GARCIA ON THE GO
Making every day count
February 2017

 

Dear ,

Standing Up to Racial Profiling
On February 8, the Senate voted 20-11 in favor of Senate Bill 4 to ban "sanctuary cities" in Texas, This bill encourages local law enforcement to act as immigration officers. Inevitably, such policies lead to racial profiling by police, and gives our already overburdened police departments less time to focus on real crime. During the hearing, hundreds of concerned Texans and law enforcement officials from around Texas traveled to Austin to testify against  the bill. While I couldn't vote in the committee, I was present into the early morning until every witness had a chance to express their views. Rest assured I will continue to fight against this bill at every turn.

New Committee Assignments
I am honored by my recent appointments to the Senate Committees on Criminal Justice, Intergovernmental Relations, Natural Resources and Economic Development, and Transportation. My presence on these committees during the 85th Legislative Session will give Senate District 6 a strong voice on some of the most pressing issues facing Texas today. As a member of the Senate Criminal Justice Committee, I look forward to fighting for a more equitable criminal justice system, and a legal system that ensures justice for all Texans. As a member of the Natural Resources and Economic Development Committees I will work to expand economic opportunities for our community while keeping environmental preservation at the forefront.  I also look forward to advancing policies that aim to improve our infrastructure in the Transportation Committee, and ensuring that efficiency and transparency in local government are priority in the Intergovernmental Relations Committee.

February is Black History Month; a time to reflect not only on the progress we have made, but on the distance we still must travel as we work towards equality in America. Heroes like Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. paved the way for the Voting Rights Act, yet our access to the ballot is still infringed upon today. While segregation in schools is illegal, our schools in communities of color are too often ignored and underfunded. We must not allow these efforts that infringe upon American values to silence us; we must continue the fight for future generations. The future of our neighborhoods, our education system, our right to vote, our state, and our country hang in the balance.

                                             Putting people first,

                                                Sylvia R. Garcia