BROWNSVILLE, Texas - State Rep. Erin Elizabeth Gámez of Brownsville has led the tributes to former state Rep. René Oliveira, who has passed away at the age of 68.
Oliveira served as Brownsville’s representative in the Texas House for 33 years, from 1981 to 2019. He sat out two terms in the House when he ran unsuccessfully for the Texas Senate. At the time he left office in 2019 he was dean of the Rio Grande Valley legislative delegation and the fifth longest serving member of the House. At various times he chaired the Ways & Means Committee and the Economic Development Committee. And he and then-House Appropriations Committee Chairman Jim Pitts introduced Elon Musk to the Appropriations Committee when the SpaceX was looking for state support.
“I’m heartbroken that our former state Representative René Oliveira passed away. I had the privilege of working in his office during college. He exemplified what it meant to be a public servant. He dedicated his life to working for the people of Cameron County and being a champion for those who needed someone to be their voice,” Gámez said.
“The impact of his decades of work in the Legislature is immense. Particularly the work he did for the children of Texas - from improving public education, making higher education more attainable, and improving child support collections just to name a few. Though he is no longer with us the impact he made on our community will live on.”
Oliveira, who had had heart problems for many years, died Jan. 23. But former state Rep. Juan Escobar of Kingsville said he seemed in good spirits when he spoke to him over the past weekend.
“I cannot believe this. I just spoke to him on Saturday at around 5:00 PM and he sounded in good spirits. Our condolences to the family. May he Rest In Peace,” Escobar said.
UT Rio Grande Valley vice president and former state Rep. Veronica Gonzales said: “I was deeply saddened to hear about René’s passing. He was a great legislator and a good friend, and I learned so much from him.”
Gonzales continued: “As a seasoned legislator, René knew what it took to get legislation passed, how to strike deals and the importance of establishing strong relationships. He always stressed that ‘your word is your bond’ so ‘keep your powder dry’ until you know how you are going to vote on legislation because once you give a colleague your word, you must stand by it.”
Gonzales added: “During the redistricting battle, René knew how upset I was with the way my legislative district had been redrawn and as I approached the microphone to debate the bill, he whispered in my ear “keep it classy.” His sage advice calmed me down. I will always remain grateful to René for the many lessons he taught me and for being an example of how when you do your homework, study the issues, keep your word and keep it classy, you can make a positive change for your community and State.”
Cameron County Judge Eddie Treviño, Jr., said Oliveira was a great leader, not just for Brownsville but for South Texas in general.
“My relationship with Rene goes back pretty much to my teenage years. His family and my family and my parents, my Dad in particular knew each other for decades. But my most immediate recollection of Rene was when I was in college and unfortunately my younger brother (Ernie) had been killed in a tragic accident when he was nine years old,” Treviño told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.
“Rene, shortly thereafter, was in the House of Representatives. And he authored a proclamation recognizing my little brother and it was a gesture that my parents appreciated, our entire family did, because it was something that he did on his own because of the relationship that he had with my family. He knew how this terrible tragedy had impacted us. And he did this this small gesture, but it meant so much to my family.
“After that, he and I always had a very good personal and professional relationship, once I got back to practicing law. So, he was a leader in our community for decades. He gave himself of his community, serving at the House of Representatives. And more importantly, he always had the needs of the community at the forefront.
“He was involved in legislation that helped take care of Brownsville, Cameron County, the Valley, and South Texas. And for that we will always be in debt, on a community level, and, obviously, for me on a personal level for this gesture that I just mentioned earlier.
”But, it's a sad, sad, day for Brownsville, Cameron County, for the Valley, and for South Texas, because he was a true leader in every sense of the word.
“My condolences and sincere prayers go to his family and those that he left behind. He will be sorely missed.”
Treviño said that at some point in the near future, Cameron County Commissioners Court will formally honor Oliveira's legacy.
State Rep. John Smithee of Amarillo came into the Texas House soon after Oliveira.
“I think René was a couple of sessions ahead of me because I remember that at the start of my first session I went on that Valley trip - organized by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership - and that was really the first time I really got to know him,” Smithee told the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service.
“We were good friends. I always liked René and enjoyed working with him.”
Smithee remembers Oliveira being chairman of the economic development committee at the same time he was chairman of the insurance committee.
“I was on his committee and the two committees met at the same time. So I wasn't able to be in there very much. But I remember he was always really, really good to me about it. He would give me a heads up on votes so that I could come in and vote on the bills that we were working on.”
Although they were on different sides of the political aisle - Oliveira being a Democrat and Smithee a Republican - they had a mutual respect for each other.
“Even when you disagree on issues, it doesn't require that you be enemies. I respected René a lot and I think it was mutual.”
On that trip to the Valley, Smithee said, it was clear how proud Oliveira was of his hometown. He said he was the perfect host.
“The border situation was much different in those days. We went across from Brownsville to Matamoros. I remember it was not a whole lot different from being in Brownsville. The people were really nice and so you saw the strong coordination they had, Matamoros and Brownsville. You could see how interrelated the two sides of the border were, with the trade and the free flow of people coming across. It was a very peaceful, orderly border. That was 40 years ago.”
Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy said Oliveira was a great friend of the labor movement.
“René Oliveira believed working people in Texas should have voice and power. As an influential member of the Texas House, he fought hard for a fair shot for working families, and as a result, union members stood with him,” Levy said.
“When René chaired the House Business and Industry Committee, workers’ voices counted, labor legislation received hearings, economic development initiatives took the quality of jobs into account, and many bad bills vanished off the face of the earth. Our mutual respect remained strong through his entire legislative career. The Texas AFL-CIO offers our heartfelt condolences to the Oliveira family.”
Blas Castañeda, a former Laredo College director and workforce development committee chairman for the Texas Border Coalition, said: “The loss of a great statesman in state Representative René Oliveira leaves so many people that he touched all over South Texas and Northern Mexico crestfallen.”
Castañeda added: “René championed so many important fields for all of us along the border, including public and higher education, international ports of entries, health, and trade. I remember how well we worked together when I was on the Governor's Council for Border Communities.
“René did so much. It was so easy to talk to him even when he was deeply into legislative issues. Education online, distance learning and student access were major priorities for border residents to be successful. May the Lord bless “René in Heaven and bless his family as well. Era lo mejor de nuestras comunidades.”
Oliveira succeeded Hector Uribe in House District 37 when Uribe became a state senator. Uribe said: “I’m so sorry to hear of René's death. He was a good friend, and I will always remember and be grateful for all the kindness that he showed me. He was a blessing to Brownsville for whom he toiled for many years in the Texas legislature. Few members mastered the rules of the Texas House of Representatives like René and there were none who matched his knowledge of public-school finance and how it impacted our local school districts and our children. For René, public service was a noble calling, and no one responded to the calling as dutifully as René. My condolences to his family. I will miss him.”
Uribe added: “Texas Southmost College and the University of Texas at Brownsville should quickly move to preserve René's legislative archives. They and the archives of other former legislators will detail the public school and higher education history of our Brownsville and other Valley institutions.”
Helen Ramirez, city manager of Brownsville, said: “The City of Brownsville mourns the passing of former state Representative René Oliveira, a beloved and dedicated leader. Throughout his career, Rep. Oliveira tirelessly served Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley, advocating for education, economic development, healthcare, and environmental preservation.”
Texas Democratic Party Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa moved to Brownsville around the time Oliveira became a state representative. He said his good friend always fought for the under-privileged.
“At the end of the day, René always voted for the little people, he always voted for working people. He always promoted projects that would help our schools and our university. He was in the Legislature for a long time but he never let it go to his head. And he never compromised on what he believed in and that was taking care of his community,” Hinojosa said.
Hinojosa said he remembers Oliveira working on key legislation to assist the Valley’s colonias.
“He was at the forefront of some of the critical colonia improvement legislation that was passed back in the 1990s. And he was at the forefront of increasing funding for public education in the state of Texas.”
Hinojosa said few legislators knew public school finance as well as Oliveira and this paid dividends for South Texas.
“René did the formula such that the community of Brownsville, the school district, its funding from the state almost tripled.”
Hinojosa said Oliveira also did everything he could to help the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas southmost College. “This is why we have ended up having UTRGV and the medical school created.”
Editor's Note: Here is a video recording then-Rep. Oliveira gave the Rio Grande Guardian just as Texas was coming out of the Great Recession. At the time he was chairman of the House Ways & Means Committee.
https://youtu.be/5b72MSzSeJM?si=gkjmAdn-TRkpg9lt
Former state Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston said: “Saddened to learn of the passing of my friend, former State Representative Rene Oliveira. My thoughts are with his loved ones. Texas is a better place because of his service.”
Former Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos said: “I was saddened to learn of our former State Rep, the Honorable René Oliveira's passing. He served as one of our Valley state Reps for many years. He was a good friend to many of us and will be missed. My heartfelt condolences to his family and many good friends. Godspeed amigo.”
State Sen. Juan Hinojosa of McAllen said: “My condolences go out to the family and loved ones of former state Representative René Oliveira of Brownsville. He was not only a great legislator but also a longtime friend. Representative Oliveira played a key role in the passage of legislation that created UTRGV and the School of Medicine. He was a strong voice for South Texas, a tireless advocate for his constituents in Brownsville, and a leader in the Capitol. His legacy will live on through his many contributions to the community and the State of Texas. May he Rest in Peace and be in Heaven.”
Texas Southmost College trustee Tony Zavaleta-Reid said: “God Bless René Oliveira. He was a great man.”
Former state Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine said: “René was a great person and he will be missed.”
Former Region One Education Service Center executive director Sylvia Hatton said: “My deepest condolences to René’s family and friends. I have many memories of his outstanding legislative support for public education. Grateful for his community service legacy.”
Former Port of Brownsville director Eduardo Campirano said: “Very sad to learn of René's passing. May he rest in peace and God bless his family.”
Former UT-Pan American President Miguel Nevarez said of Oliveira: “Among many accomplishments, he was a great supporter of higher education. My sincere condolences to the family. May he rest in peace.”
13th Court of Appeals Justice Gina Benavidez said: “René Oliveira was a colleague, mentor, supporter and friend. I was just thinking that we hadn’t spoken in a while - I am devastated that we won’t get a chance to talk again.”
Veteran broadcaster Ron Whitlock said: “I felt very, very close to René Oliveira. As chairman of the Ways & Means Committee and the other committees he served on, he was always in a leadership position that was relevant and very critically important to the border region that he fought so hard for. He would appear on my Valley Newsline show on KRGV and Ron Whitlock Reports on KVEO whenever something was salient and important to engage on with our local communities. He was always available to me, either on a personal legal matter or a legislative matter. We coordinated and collaborated. I'll always remember him for that because he always got the job done.”
