ROLAND GUTIERREZ

The ex-politician got stuck in a fight over which university system should manage the school and pushback about his decisions and style.

The politician turned college president got stuck in a fight over which university system should manage the university. And he faced pushback from faculty and members of the Far West Texas community about his decisions and leadership style.

Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Secretary of State Jose A. Esparza are being sued over new redistricting lines drawn up by the state Legislature.

But it’s not clear they can seize it.

The local grassroots, nonprofit organization Mano Amiga announced it will launch a campaign focusing on decriminalizing cannabis in San Marcos.[San Marcos, TX] [Hays County news] News San Marcos News, San Marcos Record [Texas State]

The first volley in what is expected to be a fierce war over Texas redistricting kicked off Wednesday in the form of a federal lawsuit filed by two Democratic state senators who argue that state lawmakers cannot legally redraw the state’s legislative maps this fall.

Two Democratic state senators filed the federal suit arguing the Texas Constitution does not allow lawmakers to meet in special session to draw up state House and Senate districts. They’re asking the courts to do it instead.

After a tour of CPS Energy’s Calaveras Power Station Wednesday, Rep. Cuellar and Sen. Gutierrez fielded questions about Texas' energy future.

TxDOT personnel and other city and state officials kicked off the Loop 1604 North expansion on Monday.

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat from San Antonio, on Friday will speak about “his own plan for a Texas wall” in response to the governor’s latest push for the barrier.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Texas Senate Bill 1474 into law establishing the I-27...

The final gavel has sounded on the 87th Texas Legislature, marking both the end to an eventful session and the beginning for numerous laws set to be enacted across the Lone Star State.

The Texas legislature is dealing with numerous bills that could have a huge impact on our local community, your family and friends.

Advocates of legal cannabis believe it would help the economy, and they say now is the time to strike.

Last year, State Sen. Roland Gutierrez of San Antonio made marijuana legalization a centerpiece of the campaign that won him his seat in the Texas...

César Blanco, Roland Gutierrez and Drew Springer join The Texas Tribune for a live event on Jan. 19. Join The Texas Tribune at noon Central Jan. 19 for an interview with three new members of the Texas Senate: César Blanco, D-El Paso; Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio; and Drew Springer, R-Muenster. Blanco, D-El Paso, represents Senate District 29 in El Paso. Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, represents Senate District 19 in San Antonio. Though donors and corporate sponsors underwrite Texas Tribune events, they play no role in determining the content, panelists or line of questioning.

Their research, commissioned and funded by the Texas Organizing Project Education Fund, sought to better understand Latino voters and nonvoters in Texas. Latino voters in Texas have been characterized as a “sleeping giant” that’ll wake up one day and show up at the polls. What are some of the things that Texas Latino voters said they care about? At a national level, we imagine Latino voters purely as immigrants or children of immigrants. They're seen as one-dimensional voters with one entrance — immigration — and that's the only time Latino voters get engaged.

click to enlarge Samantha SernaThe COVID-19 pandemic has cut revenues from state coffers, leaving the Legislature in a budget scramble. Texas is facing a budget shortfall of at least $5 billion — likely more — that will suck most of the oxygen out of the room. State Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, for example, filed a proposal to ban abortions at 12 weeks of pregnancy. Under current Texas law, abortions are prohibited after 20 weeks.What’s more, Republicans are likely to continue efforts to strip power from municipalities, especially Democratic-controlled metros. Republicans, who keyed in on back-the-blue messaging in the November election, are likely to oblige.

SAN ANTONIO – Texas lawmakers have begun filing bills for the upcoming legislative session and there are already more than a dozen bills regarding marijuana use and decriminalization. The new bill proposals come off the heels of five more states legalizing marijuana for full medical use or recreational use. “The people of Texas are tired of marijuana prohibition,” Heather Fazio the director of Texans for Responsible Marijuana Policy said. The Compassionate Use Act in Texas only allows a small amount of medical marijuana to certain patients. The 86th Legislative session begins on Jan. 8.

click to enlarge Courtesy Photo / Texas Original Compassionate CultivationA worker at Texas Original Compassionate Cultivation harvests buds from marijuana plants. State Rep. Terry Canales of Edinburg has proposed putting the question of legalization to Texas voters. And even less controversial measures, like lowering criminal penalties for marijuana possession, have fallen flat in the Texas Senate. Dan Patrick, a staunch conservative, at the helm of the upper chamber, it remains unlikely that a legalization bill will make it out when the Legislature reconvenes in January. But given the state of the economy and more states following the trend to legalize and tax cannabis, they said action was needed.

During last week's general election, voters in Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota approved ballot measures allowing recreational marijuana, leaving Texas a member of a shrinking group of states that prohibit the drug. According to a Texas Tribune article published in January, 80 percent of Texans support legalizing marijuana in some form. "Right now it is a harsh and unreasonable policy for marijuana possession," Fazio said, adding that reforms would allow law enforcement agencies to focus their resources on more serious crimes. Among them are two for decriminalization, two for medical marijuana expansion and one on affirmative defense. If legislators approve any of the marijuana proposals, Texas could see implementation as soon as September 2021.

click to enlarge Unsplash / Jeff WTexas State Senator-elect Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, is already making good on a campaign promise to turn over a new leaf for the state.On Monday, Gutierrez — who made marijuana legalization a primary issue during his run — pre-filed a bill that would legalize cannabis for both medical and recreational use in Texas if passed.The former SA city councilman and current state rep's bill isn't the only marijuana-centric legislation already filed for the next legislative session. Sen. José Menendez, D-San Antonio, offered up a more modest bill proposing the expansion of the state's medical marijuana program.In a statement supplied to KSAT , Gutierrez touted his bill as way to bolster the state's coffers as it grapples with declining revenues. "There is going to be a budget shortfall to affect all Texans next legislation session, however, I look forward to working with my colleagues to offer a real solution," Gutierrez said. "This bill will generate new revenue and create at least 30,000 high-paying jobs," he continued. "Our state’s economic future is uncertain, and in order to best serve our state, we have to look at cannabis legalization as a solution and not keep going back to the taxpayers and raise their taxes."

While campaigning for the state Senate seat, Gutierrez, a Democrat, made marijuana legalization one of his campaign platforms. In 2015, Texas lawmakers passed the Texas Compassionate Use Act, which legalized medical cannabis with less than 0.5% THC for people with specific diagnoses, like multiple sclerosis and epilepsy. Veterans unsuccessfully lobbied the legislature to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder as one of the diagnoses that qualify for medical marijuana use. Public sentiment has grown in Texas for marijuana legalization, polls showed. Dan Patrick, have yet to embrace marijuana legalization and have not completely been supportive of expanding medical use.

click to enlarge Twitter / Roland GutierrezRoland Gutierrez, who won a seat in the Texas Senate, meets potential voters in San Antonio. “If you’re going to beat an incumbent, you have to give people compelling reasons to vote against them. “Republicans have largely assumed they don’t have a chance with winning with Hispanic voters, while Democrats just assume they’re reliably going to vote Democrat. Nonetheless, he’s not counting 2020 as a defeat.“Any pundit who claims ‘Democrats lost Texas’ can’t see the forest for the trees. Gutierrez’s Senate win will force the GOP to sway some Democrats if it wants to bring legislation up for full debate.

By midnight, Biden had racked up 205 electoral votes to Trump’s 171, according to the Associated Press. Congressional District 23UPDATE: Republican Tony Gonzales wins election to U.S. House in Texas' 23rd Congressional District, AP reports. Gonzales' lead, which ballooned to 14,000 votes before midnight, is a much healthier advantage than past races in the district’s history, but it remained too close to call with only 78% of precincts reporting. “With thousands of ballots yet to be counted, the Gonzales campaign’s attempt to declare victory is premature,” Jones' campaign manager Lacey Morrison said. Flores stunned the Texas political landscape by winning the District 19 state senate seat.

click to enlarge Jade Esteban Estrada (left) and Facebook / Texas Sen. Pete Flores (right)Democratic Texas Rep. Roland Gutierrez (left) scored a victory against first-term Texas Sen. Pete Flores (right), a Republican. If progressives smarting from Democrats' 2020 underperformance in Texas need a bright spot right now, there is one to be found — and it's in the Alamo City, or at least Alamo City-adjacent.With more than 40% of the votes counted, Texas Rep. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, has a heftylead on freshman State Sen. Pete Flores, R-Pleasanton. And a Gutierrez victory would end the 19-seat supermajority Republicans need to bring up bills in the Senate under current rules.Flores' Senate District 19 sprawls from SA into West Texas and was a longtime blue stronghold before Flores out-hustled his Democratic rival to land a 2018 special election win.Coming into this week's contest, the GOP commanded 19 seats to Democrats’ 12 in the Texas Senate. Flores' likely loss would strip Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick of the supermajority he's wielded to move conservative legislation to the Texas House without compromise.But before Dems pop the cork on the champagne they left untouched last night, there's a caveat.Patrick, the architect of Texas' failed bathroom bill, led a 2015 rule change to lower the supermajority rule from 21 to 19 back in 2015, and earlier this year, he threatened to lower the threshold even further — something he could do with a simple majority vote.Stay tuned.

Find other election results Type to search all races...State Senator, District 19 View All CandidatesGet more election results on our homepage and Vote 2020 page. Democrat Roland Gutierrez declares victory in state Senate race for District 19Wednesday, 3:49 p.m. - Roland Gutierrez has defeated Republican incumbent Pete Flores by more than 10,000 votes. Texas’ District 19 represents one of the largest legislative districts in the entire country, spanning 15 counties and covering 35,000 square miles and 400,000 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. BackgroundTwo years ago, Pete Flores stunned the Texas political landscape by winning the District 19 state senate seat. Texas State Senate District 19 (KSAT/Brittney Daniels)Before his run for the Texas Senate, Gutierrez had been a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 119 since 2008.

The winner between GOP candidate George Garza and Democrat Elizabeth “Liz” Campos will succeed Democrat Roland Gutierrez, who left the seat vacant to run for Texas Senate District 19. According to the 2010 Census, 69% of the people living in the district reside on San Antonio’s south and east sides. The last time a Republican ran in this left-leaning district was 2012 when Anna Campos (no relation to Liz) took 38% of the vote. His Democratic challenger, Elizabeth “Liz” Campos, didn’t get on the November ballot as easily. Uresti’s resignation from Senate District 19 opened the way for Gutierrez to seek that seat, which in turn left his House District 119 seat open.

If elected to the Texas Senate, Roland Gutierrez promises not to end his tenure in federal prison. But Democrats in state Senate District 19—a sprawling district rooted in San Antonio that sweeps down to Eagle Pass and all the way out to far West Texas—have to start somewhere. Two months later, Democrats picked up 12 state House seats, two state Senate seats, and Beto came, as he might say, real fucking close to unseating Ted Cruz. Echoing claims long made by Republicans seeking inroads in Hispanic South Texas, Flores told The Texan he suits his district. In the state Senate, bills generally require the support of three-fifths of the chamber to advance.

SAN ANTONIO – Two years ago, Pete Flores stunned the Texas political landscape by winning the District 19 state senate seat. Before his run for the Texas Senate, Gutierrez had been a member of the Texas House of Representatives, representing District 119 since 2008. Prior to that, Gutierrez served on the San Antonio City Council from 2005-2008. In his first legislative session, Flores has authored or sponsored bills that focused on infrastructure and funding for the renovation of San Antonio State Hospital (SASH). Flores was the co-author of the Texas Property Tax Reform and Transparency Act of 2019, which provides immediate property tax relief and limits future tax-rate growth.

click to enlarge Twitter / @PeteFlores_TXState Sen. Pete Flores retired as head of the Texas Park & Wildlife Department's law enforcement division in 2012. Texas Parks & Wildlife was unable to provide an immediate comment on the article's allegations. "According to the's investigation, Flores regularly hired and promoted Hispanic game wardens during his time as director, which helped raise the agency's overall diversity numbers. ""The color of one's skin can mean 30 years of going nowhere," one warden interviewed by the paper said of barriers faced by Black TP&W employees.The Texas Democratic Party said thearticle shows a "pattern of discrimination" by Flores. Gutierrez — Flores' opponent in the November election — didn't offer specific comment on the allegations raised by the"Senator Flores embraces Donald Trump and his principles," Gutierrez said.

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County voters joined the rest of Texas Tuesday in deciding the final nominees for the general election in November. With more than a dozen races on GOP and Democratic ballots, we’ve rounded up the biggest takeaways below, in case you missed it. RELATED: ‘Outstanding’ voter turnout reported in Bexar County for runoff electionBexar County Commissioner, Constable shake-upPrecinct 1 Commissioner Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez lost his seat on Tuesday night after being trounced by about 20 percentage points by challenger Rebeca “Becky” Clay-Flores in the Democratic runoff. She’ll face Republican Gabriel Lara in the general election. Voters gave Bexar County GOP Chair Cynthia Brehm an emphatic boot on Tuesday night, weeks after she refused calls to resign from top Texas Republicans, including U.S.

SAN ANTONIO – State Representative Roland Gutierrez introduced the “Pact Act” on Thursday, also known as the Political Anti-Corruption and Transparency Act. Gutierrez referenced two KSAT 12 defenders investigations involving County Justice of the Peace Ciro Rodriguez, regarding Rodriguez’s short-term salary adjustment, which has now lasted more than two years. The other investigation delved into Rodriguez violating the State Code of Judicial Conduct by campaigning for his daughter, Xochil Pena Rodriguez in the State Senate race. Gutierrez said the legislation is intended to hold elected officials and candidates to a higher standard and accountable when needed. We did reach out to Pena Rodriguez’s campaign and received this response:“Clearly, Roland Gutierrez will say anything, collude with anyone and even create a fake newspaper, to mislead the public – all just to get elected.

SAN ANTONIO – Democratic candidate Xochil Peña Rodriguez and Rep. Roland Gutierrez are likely headed to a runoff election for the nomination to the state Senate District 19 seat. “The integrity of the entire vote is in question.” A direct quote from State Senate District 19 candidate, Roland Gutierrez, tonight. (KSAT)Other candidates for the state Senate District 19 include Democratic candidate Freddy Ramirez and Republican incumbent Pete Flores, who is unopposed in his primary. Texas Democrats have held the State Senate District 19 seat for over 100 years. Senate District 19 is the largest district in the Texas Senate and it includes 17 counties.

Two key Democratic primary races, in Texas Senate District 19 and House District 119, were headed to runoffs early Wednesday. Texas House District 119With Gutierrez in the running for Texas Senate, three Democrats were also vying for his seat in Texas House District 119. Other State House RacesThree Texas House districts in Bexar County have candidates of both parties running unopposed. In House District 117, three-term Democratic State Rep. Phillip Cortez was set to run in November against Republican Carlos Antonio Raymond. Incumbent State Rep. Leo Pacheco (D-San Antonio) ran unopposed in the primary for his second term representing House District 118.

SAN ANTONIO – Election results will begin to populate on this page when early voting results are released at 7 p.m. (CST) on March 3 and we’ll have an election night livestream on KSAT.com. You can find additional election results by clicking here. For more election coverage, go to our Vote 2020 page or sign up for our free election newsletter.

Having such high-profile opponents in the Democratic primary means Ramirez needs to build his community clout from the ground up. During our conversation and later, during an SD 19 candidate forum, I notice that he has neither Gutierrezs political polish nor Pea Rodriguezs stately manner of speaking. In the past, people have encouraged Ramirez to sound more professorial and attorney-like, but he prefers to leave the big words at home. Ramirez decided running for office would give him a chance to make a positive impact on future generations. So, by the time I [get to work], Im good to go.I ask what he most wants people to know about him.

Last November, when State Rep. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) announced he would again seek the Senate District 19 seat, it was a matter of unfinished business. A Republican flipping a traditionally Democratic state senate seat surprised many people, but the Democrats pursuing the District 19 post said the GOP did better at mobilizing voters in an off-year special election. The beauty of Senate District 19 is its diversity in geography and demographics, he said. A fourth San Antonio Democrat, Belinda Shvetz, filed for the Senate District 19 primary. Credit: Courtesy / FacebookEducation, with reforming public school spending and school property taxes, is a top priority in Ramos campaign.

Ive been doing a lot of cold calling.Im sitting across from the first-time candidate at Caf Azteca on the citys East Side. During our conversation and later, during an SD 19 candidate forum, I notice that he has neither Gutierrezs political polish nor Pea Rodriguezs stately manner of speaking. Before going to St. Marys School of Law, he earned a science degree with an emphasis on cell and molecular biology. I ask him why that is.I think this just goes back to men having this idea that Im invincible. Hopefully, people will realize that youre coming from a place of passion and emotion.No caffeine needed.

Three of the four Democratic candidates campaigning for a chance at the Republican-held seat in the Texas Senate agree on a number of public education issues, especially when it comes to charter schools. The voucher program, he said, has torn away at the public school system. Its astounding to me that we have two parallel systems of education, public and charter, he said. At the end of the day, our charter schools are not subject to the same amount of accountability. But what you do want to make sure is that charter schools work by the same rules, Gutierrez said.

State Rep. Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio) is set to announce Saturday that he is running again for Senate District 19 after coming up short in a special election last year that ended in a Republican upset. Gutierrezs campaign said he will make the announcement at 2 p.m. at an event in San Antonio. But first there will be a contested Democratic primary: San Antonio lawyer Xochil Pea Rodriguez is already running. Unlike when he ran in the special election, Gutierrez will have to give up his House seat this time. Campos is Urestis former chief of staff, while Ramos is a former member of the San Antonio City Council.

click to enlarge Twitter / epbusinessState Rep. Roland Gutierrez represents the South Side of San Antonio. But first there will be a contested Democratic primary: San Antonio lawyer Xochil Pea Rodriguez is already running. Gutierrez finished third out of eight in the special election to replace Uresti, which went to a runoff between Flores and former U.S. Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. Flores' triumph over Gallego weeks later marked an embarrassing defeat for Democrats in a district they had long held.Unlike when he ran in the special election, Gutierrez will have to give up his House seat this time. Campos is Uresti's former chief of staff, while Ramos is a former member of the San Antonio City Council.

SAN ANTONIO - State Rep. Roland Gutierrez will host a trigger lock giveaway from 9-10 a.m. Saturday at Mission Library. "Trigger locks are considered a recommended best practice for securing firearms by the NRA (National Rifle Association), Texas DPS (Department of Public Safety), U.S. Army, and others. This $10 piece of metal and plastic can mean the difference between life and death, and we want to do our part to make these available to San Antonio families. It is the most basic step a gun owner can take, and we plan to make this the first of many," Gutierrez, a Democrat from San Antonio, said. If the demand exceeds the supply, a waitlist will be available so that people can be notified when more become available.

I'm not trying to take away anybody's guns. Gutierrez is joined by nearly 20 state legislators who are calling for Abbott to hold a special session to combat gun violence. Let's get to work and let's pass common-sense gun legislation. I'm not trying to take anybody's guns away. I'm just trying to save a life.Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott released in a statement that he formed a Domestic Terrorism Task Force in the wake of the El Paso shooting, State Rep. Roland Gutierrez expressed his opposition for this... Copyright 2019 by KSAT - All rights reserved.

Oli Scarff/Getty ImagesSAN ANTONIO - At least 17 Texas state lawmakers are asking Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to address gun violence following a mass shooting in El Paso that left 22 dead and dozens injured. One death is too many - time for change.Others on the list are: state Rep. Shawn Thierry, D-Houston; state Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin; state Rep. Michelle Beckley, D-Carrollton; state Rep. Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth; state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston; state Rep. Victoria Neave, D-Dallas; state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, D-Austin; state Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood; state Rep. Ron Reynolds, D-Missouri City; state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, D-Austin; state Rep. Richard Pea Raymond, D-Laredo; state Sen. Beverly Powell, D-Fort Worth and state Sen. Carol Alvarado, D-Houston. "If a school massacre and a church massacre didn't change people's opinion, the El Paso massacre isn't going to." Long gun or rifles, like the one used in the El Paso massacre, can be openly carried in public.

SAN ANTONIO - UPDATE: State Rep. Roland Gutierrez started a petition to pressure Gov. Greg Abbott to call a special session to address gun safety in Texas. Greg Abbott to call a special session to pass gun safety legislation. Much of the legislation Gutierrez wants to address in a special session has already been considered in Texas. KSAT reached out to the governors office for a response to the call for a special session.

Greg Abbott to call a special session to address gun violence after a mass shooting claimed 20 lives in El Paso on Saturday. I am urging every member of the Texas Legislature to demand the Governor to call an emergency special session. "Therefore, I am requesting a special session be called to address the gun violence happening in our state." Abbott from calling a special session right now." I call on the governor, now, to call a special session," Bernal concluded.