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From Pete P. Gallego Members, Mexican American Legislative Caucus Dear Caucus Members: Attached hereto is the recently completed report by the MALC Task Force on Public School Finance. Chairman Rick Noriega and the Task Force members did yeoman’s work in traveling the state and taking testimony. Their report is well written and easily understandable. Chairman Noriega and the Task Force members each deserve our thanks. The report marks the culmination of yet another “first” for the Caucus. This was the first time that MALC members traveled the State as a group to hold formal hearings on school finance as well as to meet and network with key community leaders across Texas. The outreach extended to areas such as Lubbock and Tyler with growing Latino populations but no Latino legislators. The response was phenomenal. MALC has recently celebrated other significant “firsts.” The inauguration of the Irma Rangel/Paul Moreno Internship Program, already recognized as one of the pre-eminent internship programs in the Capitol, occurred last session. The internship program provides students with an invaluable experience and constitutes the beginning of a real effort to train young Latino leaders. In partnership with Univisión, MALC became the first Latino legislative caucus in the country to establish a public affairs television program. The program, Es Tu Capitolio, airs Saturday mornings on Univisión affiliates across Texas. Done in talk show format, the show highlights current events and has featured such notable figures such as National Council of La Raza Chairman Raul Yzaguirre and author/statesman Carlos Fuentes. The publication of the report by the MALC Task Force on Public School Finance brings a successful completion to another of our goals. Now, the focus must shift to implementing the recommendations and strategies outlined in the report. Working together, we can continue to make a difference for Latinos – and for all Texans. Sincerely, |
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