AUSTIN — On the steps of the Texas State Capitol the first day of the 2019 Texas legislative session, Sen. José Menéndez and Rep. Rafael Anchia -- along with leaders from different organizations -- spoke about legislative priorities and issues that will affect Latinos throughout the state.
Sen. Menéndez laid out the goals of the Hispanic Legislative Caucus for Texas. One of the issues he touched on was fixing school finance.
"Many of you already know this, but 52 percent of all the kids in school today are Latino, of Latino background," said Menendez. "And what we do today is the history of tomorrow. And so it is our responsibility to set out a policy agenda that lays out a progressive and a future that provides an opportunity and a pathway for all children."
Rep. Anchia echoed the importance of high-quality education for the state.
"If children don't have access to good teachers, to great resources, to the best classrooms available in the state, we as a state will fail," said Rep. Anchia.
Leaders from organizations such as the Texas Latino Education Coalition, the Senate Hispanic Caucus (SHC), and the Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) also spoke.
The group's leaders say in addition to school finance, in this session they will also work to fight legislation aiming to repeal the Texas Dream Act, specifically House Bill 413.
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