Adam Hinojosa - TX State Senator Joins Houston's Morning News

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, ask promise. Now, let's talk a little bit about this.
This bill, Texas Senate Bill twenty two to thirty three,
authored by Senator Adam Heinjosoho joins us now from Corpus Christi. Well,
he's from Corpus Christi. He may be in Austin. Senator,
good morning, How are you, sir?

Speaker 2 (00:15):
Good morning? Yes, in fact, I am here at the
capitol in Austin.

Speaker 1 (00:18):
Okay, there you go. That would be expected. Okay, So Senator,
let's talk a little bit about twenty two to thirty three.
First of all, tell us the reason behind it. Then
we'll talk about what it would effectively do.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
Well, you know, this bill basically is just just requiring,
you know, it ferially scope for students enrolled at or
employees of institutions of higher education to basically adopt policy

(00:51):
that would basically, it would require that anybody supporting terrorist
activities would not be eligible to go to that school anymore.
We you know, it would create an investigative measure according

(01:12):
to that policy, and it would it would you know,
also have some penalties for any students that are going
to be participating in terrorist activity in our colleges.

Speaker 1 (01:23):
Senator is the term terrorist activity defined in the bill.
What does that mean?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, it references the Federal Code. That is is actually
defines the extremely well Title eight of the United States Code,
section eleven eighty two, where terrorist activity is is you know,
succinctly defined. You know, we've that that. We're not trying
to change the definition of what terrorist activity is. We're

(01:49):
just simply saying that. You know, and this is also
nearly scopes to non immigrant visas. Right, So it's either
a student enrolled at or an employee of an institution
who hold old a non immigrant visa. Okay, so basically,
you know, these are people who are coming here temporarily. Uh,
you know, and it it uh basically you know, even

(02:12):
even the Secretary of State has waged in Marco Rubio
and said, look, and you know, we wouldn't offer visas
to anybody who is going to outwardly say hey, I'm
coming to the United States to support terrorists to activity, right.
We wouldn't even offer those visas to to to people
who who would admit that. So if they're a lying
to us and their whole intent is to come to
America to disrupt our our college campuses, and and and

(02:36):
participate in terrorist activity. Then you know, it's already been
shown that that uh, you know, Secretary of State on
federal side has has uh you know, rescinded visas, and
then once the visa is rescinded, then then that person
is no longer here legally. Uh, then we can you know,
follow the measures to you know, support them, or whatever
we need to do to stop them from uh, you know,

(02:59):
disrupting the education of our children.

Speaker 1 (03:02):
Yeah, that makes sense. We're talking with US Texas State
Senator Adam herejos a terrorist activity defined in eight USC
Section eleven eighty two. That you were talking about people
who engage in terrorist acts or quote endorse or espouse
terrorist activity, or persuade others to endorse or espouse terrorist activity,
or support a terrorist organization end quote. The statute includes

(03:24):
being a part of a quote political, social, or other
group that endorses or espouses terrorist activity end quote. So, Senator,
we're looking at college campuses, for example, in all over
the country, not just Texas, but all over the country
where a lot of these pro Palestinian anti Israel demonstrations
are taking place. Is it able to be interpreted that

(03:45):
a pro Palestinian display is pro Hamas, which of course
is voted. They were voted into power in Gaza by
the Palestinian people there. If you are pro Palestine and
anti Israel and demonstrating as such, does that qualify as
engaging in support of terrorist activity?

Speaker 2 (04:04):
I don't think that necessarily does, unless it starts to
get into one of the measures defined succinctly into terrorist activity.
You know, for example, you know, if they're supporting the
actions of a mos whether it's you know, suggested or
not in terms of you know, you know, kidnapping people

(04:26):
or you know, beheading civilians or any of those kinds
of things, but it's it's an act with the intent
to endanger directly or indirectly the safety of one or
more individuals, or to cause substantial damage to property those
those in those ways. If they're doing it, participating in
any of that kind of activity, whether it's a mos
isis MS thirteen or any other organization that they're supporting

(04:49):
with those measures, it's that that's where that can be applied.

Speaker 1 (04:54):
So, according to an article that I read in the
text in, Governor Abbott is supportive of this said quote,
Let's get this to my desk and I'll make it
law in Texas, so you have the support of the governor.
Where are we in the process. How quickly can we
get this vote in Do you expect it to get
to the governor?

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Well, we've already laid it out in committee. I'm expecting
a vote on it soon, and then once that gets
out of committee, obviously we'll have a floor debate and
we can get it moving along the process. But I'm
hopeful that we'll get a vote either this week or
early next week, and then we can get along in
the process, generally shortly after our committee hearings and voted

(05:33):
out of Committeeing committees, we've been working very, very diligently
on the Senate side, and we've been pushing out bills,
so I don't see this getting jammed up for too
much longer.

Speaker 1 (05:43):
Sounds reasonable, hopefully sooner rather than later. Texas State Senator
Adam here Holsa Adam, thank you for the time. Senator.
We appreciate it very much.

Speaker 2 (05:50):
Thank you so much. Appreciate the opportunity