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Welcome to the official website for the
Texas Senate
 
Senator Judith Zaffirini: District 21
 
Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 11, 2007
Contact: Nick Almanza
(512) 463-0121
Statement from Senator Judith Zaffirini Regarding San Antonio's Texas Research Park Site Named Finalist for National Bio and Agro Defense Facility

(AUSTIN) -- "I truly am delighted that the Texas Research Park in San Antonio was selected by the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as one of five final proposed sites for the $500 million National Bio and Agro Defense Facility (NABF). This facility will be essential in developing state-of-the-art biological and agricultural defenses to advance and protect our nation's agriculture and public health. I can think of no better location than Texas Research Park, which is composed of multiple bioscience research organizations and is coupled closely and cooperatively with The University of Texas System and The University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio.

"As a member of the Appropriations Conference Committee that finalized the state's $153 billion budget, I rank state, border and agricultural security among my top funding priorities.

"We allocated $247.4 million in border security for new local law enforcement officers and overtime. Texas looks forward to supplementing our security resources with the NABF. I will work closely with our federal representatives and the organizations that comprise the Texas Biological and Agro-Defense Consortium as DHS continues to finalize the facility's location, which is scheduled to be announced in October, 2008."

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