Austin – Texas State Sen. José Rodríguez filed 14 bills today, the first day that legislators can pre-file bills in preparation for the 85th Texas Legislature, which commences January 10, 2017.

“I filed these bills today to highlight priority areas in education, health care, and other vital issues facing Texas,” Sen. Rodríguez said. “Now, more than ever, Texans deserve a legislature that works hard to address the needs of our state. Every one of these proposals was suggested by Texans, who want to increase our opportunities, support equality, protect our rights, and establish government accountability.”

The bills filed today ensure special education students’ rights are protected and appropriate funding for English Language Learner students; promote women’s access to health care, including a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products; same day registration during early voting; promote equality for LGBTQ Texans; address transparency and accountability for border security funding; and reform the state’s marijuana laws. Details and Senate bill numbers below:

Education

• Senate Bill 160 (prohibition of special education cap):Since this summer, theHouston Chronicle has been reporting on the impact of a Texas Education Agency policy, implemented as part of its school district monitoring system, which set an 8.5 percent target for the total number of children receiving special education services. According to the reporting, the policy effectively served as a cap, perhaps drastically lowering the number students receiving special education services. S.B. 160 would prohibit the TEA from implementing arbitrary targets that keep special education students from accessing learning opportunities, while still preserving TEA’s authority to collect information on special education enrollment.

“This is about the civil rights of vulnerable children. Under federal law, every student is entitled to a free appropriate public education. Special education supports help children enjoy the same success in learning as their peers, and go on to apply their education toward productive lives,” Rodríguez said. “Just as important, parents have a right to have their child evaluated for services, and to have a place at the table when schools design appropriate accommodations. This cap disincentives schools from following the law, forcing parents to fight a one-sided battle to secure their children’s educational rights.”

• Senate Bill 161 (increasing funding for English Language Learners): S.B. 161would increase the ELL education funding weight from the current weight of 0.1 to 0.25. This funding weight has not been updated since 1984. Updating it would alleviate achievement gaps, expand dual language programs, reduce recapture payments, and help the almost one million students that need additional services.

“The investment in our students is an investment in our future,” Rodríguez said, regarding funding weights. “This is long overdue.”

Women’s health

• Senate Bill 162 (sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products):The Texas Tax Code provides a variety of sales tax exemptions on items considered “necessary” to life, such as medicine or grocery items. Menstruation is not a choice, but rather a monthly bodily function. Women should not have to pay a tax on a product that helps them remain clean, comfortable, and free from infection, particularly when they are required to purchase such items for four or five decades. As there is no male product equivalent, the general sales tax on these items unfairly penalizes women. Women and girls who cannot afford these products suffer greatly from missing class, work, or important life events to being forced to improvise with other items, thereby risking infection. S.B. 162 would amend §151.313 of the Tax Code to add feminine hygiene products to the list of currently exempted health care-related items.

“This is a health issue, a tax relief issue, and a fairness issue, as it’s a tax that unfairly targets women, and is solely borne by women,” said Rodríguez, “We should ensure all Texans have affordable access to basic health care products.”

• Senate Bill 163 (CHIP contraceptive benefit):Existing barriers in the Children’s Health Insurance Program and Healthy Texas Women are preventing teenagers from accessing basic reproductive health care services, including access to contraception. Additionally, Medicaid costs typically comprise the largest portion of the supplemental appropriations bill at the beginning of every session. S.B. 163 would allow teenagers enrolled in CHIP to access reproductive health care services so long as her parent or guardian consents. Improving access to contraception will reduce the state’s Medicaid costs.

• Senate Bill 164 (minor consent for postpartum care and contraception): Although a teenage mother is allowed to consent for her child, current state law does not allow a teenage mother to legally consent to medical procedures or treatment for herself after giving birth. S.B. 164 would allow a teenage mother to consent for postpartum care as well as contraception.

“This legislation gives young mothers a voice and allows them to make health care decisions that are best for their families and their economic success, while potentially saving Texas additional Medicaid costs,” said Rodríguez.

Equal rights for LGBTQ Texans

• Senate Joint Resolution 16 (repeal of the state’s unconstitutional ban on same-sex marriage):S.J.R. 16 by Sen. Rodríguez and joint authored by Sens. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, Sylvia Garcia, and John Whitmire proposes a constitutional amendment that would repeal the existing same-sex marriage ban in the Texas Constitution.

“Last year’s Obergefell v. Hodges decision was a milestone moment in the civil rights history of our country, recognizing that denying any person the right to participate in an institution as fundamental to American life as marriage is contrary to our nation’s values,” Rodríguez said. “Marriage equality is now the law of the land, and it’s time our state constitution and laws reflect that.”

In addition to S.J.R. 16, Sen. Rodriguez also expects to file legislation intended to update several sections of Texas law, principally in the Family Code, which are now outdated post-Obergefell. This cleanup legislation is included in the State Bar of Texas’s legislative agenda.

• Senate Bill 165 (comprehensive non-discrimination bill): The bill prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in the areas of housing, public accommodation, employment, and state contracting.

“Gay and trans folks have the same values as anyone: to be secure in their livelihoods and to live a life of purpose, free from discrimination. An inclusive Texas is critical to recruiting top talent, attracting business, and maintaining a strong tourism industry,” Rodríguez said. “This session, we must also be mindful of lawmakers’ attempts to authorize discrimination, or even repeal the handful of local non-discrimination ordinances and policies that we do have in Texas. We simply can’t afford discriminatory legislation of the kind that only brought ridicule to other states.”

• Senate Bill 166 (repeal of state’s unconstitutional homosexual conduct prohibition): Penal Code Section 21.06 still lists “homosexual conduct” as a misdemeanor crime, even after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law as unconstitutional in its 2003 Lawrence v. Texasdecision. It makes no sense to have an unconstitutional law that cannot be enforced on the books. This is the third session that Rodríguez has filed this legislation.

“In spite of all the progress the LGBTQ community has made, and more than a decade after Lawrence, our Texas law says it’s a crime to be gay. Although unenforceable, this hurtful law remains on the books, forever memorializing discrimination, and potentially serving as a source of misinformation for local police. It’s time for it to go,” Rodríguez said.

Voter registration

• SB 167 Same day registration during early voting: This legislation will allow eligible Texas voters to register to vote during the early voting period of elections.

“Texas continues to lag behind in voter turnout and our electoral system needs reforms,” Rodríguez said.

Border security and witness/victim protection

• Senate Bill 168 (DPS accountability): This legislation would require additional training for state law enforcement officers in the border region, provide for an ombudsman to address complaints, and require the Department of Public Safety to develop metrics for measuring the success of DPS’ border surge.

• Senate Bill 169 (crime victim and witness protection): This legislation would increase public safety by prohibiting law enforcement to inquire into the immigration status of witnesses and victims of crimes.

“It’s crucial we hold DPS accountable for how it is using the nearly $1 billion dollars taxpayers are spending on militarizing the border,” Rodríguez said. “Don’t lawmakers in a fiscally conservative legislature want to make sure we’re getting a return on investment that can be measured using data, instead of politics?” Regarding witness protection, Rodríguez said, “To stop criminal activity, all members of the community must feel safe to call 911.”

Marijuana reform

• Senate Bill 170 (civil penalties): State penal statutes regarding the possession of small amounts of marijuana are antiquated and costly. The state expends millions prosecuting and incarcerating these non-violent drug offenders. In addition, those convicted often suffer collateral, disproportionate consequences, such as an inability to access certain benefits, like student financial aid or public housing assistance, because they were caught with small amounts of marijuana.  S.B. 170 would change possession of one ounce or less of marijuana from a criminal offense to a civil one.

• Senate Joint Resolution 17:S.J.R. 17 would allow voters to decide whether marijuana should be legalized in Texas, following the pattern of a number of states. After last week’s election, eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use.

• Senate Joint Resolution 18: S.J.R. 18 would allow voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana for medical use if recommended by a health care provider. A total of 28 states have comprehensive medical marijuana laws and several others have authorized medical use in limited settings.

“It is long past time we allow the people to decide,” Rodríguez said of the ballot initiatives. “Polling indicates majorities in favor of both proposals, and it goes against the state’s democratic values and faith in its people to deny them a chance to vote on the matter.”

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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Sen. Rodríguez will enter his fourth legislative session representing Texas Senate District 29 in the Texas Senate in January 2017. In his first three sessions, Rodríguez has championed the needs of everyday Texans, working across party platforms to develop, pass, and amend legislation. He hassecured funding for local priorities; passed more than 150 bills that support education, health care, sustainable energy, equality, economic development, veterans, and criminal justice reform; and served as an effective leader who relentlessly advocates for the people of Senate District 29 and Texas.

The Valerie Kantor Award for Extraordinary Achievement, the highest honor given by MALDEF, is named for the former MALDEF board member, who served from 1974 until her death in a plane crash in 1978. It is given to former MALDEF board members who have distinguished themselves for their contributions to the group and the Latino community.

“It is a privilege representing the people of District 29 in the Texas State Senate, and it is a privilege to have served the public virtually my entire career, from working for Housing and Urban Development in D.C., making sure farmworkers had access to legal services through Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, to serving as El Paso County Attorney, the elected position I held for 17 years before being elected to the Texas Senate in 2010,” Rodríguez said. “I have always endeavored to be a strong, effective voice for my community, and now more than ever, we need leaders and a government that works to ensure that the opportunities our great state and nation offer are accessible to all. This recognition by MALDEF is a humbling reminder that we have made progress, but our work must continue.”

Founded in 1968, MALDEF is the nation’s leading Latino legal civil rights organization. Often described as the “law firm of the Latino community,” MALDEF promotes social change through advocacy, communications, community education, and litigation in the areas of education, employment, immigrant rights, and political access.

“Sen. Rodríguez has made truly exemplary contributions to El Paso and the entire state of Texas, but his influence and leadership have been national in scope,” stated Thomas A. Saenz, MALDEFPresident and General Counsel. “MALDEF has been privileged to work with such a paragon of political service as a member of our board of directors for many years, and we are proud to honor him with the Valerie Kantor Award, the highest honor that MALDEF bestows.”

Rodríguez was elected to the Texas Senate in November 2010, after serving as the El Paso County Attorney for 17 years. As a freshman legislator in 2011, he passed 41 bills related to education, health care, economic development, renewable energy, public safety and the courts, ethics and government transparency, and the military.

During the 2013 legislative session, the Senator continued this remarkable record of achievement. He passed 50 bills and two concurrent resolutions into law. The bills included local priorities with statewide impact — including the transformation of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso from a branch of the Lubbock-based health sciences center to an independent, standalone university component of the Texas Tech University System — as well as a series of reform bills to address cheating and accountability in standardized testing.

Rodríguez built on this record during the 2015 legislative session when he passed 71 bills and concurrent resolutions dealing with education, health care, economic development, veterans, and criminal justice reform; 66 of which became law. Notably, he helped secure funding for Senate District 29 priority items, including $3.5 million for the long-awaited Franklin Mountain State Park Visitors Center; $70 million in tuition revenue bonds for an interdisciplinary research facility and $7 million for the pharmacy program at the University of Texas at El Paso; $75.52 million in tuition revenue bonds for the Medical Science Building 2 at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center-El Paso; and $30 million for Defense Economic Adjustment Assistance Grants for military cities.

A former migrant farm worker, Rodríguez understands that education and equal opportunity are the keys to individual and community success. He has fought for better funding for our schools, to improve access to health care for millions of uninsured Texans, and for workers’ basic rights, including rest breaks and recovery of unpaid wages.

Rodríguez has worked with colleagues over several sessions to stop anti-immigrant proposals, such as forcing local police into federal immigration enforcement roles; eliminating the ability of Texas DREAMERs, college-age state residents brought here as unauthorized immigrant children, to attend university and pay the same tuition as other Texas residents; and flooding border communities with expensive and unnecessary expansion of DPS troopers on the basis of ill-defined “border security.” In addition, he fought against efforts to draw electoral lines that diluted minority voting strength, and he has defended equal rights for women, minorities and the LGBTQ community.

His remarkable ability to work across party lines and his tenacity on the Senate floor have gained him numerous accolades, including being named “Freshman MVP” by Capitol Inside, “Legislative Hero” by Texas Access to Justice Foundation, “Best of Senate” by the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas, “Advocate of the Year, Elected Official” by the Texas Association for Education of Young Children, “Texas Women’s Health Champion” by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, “Champion of Equality” by Equality Texas, “Legislator of the Year” by the Family Law Foundation, “Senate Legislator of the Year” by Texas Nurse Practitioners, and the “2015 TABE Joe J. Bernal Community Service Honoree” by the Texas Association for Bilingual Education.

Most recently, he was elected Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus. Prior to assuming this position, he served as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Hispanic Caucus for nearly two years. In addition, Rodríguez is a Presidential Appointee to the 10-person Board of Directors of the Border Environment Cooperation Commission-North American Development Bank (BECC-NADB); a long-serving member of the Mexican-American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) Board of Directors; and the current Chairman of the Border Legislative Conference (BLC), which is a joint program of the Council of State Governments (CSG) West and its regional partner in the South, the Southern Legislative Conference (SLC), and comprised of legislators from the 10 American and Mexican states bordering the U.S.-Mexico border.

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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Sen. José Rodríguez released the following statement, on behalf of the members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, regarding today’s ruling:

The evidence has once again proven that the Voter ID law enacted by the TexasLegislature in 2011, one of the most restrictive in the nation, discriminates against minority voters in Texas. Senate Democrats unanimously voted against it because it was clear the motivation for the law had little to do with preventing voter fraud and more to do with restricting eligible minority voters’ access to the polls. We look forward to the Court’s remedy to ensure all eligible citizens have their voting rights protected in the upcoming November election.    

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The Texas Senate Democratic Caucus is comprised of the following members: Sen. José Rodríguez of El Paso (Chair), Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston (Vice Chair), Sen. John Whitmire of Houston, Sen. Judith Zaffirini of Laredo, Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr. of Brownsville, Sen. Royce West of Dallas, Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa of Mission, Sen. Carlos Uresti of San Antonio, Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin, Sen. Sylvia Garcia of Houston, and Sen. Jose Menendez of San Antonio.

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I was hesitant to speak out on this latest tragedy because of the raw emotions involved and the complexity of sorting through the elements of gun culture, police culture, the protest culture, and the legacy of racism in this country.

But last night, snipers killed five officers, who were on-duty at a Black Lives Matter march in Dallas. This is a tragic event, and I can only imagine the effect of this terrible loss on their families, friends, and colleagues.

That has turned this issue into the topic of the day, dwarfing everything else in both traditional and social media. Unfortunately, it also has buried our ability to sort through the issues involved. Predictably, there is an attempt to blame the deaths of the officers on the Black Lives Matter movement, including from someTexas leaders. This simplistic appeal to an “us versus them” mentality requires a response.

Let’s be clear. Black Lives Matter did not shoot at police in Dallas last night; individuals with guns did that. Black Lives Matter also did not invent the killing of two men in Falcon Heights and Baton Rouge, in what appears to be law enforcement execution at worst, and tragic incompetence at best. These are only the two most recent in a string of events made public only because of now-ubiquitous video technology. We grant police the right to make life and death decisions, but not without question or with impunity. There is much evidence that too often, this government-sanctioned violence is exercised too quickly and easily, especially against minorities. Anyone who doesn’t get that simply lives in a different reality than millions of Americans, and to deny the reality lived by millions shows a stunning lack of empathy.

We can and will find a way to live together peacefully with respect for each other’s rights, but not until we have the very hard conversation required to right some wrongs in this country. Rather than deepening the divisions by continuing to play on the politics of fear, it is incumbent on state leaders to begin that dialogue. I will always condemn violence against the police, but I will not be silent about policies and procedures that lead to unjustified deaths, the brunt of which are borne by minority communities.

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate DemocraticCaucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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But last night, a sniper killed five officers, who were on-duty at a Black Lives Matter march in Dallas. This is a tragic event, and I can only imagine the effect of this terrible loss on their families, friends, and colleagues.

That, on the heels of two police shootings of black men, has turned this issue into the topic of the day, dwarfing everything else in both traditional and social media. Unfortunately, it also has buried our ability to sort through the issues involved. Predictably, there is an attempt to blame the deaths of the officers on the Black Lives Matter movement, including from some Texas leaders. This simplistic appeal to an “us versus them” mentality requires a response.

Let’s be clear. Black Lives Matter did not shoot at police in Dallas last night; individuals with guns did that. Black Lives Matter also did not invent the killing of two men in Falcon Heights and Baton Rouge, in what appears to be law enforcement execution at worst, and tragic incompetence at best. These are only the two most recent in a string of events made public only because of now-ubiquitous video technology. We grant police the right to make life and death decisions, but not without question or with impunity. There is much evidence that too often, this government-sanctioned violence is exercised too quickly and easily, especially against minorities. Anyone who doesn’t get that simply lives in a different reality than millions of Americans, and to deny the reality lived by millions shows a stunning lack of empathy. 

We can and will find a way to live together peacefully with respect for each other’s rights, but not until we have the very hard conversation required to right some wrongs in this country. Rather than deepening the divisions by continuing to play on the politics of fear, it is incumbent on state leaders to begin that dialogue. I will always condemn violence against the police, but I will not be silent about policies and procedures that lead to unjustified deaths, the brunt of which are borne by minority communities.

***

José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs. 

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El Paso – State Sen. Rodríguez released the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s 5-3 ruling on Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt:

The Supreme Court’s landmark decision reaffirms a woman’s constitutional right to access safe and legal abortion no matter where she lives. This decision adds to long-established precedent that the U.S. Constitution protects a woman’s right to make her own decisions for her health, family, and future, without unwarranted, burdensome government interference. Today’s decision will allow Texas’ remaining clinics to keep their doors open, and for other clinics to open or reopen, improving much-needed access to care for women across the state. My constituents in El Paso and far west Texas will no longer have to travel hundreds of miles to access safe and legal abortion care.

Make no mistake – this is a victory for our Texas families and women’s rights. From its inception, H.B. 2 has been a thinly veiled attempt to restrict access to safe and legal abortion, offered under the condescending pretext “of protecting women.” It is the culmination of a decade-long mission to dismantle access to women’s health services – whether that’s abortion or contraception. Our state laws force doctors to give Texans grossly medically inaccurate information, and require women to undergo unnecessary ultrasounds, face mandatory delays, and make extra, medically unnecessary visits to the clinic. For a state that prides itself as having less government interference, its leaders have embraced government intrusion into the private lives of women, depriving them of their autonomy.

Undoubtedly, with this defeat, we will face renewed attacks on women during the next legislative session. I continue to stand with Texas families and their health care providers, and pledge to continue to fight unnecessary laws that endanger women’s health and rob women of their respect and dignity.

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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Sen. José Rodríguez released the following statement, on behalf of the members of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, regarding today’s ruling in Fisher v. University of Texas:

The U.S. Supreme Court was correct to uphold The University of Texas at Austin’s use of diversity considerations in its admission policy. The facts bore out that UT Austin has a narrowly tailored admissions policy that accounts for a number of factors, including family responsibility, socioeconomic status, languages spoken, ethnicity, and race among many other factors. UT Austin is the state’s premier flagship university partly because of the diversity brought by the Top Ten Percent law and the narrowly tailored use of race and ethnicity in its admissions policy. We hope this puts an end to the long history of attacks on the ability of students of color to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border.

Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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Sen. José Rodríguez released the following statement regarding this morning’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling on President Obama’s Deferred Action for Parents of Americans (DAPA) and Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) executive order:

I am extremely disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court split 4-4 on President Obama’s 2014 order granting prosecutorial discretion for the undocumented parents of U.S. Citizens and Legal Permanent Residents. Tearing families apart is not an American value, and now these individuals will be unable come out of the shadows and live their lives without fear of being ripped away from their families or exploited by unscrupulous employers.

On the legal question, I strongly believe the federal government has the authority to set immigration policy priorities. This decision will also have significant negative economic consequences, as immigrants provide tremendous benefits to Texas.  In this state, undocumented youth paid $51.6 million in university/college tuition and fees in 2013 as well as an estimated $1.6 billion in state and local taxes. In 2011, immigrants of all status in Texas contributed $65 billion in economic output – wages, salary, and business earnings. 

With that, it is and has been imperative for Congress to do its job by passing Comprehensive Immigration Reform. If it had, the President would not have had to take the actions he did. There must be a process for these students who grew up in the U.S., known as Dreamers, and the undocumented workers who support the economy to obtain a path to Legal Permanent Residency and eventually attain their dreams of U.S. Citizenship. It’s time to let these immigrants, who are Americans in almost every way, serve their country, move up the economic ladder, and achieve their dreams.

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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LGBTQ Inclusive Healthcare: Understanding Dynamics in Transgender Health Care will be held Thursday, June 2 at 1:00 p.m. at the Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso (5001 El Paso Dr. 79905), Medical Education Building Room 1100.  This free development workshop for healthcare professionals focuses on effective inclusion practices for LGBTQ patients.  The workshop will be led by Mr. Robert Salcido and Mr. Lou Weaver, Equality Texas’ Regional Field Coordinator and Transgender Programs Coordinator, respectively.  Licensed nurses, professional counselors, and social workers receive continuing professional education credit for completing the workshop.  Attendees must RSVP at the following link:http://goo.gl/forms/jIQNWj8AFi.

Conversations are Important: Holistic Views of Issues Facing the LGBTQ Community will be held Thursday, June 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the UTEP Health Sciences and Nursing Building (500 W. University Ave. 79902), Room 206.  This free and open to the public community forum trains attendees in how to have important conversations about LGBTQ people with their friends, co-workers, and neighbors.  The event will also be led by Equality Texas’ Mr. Robert Salcido and Mr. Lou Weaver.  Attendees must RSVP at the following link:http://goo.gl/forms/7cPple4x1x.

Following the trainings, at 1 p.m. on Friday, June 3, Sen. Rodríguez, El Paso County Judge Veronica Escobar, and Equality Texas will co-host a press conference to discuss their coalition-building efforts in the El Paso area, and issues facing the LGBTQ community leading up to the next Texas legislative session starting January 2017.

All events are sponsored by Equality Texas; the Office of Texas State Senator José Rodríguez; the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso Office of Diversity, Inclusion and Global Health; Mano y Corazón Multicultural Health Care Solutions, an organization founded out of Sen. Rodríguez’s healthcare district advisory committee which hosts ongoing culturally-appropriate training for healthcare professionals; BorderRAC, an approved continuing education provider; The Purple Pages of El Paso; El Paso Sun City Pride; Texas Freedom Network; and Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity.

• What:LGBTQ Inclusive Healthcare: Understanding Dynamics in Transgender Health Care
• When:1:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m., Thursday, June 2, 2016

• Where: Texas Tech Health Sciences Center El Paso (Medical Education Building Rm. 1100, 5001 El Paso Dr. El Paso, Texas 79905)
• RSVP: http://goo.gl/forms/jIQNWj8AFi

• What:Conversations are Important: Holistic Views of Issues Facing the LGBTQ Community
• When:5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Thursday, June 2, 2016

• Where: UTEP Health Sciences and Nursing Building Room 206 (500 W University Ave., El Paso, Texas 79902)
• RSVP: http://goo.gl/forms/7cPple4x1x

• What:Press Conference
• When:1 p.m., Friday, June 3, 2016

• Where: Office of Texas State Senator José Rodríguez (100 N Ochoa St. Suite A El Paso, TX 79901)

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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Given rapid technological advances in recent years, there have been efforts to replace public notices published in newspapers with those posted on governmental entities’ websites. Proponents of efforts to allow publication of public notice on the Internet cite benefits of efficiency and cost-effectiveness. However, as stated in the text of H.C.R. 96, which created the committee, “abundant testimony against these measures in past public hearings has cited statistics that public notice placed on the Internet would not reach a large number of Texans, demonstrated problems with archiving Internet notices, raised questions about removing oversight and reducing transparency, and questioned the cost-effectiveness of posting notices on the Internet or through social media.”

“I appreciate the opportunity to serve on this committee,” Rodríguez said. “A free press is crucial to our way of life. I will work to ensure that transparency and government accountability are balanced with government efficiency in a manner that best serves all Texans.”

The Senator has passed legislation that promotes the availability of public information and government accountability – such as H.B. 584 (83R) and H.B. 1487 (83R) – as well as legislation that allows for more efficient use of limited government resources – such as S.B. 457 (83R) and S.B. 458 (83R).

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José Rodríguez represents Texas Senate District 29, which includes the counties of El Paso, Hudspeth, Culberson, Jeff Davis, and Presidio. He represents both urban and rural constituencies, and more than 350 miles of the Texas-Mexico border. Senator Rodríguez currently serves as the Chairman of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, and is a member of the Senate Committees on Education; Health and Human Services; Veteran Affairs and Military Installations; Nominations; and Agriculture, Water, and Rural Affairs.

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