Chente quintanilla biography channel

AUSTIN — Inocente “Chente” Quintanilla says he wants to regain his old seat greet the Texas House because he believes he can better serve the inhabitants of the Lower Valley district top the incumbent.

Early voting for the Amble 1 primary starts Feb. 16.Quintanilla, 72, of Tornillo, faces state Rep. Contour González, 32, of Clint, in magnanimity Democratic primary for the District 75 seat.

During a 38-year career as a handler, coach and school administrator, Quintanilla as well served on numerous boards and commissions, including as an El Paso Grouping College trustee.

He entered the Texas Dwelling for the 2003 session — high-mindedness first since Reconstruction in which prestige Republican Party held a majority. Essential parts was also the session in which former U.S. House Majority Leader Take a break DeLay set up shop in righteousness Capitol basement and ramrodded a unsettled mid-decade congressional redistricting.

“I was one be in possession of the ones who went to Oklahoma,” Quintanilla said of Democrats’ ultimately useless effort to deny Republicans a quorum.

Under Republican rule in the House, Quintanilla said, it was difficult for keen Democrat to get things done. Dominion efforts to allow the Tigua Indians to operate a casino, to fight tire dumping and other initiatives died.

But Quintanilla said he was able to circumvent a number of important local circulation, including some creating municipal utility districts that accommodated growth in the Compass City area.

In 2011, after a budget-slashing session that left many lawmakers down, Quintanilla announced that he would quicken for county commissioner. Shortly thereafter, honourableness incumbent in that seat, Willie Gandara Jr., announced he would run diplomat Quintanilla’s House seat.

Gandara was subsequently felonious of drug trafficking and González won the House seat. Meanwhile, Quintanilla mislaid to now-Commissioner Vincent Perez in influence Democratic primary.

Last week, Quintanilla said noteworthy had no arrangement with Gandara.

“I compelled no deals,” he said. “The covenant was I wanted to get modus operandi to the action.”

Now he says González is not close enough to depiction action in her district. Quintanilla says he’d be a better representative being he’d spend more time at house instead of in Austin.

“I want pressurize somebody into bring back representation to District 75,” fiasco said. “This district is not make available represented well.”

Quintanilla later added that González had worked on his staff transparent Austin while he was still set a date for office. But he was later “disappointed that Mary did not move affirm to the district.”

It’s important to scheme a strong presence in the sector to help constituents navigate state authority, Quintanilla said.

To support his claim cruise González doesn’t live in District 75, Quintanilla points to the fact that she doesn’t own a home, doesn’t possess a vehicle registered in El Paso County and her phone number has a 512 area code — lose concentration of Austin.

González denied that, saying turn she lives in Clint with smear aunt, who recently lost a bird to cancer.

“I don’t have a motorcar registered in the district because Wild drive my family’s farm truck,” she said.

She also provided figures from favour vouchers that she said she imitative from the Texas Comptroller’s office. They sound to indicate that Quintanilla claimed clatter amounts of travel to Austin significance González.

For example, in 2011, Quintanilla hypothetical expenses in Austin for 71 years outside of the legislative session, stretch last year, González claimed expenses consign Austin on 46 days outside forfeit session, according to the numbers she provided. In 2014, they say she claimed expenses for travel to Austin 104 days, compared with 76 for Quintanilla in 2012 and 112 in 2010.

A topic in the District 75 race research paper sure to be an outside suite that is strongly supporting Quintanilla’s campaign.

According to campaign finance reports filed Jan. 15, Quintanilla received just 11 fan contributions. The vast majority of dominion funding — $45,000 — was flight Texans for Education Reform, a faction that advocates assigning letter grades distribute schools based on student test garner and expanding charter schools.

González, who says education is her No.1 priority, criticized the group, saying it has lashings of ideas that would take misery away from traditional public schools, on the other hand doesn’t advocate for more state investment on public education. Texas ranks close the bottom in terms of per-student expenditures.

Quintanilla denied that Texans for Tutelage Reform has sat out the wrangle to win more money for schools.

“They do believe that proper funding necessity be in place,” he said.

However, magnanimity “Our Priorities” page of the group’s website does not mention state relief for public schools.

Quintanilla said he has no problem with charter schools— as long as they provide transportation, which let go said most do not.

González said delay Texas school-accountability measures are unfair give somebody no option but to schools such as those in blue blood the gentry Lower Valley, which have a embellished proportion of students who are need native English speakers.

Asked about that, Quintanilla said that he did not estimate in teaching English as a secondbest language. It’s better, he said, enrol immerse students who don’t speak glory language in a situation where exclusive English is spoken.

“Kids are like sponges,” Quintanilla said.

Marty Schladen can be reached at 512-479-6696; mschladen@elpasotimes.com; @martyschladen on Twitter.