McALLEN, RGV - The date for RGV Day at the State Capitol in Austin for the 85th Legislature has been announced.
It will be on Tuesday, February 7, 2017. By this time, the committee assignments of the 31 state senators and 150 state representatives will likely be known. The 85th legislative session convenes on Jan. 10, 2017, and adjourns sine die on May 29, 2017.
RGV Day at the State Capitol is being organized by the McAllen Chamber of Commerce and the City of McAllen. Chamber President Steve Ahlenius announced the date at a recent McAllen Chamber governmental affairs committee meeting. He said a number of Valley cities have already signed up.
“It is a regional event. I would like to give Mayor Darling a lot of credit. Two years ago when we were looking at doing a McAllen Day he said why don’t we do away with having a McAllen Day and pull the university in and let’s make it a regional event,” Ahlenius said.
“We will have a lunch and a reception at the Capitol that evening. It is a great opportunity. We visit not just our legislators but every legislator at the Capitol. So that is 181 offices.”
RGV Day at the State Capitol was started last session. It involves city and chamber leaders taking a bus trip to Austin to promote the Rio Grande Valley at the state Capitol. Participants break up into various groups and visit the Capitol offices of assigned state representatives and senators.
Sometimes the groups are lucky enough to meet a state legislator in person, to give him or her the Valley’s legislative agenda. Other times, they leave information with the legislator’s staff.
“When we go to the legislators we always say me, me, not them. So, I thought, let’s go up there and say, us, us. If cities want to do their individual days, that is one thing. We looked at it (last session) and all the dates were kind of full. You have to have them before you get too far down into the session. I said, let’s do an RGV Day. We had a great response. We had a couple of hundred people there. I think it was effective. With the new university it is us. It is not me or we,” McAllen Mayor Jim Darling told the Rio Grande Guardian.
“My idea is, we have RGV Day and if you want to stay on afterwards you could Edinburg Day, Mission Day, McAllen Day, whatever you want. Do your individual programs but I think it is very effective if you go up representing 1.2 million people as opposed to 25,000 or 50,000 or 100,000 people.”
Partners
The partners that have so far signed up to participate in RGV Day at the State Capitol for 2017 are:
City of Edinburg
City of McAllen
City of Harlingen
City of Weslaco
Rio Grande City
Edinburg Chamber of Commerce
McAllen Chamber of Commerce
Mission Chamber of Commerce
McAllen Convention and Visitors Bureau
McAllen Economic Development Corporation
Harlingen Economic Development Corporation
McAllen-Hidalgo International Bridge
McAllen Public Utility Board
Port of Brownsville
Rio Grande Valley Partnership
Rio South Texas Economic Council
South Texas College
UT-Rio Grande Valley
Sponsorship Levels
Ahlenius said corporations or organizations that would like to co-sponsor the event, should contact Gerry Garcia, vice president of special projects at the McAllen Chamber. The Sponsorship Levels are:
$2,500 Gold Sponsorship: This level will receive the Organization’s name or logo on all invites, PSAs. E-blasts, and newsletter. Sponsor may send ten representatives to participate in event (includes luncheon, reception, and transportation. Transportation is optional.)
$1,500 Silver Sponsorship: This level will receive the following: Organization’s name or logo on all invites, PSAs, E-blasts, newsletter. Sponsor may send five representatives to participate in event (includes luncheon, reception, and transportation. Transportation is optional.)
$100 Individual Participant level: One individual may participate (includes luncheon, reception, and transportation. Transportation in optional).
To register, contact Gerry Garcia at 956-682-2871 or ggarcia@mcallenchamber.com
Tentative Program Agenda
5:00 a.m. - Board Bus at the McAllen Chamber and Depart for Austin
10:00 a.m. - Arrive at the Capitol for Resolution on the House Floor
11:00 a.m. - Resolution on the Senate Floor
11:45 a.m. - Board the Bus and Depart to the Sheraton Capitol Hotel
12:15 p.m. - Arrive at the Sheraton for lunch
12:30 – 2:00 p.m. - Lunch and comments by area legislators
2:15 p.m. - Board the Bus and Depart to the Capitol
2:30 p.m. - Arrive at the Capitol
2:30 – 5:15 p.m. - Teams visit with Texas Legislators
5:30 p.m. - Evening Reception at the Capitol Legislative Conference
When the evening reception is over participants board the Bus and depart for McAllen the same evening.
Editor's Note: The image accompanying this story shows McAllen Chamber of Commerce President Steve Ahlenius speaking at a luncheon for RGV Day in Austin 2015. The luncheon was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Austin. Click here to see photos from RGV Day in Austin 2015.
