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Homer to run for another term
By Mary Madewell
Published November 19, 2009
State Rep. Mark Homer, D-Paris, surrounded by about 80 supporters, announced his intentions to seek re-election to a seventh term in office and thanked supporters during a campaign kick-off event Wednesday at the Lamar County Courthouse.
“It is very special to me that you would come and be here today for my announcement for re-election,” Homer said.
“When I asked for your support in 1998 I told you I would commit to represent you and not get caught up with backroom dealing and would stand strong and represent you,” Homer said. “I am here to tell you I have held true to that promise.”
Although candidates for the 150-seat Texas Legislature can not sign up for March primaries with the Secretary of State’s office until December, Homer is the first Democrat to make an announcement. Two Republicans have announced their intentions for the Republican primary — Holland Harper of Paris and Edwin Cain of Sulphur Springs. The winner of the two primaries face off in November 2010 in the General Election.
Going forward, the District 3 representative asked the audience to continue their support.
“I want your support, your votes and your prayers,” the legislator said. “If you will stick with me, I will represent you.”
Homer spoke about challenges going forward in education, health care, economic development, state infrastructure, eminent domain and redistricting.
“Redistricting is back in the pile next session,” Homer said. Following the 2010 census, lawmakers will redraw state as well as Congressional districts in 2011, something Homer said is always challenging.
“It’s important for rural members to get together and I work very well with my Republican and Democratic colleagues from rural areas,” Homer said. “It is vital that we maximize our rural districts and make sure those rural seats don’t get tied to urban districts. I feel good about the opportunity to get that done.”
He applauded Paris Junior College, saying, “We can’t live without it because it is an integral part of Paris, Lamar County and Northeast Texas.”
“I will continue to make sure it gets its due funds and recognition from Austin,” Homer said. And about the public school system, Homer said he recognizes the continuous challenge to a system that is growing rapidly.
“We want to work to keep it going forward and make our kids here get what they need,” Homer said.
About economic development, Homer said, “We want to allow our current businesses to work and do things with as little regulation as possible and freedom from over taxation and we want to entice new business to come to the state.”
Homer noted he worked with Republican Gov. Rick Perry to pass both the Enterprise Fund in 2003 and the Emerging Technology Fund a couple sessions ago.
“I believe because of those initiatives Texas is head and shoulders above anywhere else in the nation during this global recession,” he said. “We have our challenges but we are not a California or Michigan and it took only $16 million in federal enterprise funds to balance a $182 billion budget. We have good money managers in Austin and I would like to think I am one of those.”
About infrastructure including highways, power lines and pipe lines, Homer said Texas is growing at a rapid pace with a population of 24 million today and an expected 35 million by 2025 to 2030.
“There are a lot of challenges that come with that, and while we are going forward, we have to make sure no one is taken advantage of in the process,” the lawmaker said, speaking of eminent domain.
Although the recently passed Constitutional Amendment gives some protection to property owners, Homer said the main piece of the eminent domain puzzle, which he supported, got “hung up in the end as many good bills do” at the end of the 2009 Texas Legislative Session.
“That was the bill that would take head on these companies that try to bowl over landowners. It would take laws that used to be on the books that have been eroded over time and bring us back,” Homer said. “It would not be egregious to business but we want business to be fair. We are a fair people and we would ask business to be fair with us.”
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