MISSION, Texas - State lawmakers, their chiefs of staff, and Austin-based lobbyists flew into McAllen on Thursday for the 2025 RGV Legislative Tour hosted by the Rio Grande Valley Partnership.
From McAllen airport they crossed S. 10th Street for a welcome reception at the Radisson Hotel McAllen Airport. There to welcome them were Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez, RGV Partnership Chair-Elect J.D. Salinas, RGV Partnership board member Amanda Saldana, and RGVP President Daniel Silva.
From the Radisson they traveled to the Center for Education & Economic Development in Mission. The first panel discussion of the tour focused on the Valley’s water crisis. The panelists were Hidalgo County Commissioner David Fuentes, Texas International Produce Association President Dante Galeazzi, Mission City Manager Mike Perez, and former state Rep. Eddie Lucio, III. The moderator was Mission Economic Development Corporation CEO Teclo Garcia.
Here is the Rio Grande Guardian International News Service’s exclusive video recording of the panel discussion:
AUSTIN, Texas - Meanwhile, the Texas Water Foundation has announced its new director of policy.
Alan Leonard joins TWF from the U.S. Department of Energy where he served as legislative affairs lead for the office that supports all-hazard risk management, mitigation, and emergency response for the U.S. energy sector.
Prior to that Leonard served as a policy analyst at both the Sunset Advisory Commission and Austin Water on water and related topics before the Legislature.
