Texas Legislator Advocates Education and Public Health for His Hispanic District

Representative Carlos Uresti of Texas (Flemming Fellow ’99) was born and raised in San Antonio, the same city he now represents in the Texas House. “We are proud, patriotic people but there are many needs as well,” says Uresti of his mostly Hispanic district.

Uresti’s efforts in the Texas House reflect his constituents’ needs: making higher education more accessible and increasing public health efforts.

In the 1999 session, Uresti co-sponsored the successful TEXAS Grant Program (Toward Excellence, Access and Success) to make higher education more accessible for all Texans. The program allocates $100 million for multi-year higher education grants, specifically for lower-income students with a C+ or higher GPA.

“This program benefits a majority of Texas’ lower income students, not just a few districts,” says Uresti. Even after passage of the bill, Uresti and his legislative colleagues still face the challenge of informing schools and students about the grant program. As part of a community outreach strategy, Uresti is holding town meetings to promote the program.

As an active participant in CPA’s Southwest Policy Leaders Forum, Uresti plans to focus on two public health issues when the Texas legislature reconvenes in January 2001. “Diabetes and asthma are extremely prevalent among the Hispanic community and I would like to use my legislative position to raise awareness about these public health issues,” he says.