SAN ANTONIO - Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones said she was not surprised by the midterm election results, pointing to economic pressures and national issues she said have frustrated voters, while also laying out what she wants Texas lawmakers to tackle next. “It turns out shocking that people are not big fans of $3.69 gas,” Jones said.
She also cited “ridiculously high groceries” and “an endless war in Iran that seems pointless,” adding that voters have also reacted to “our neighbors unfortunately needlessly attacked and deported and sent to countries that they are not from.” Jones said she believes voters used the election to demand change. “I wasn't super surprised,” she said.
“I think you know people understand the most important way to be heard is at the ballot box. If you want something different, you got to vote for something different.” Looking ahead to the legislative session, Jones said she is working with colleagues to update a state-led agenda that includes Medicaid expansion, repealing the so-called Death Star bill and revisiting SB 4, referencing versions from 2017 and 2023.
She said those issues affect public safety and local control, and she also wants changes to laws she said have made it harder to vote and harder to access reproductive health care. Jones argued that immigration enforcement should not be the responsibility of local police.
“I want our police officers to be able to be focused on keeping our communities safe, not acting and doing immigration enforcement-related activities,” she said. “That is not what they're trained for. That is not what we have budgeted for, by the way. So that is purely a federal responsibility.” Jones said fear of immigration consequences can keep victims from seeking help.
“When people are fearful that if they call the police because they're a victim of domestic abuse or some other thing, and they fear potentially being deported, then you've got people suffering in silence, and that makes our community less safe,” she said.
Jones added, “Let's never forget we've got 100,000 of our neighbors that are undocumented in our community.” Asked about efforts in other cities to scale back cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Jones emphasized that state law has not changed. “Well, to be very clear, the law has not yet changed, right?” she said.
She said she wants to keep pushing for legislative changes and believes advocacy can influence what lawmakers prioritize in Austin. Jones also highlighted a minimum wage proposal filed by state Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer, saying he filed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $17 an hour. She noted Texas’ current minimum wage is $7.25.
Jones also pointed to San Antonio’s past paid sick leave ordinance, saying it was not implemented as envisioned because of how state law was interpreted, and she said changes in state law could allow sick leave to be accrued locally. During the conversation, Jones noted the city would observe Veterans Day on Wednesday and thanked veterans in San Antonio.
“Happy Veterans Day to my fellow brothers and sisters in arms,” Jones said, calling San Antonio “Military City USA.” She said the city has “2,000 veterans that work for the city as well.” Jones also gave “a special shout out to the archdiocese,” saying the archbishop led a mass celebrating “the 100 years of our archdiocese here in San Antonio.” She also thanked St.
Mary’s University for accommodating about 8,000 people, and specifically thanked “Dr. Iravellis…
