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| Affiliation | Democratic |
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| Name | Ismael "Kino" Flores |
| Address | 2023 North Conway
Mission, Texas 78572, United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
August 07, 1958
(65 years)
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| Contributor | BILLYW |
| Last Modifed | BILLYW
Apr 24, 2004 01:03pm |
| Tags |
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| Info | Ismael "Kino" Flores was first elected by the voters of the thirty-sixth district of the Texas House of Representatives on November 5, 1996, to represent them in the 75th Texas Legislature. District 36 incorporates parts or all of the Cities of Hidalgo, Granjeno, McAllen, Mission, Palmview, Penitas and Pharr. Rep. Flores is currently serving his fourth term as State Representative.
Rep. Flores was born and reared in La Joya where he attended public schools and earned his High School diploma in 1977. Upon graduation he enlisted in the United States Army where he served three years at Fort Bliss in El Paso. While serving at Fort Bliss, Mr. Flores was selected outstanding soldier of the month numerous times, and was a team leader for the development of the now famous Patriot missile. While in El Paso, Mr. Flores attended the El Paso Community College, and would eventually complete his college education at the University of Texas Pan American in Edinburg, Texas.
He returned to the Rio Grande Valley settling in Palmview where he served on the La Joya school board as secretary, vice-president and president for seven years. Flores also served as vice-president of the Hidalgo-Willacy private industry council. He later served under State Comptrollers Bob Bullock and John Sharp and moved to Austin where he worked as a division manager, overseeing and implementing a pilot program which cut government waste and enabled the agency to save taxpayers’ dollars. Completing his tenure at the Comptroller’s Office, Mr. Flores returned to the Rio Grande Valley and was subsequently elected State Representative of the thirty-sixth district.
During the latest session of the Legislature, Rep. Flores was appointed Chairman of the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee which studies legislation and has oversight on issues related to businesses, industries, general trades and occupations regulated by the state.
Chairman Flores’ legislative agenda during the 78th Legislative Session was extensive, passing significant legislation which included: Naming chips and salsa as the "official" state snack of Texas (initially proposed by Mission third-grade students); HB 9, the Homeland Security bill was the result of the Governor’s Task Force on Homeland Security of which Rep. Flores was a member. The bill seeks to improve and ensure coordination and communication between federal and state agencies; legislation which will continue funding for schools with students who take advantage of certain concurrent enrollment programs; a bill prohibiting insurance companies from also owning body shops; a pilot program allowing South Texas Community College to offer baccalaureate degrees in applied science and applied technology; a bill that creates uniformity and clarifies language in the Bingo law; and a bill that will transfer the functions of the Human Rights Commission to the Texas Workforce Commission (initially proposed by LULAC, the bill will transfer the agency better equipped to deal with human rights issues).
Rep. Flores was also appointed for service on two special committees: The Governor’s Task Force on Homeland Security, which was charged with the development and execution of plans to coordinate efforts to detect and deter threats, as well as to assure Texans of state and local preparedness to terrorist threats by assessing the state’s readiness to respond immediately and effectively to any terrorist acts; and the National Conference of State Legislatures Executive Committee Task Force on Protecting Democracy. This Task Force was formed in order to coordinate a response to issues raised in the aftermath of the September 11 terrorist attacks, with a focus on coordinating the activities of federal, state and local governments in order to improve homeland security, sharing information on the relevant communication, financial and physical resources available, assisting state legislatures in sharing expertise and advise on issues of public safety and health, and providing a process to build upon the renewed sense of patriotism to strengthen the democratic process.
A fiscal conservative, Rep. Flores served on the powerful House Appropriations Committee for two terms. The committee is responsible for writing the state budget and has jurisdiction over all bills appropriating money from the state treasury. Flores also served on the Select Committee on Teacher Health Insurance and the Select Committee on State Bond Revenues.
Rep. Flores is a strong advocate of education, consumer protection, and economic development. In Rep. Flores’ inaugural session, he supported a balanced budget which significantly increased spending for education in South Texas. Additionally, he was author of the session’s only bill aimed at reducing the number of uninsured drivers.
During the 77th session of the legislature, Rep. Flores secured millions of dollars in increased funding for South Texas Community College, the fastest growing community college in Texas, the University of Texas Pan American to expand professional and other programs, and the largest ever dollar increase in history for the South Texas highway system. Other initiatives included the Valley-wide World Birding Center, co-sponsoring legislation which provided for a $3,000 across the board teacher pay raise, the largest in history, additional funding for early childhood education, an increase in teacher retirement pay, "second chance" programs for school children, the passage of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides health insurance to children of working Texas families who earn too little to afford the high cost of private health insurance.
Rep. Flores was also able to pass and lure the first State Veterans Cemetery slated for Mission Texas. Other legislative accomplishments include authorization for a Tejano Monument on the Capitol grounds, and increased death benefits for spouses and dependent children of peace officers and firemen killed in the line of duty.
Rep. Flores also authored legislation creating the "Texas Ag First Act." The new law requires school districts to give preference to Texas grown or processed agriculture products including vegetation for landscaping purposes, during their purchasing procedures so long as the cost to the school district is equal and the quality is comparable.
Among other awards and recognition, Rep. Flores was named the Texas Society of Architect’s 2003 Distinguished Statesman of the Year, one of the State Association of Fire Fighters’ Legislator of the Year, recognition from the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, inducted into the Texas Association of Realtors Hall of Honor, and named a Friend of Texas Charities by the Bingo Interest Group. Chairman Flores was also officially proclaimed a "Goodlife - Buen Vida" member of Benavidez Elementary of the La Joya I.S.D. in 1999. Also in 1999, the board of trustees, president, faculty, staff and students of South Texas Community College honored Rep. Flores with their "deepest appreciation and gratitude for his outstanding leadership and visionary endeavors to enhance the educational advancement of the Rio Grande Valley, and his considerable contributions to the College's continued success."
The Texas Game Warden Association selected Rep. Flores as their 1999 Legislator of the Year, and the Association of Texas Professional Educators, Mission Local, presented Rep. Flores with their first annual "Texas Spirit of Education Award" in January 1999. The Texas Citrus Mutual adopted a resolution in January 2000 recognizing the numerous and outstanding contributions that Rep. Flores has made to the citrus industry.
In addition, Rep. Flores received the TAMACC (Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce) Leadership Award in 1997 and 1999, for his contributions to the Hispanic community, and the Upper Valley Associates of Life Underwriters’ Outstanding Legislator Award in 1997.
Rep. Flores is married to his former high school sweetheart and wife of 25 years the former Debra Garcia. The couple has two beautiful children Ismael Jr. 19, and Eric age 11. Rep. Flores and his family reside in Palmview, Texas.
Date of Birth: 8/7/58
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