. background-color: #6db24f; Some counties also make this information available on their websites. } I helped draft and pass the law that legalized hemp in Texas, and the ag commissioner regulates the hemp program and it was going through its rulemaking process. Sunday vigil, expanded manhunt and more on Cleveland shooting, Shooting survivors: San Jacinto family only sought small favor, Abbott calls Texas shooting victims illegal immigrants', FBI briefly releases photo of wrong Francisco Oropeza, Houston nurses sentenced to federal prison over Medicare scheme, 5 found shot 'execution style' in home in San Jacinto County, Texas shooting: Suspected shooter possibly spotted, sheriff says, Some Galveston County residents 'fed up' with property appraisals, MLB Network's Mark DeRosa hilariously apologizes to Astros, already appeared on the Mark Davis radio show, Editorial: Why we still recommend candidates, We recommend Troy Nehls in GOP primary for the 22nd Congressional District, We recommend Alma Allen in Democratic primary for Texas House District 131, We recommend Susan Hays in Democratic primary for Agriculture Commissioner, We recommend Jack Morman in GOP primary for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 2, Who made the Texas Ag Department the fashion police? } I spent the pandemic in Alpine, and I now pretty much live there. It needs to be updated and we need to be ready. } Miller cut ties with Smith but said his arrest was politically motivated. A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. I mean, there are a lot of hemp farmers who feel that theyre sort of high and dry.
, See also:Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2022. word-wrap: break-word; Thats awful to do to people. Texas leads the country in the number of rural hospitals that have closed. And youre hours away from your next best option. RELATED: A conversation with incumbent ag commissioner Republican, Sid Miller. The Texas Department of Agriculture promotes rural development, provides financial assistance to farmers and ranchers, and oversees grocery store operations. Susan Hays' career experience includes owning a law practice and working as a lawyer and farmer. And not just traditional criminal black market, but PTA moms from Dallas come from Colorado with products. And you have to tell them your results. (Opinion), Do Bible verses belong in newspapers? .widget-img { I know what Texas has been, and I know what Texas could be if we purge the government of corruption and work together to build rural Texas back up, said Hays, a fifth-generation Texan. Our medical cannabis program is comically rudimentary. font-weight: 100; vertical-align: top; } You can access the tracker here. The agency is also responsible for helping rural hospitals with financial aid and technical assistance through its rural health division. five election-related convictions during that period. The job of this position is to bring as many federal dollars back to Texas as possible. --view-more-background: #f0a236; Doing more to help farmers instead of nickel and dime tax them to death, which is what Miller does. Miller, 67, had a strong show of support across rural Texas, while Hays, 53, had the backing of a few urban counties. I decided in large part to run because of that experience.. During the most recent campaign fundraising period, July 1 through Sept. 30, Hays raised $115,505.float:right; And if you look at polling data, medical [marijuana] is almost perfectly bipartisan and its high support. .clearfix { WebCandidate for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Kody Bessent, CEO of Plains Cotton Growers, said producers need a staunch advocate who will promote Texas-grown products on a global scale. Updated: 10 AM Central. Susan will fight hard for us. Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. No one trusts the incumbent to do whats right for Texas. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy. Read about Susans campaign on her website. Susan Hays ( Democratic Party) ran for election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. margin-bottom: -2px !important; width: 50px; .panel-heading:hover { cursor: pointer;} .results_row { By Sean SaldanaSeptember 22, 202212:53 pmGovernment & Politics, Texas Standard Original, Susan Hays is a Democrat running to be Texas commissioner of agriculture. .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} font-weight: 300; by Vanessa Fuentes & Jalen McKee-Rodriguez | May 1, 2023. Public policy. The job of this position is to bring as many federal dollars back to Texas as possible. Voters can check with their county election officials to see whether their vote was counted. overflow-y: hidden; Its a sleeper issue in this race.. } margin-right: 12px; This takes time as polling places are closed down and election materials are transported back to county election officials. padding-left: 10px; background-color: #003388; Ballotpedia features 408,487 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. font-weight: bold; However, weve heard from Republican Sid Miller about things like abortion, Second Amendment, property taxes and obviously part of the larger political conversation, to be sure. Politics is the art of the possible. border:1px solid #FFB81F; Patricks office wanted to ban smokable hemp. .votebox-scroll-container { background-color: #f9f9f9; } font-size: 2em; The two towns have rich histories in farming and ranching. margin-bottom: 0px; This will be Millers third term in the role. SAN ANTONIO - Susan Hays is a Democrat candidate Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Source. But the governor has said he does not support legalizing the drug. Its the deep frustration of watching whats happening to the state and watching the communities where I grew up and used to run around as a teenager, not do near as well as they should because of policy choices. --title-background: #334aab; .results_row.winner { confirm with your county elections office, Texas Secretary of State's helpline at 1-800-252-VOTE (8683), who has acknowledged humans have contributed to climate change. Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Hays and her husband bought land in Alpine, a small town framed by mile-high mountains and an hours car ride north of Big Bend National Park. }. } They have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. Photo courtesy of Susan Hays The race for Texas agriculture commissioner is smokin maybe not by any popular political science metric as Texas The vaping crisis. How would you approach leading this organization as opposed to how he does it? RELATED: Race for Texas agriculture commissioner: Republican incumbent Sid Miller. Since 2010, there have been 27 rural hospitals that have closed in 22 communities, according to the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH). We dont own the land, the land owns us, Miller said. And because it [was] run by an out-of-state corporation that doesnt particularly care. width: 100%; But something that Im hearing you talk about, though, are these sort of political and broader social implications, when it comes to criminal justice, all of those implications. margin-top: 1em; Like Millers past opponents, Hays pointed to a list of controversies that include the indictment of his longtime political consultant on charges of theft and bribery in exchange for state hemp licenses. How is this playing out in socially conservative Texas? He is a University of Texas graduate, and Spanish is his first language. .widget-row.value-only.white { $(".expand-all").on('click', () => { .inner_percentage { But Hays still has odds stacked against her: A Democrat has not won a statewide election in Texas in almost 25 years. .votebox-results-cell--number { My reaction to they want to ban smokable hemp, was dont you know you can smoke as it grows out of the ground? In my practice, Ive found middle ground with Republicans and its possible to do. And I also enjoy getting my boots dirty and getting out there.. background-color: #6db24f; .widget-row.Republican { Contact our sales team. Susan Hays Political party: Democratic Age as of November 8, 2022: 54 Campaign website: hays4ag.com Occupation: Attorney Education: UT-Austin, B.A. position: relative; Susan Hays. 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!. Miller, a De Leon native, lives in Stephenville, where he began his political career as a school board member. Hays has questioned Millers ethics and pointed to his controversies. font-size: 12px; color: white; .votebox-results-metadata { clearInterval(nTimer); overflow-x: auto; But, you know, he wasnt much help. div.oneoff-scrollbox.short { height:250px; overflow:scroll; margin:20px; padding:10px; border:1px solid gray; } He said rural hospitals are in good shape since federal and state funds were distributed to facilities around Texas during the pandemic. .widget-row.Libertarian { The results have been certified. None of them are credible.. So what would you like to see Texas do, and how would your role as agriculture commissioner fit in there? by Jayme Lozano Carver Hays promotes practices that could help farmers boost their crop growth even with Texas changing climate. Additionally, you can confirm with your county elections office whether election day voting is restricted to locations in your designated precinct or if you can cast a ballot at any polling place. . color: white; margin-right: 10px; }) font-weight: bold; Texas requires counties that use electronic machines to count votes to conduct a partial manual audit after the election. } margin: 0; Voters who vote by mail can use an online tracker to check the status of their mail-in ballot. .widget-row.value-only { Billings said it would be greatly beneficial if the agriculture department would help with that mission. Listen to her full Inside Texas Politics interview to learn more.
She directly against the corruption surrounding the selling hemp licenses for absurd prices ($25,000 vs. the expected $100). I have a great working relationship with Senator Charles Perry. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. I dont have the power to do that with the snap of my fingers, but I can get down to the Capitol and talk and advocate, Hays said. Most recently, Hays has found herself practicing law in the cannabis industry she helped write and pass the Texas hemp legalization bill in 2019 and was named Texas first cannabis super lawyer by Thomson Reuters. [My husband and I] largely live in Alpine, and we spent the pandemic watching nervously. This years election cycle saw low turnout for early voting compared with 2020 and 2018, and more people waited to vote on Election Day this year. His opponents James White on the Republican side and Susan Hays on the Democratic side are saying, Hey, hes your 30-year, longtime political consultant. Not always. $('.showResponses').hide(); Hays has an extensive legal background, including as a cannabis attorney. One of her slogans is Farming is hard. Find your county website here. .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { background-color: #dac113; 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. display: block; margin: 0px 10px; .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { Here's what the data says. Its a food security issue. And at the time we really needed some better regulations out of USDA. font-size: 1.2em; } .widget-row { She is also the host of the podcast the Tex Mix, as well as the co-host for the weekly SignalCast. background-color: #003388; --link-color: #337ab7; In 2020, she represented Harris County in several cases as the county worked to figure out voting in the pandemic against a backdrop of furious opposition from state officials. $('.showResponses').show(); text-align: left; overflow-x: scroll; Hays displays a firm command of policy and also struck us as a clear communicator. top: -5px; There were no incumbents in this race. Both their families have been in the state for generations, Hays since just after the Civil War and Millers since the 1700s. Ireson is running a campaign with a welcome and detailed focus on strengthening the states school meals program. Theyve not made a whole lot of money on hemp. vertical-align: middle; And what I think folks who may be anti-cannabis dont understand is unless you have a good regulatory regime, the black markets flood you. She became the trope of a rural kid moving away in search of a better living. Hays said shes going to take her message directly to conservatives shes already appeared on the Mark Davis radio show and also connect directly with rural voters of color, an often-overlooked constituency. border: 1px solid #999; Susan Hays, a prominent cannabis lawyer and hemp advocate, announced she was running for agriculture commissioner, giving Democrats their first candidate to challenge Republican incumbent Sid Miller. } position: relative; Any and every one of those controversies that have been falsely charged against me or some of my people have all been disproven. If he wants to worry about pandemic issues, he needs to worry about rural hospitals and not vaccine mandates. The fight for sustainable agriculture and rational, safe cannabis laws, including legalization, isnt.. Dan Patrick has been very adamant against marijuana legalization. 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. Miller touts a list of accomplishments over his two terms in office, such as the Farm Fresh program, a farm-to-school initiative that saw schools purchase $65 million worth of fresh food, and Operation Maverick, which investigated more than 7,000 businesses operating with illegal scales. Were recommending Hays because we think she possesses a more detailed grasp of key issues, deeper experience and is Democrats best option for agriculture commissioner. color: white; Anecdotally and personally, one of the things that would infuriate me is I would email them a question about the program, and I get thats its a first rodeo and theres a lot of details you dont think of until you get there, and thats happened in every other state as a hemp program has rolled out. .votebox-covid-disclaimer { $('.collapse').collapse('show'); She directly against the corruption surrounding the selling hemp licenses for absurd prices ($25,000 vs. the expected $100). top: -1px; margin-bottom: 1px; But for too long, fear-mongering politics have hijacked and overshadowed conversations about what communities actually want and need to build real safety. margin: 8px auto; Hays campaign issues include rural economic development, expanded health care, marijuana legalization and fighting corruption. How to run for office | Those counts are added in increments to the tally, which is then updated online. It was terrifying to be in a community like that with the pandemic and theres only three ventilators for three counties. } .infobox p { ul.key-messages {list-style-type: none; margin-left:10px; } Susan will fight hard for us. Youll need one of seven types of valid photo ID to vote in Texas: A state drivers license, a Texas election identification certificate, a Texas personal identification card, a Texas license to carry a handgun, a U.S. military ID card with a personal photo, a U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo or a U.S. passport. Hays, 53, grew up in Brownwood, about two hours west of Waco, and lives in Alpine, where she and her husband purchased land several years ago to grow hemp and hops. width: 50%; max-height: 580px; overflow-y: auto; top: 2px; Getting to know the new district superintendents in North Texas, DFW weather: Warming temps and storm chances this week. Doctors were providing care that they practiced a few times in medical school and dont regularly do because theres no other option. For Hays, it was Brownwood, a one-high-school town. background-color: green; font-size: 20px; Miller and Hays can both legitimately claim deep Texas roots, but from those roots grew two diametrically opposed politicians now running against each other for Texas agriculture commissioner. float: right; County election offices are supposed to post on their websites information on polling locations for Election Day and during the early-voting period by Oct. 18. $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. }, 100); In 2018, Miller beat retired Air Force Col. Kim Olson by 5 percentage points. .widget-row.Green { Why does this factor so largely in your campaign? font-weight: bold; Before he was elected in 2014, Miller served six terms in the Texas House. Millers ethics problems began soon after he took office in 2015. AUSTIN, Texas When Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called for expanding medical marijuana use in Texas, his Democratic opponent was quick to question his timing. } width: 100% Because of letting a rural hospital program rot in the basement. DALLAS Attorney Susan Hays says she knows the marijuana issue is garnering most of the headlines in her race for Texas agriculture commissioner. Ive always been deeply attached to the land, and enjoy being out in it and getting dirt under my fingernails, Hays said. They or someone they know has tried it and found it to be very helpful, Hays said. color: #6db24f; Republican Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and Democratic challenger Susan Hays. 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. Miller has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and was once thought to be under consideration to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary under the 45th president. And weve got some work to do there.. This November, voters will decide contests for a number of statewide offices, from governor to attorney general. display: inline-block; max-width: 75px; State executives | font-style: italic; Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. The gap in access is only getting wider, she said. And the candidate says lastly, there must be more competition in the insurance marketplace in rural counties with more health plans to choose from. margin-top: 1px; One thing Ive seen by studying cannabis policy in other states, when the government gets behind the market, bad things happen. Both grew up managing cattle at their families ranches. font-weight: 300; Find more details here. } Both candidates displayed humor, a solid understanding of the job, and maturity levels that seemed to far exceed the incumbents. The states agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout. State and local courts | background-color: #f4f4f4; overflow: hidden; display: table; And when we say legalize, that doesnt necessarily mean hippies running wild in the streets, which I think is what a lot of haters might visualize. } Republican primary election Republican primary for margin-top: 0px; .electionsectionheading {