Legislative Visits
Dr. Lassiter has been hosting informal meetings with legislators as we prepare for the upcoming session. These gatherings serve as opportunities to visit with members of the Dallas Legislative Delegation as we formalize our legislative priorities.
 One of the most successful ways to interact with legislators is to invite them to visit our colleges. Recently, Senator Florence Shapiro took a tour of Richland College to learn more about the Richland Collegiate High School. During her visit, she was able to talk directly with students. Once again, our students proved that they are our strongest advocates! Senator Shapiro chairs the Senate Education Committee; her support is critical for DCCCD.
 Following a recent meeting with Dr. Lassiter, Representative Rafael Anchia toured El Centro and visited its Middle College. We will continue to look for opportunities to bring legislators to our campuses.
 Earlier this month, our Board of Trustees presented Representative Roberto Alonzo with a proclamation that recognized his support of higher education and, specifically, DCCCD. Representative Alonzo serves as a member of the House Higher Education Committee and is an ardent DCCCD supporter.
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Committee Hearings
 Recently, Dr. Lassiter testified before the House Select Committee on Higher and Public Education, the Governor’s Task Force on Global Competitiveness and the Governor’s Task Force on Higher Education Incentive Funding. In each of these instances, the chancellor educated policymakers about the importance of community colleges.
DCCCD representatives also have participated in hearings and committee meetings as legislators study their interim charges. The interim committee meetings are important because they give legislators an opportunity to thoughtfully consider issues such as formula funding, financial aid, textbooks, proportionality, accountability measures and other challenges. Many committees will continue to hold these interim hearings throughout the summer and into the fall.
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A-Teams
 Before the last legislative session, we successfully assembled Advocacy Teams for each legislative district. These A-Teams comprise: Trustees, members of the executive team, current/former students, employee groups, retirees, and business and civic leaders.
A-Team members extend our advocacy initiatives by participating in or lending their names to letters to the editor, op-eds and letters to public officials; by participating in blogs and online forum discussions; and by making phone calls to elected officials. Our A-Teams were critical to our efforts as we worked to overturn the governor’s veto.
We are updating membership on our A-Teams and would appreciate as much participation as possible. We many never need to call upon you for help, but we never know what surprises the legislative session will bring. If you are interested in being part of an A-Team, please contact Justin Lonon at justin.lonon@dcccd.edu or call 214-860-2135.
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DCCCD-PAC
Did you know that DCCCD has a Political Action Committee?
Donations to the PAC are used to fund small contributions to members of the Dallas Legislative Delegation. Historically, the PAC has been funded primarily through contributions from the chancellor and his leadership team. The governor's veto brought a new wave of DCCCD supporters, so now we are inviting others to participate in our PAC activities.
PAC donations are strictly voluntary, but anyone interested in supporting the DCCCD-PAC through a contribution — large or small — can mail their check (payable to DCCCD-PAC) directly to DCCCD-PAC, 9330 LBJ Freeway, Suite 270, Dallas, TX 75243.
If you would like additional information about the DCCCD-PAC, please contact DCCCDpac@hotmail.com. Any level of support is helpful to our overall advocacy efforts.
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