Sid Miller has been clamoring for a fourth special session, this one to ban any COVID-19 vaccine mandate. background-color: #ccc; Now youre going out there saying, I believe in rural Texas, I want to legalize marijuana. Cities | What influenced your decision to take on Sid Miller? DALLAS Attorney Susan Hays says she knows the marijuana issue is garnering most of the headlines in her race for Texas agriculture commissioner. 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. I mean, there are a lot of hemp farmers who feel that theyre sort of high and dry. margin-right: 12px; margin-top: 16px; Federal courts | margin: 0px 10px; Not always. Read more about election safeguards here. .external_links_table { width: auto !important; } Miller cut ties with Smith but said his arrest was politically motivated. Two Democrats, Hays and Ed Ireson, are running to put an end to Millers bumbling reign. But long term, as the markets stabilize and government action absolutely plays a role in market stabilization with cannabis, it does provide an opportunity for a high-value crop where a farmer can make a living off a relatively small amount of land if they get good at growing it. The gap in access is only getting wider, she said. A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. If you were to have to interact with him, how would you navigate that? Democratic challenger Susan Hays, left, will face Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in November. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. LUBBOCK A mere 44 miles, a flyspeck on the map, separates the Central Texas towns where Sid Miller and Susan Hays grew up. Susan will fight hard for us. 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. 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 two towns have rich histories in farming and ranching. This state is not prepared to deal with something like that because of the lack of enforcement mechanism. Theyre back to doing elective surgeries which were at times put on hold during the pandemic and its business as usual now.. We dont own the land, the land owns us, Miller said. width: 350px; font-weight: bold; For more than two decades, Republicans have held every statewide office. width: 35px !important; .votebox_legend .non_result_row { And youre hours away from your next best option. 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. 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. The Democrat says she has a plan to address rural health care in Texas. For months rumors have swirled that Congressman Colin Allred is considering a challenge to Senator Ted Cruz in 2024. Susan will fight hard for us. It was terrifying to be in a community like that with the pandemic and theres only three ventilators for three counties. During this election cycle, high-ranking Texas Republicans were privately undermining Miller, too. }) So it is absolutely the job of the AG Commissioner to look for new economic models for agriculture and promote them. .widget-row.Republican { --progress-bar: #f0a236; Even before that the smokable hemp issue. Those results are usually posted online shortly after polls close at 7 p.m. on Election Day. $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); by Vanessa Fuentes & Jalen McKee-Rodriguez | May 1, 2023. (function() { Find more details here. He used taxpayer money to take two out-of-state trips one involved getting a Jesus Shot medical injection in Oklahoma, the other competing in a Mississippi Rodeo Show. .results_table_container { } Both their families have been in the state for generations, Hays since just after the Civil War and Millers since the 1700s. In a recent Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll, 67% said they would support legalization to help treat illnesses. I would get three different answers from three different people. Here's what the data says. Humanities (1992); Georgetown Univ. }) 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. The fight to expand Medicaid, save rural hospitals, and create a thriving rural economy, isnt. Take, for example, rural health care. width: 150px; max-height: 580px; .election_results_text { background-color: #db0000; Hays, a longtime rancher and equal rights lawyer, campaigned on a platform of rebuilding rural communities, sustainable agriculture and legalizing cannabis. max-width: 75px; Hays says number one, the state should expand Medicaid. margin-bottom: .75em; Rural health should be more of a priority, Billings said. } How is this playing out in socially conservative Texas? } Youre allowed to vote by mail only if: You will be 65 or older by Election Day, you will not be in your county for the entire span of voting, including early voting, you cite a sickness or disability that prevents you from voting in person without needing personal assistance or without the likelihood of injuring your health, youre expected to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day or you are confined in jail but otherwise eligible (i.e., not convicted of a felony). The winner will serve a four-year term overseeing the Texas Department of Agriculture, which provides financial assistance to farmers, administers the federal free and reduced-lunch programs in schools and regulates hemp production. .widget-row { Texas has to deal with the issue, get ahead of the problems, or were going to have a hot mess, much like California did when they failed to effectively regulate their cannabis markets, Hays said. Super lawyer is sort of a private promotion and branding deal thats been around for some time. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. font-size: 20px; 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. Dan Patrick has been very adamant against marijuana legalization. She said these are still important issues that need to be addressed by state leaders. LUBBOCK A mere 44 miles, a flyspeck on the map, separates the Central Texas towns where Sid Miller and Susan Hays grew up. 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. overflow-y: hidden; Incumbent Sid Miller defeated Susan Hays in the general election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on November 8, 2022. Well, I grew up in rural Texas. I grew up in Brown County. Well, you know, these things can happen in fairly large agencies and departments. font-weight: 300; Miller also sees the rural health care landscape differently. Our commitment to ethical, fact-based journalism is vital to our democracy, and we cant do it without you. 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. But Hays doesnt. } You can access the tracker here. Hays promotes practices that could help farmers boost their crop growth even with Texas changing climate. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller onstage on the final day of the Texas Republican Convention in San Antonio on June 16, 2018. Im a policy wonk and smart enough to figure out how to get things done the right way, Hays said. Its estimated that Texas would receive $6.3 billion annually, and coverage would be expanded to include 1 million enrollees. Part of her campaign message is to continue that work by fully legalizing cannabis in the state. They or someone they know has tried it and found it to be very helpful, Hays said. } RELATED: A conversation with incumbent ag commissioner Republican, Sid Miller. Trump was in power, and Sid was an early Trump supporter. Voting machines and software are certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Texas Secretary of State. 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. padding-bottom: 5px; Shes worked as an attorney and a lobbyist. [The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)] collects data on varieties. top: 0px; In 2018, Miller beat retired Air Force Col. Kim Olson by 5 percentage points. 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. Show us with your support. } Thats awful to do to people. But The deadline to register to vote in the 2022 primary election was Oct. 11.

float:right; 		text-align: left; Failure to expand Medicaid is a great example of Republican policies that are terrible for rural Texans. And she wants to pay farmers for putting carbon back into the soil to combat climate change, which can be done through methods like cover crops or conservation tilling. 	.percentage_number { One is a former rodeo cowboy caught in controversy. })(); See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. Which is the exact opposite of what an AG Commissioner ought to be doing. His two terms in office have drawn attention for his promotion of conspiracy theories, false stories and racist memes on social media, allegations of misuse of taxpayer money and, more recently, the indictment of a top aide on corruption charges. 		top: 2px; Its a sleeper issue in this race..  Miller, 67, had a strong show of support across rural Texas, while Hays, 53, had the backing of a few urban counties. 	} Throughout her legal career,  	.mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { 	.mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { For federal, district and state elections, Voting machines and software are certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and. 	word-wrap: break-word; Obviously, the current agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller, is quite a character. 		padding-bottom: 3px; 
 Governor, Attorney General and the other statewide offices down-ballot, perhaps the most impactful votes will be coming from rural Texas. Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. 		margin-bottom:16px; And one thing about the ag industry that many outside of it dont fully get or havent been exposed to is ag is a heavily subsidized industry. Susan Hays did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey. Texas leads the country in rural hospital closures. }. 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. This election season, Texans around the state will turn to The Texas Tribune for the information they need on voting, election results, analysis of key races and more. Aside from Millers corruption, when you have a leader thats disengaged, its hard to get things done. 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. More recently, Miller was the special guest speaker at a screening of the debunked film 2000 Mules, which falsely claims there was significant voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. 	.results_text { if (typeof $  !=  'undefined') { Ireson is running a campaign with a welcome and detailed focus on strengthening the states school meals program. Aside from trying to help make sure there are more rural health care facilities, she said she would also push for the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass a bill expanding Medicaid in the state under the Affordable Care Act. Meet the Republicans and Democrats vying for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in the Texas primary election March 1. Its a food security issue. 		border: 1px solid #999; [1][2], .votebox { The machines also have seals with unique serial numbers and are locked down at the end of voting. 	.votebox-results-metadata-p { But the Democrat wants the public to know the position is also responsible for rural health care in Texas, and she says she has a plan to save it. 		background-color: #003388; You are a cannabis attorney. 		padding-bottom: 8px; This will be Millers third term in the role. So I went to hearings, got to know some of the staff, and it was just a hot mess. Hays has an  He served on the Trump campaigns agriculture advisory committee in 2016. 	color: white; 	} | But she wants to legalize the crop for more than the popularity points.  			} 	} 		width: 90%; In an interview with The News editorial board, Hays cited her experience as a cannabis lawyer as the reason she can help Texas better regulate the drug. 		display: inline-block; However, polling locations may change, so be sure to check your countys election website before going to vote. 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. Should inmates in Texas be eligible for early parole if they exhibit good behavior? 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. $('.hideResponses').on('click', () => { 	display: inline-block; Your opponent is an incumbent with a whole lot more name recognition. Hays believes it could be a cash crop opportunity for farmers and a boost to the Texas economy. .widget-img { Voters who vote by mail can use an online tracker to check the status of their mail-in ballot. AUSTIN, Texas  When Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called for expanding medical marijuana use in Texas, his Democratic opponent was quick to question his timing. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Any and every one of those controversies that have been falsely charged against me or some of my people have all been disproven.  .clearfix { 	display: inline-block;  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. Are you suggesting that marijuana is a reasonable cash crop for growers here in Texas? We think Hays is the best choice for Democratic voters. Susan Hays also discusses her ideas for sustainable agriculture. Government can be used to help people make money. The ag commission has a rural hospital program. Susan Hays is a Democrat running to be Texas commissioner of agriculture This November, voters will decide contests for a number of statewide offices, from governor to attorney general.  His opponent, Democrat Susan Hays, a former Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman, has made Millers ethics baggage a central message of her campaign. 	.image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper { 	.outer_percentage { 		text-align: left !important; 				overflow-y: auto; 		width: 100% Politics is the art of the possible. (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). 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. 		font-style: italic; })   However, hemp in Texas hasnt lived up to expectations. Her political ideologies are driven by her lessons in vacation Bible school and growing up around politicians whom she considered good examples for public service. Hays conceded Wednesday morning in a statement in which she thanked voters for their support.    @media (max-width:600px) { Who a person voted for is not public record. Photo courtesy of Susan Hays The race for Texas agriculture commissioner is smokin  maybe not by any popular political science metric as Texas  For Hays, it was Brownwood, a one-high-school town. One of her slogans is Farming is hard. $('.showResponses').hide(); Instances of alleged fraud have also in some cases turned out to be mistakes by elections administrators or voters, few discrepancies between manual and electronic counts. 

Conservative Candidates 2022,
St Michael School Streator, Il,
How To Fill Out Abkc Application For Permanent Registration,
Articles S