Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

On the Senator's Desk:
Senator Shapleigh was expecting to return to Austin next week to address the Legislative Budget Board (LBB) on the need to fund the El Paso Medical Center of the Americas, but rumor has it that the hearing has been postponed indefinitely. Several weeks ago, reports surfaced that the LBB, the joint committee of the Texas Legislature that determines emergency recommendations for appropriations, would consider appropriating $38.5 million to Texas Tech University to hire medical school faculty and other necessary requirements to prepare the El Paso medical school to start operations. However, the hearing was never set and an agenda never circulated to Board members. Apparently, there are disagreements among Board leaders over the hearing agenda, which was also supposed to include funding for textbooks for this school year and a pay raise for public school teachers. Costs of Hurricane Katrina may also now be an issue. Until an agenda can be agreed upon, no hearing can be set and the funding for textbooks, a teacher pay raise and the El Paso Medical Center continues to sit on the shelf.

Those who visited:

Senator Shapleigh visited with Hurricane Katrina refugees at the Convention Center on Wednesday and spoke with them about their experience and needs.

Upcoming Events:

Senator Shapleigh will be holding a fundraising event next week in El Paso. On Thursday, September 15th at 5:30 PM at Andale Mexican Restaurant on North Mesa Street, Senator Shapleigh invites his friends and supporters to a reception and dinner. Said Senator Shapleigh of the event, "Expect an exciting special guest to join us Thursday night," though he will wait until the event to unveil the surprise. For more information, contact Vikki Escobar or Juana Padilla at 542-1983.