Gutierrez first traveled to Boston alongside members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus. In a rally held on the steps of the Massachusetts State House, lawmakers from over 35 states rallied against weaponized redistricting schemes in commemoration of the 60th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act.

“Texas has always stood up against the federal government poking its nose in our business. But every time Trump calls for him, Abbott rolls over, sits, and stays like a good lapdog. The people of Texas deserve real leaders who get things done for Texas, not people who do Trump’s bidding in the hopes he’ll scratch their belly,” said Roland Gutierrez.

Gutierrez then traveled to Chicago to hold a series of private meetings with Texas House Democrats breaking quorum. House Democrats shared stories of threats against them, loved ones visited by law enforcement, and the struggle of being away from home.

The program, which Gutierrez fought to fund, is designed to provide low-interest loans to help Texas farmers recover from financial strain caused by drought, tariffs, natural disasters, and other economic pressures.

“Our farmers are facing some of the toughest conditions in decades—from historic droughts to supply chain chaos,” said Gutierrez. “This funding is about survival. It’s about keeping Texas agriculture alive and protecting the people who fuel our state.”

Gutierrez, who represents parts of rural West Texas, said the funding came after months of pressure on budget negotiators to prioritize rural needs.

“Farmers are the backbone of Texas. We have to look out for them,” he said. “I asked this body for $50 million in March because of federal budget cuts that threaten farm assistance. Senate Finance Chair Huffman, President Patrick, and I worked hard to secure every dollar for our farmers. We produced $100 million to fund a low-interest loan program over the next biennium, so farmers can have that buffer when times get tough.”

State Senator Roland Gutierrez closed by emphasizing the importance of rural mental health. “Farmers commit suicide at 3.5 times the national average. It’s hard enough to access a physician in rural areas, let alone a therapist. We must fund lifelines like loan programs and the farmer suicide hotline. Our rural communities must know that someone is here, and they care.”

SB 1 passed with bipartisan support and will soon be on the Governor’s desk.

Submitted by the Office of Texas Senator Roland Gutierrez 05-20-25

“All of those cops failed to act for an hour and 17 minutes,” said Gutierrez. “I think this is a fine piece of legislation but under no certain terms should we have some Heroes Day story about law enforcement. I’ve seen hundreds of hours of those videos. Kids dragged in the hallway. Cops throwing up. Survivors crying for their mommies and daddies.”

The bill, passed Monday with unanimous support, seeks to increase coordination among law enforcement agencies during mass casualty events. Gutierrez, who has been a vocal advocate for Uvalde families, criticized the law enforcement response to the mass shooting and lack of accountability.

In the aftermath of the May 2022 massacre, the Texas Department of Public Safety under then-Director Steve McCraw repeatedly misrepresented key facts and have resisted full transparency about their role in the failed response to this day.

“Steve McCraw came into this room 30 days afterwards and told us the door didn’t work. That wasn’t true,” stated Gutierrez, recounting the story of a teacher who was initially blamed by the department for an unlocked door, which was later debunked.

The Senator also criticized the state’s reaction to the tragedy, noting that Republican leadership has failed in its care for Uvalde victims’ families.

“We need to do better on common sense gun safety solutions. We need to do better on how we treat people after these tragedies. We need to do better on victim’s compensation funds,” said Gutierrez, “These families got $1000 from the attorney general’s office. The lowest of any mass shooting in this state.”

Senator Gutierrez has introduced multiple bills to raise the minimum age to purchase assault weapons, establish red flag laws, and mandate transparency from law enforcement agencies—none of which have received a hearing in the GOP-controlled legislature.

“Let’s not kid ourselves,” stated Senator Gutierrez, “Until we get guns out of the hands of 18-year-olds, these semiautomatic assault rifles, this is going to happen again. Until we start holding law enforcement accountable in a real way, this is going to happen again.”

Roland Gutierrez has served as the Texas State Senator for District 19 since 2021, previously serving six terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and two terms as a San Antonio City Councilman.

“It’s getting harder and harder for everyday working families to get by. The skyrocketing costs of groceries, health care, home and auto insurance have stretched Texans’ pocketbooks thin. It’s time that the state of Texas steps in and offers a public insurance option that will provide affordable, reliable coverage for everyone at a fraction of the cost,” said bill author State Senator Roland Gutierrez.

• Administered by the Texas Department of Insurance.
• Coverage level will meet or exceed Texas minimum liability requirements and offer additional coverage options, including uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage and personal injury protection.
• All Texas residents are eligible, provided they meet residency and vehicle registration requirements.
• Will operate alongside private insurers to foster competition, stabilize rates, and provide consumer choice.
• Will start offering auto insurance plans one year after enactment.

“The State of Texas can provide auto insurance at a lower rate because we aren’t getting squeezed by shareholders, paying a C.E.O. with an inflated salary, or racking up the bill on some huge marketing campaign. This is coverage that you can count on, that will force insurance giants to bring their prices down or justify the cost,” said Roland Gutierrez.

Senator Gutierrez’s Auto Insurance Public Option Act can be found here.

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Roland Gutierrez has served as the Texas State Senator for District 19 since 2021, previously serving six terms as a member of the Texas House of Representatives and two terms as a San Antonio City Councilman.

Despite a price tag of over $5.5 billion over the next five years, the bill provides the state no oversight of public taxpayer funds in private schools, and does not hold private schools to the same standards as public schools in many key areas, such as accommodations and safety.

“We know that school shootings happen in private schools as well, we’ve seen it in Tennessee twice. These private schools do not have to comply with anything that is a prerequisite of the School Safety Commission that we dropped over $100 million to, to make sure that our children are safe,” said Senator Roland Gutierrez, who witnessed the carnage of the 2022 Robb Elementary shooting in rural Uvalde, Texas.

Gutierrez criticized the bill for benefiting a handful of wealthy families at the cost of 5.3 million Texas students that will not be able to access or utilize these taxpayer funds, and filed an amendment that would open the program to and prioritize college and trade school students. The amendment failed.

In states where voucher programs have been established, many of the children who benefit come from wealthier families already attending private school, with families from poor communities utilizing vouchers at a lower rate. Studies in multiple states reveal that voucher programs do not lead to a consistent improvement in test scores for low-income students, and in some cases, vouchers have resulted in steep academic declines.

Gutierrez voted against the bill.

In the two years since the school shooting, the Texas Legislature has not taken any meaningful steps to reduce gun violence or hold anyone accountable. In 2023, Senator Gutierrez introduced 21 bills to reduce gun violence and deliver justice to Uvalde families, with none being heard in the Republican-controlled Senate.

In response to the Robb Elementary massacre and other mass shootings, President Biden established the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, seeking to address the number one cause of death for American children.

UVALDE, TEXAS – Roland Gutierrez, candidate for the U.S. Senate and Uvalde State Senator, joins Uvalde families and local Democrats for a Get Out the Vote Rally Wednesday evening.

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About Roland Gutierrez

Roland is a Texas State Senator who fights for working families from San Antonio to Uvalde and the Texas Border. Before his time in the Senate, Gutierrez was a small business owner, a City Councilman, a State House Representative, and currently works as an attorney. Gutierrez has gained over 40 endorsements in his bid for U.S. Senate.

The son of Mexican immigrants, Roland has spent his entire career fighting to create real change for communities across Texas – from fixing infrastructure to lowering the cost of healthcare. That’s exactly the kind of fight he’ll bring to the U.S. Senate. Roland and his wife Sarah are raising their two daughters in San Antonio, Texas.