Join The Texas Tribune for a daylong symposium exploring the top priorities for the upcoming legislative session. Hear from newly elected officials, old guard incumbents and other Capitol insiders on what’s ahead for the 2025 session — and what it will mean for Texans.
After the new year, state lawmakers will finally have their chance to draft legislation that responds — or doesn't — to the issues of the day and the state's biggest challenges. How do those in the know see the state of things heading into the 2025 Legislative Session?
Join us at 8 a.m. Wednesday, December 4, at the University of Texas at Austin's Thompson Conference Center and online.Â
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Doors will open at 8 a.m. for breakfast and the program will begin at 9 a.m.
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Parking will be in Lot 40 off of Red River St., just south of Dean Keaton St.
• James Barragán, politics reporter, The Texas Tribune
• Blaise Gainey, Texas state capitol reporter, The Texas Newsroom
• Jasper Scherer, politics reporter, The Texas Tribune
• Bayliss Wagner, reporter, state politics desk, Austin American-Statesman
• Moderator: Matthew Watkins, editor-in-chief, The Texas Tribune
• Laura Colangelo, executive director, Texas Private Schools AssociationÂ
• Bob Popinski, senior director of policy, Raise Your Hand Texas
• Michelle Rinehart, superintendent, Alpine Independent School District
• Moderator: Jaden Edison, education reporter, The Texas Tribune
Email us at events@texastribune.org
The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribune's journalism. Find a complete list of them here.
Saucedo-Herrera is the president and CEO of greater:SATX, a regional economic partnership charged with growing and diversifying the eight-county San Antonio-New Braunfels MSA. During her seven-year tenure at the helm of San Antonio’s economic development team, greater:SATX has secured over 23,000 jobs for the region through recruitment and expansion projects that include work with Ernst & Young, Victory Capital, Navistar and Aisin.
Kamerlander is president and CEO of the Greater San Marcos Partnership. He formerly served as director of Lockhart Economic Development, where he developed the city’s first economic development strategic plan to promote Lockhart as a destination for job creation and investment. The successful program saw the development of a LEDC-owned 75 acre-acre industrial park housing Lockhart’s most recent announcement, The Ziegenfelder Company, a frozen treat manufacturer. The project included a $46 million investment and is creating 100 new jobs.
Latson is the CEO of Opportunity Austin. Previously, he founded and served as executive director for ARMA, the Austin Regional Manufacturers Association, a business group focused on strengthening the advanced manufacturing community through advocacy, workforce development and networking. Latson is also a member of Gov. Greg Abbott’s Semiconductor Taskforce.
Packer is president and CEO of the New Braunfels Chamber, a membership organization representing more than 1,600 businesses. The chamber advocates for sound public policy, serves as the destination marketing organization for New Braunfels and manages Confluence, a public-private economic development initiative.
Cisneros is chair of the infrastructure investment firm American Triple I. He is also vice chair of the board of directors and equity owner of Shank Williams Cisneros & Co. LLC and principal of Siebert Williams Shank & Co. LLC. He was mayor of San Antonio from 1981-89 and secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1993-97.
