Senator Eliot Shapleigh - El Paso, Texas

On the Senator's Desk:
With the various holidays approaching, Senator Shapleigh and his staff are busy trying to juggle work and family commitments; thus, the ENews and Borderlands newsletters will be on hiatus for a few weeks. Look for the next email to come the first week in January. Until then, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

Those who visited:
On Friday and Saturday of last week, Senator Shapleigh co-hosted the 12th Border Legislative Conference (BLC) Forum in El Paso. Legislators from the ten border states of Mexico and the United States were in town for the meeting. At each BLC Forum, different issues that affect the border region are discussed by state elected officials in the hopes of developing a coordinated strategy for moving this fast growing region forward. Last week, the issues on the table included: the safe and effective disposal of waste tires, economic development and border security, immigration and repatriation, and water sharing efforts. The next Forum will be held in Mexico next spring.

Upcoming events:
Senator Shapleigh is kicking off a new "get the vote out" campaign in January. With a goal of increasing voter participation in El Paso, the Adelante Con Ganas Campaign kicks off a voter registration drive and campaign and is calling for volunteers and support. If you would like to help increase El Paso's participation in the democratic system, contact Summer Luciano at summerluciano@hotmail.com.