Press Releases

12.14.07 HOLIDAY GUEST COLUMN BY REP. MARK HOMER: TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARK HOMER HOUSE DISTRICT 3
The Christmas Season is here, and as we celebrate the birth of Christ, I hope you all have time to reflect on the past, enjoy the present, and prepare for the future. With all of the distractions this time of year can bring, it is easy to forget two important things: safety and generosity.

12.14.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER: "CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ORCA GRANT RECIPIENTS IN MY DISTRICT"
AUSTIN -- Last week, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) received news from the Office of Rural and Community Affairs that numerous communities in his district have been awarded grant money.

10.03.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Rep. Homer: Information on Proposed Amendments Now Available ~ Booklets for Upcoming Constitutional Amendments Election Available Free of Charge ~
PARIS -- State Representative Mark Homer encourages voters to go to the polls on November 6, 2007 to vote on 16 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution. He announced that his office can provide voters with an informative summary of the proposed amendments to help them analyze the choices.

06.01.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: STATE REP. MARK HOMER: 80TH REGULAR SESSION GAVELS TO AN END Rep. Homer Proud of Accomplishments, But Work Left to be Done
AUSTIN-- State Representative Mark Homer (D-Paris) is back home today now that the final gavel has fallen on the 80th Regular Session of the Texas Legislature. After a long session, Rep. Homer said the citizens of House District 3 will be pleased with what he accomplished.

05.24.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: NORTHEAST TEXAS REPRESENTATIVES BLOCK MARVIN NICHOLS FROM COMING TO AREA
AUSTIN - On Tuesday, Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) banned together with Rep. Stephen Frost (D - Atlanta) to ensure that Marvin Nichols Reservoir will not be a part of a proposed water plan for the state of Texas.

04.27.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER LOOKS TO CREATE THE TEXAS RURAL JOB DEVELOPMENT FUND
AUSTIN - State Representative Mark Homer (D- Paris) went before the Agriculture and Livestock Committee early Wednesday morning for a bill he has authored regarding the creation and funding of the Texas Rural Job Development Fund.

04.27.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: State Representative Mark Homer Urges Northeast Texans to Vote in Local Elections
(Austin, TX) - Monday, April 30 begins early voting for local elections throughout the state of Texas.

04.24.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER DEFENDS VOTING RIGHTS FOR NORTHEAST TEXANS
AUSTIN - State Representative Mark Homer (D- Paris) joined leaders from the AARP, the League of Women Voters, and many other groups Monday in opposition to an assault on Texans’ voting rights by voting against a bill which would substantially decrease voter participation in Texas.

04.17.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER VOTES FOR LOWERING LOCAL PROPERTY TAXES
AUSTIN - Yesterday, Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) voted for a bill that would give school districts more leeway on the accuracy of their taxable values. The bill passed out of the House with large bipartisan support.

04.05.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER HELPS PASS AN IMPROVED BUDGET ~ GETS MORE FOR CHILDREN, TEACHERS ~
AUSTIN - In last week's 18 hour budget debate, Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) banded together with many of his fellow lawmakers to pass a budget that limits the state's spending but also protects essential services. Among the 244 amendments offered during the House debate, school voucher funding was repudiated, an across-the-board pay raise for teachers was secured, and CHIP was expanded to include more Texas children.

03.08.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER FILES HB 3323 PROVIDING FOR AN ELECTED INSURANCE COMMISSIONER ~ Calls for Accountability in State Government ~
AUSTIN - Today Representative Mark Homer (D-Paris) filed HB 3323 providing for the election of the Texas Commissioner of Insurance, currently an appointed position. The bill is widely regarded as landmark legislation.

03.06.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER FIGHTS TO PROTECT CHILDREN FROM SEX OFFENDERS
AUSTIN - Monday evening, Rep. Homer (D- Paris) joined with 118 other members of the Texas House to pass a bill enforcing stricter penalties for sexual crimes committed against children. The bill, nicknamed "Jessica's Law," will help ensure a Texas child's safety is not compromised at the hand of a sexual predator.

02.21.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER VOTES AGAINST BUSTING THE STATE BUDGET
AUSTIN - Late yesterday afternoon, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) voted in favor of a motion to postpone consideration of Senate Concurrent Resolution 20, which would allow the state budget to exceed the spending cap for the upcoming biennium. Rep. Homer said, "I am in favor of increasing the spending cap to allow for property tax reduction. What I am opposed to is an open-ended spending limit before we have a specified budget."

01.29.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER NAMED TO IMPORTANT COMMITTEES
AUSTIN - Last Friday, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) was appointed to serve on two key House committees for the 80th Legislative Session. Rep. Homer was named to the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism and Vice-Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary.

01.12.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HOMER AMENDMENT PUTS "IN GOD WE TRUST" ON CHAMBER WALLS
AUSTIN -- Today, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris), along with Rep. Richard Raymond (D - Laredo), passed an amendment to The Housekeeping Resolution which will prominently display the words "In God We Trust" in the House chamber.

01.09.07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: HOMER READY TO WORK WITH SPEAKER CRADDICK
AUSTIN -- On Tuesday, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) joined with the majority of his colleagues and re-elected Rep. Tom Craddick (R - Lubbock) as Speaker of the House for another term.

07.18.06 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER RECEIVES ROTARY'S HIGHEST HONOR
PARIS - Last Friday, July 14, 2006, Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) was presented with the Paul Harris Fellow Award during the weekly meeting of the Paris Rotary. The award was given by District 5830 Rotary Governor John Henson, along with a $1,000 contribution to the Rotary Foundation in Rep. Homer's name.

04.25.06 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REP. MARK HOMER VOTES "NO" TO A NEW TAX, "YES" TO PROPERTY TAX CUTS
AUSTIN - Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) yesterday voted in favor of House Bill 1, which will give $2.4 billion of state surplus funds back to the taxpayers of Texas in the form of property tax relief. Rep. Homer confirmed his vote for HB1 after an amendment by Rep. Charlie Geren (R - Fort Worth) offered provisions that maintained school funding equity.

03.07.06 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
PARIS - In a recent letter to Governor Rick Perry, Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) expressed his desire that an additional item be added to the special session agenda. Below is the letter sent to Governor Perry:

02.13.06 REP. MARK HOMER ANNOUNCES 11TH ANNUAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR PROGRAM:
PARIS -- The office of Representative Mark Homer recently received notice of the 11th Annual Teacher of the Year Program, sponsored by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

11.21.05 REPRESENTATIVE MARK HOMER TO ANNOUNCE HIS CANDIDACY:
PARIS -- Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) will formally announce his campaign for re-election for House District 3 on Wednesday, November 30, 2005 and Thursday, December 1, 2005. Homer will be seeking his fifth term in the Texas House of Representatives. All dates, times and locations are as follows:

11.18.05 HOMER AND SHARP MEET ABOUT TAX REFORM:
PARIS -- State Representative Mark Homer announced today that he had a preliminary meeting with Tax Reform Commission Chairman John Sharp regarding the direction of the commission and its potential impact on rural Texas.

09.23.05 EVENT TO HONOR RECIPIENTS OF COMMUNITY GRANT MONEY:
AUSTIN -- Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) is proud to announce an upcoming ceremony honoring constituents in District 3 who, in the past year, were awarded funds from the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (ORCA).

09.12.05 GUEST COLUMN BY REP. MARK HOMER: Possible Closing of Doctor's Creek Park at Cooper Lake
Over the past few days, my office in Paris has received numerous inquiries about the possible closing of Doctor's Creek Park at Cooper Lake. After speaking with Bob Cook, Executive Director of Texas Parks and Wildlife, I have gathered the following information which I would like to share with the people of Northeast Texas. Due to budget constraints, the agency (Texas Parks and Wildlife) is considering several "cost-saving options":

09.09.05 REP. MARK HOMER REQUESTS PUBLIC MEETING TO DISCUSS PROPOSED AVERY LANDFILL:
PARIS -- In a recent letter to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) requested a public meeting to be held in Red River County. The topic will be a proposed landfill that has caused quite a stir in the Avery, Texas area.

09.01.05 A GUEST COLUMN BY REP. MARK HOMER: "WITHOUT LABOR NOTHING PROSPERS"
One-hundred and twenty-three years ago, our country celebrated its first annual Labor Day holiday. Since then, on the first Monday of September, we take a day of rest to pay tribute to the American worker, the backbone of our country and the constant fighter for our nation's strength, character, and freedom.

08.12.05 REP. MARK HOMER HONORED AS PARIS JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI :
PARIS -- An event honoring Representative Mark Homer brought the masses to the Harold E. Hunt Center on the Paris Junior College campus Thursday night. A standing room crowd gathered to applaud the contributions Rep. Homer has made to his city, his district, and his state.

07.15.05 STATE FUNDS COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FOR FOUR NORTHEAST TEXAS COMMUNITIES: REP. HOMER THRILLED TO SEE TAX DOLLARS BEING RETURNED TO THE AREA
AUSTIN - Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) recently received good news from the Office of Rural Community Affairs (ORCA). In a letter from the agency, Rep. Homer was informed that four communities - the towns of Clarksville, Como, Cumby, and Franklin County - in his district have been recommended to receive grants for community development activities that will primarily benefit low to moderate income persons.

07.08.05 REP. HOMER VOTES AGAINST HB 3 AND FOR NORTHEAST TEXAS FAMILIES: HOUSE BILL 3 RAISES TAXES ON WORKING, MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES
AUSTIN - During floor debate on House Bill 3 Representative Carl Isett (R - Lubbock) called the controversial tax bill "the first step". "It's the first step off the edge of a cliff for working families," responded Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris). Homer then joined 71 other legislators in opposing the measure which raises taxes for over 90% of Texans. In addition to giving Texas one of the highest sales tax in the nation, the bill provides no new money for schools and fails to provide real property tax cuts to the vast majority of Northeast Texans. Late Wednesday night, the bill narrowly and preliminarily passed second reading with a vote of 73 to 72. On Thursday, the margin was 70 to 69.

07.01.05 REP. HOMER: HB2 NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR TEXAS KIDS: REP. HOMER SUPPORTED INCREASED FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS & LARGER PROPERTY TAX CUTS
AUSTIN - State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) voted against House Bill 2 Tuesday and made it clear that this bill does not do nearly enough for public schools or for taxpayers, as it fails to fully fund our schools and fails to provide sufficient property tax reductions for our homeowners.

06.24.05 REP. HOMER GOES BACK TO AUSTIN FOR SPECIAL SESSION: LOOKS TO FIND BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR BILLS THAT WILL IMPROVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER PROPERTY TAXES
AUSTIN - State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) headed back to the Capitol in Austin this week for a special session. Rep. Homer is supporting House Bill 15, authored by Representative Scott Hochberg (D - Houston), which outlines a school finance and property tax cut plan that fully funds Texas' public schools and gives greater property tax reductions to the vast majority of Northeast Texans.

06.03.05 THE 79th LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS WITH MIXED RESULTS: BUDGET IS BALANCED, BUT PROPERTY TAX AND SCHOOL FINANCE PROBLEMS REMAIN
AUSTIN - State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) announced that the final gavel came down on the 79th State Legislature on Monday, May 30. The Legislature passed a balanced budget that includes a 7% state employee pay raise over the next two years and increased funding for adult and child protective services. However, the leadership did not reach an agreement on how best to lower property taxes or fix the state’s school finance crisis.

05.27.05 REP. HOMER VOTES AGAINST, HELPS TO STOP STATE-FUNDED VOUCHERS: PROPOSAL TO USE TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO PAY FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS DIES IN THE HOUSE
AUSTIN -- State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris), in one of the closest votes of the legislative session, helped to stop a proposal that would have created the state's first program using taxpayer dollars for a private school voucher plan. The proposal would have structured a voucher pilot program that would have drained millions of critical dollars from rural public schools.

05.20.05 TEXAS HOUSE REPEALS TOP 10 PERCENT LAW: REP. HOMER DISAPPOINTED WITH THE POTENTIAL IMPACT ON RURAL HIGN SCHOOLS
AUSTIN -- Northeast Texas high school students will have to try a little bit harder to get into a state college if certain members of the House have their way. New legislation has gone through the House that would allow only 50 percent of college freshmen to come from the top ten percent of their high school class.

05.13.05 STATEWIDE INITIATIVE CREATES JOBS FOR TEXANS: REP. HOMER SIGNS ON TO A BILL THAT FORMS THE TEXAS ENTREPRENEURSHIP NETWORK
AUSTIN -- The end of April brought encouraging news for rural Texas. In an effort to create jobs and energize local economies through entrepreneurial efforts, Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) has co-authored House Bill 1747, which will create the Texas Entrepreneurship Network.

05.06.05 "TEXAS TOURISM....REDISCOVER TEXAS": REP. HOMER ENCOURAGES TEXANS TO EXPLORE THEIR NATIVE STATE
AUSTIN -- In recognition of the cultural and economic contributions travel and tourism make to the state of Texas, May 7-15, 2005 will be celebrated as Texas Tourism Week, and Representative Homer is encouraging Northeast Texans to "Rediscover Texas" and experience all the state has to offer.

04.22.05 REP. MARK HOMER HONORED AS RECIPIENT OF CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY AWARD:
AUSTIN -- This week, State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) received news that he has been honored with the Outstanding Service to CATE Award from the Area III Career & Technology Administrators Association.

04.15.05 CAMPAIGN FINANCE REFORM ON HOUSE AGENDA: ETHICS REFORM NECESSARY TO PREVENT ABUSIVE CAMPAIGN BEHAVIOR
AUSTIN -- Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris), along with 62 other Democrats and 30 Republicans, have signed a bill which is designed to help ensure Texas has fair and open elections.

04.08.05 STATE BUDGET PASSES ON THE HOUSE FLOOR:
AUSTIN -- After debating until the late hours of the night, the Texas House of Representatives passed this session's appropriations bill with a vote of 105 to 41. Rep. Mark Homer (D- Paris) was one of the 105 that supported this bill.

04.05.05 HOMER APPOINTED VICE-CHAIR OF RURAL CAUCUS:
AUSTIN -- Chairman of the Rural Caucus, Robert L. "Robby" Cook, today announced the appointment of the Vice-Chairs of the Rural Caucus of the Texas Legislature. Rep. Mark Homer (D - Paris) was one of nine Representatives and two Senators that became vice-chairs.

04.01.05 WORKERS COMPENSATION BILL WINS HOUSE APPROVAL:
AUSTIN -- Representative Mark Homer's (D - Paris) agenda for the House floor this week included House Bill 7, the worker's compensation bill for the 79th Legislative session.

03.18.05 HOMER SIGNS BILL THAT CREATES A CITIZEN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING COMMISSION:
AUSTIN -- Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) recently filed a piece of legislation which would take the congressional redistricting process out of the hands of the Texas Legislature and delegate it to an independent, bipartisan citizens' Texas Congressional Redistricting Commission.

03.11.05 CLOSELY DIVIDED HOUSE PASSES HB2: REPRESENTATIVE HOMER SAYS BILL "NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR TEXAS KIDS"
AUSTIN -- Today State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) expressed his disappointment over the recent passage of House Bill 2. The bill, which deals with education and public school finance, was the subject of two days of floor debate and over 130 proposed amendments before finally passing the House on a 75-69 vote.

03.04.05 TEXAS HOUSE CHAMBER IN LINE FOR A MAKEOVER: NATIONAL MOTTO "IN GOD WE TRUST" PROPOSED AS AN ADDITION TO THE CHAMBER WALLS
AUSTIN -- State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris), along with Rep. Richard Raymond (D - Laredo), have filed legislation that will amend the rules that govern the organization of the House by requiring the words "In God We Trust" to be prominently displayed. The message would be permanently affixed gold lettering - large enough to be read throughout the hall - and hung behind and above the Speaker's podium.

02.25.05 HOMER BACKS PARENT'S TAX CUT: BILL ADDS SCHOOL SUPPLIES TO SALES TAX HOLIDAY
AUSTIN -- State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) announced that he is co-authoring House Bill 528 which will provide tax breaks on back-to-school supplies for students. The bill adds backpacks and school supplies to the list of items that will be exempt from any sales tax during the state's annual Sales Tax Holiday.

02.18.05 REP. MARK HOMER ELECTED DIRECTOR OF SPORTSMEN'S CAUCUS:
AUSTIN -- State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) has yet another honor to add to his impressive list. Since taking office, Rep. Homer has been a member of the Texas Legislative Sportsman's Caucus and has now been elected to serve as a Director of the organization, becoming one of only ten state representatives to hold this title.

02.11.05 A ROADMAP TO RESULTS: HOUSE FILES INITIAL PLAN FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL FINANCE
AUSTIN -- State Representative Mark Homer (D - Paris) announced today that he has thoroughly reviewed House Bill 2 and is concerned about the proposals for public school financing.