FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katy Cutright, 512-653-1162
katy@hankgilbert.com

Hank Gilbert, Democratic Candidate for Agriculture Commissioner, joins with Texas Democratic Party leadership to bring the issue of the Trans-Texas Corridor to the forefront of campaign issues.

Gilbert attended more than 20 of the 55 TXDOT (Texas Department of Transportation) meetings speaking about the negative effects of the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC) on agriculture, “The worst thing is the initial phase of the Trans-Texas Corridor, TTC-35. Under its recommended route, it is going to take over 100,000 acres of the best growing soil we have--blackland soil. This is where we grow corn, milo and cotton. It is also good grassland that is essential in the production of beef cattle. TTC-35 will take a lot of that grassland out of production, which hampers our overall beef market.”

Gilbert emphasized, “The eminent domain legislation that enables the state to take land for the TTC was sponsored by my opponent who was in the senate. His legislation provides for the state to take land by eminent domain when the state and the landowner cannot agree on an appraised value.” The land taken for the TTC will be leased for 50 years to a foreign company who is partnered with Zachry Construction of San Antonio.

Gilbert has traveled extensively across Texas attending TXDOT meetings regarding the TTC. He shares the frustration of many landowners who have tried to get answers at these meetings.

“I have posed many questions to TXDOT in the meetings dealing with their 4,000-page study. TXDOT spent millions of dollars on environmental impact studies for this project. And they ignored every one of those studies. I have a problem with that. Every Texan should have a problem with that.”

Gilbert also expressed concerns about water rights connected with the TTC. “There are big water transmission lines within this corridor. When the state takes the land it will also get the rights to water under the land. What's going to happen to this water?” Gilbert said, “Is this water going to be sold or bargained to the highest bidder? This is the best-kept secret of this corridor and one subject TXDOT is not talking about at all.”

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