very happy to welcome you to the fourth annual texas tribune festival. we're delighted you decided to spend your saturday with us and i'm very happy you're here. we have great panelisted. before we get started i have a couple of housekeeping things. please silence your cell phones so we don't have ringing during the panel but we encourage you to keep them out to tweet about

the panel. the hash tag for the festival is tribunefest, and the specific hash tag for immigration is tgf immigration. we have 6 0 minutes and then have open discussion and then q & a so if you can line up there, i'll give you the heads up and we can get started with the q & a a. we have george, one of the cofounders of the hispanic republicans of texas, group working to recruit and support candidates running for public office. he has a lot of experience in politics and served as members of city council. next to him is hope. originally from san antonio, you might recognize her as our

former secretary of state. when she was appointed to that position in 2008 she became the first lat already latina to hold that position. and then aaron peña, a form state representative from the rio grande valley. he switched to the republican party in 2010 and now helps campaigns and the republican party of texas with their hispanic outreach. we also have jerry morales, the first hispanic mayor of the city when he was elected in november. before that he served as an at, large city council member and is also a restaurant owner midland. finally, we also have state representative jason biaza, elected to the texas house to 2010, representing the dallas area. he is a business attorney and one of only throw hispanic

republicans in the texas legislature. he has taken to traveling across the state in a series of speeches encouraging the g.o.p. to reach out to hispanic voters. we're going to go ahead and get started. obviously this election cycle there has been a huge emphasis on hispanic voters and outreach to hispanic voters. a good example was last night's debate between the candidates for governor in the rio grande valley. we have seen spanish language ads ads and web sites, all sorts of outreach. then we also have candidates who have used some rhetoric that has drawn criticism. attorney general greg abe, when talking debt a bribe re investigation in south texas referred to the bribery has third-world practices. we had them talk about an illegal invasion when talking about undocumented immigrants.

i want to start with you, representative. how can the g.o.p. reconcile its evidents to reach out to historic voters when you have two of the top candidates running for office using this rhetoric. >> the rhetoric is problematic. right? we see that over and over. when you use that rhetoric you alienate the hispanic population, and hispanics are apolitical and when they hear that, they tune out and we luce them. you see both candidates specifically have done an excellent job of recalibrating. senator patrick, true conservative patriot, people -- somebody that we really like. he is using different language more recently than he did during the primary. i think he recognized that might have been a problem. and now he has done what can to really engage. and i think he recognized that. and abbotts comments were taken out of context. he was referring specifically to the corruption as being third world, not referring to the

region, the rio grande valley, as third world. so last night during the debate you heard senator davis over and over make that point but she was taking that out of context in regards to your question, look, we have to do a better job of articulating the message, that it's important -- that is important to hispanics. we're the party of opportunity. the party that protects the unborn. a party that believes in supporting and facilitating small business. if we can engage the community and share our message of general conservative philosophies like that, we win. as ronald reagan said, hispanics are republicans, just don't know it yet. i think our job is, as hispanic republicans, and as republicans in general, is to learn to articulate our message in way that is not offensive and in a way that we can really engage the community in ways they understand. talking about families. talking about opportunities. talking about what it means to be a part of this great conversation in texas. and if if we do that i think we

win. george w. bush approved that with 49% of the vote when he last ran for governor. hispanic vote. and i think you're seeing it in different parts of the country, people like governor martinez in new mexico, overwhelmingly democratic state, yet wins republican vote, and the latinos. and senator marco rubio or chris christie in new york, all people in democratic regions who are able to engage and talk about these issues and then they win that vote. so it's possible we have to do a better job and you're seeing that right now. >> representative, you are working with the republican party in their outreach efforts. tell us about what they're doing on the ground. >> well, the first thing that has to be done, and i think everybody is doing that, engaging our community. not just coming down during election season, which is a regular complaint we have down on the border. we see you all only during elections and then you go away. communicating with people. having a relationship with them.

general abbott has done a really good job. he has an organization down there that is phenomenal. we have not seen republicans engaged south texas like general abbott has. and quite frankly, i think the message is not only for demographic recents -- reasons about the realization that the future of texas is in this emerge demographic. we haven't heard itself men times from our demographers, telling us about the future of the state and where it's going, and our party responds to the market or we'll cease to exist and become a minor part for the south. the people on this panel here today believe there's another one and we're trying our very best to reach out and to communicate the message of inclusion. quite frankly, our community, as jason said, is like the rest of the american population. we are immigrants who are going through an immigrant stream that has been followed by the italians and other ethnic groups

before. we're no different than any other americans. but you have to be respected. you have to be engaged. and i believe that we're making those efforts, and in texas in particular, you will see that the polls show that hispanic runs are on the rise. in other states that may not be the case in this case we believe we're doing an effective job. we have challenges in front of us. we'll have outliers that say a keep thing toes ask and we need, think to denounce those comments because the world is changing. inclusion aspect. histories need -- hispanics need to see themselves in the party. we don't see that represent television in the texas legislate under on the republican side and democrats have it covered when it comes to minority representation. a lot of that might be the challenges that hispanics face

in running for public office. we have two perfect examples here. the first in their position. tell us what you think the challenges might be that hispanics have to overcome. >> let me say when i first got into the game of politics, it was in '08, some been a restaurant owner all my life or working for a restaurant corporation, and being small business owner, living the american dream and doing what i want to do, and it's exciting but requires a lot of time and especially when you're in the retail industry. so, when i got asked by or recruited by a mentor, jose cuevas, a restaurant owner but involved in politics, he says you have to do it. you can run because we neat hispanic and latin representation on the city council but it's going to take time. there's work. back then it wasn't so busy in midland, texas, and i was able to commit the time we needed.

when you campaign doesn't matter i if it's local or state level, it requires a lot of your time and getting organized. one is, identify a need for hispanic representation. glad to represent the small american dream industry, and so with that being said, moving fast forward, being the mayor in the new seat of a very dynamic and growing city, it has taken all my time, and itíizkçxç

you. >> it's up to us to make sure we get out there as much as possiblecw$(çw3çk;[ççmçw3 e it. because the perception of the republican is not necessarily what we look like. and so it's up to us to make sure we go out there and let people know -- i always used to be hesitant sometimes on giving a story or an interview, and finally someone said they're not many of you. you need to do this. and i think our responsibility

or at least my responsibility as a latina is to make sure that i seven out as much as possible, i visit especially with your young men and women so they can see that republicans do look like this and we're a party of family, of faith, of freedom, and opportunity like representative said. and i like to think -- it's often said that i was a republican when it wasn't sexy to be a republican. but i was a small business owner, and i grew up in a family that was notnáçmçosdtw1y[ç po. my father was from mexico. we didn't talk politics at the dinner table. and i didn't really get involved until i became a small business owner. and i realized that was important for me to look into what would help my business, what would help my employees. and so when i researched that i felt more in line with the run party. and also, i was welcomed, and

that was important when i attended events, when i visited with candidates, i was welcomed, and i think that we need to do that. we need to reach out. we need to help educate and we need to welcome people into our party. >> george, you're on the behind the scenes aspect of this. tell us about how does the financial cost of rung for public office -- what role does that take when the candidate is deciding whether to go ahead and pull the trigger? >> i think that is why hispanic runs of texas was -- republican0s texas was formed to help finance or jump start some candidates that not only want to run for statevo[[çm[kç repe senate but want to run for county commissioner, mayor, school board. our whole concept was -- we

wanted to elect individuals from the courthouse to the state house and beyond. so we needed to have that type of mechanism as a pac to raise resources there was a lot of pacs out there but only helping individuals at the state house or senate or beyond. and so that is why we were formed. first, we needed to form a bench. we didn't necessarily have a bench. and like one of our board members says, we didn't even have a farm club. to be able to draw from. and so we needed to start at that level, and now we do. we have individuals like, of course, mayor morales, and naomi, a county isd, and john at corpus christi and beyond and these are folks we'll look to

judge or other positions above that. but until hrt was formed there was no mechanism set up that would address that issue, and at the end of the day, until latinos start seeing more of themselves in the ballot box it into the party. >> obviously we tenant -- can't talk about this without talking immigration. let's go to the g.o.p. convention in texas when they decided to -- language calling for a guest worker program, and instead, resorted to a more hardline immigration stance than we had seen in previous years. is the party not giving democrats an opportunity to say, look at this, they are opposing this, which is key to a lot of the hispanics in our state. >> unquestionably right.

this is troubling. i watched the developments at the convention there, was there that day, and had fought volvosive rousely in what was called the texasvuy??ççgñomçwe guestworker program. i thought it made tremendous sense. texas is on the bleeding edge of being very progressive on the issue in the last election cycle and was very good for latinos and republicans because we were doing that. then this cycle we see -- revert back to what it was before. in fact even more hardline. and i was very troubled by that. i think it's problematic. i think it does lend credence to this argument that as the g.o.p. we're not reaching out effectively to latinos and show that by our platform removing the provision. so we have a battle on our hands. i will say this about the convention. if you look at the way the vote played out, if it was supposed to be taken before noon, before noon we had the votes to keep it in, but it was delayed

effectively using a tactic, maneuvering tactic, and the vote was not held until later that afternoon. three or four o'clock in the afternoon. by then people are going back to their places around the state so there was a very small segment of the party that was there to make that final vote, and it's the most disstilled of the disstilled in fort worth, and because of that, we saw the vote go the wrong direction. we have our work cut out for us. i thought on the house and state affairs with my friend raphael, to put together a resolution saying we need something like this, a resolution that wouldtwç just say, guest worker makes sense for us in texas, and we need to continue to do that kind of thing. we'll have to rock and we have some work to do. it's hard to go on the road and preach to my fellow latinos and say, we're inclusive and open if the party has a platform that says no way no how. so we have work to do. >> that's a good point. i was on the sret the last term,

and we were appointing members to every committee, everything from platform to other you, and a lot of the norfolks we were talking with on the platform committee were saying, we support the texas solution from two years ago elm want to keep it. and for all practical purposes they stated monday -- started monday, way before the convention started, which was thursday, friday and saturday, but they started monday, and they were saying, hey, we like the texas solution that addresses border security, addresses guest worker program and dresses a lot of issues that were very, very concerning to a lot of individuals. and so then we moved forward like jason just said, we move forward to the state convention, and then all of a sudden, on saturday morning, this kind of happens, and it was very unfortunate because of the mere

fact that going into saturday morning, the platform was basically going to stay the same on texas solution, and we do need a good guestworker program. it's a lot of individuals that don't want to necessarily stay here. i want to go back and forth and visit family members and not have to bring them over. i want to cross over and then come back in the weekend or two weeks later and be able to not have to be facing retribution at the border. so those are the things we need to address. in any opinion, guest worker is addressing the issues that a lot of americans aren't necessarily willing to work at. back in the day, working at a meat processing plant and coming home smelling like bread and what have you from a processing plant, that just happened. i had a lot of neighbors that worked for the smith processing plant in downtown san antonio, and you rememberbççokw3ç smitt downtown. >> just ate there.

>> i hate myself. and so this kind of things that i hate to see. but you're not seeing today's youth wanting to jump into -- like my dad did, picking cotton, and like my grandfather did, as a sharecropper, and theng0kwmçn county and carnes county, not the things the young are doing anymore, unfortunately. that's just not what happened. so we need to get a guest worker program in place so we can address the shortage of that kind of labor. >> when you're coming from a community like midland, whose unemployment raid is 2.8 for three or four years now kick -- consecutively, it's challenge. when i was watching the texas solution discussion take place at the convention, and hearing what representative was just saying about people leaving the legislators leaving the discussion because they were frustrated because it was going the direction of am in the

cities and all this -- amnesty and all this stuff. but yet back home when i'm trying to figure out how in a growing economy, in the lowe's unemployment in the nation, you have companies that need workers, we need a worked program and it hit home hard when our party was not standing up strong and coming up with solutions again. how too you an thatch we when you're trying -- as a unanimous partisan on the mayorship but as a republican, tryin to recruit more hispanics into our party because their businesses, starting up their american dream, and yet we can't get workers for them to continue with a successful business. where in my texas restaurant association, i'm president of the association, representing 12,000 members. frustration. we're all trying to bring workers into our industry. we're -- in midland we pay overtime. most of the restaurants there pay 60 hours, paying $14 starting out and that's wal-mart and that's everything

in midland. it's frustrating. so not to be able to have your party stand up and fight forcç?ç that, is a little embarrassing in a sense. so we have to continue working together as a party. >> let's talk about -- sorry. let's talk about young latinos. studies have shown that they may be less socially conservative than their parents or their grandparents, that they might not have as close ties to religion and the church and what have you. when it comes to social issues like gay marriage, equality for the lgbtq community, access to abortion, are these not leading issues for the republican party and what can they do to reach out to voters when it's at odds on their perspective of social issues? >> here's the fact that a lot of people outside the party don'tó realize. when i was a democratic i thought up a republicans were the same. the reality is we're a coalition party. we have social conservatives,

war hawks, libertarians, a variety of republicans and we're all in debate with each other, and one based on the structure that you're engaged in, like the house of representatives, based on redistricting, nor congress, certain result will occur, about that debate is going on in public all the time. the reality by young people -- you're correct. you will see -- i made this comment to the papers the other day -- that there is a boom occurring amongst hispanic young republicans, and they're primarily libertarian minded. as you said, they're more libertarian in terms of social policy but economic conservatives, and we as a party have to realize that we cannot win without this coalition working together. and so those people who say, well, you're not pure enough. i don't agree with you on everything so you're not a real republican, we have to learn,

quite frankly, that if we are going to win, we have to be tolerant of other philosophies and ways of looking at the world. those of us who lived through the 6 ares so and early '7s so have a certain cultural baggage that we carry that young people, millenans-don't have. so i see young conservatives come forward and they no longer have the stigma attached to them to being republicans. for many of us, being a republican and coming out -- saying i'm a conservative or a republican, there's a certain stigma in the black community it's the same way. that's diminishing and does not they are.ho. they don't have to answer to this history that occurred before they were alive. and so we as republicans, those who are over 40, have to accept these young emerging conservative republicanñ3qw

libertarian, minded members of the public as a solution and not a problem. and it's a real challenge, because there are lot of people in the present day who want to say, you're not pure enough for us. we're not going to accept you. wave to learn, if wore going to win to be tolerant of other ways of looking at the world. >> taking on these social issues that might be a hurdle to overcome for republicans, how do you work toward overcoming when you have a legislateure is becoming more conservative and the tea party is voting more representatives into office that are on the opposite side of this for young hispanics. do you see that becoming a problem moving forward as at the tea party becomes the bigger part of the legislature? >> when you deal with social issues you're not just speaking to one group. so gay marriage or abortion, we're speak though party at

large. we have a problem with young people just in general, not just young latinos. we have a problem with young people in the state of texas and around the country. so you're seeing an evolution on some of these issues we2:( #úá t not heretofore seen. the gay marriage issue will come up, and we're very conservative in that regard, and i think you'll continue to see us remain conservative nor short term in the long time, you're going to see some movement on those issues, not only because it's important to win young people, but just nationwide you're saying some real thawing on that issue. now, i'm being a pundit here. personal i know where i stand and i'm against that, but i think you're seeing elsewhere people are addressing that. as far as the life issue, even among youth, you're fining that we're -- finding that we're going in the opposite direction with respect to life. i think science has proven that these entities are human beings, and we're protectingnbn[vxd then

beings in the womb as vulnerable texans. so it's not a wedge issue like the gay marriage issue, and so we just have our work cut out for us as a party in general, addressing those issues that are important to our youth. i think the way we win them, as representative peña points out, talk to them on issues that resonate with them. they're focused a lot of issues that are pocketbook issues rather than some of these other issues. if we can have smaller government and more efficient government and give them opportunities to go to college and get good jobs, that will be enough to outweigh where we might be on that's other issues and might not

we need to start going there. it's not a going to happen overnight. this is going to take time. but it's up to us to make sure that we invest the time in helping them understand why we stand for what we stand. the other thing is, if everyone is interested in reaching out to the latinos the way i look at it is, wow, this is our time. they're listening to us. and so it's our time to speak up, and the other thing i think is very, very important, because when i was secretary of state i

spent many, many hours going out and doing voter education, and that is that we need to let them understand that their vote counts. and how important it is for them to go out and take advantage of this most important privilege we health because they don't believe in us or they don't want to -- they don't think that we could be the same, doesn't mean we should give up. it means we should spend more time, and the fact that people are asking us and they're listening to us, we absolutely need to take advantage this time. >> another policy issue and i want to touch on health care. obviously a huge part of the conversation in texas right now, specifically medicaid expansion. most of the individuals that would benefit from an expansion of medicaid would be hispanics. poor, uninsured hispanics living in our state. putting aside all of the political rhetoric and political fight of the affordable care

act, is expansion in some form a good thing for texas if we get more hispanics insured and is the party who does that expansion in the winning position because they can say, look, we worked with the federal government, even though we opposed this law, but we worked with them to find you a way to get you insured? will we see any movement on this? because could it be a good issue for republicans? >> i think what we need to concentrate on, especially with the youth, let's work on getting them good job. if you get them a good job -- first of all, good education. they'll gate good job that has the benefits, has all the things they're looking for to be able to sustain themselves on a personal level. and one time i was -- probably ten years ago we were down at the pan american and it was a big panel, discussing healthcare issues forever and a day, and so back in that time frame, we had

dr. francis score fig -- figueroa who said if i'm able to educate a young person and then we 2010 them a good job, and then they get the benefits that come with it, at that point we have done our job in that respect. that is what you are basically looking for. i don't think latinos are necessarily -- especially the youth, they're not looking for any type of given. they want to earn it. give them the opportunity to earn it, and conservatives and runs run -- republicans should do a great job to open more businesses in the state and give them that opportunity. >> we see increasing costs at the local level without an expansion, the burden of covering that falls to the local hospitals, local county programs. mayor, tell us about in midland,

which has a booming population right now. now are re reconciling these costs without having a program that insures poor adults in your area? >> i don't know that -- it's all happening very fast, and i don't know that there is a policy or program in place. midland and odessa are very blessed perspective philanthropy foundations and sometimes we have to go outside the box and look for that community support. nonprofits come into play, and we have to utilize those nonprofits because for the longest time, even to this day, midland and odessa have to help themselves in every direction. you're 300 miles from every metro. you really don't look to that state assistance. when the nonprofits are in place and they're strong and thriving-it seems to be assisting in the manners. then in term you're philanthropy because the economy is dying well, sustain those, monetary

revenue, and keeps the program strong so we have opportunities for these that are having challenges with the affordable care act. in my own business, i'm have something of the -- because we don't off it it and we're under the 50 employee -- we're hearing stories from employees where they're trying to get prescriptions and it's $1,800 and they can't afford it and so as mayor i start thinking, what can we do as a community? and so i think it's an area we have to start addressing across texas in these communities. i'll tell you also, kind of going outside the box, we're having to recruit doctors, affordable doctors. doctors senate employees can afford. what we're doing as a community is taking some of the money from one of our sales taxes and putting that recruitment, incentives to recruit doctors so we can have a diversified doctors, physicians to take care of all of the individuals in our community. so, it's challenging. it's a challenge, growing

population, and these are kind of concerns just coming upon us too progressively. >> let me address your question directly. you're asking whether or not you'll see expansion of medicaid, medicare in the legislature in this upcoming session. i think the answer is no. i do not think this legislationure is going to get comfortable with ever accepting obamacare in its current iteration. the governor has done a very job of resisting that kind of burden on -- laying that burden on top of the state, and i think he has also been very shrewd in what he is saying to the federal government is, re recognize we have an issue. we have uninsured but we're not willing to do it under your terms. we'll do it under texas' terms, so how about a block grant. we're getting closer to that model. i think the feds are going to get closer to that mod -- probably compromise in place but i don't think you'll see texas ever accept the boot of the federal government on our necks when it comes to that kind of

insurance. let me say something else, too. people say, well, this is going to affect hispanics and if you do this, that who benefits, and my good friend on the other side of the aisle talk about we're going to get this great health care. look around the country at the states that have already accepted obamacare. wait times increased tremendously, exponentially to get access to a doctor. premiums have gone unsignificantly, and, three, not even capable of getting access to it because the access points are shutting down. you want to see what obamacare is doing for the country, look at va care, and that's what you get if you get this socialized nationalized healthcare program implement fled texas. so the winner of this battle you point out are those who reject the federal government putting their two cents into what we do. the answer lies in texas, with texas solutions, with texas --

force the texas problems. >> we're coming up on q & but i want to talk about in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants, the texas dream act. we have had candidates -- democratic candidates we supported, we can't could teen this in place. the bill first passed in 2001, but attorney general greg abbott said change some things, snore pba patrick opposes the law and says he would move to repeal it. if we see a repeal, could this be devastating for the republican party as outreach to hispanic voter are? >> i don't think you'll see a repeal. i think you'll see more in line of what general abbott said. if there's corrections to be made because the body -- the house and the senate, which are going to be very different this

cycle -- decide to do something and compromise is reached, it will be an amended situation. i don't think you'll see got away. >> what about you? on the ground what are you hearing from people on this specific issue? >> obviously on the ground you hear individuals that have utilized it and -- but i'm with aaron. i think general abbott is going to be more open to it as far as, like you said, don't end it but mend it type of scenario, and i think -- i was working in the leg in '01 when its passed, and tip my hat to governor perry at the time for promoting and it for signing it into law and what have you. but i think at that time it was a very, very appropriate and right now i think we just need to revisit and it see if there's areas we can improve it. >> what about summer work force extend? the texas association of business wants to continue the

bill. is it beneficial for employers who want hispanics who are getting their college degrees, who can obtain work authorization through deferred action? >> if he has the low is unemployment in the stayed. and odessa has the second lowest unemployment. we should be concerned with -- i think in-state tuition will stay but we need to find a way to make sure those young graduates stay in texas. that's where we'll benefit. we have a real challenge on our hand when we have the lowest unemployment, and so we have to make sure that we have the right work force. that's why we need guestworker program, we need to make sure we retain this brain power in our state. we need to continue but the only way that texas will continue being the leader in the nation is to have a prepared work force. that would certainly help with some of those staying here in texas.

>> well, want to open it up now to questions from the audience. if you have any questions, please go up to the microphones. i ask you to keep your questions to questions and not statements and be respectful in addressing our panelists. we'll start on this side. >> thank you for coming. my question is regarding the step that the texas state board of education took in april to begin the toe create a curriculum for mexican american tieds in our public schools. it was passed in a bipartisan matter, democrats and republicans. i'd be interested to hear from each of you if you think we should take it's step further. it mexican american studies should be instituted in our public schools, integrated into our u.s. history courses? >> who wants to take this? >> i guess i'll jump in on it. that ought to be an option, if you want to do this, an elective. when i went to ut austin here, i

took mexican american studies. wonderful history i never heard before because it simply wasn't told or wasn't told loudly enough. but every community ought to decide or every individual ought to decide whether or not they take it. when it comes to mandating the question, that's a different question. i believe that we ought to teach texas history and shouldn't ignore the realities of what may have occurred, whether it's good or bad. we have some ugly aparts of our history. we shouldn't hide from that. we can learn. we learn from our mistakes, right? and so i think history ought to be taught not necessarily because it's mexican american but simply the history of our people as human beings. but if there wants to be a concentrated effort it ought to be elective and that's what you saw reflected in the decision. >> i guess being a mayor of my community and working real closely with our superintendent,

i'm just not a believer in forcing anything. i'm not a believer in saying that you have to do this. i really love my community and the basin because it's open-minded. we are not so big now we don't understand who we and are what our culture and is where we came from and understand each other, and so the town hall meetings, firm believer in them. our superintendent does a superb job of keeping the transparency and openness and that discussion or that topic came up, i think we could address it as a community. >> next question on this side. >> my name mace -- maria. >> closer to the mic. >> i understand that texas solutions did not pass and wasn'tol's -- you guys weren't positive about that. you really wanted it to pass. but what are your plans to make your party workive you towards that? although you disagree with it not passing, it didn't pass.

what are your plans on forwarding with that immigration here in texas? >> i think the first step is to begin the process of educating fellow republicans about the importance of that issue. this is a great first start where you're hearing from some of the strongest voices in our party about our support for a worker program, guestworker program, the texas solution. i think that filters through the rest of the party. we're hopeful this educational effort will result in other like-minded people coming to the forefront and support these initiatives. people who voted out the platform were a tiny sliver of the party. we're not talking about a wholesale representation of what runs -- republicans stand nor. you can ask republicans in the room, 75% of them will support the texas solution but at that convention it's the grassroots activist, the people who attend

the walking for republican candidates, the most disstilled members of our party, and they feel very strongly against that. we need to do a better job getting folkses to the convention. next time. we need to do a better job of being effective to counteract some movements done at that convention to get that vote in the way it was, and we need to get out into the public and talk about hough it's important to engage our hispanic community. if we do not. if we fail as a party to win the hearts and minds of the hispanic community, and win a significant proportion of their vote, we shall surely perish as a apartment there's no question. demographics are clear. the math is very clear. if we do not win in the future with this electorate, we'll lose any kind of authority we have in the state. >> i think it's very

important -- going back to grassroots that's why we need to elect more latinos from the courthouse to the state house. like aaron has said in the past, if you're not at the table, you're on the menu, and so it's very, very important that you get more individuals out there that are going to run. as republicans. so they can -- we can be saying, hey, this is our message and what we want to espouse. >> thank you. next question. >> i am carl and am going to perhaps beat a dead horse that representative peña and i discussed last year. i'm glad to see some notions have come forward this year. i'm almost attempted to address you, alexa, as opposed to the other panelists because you're the only millenial there. some interesting studies have come out about the characteristics of millenials

and hispanic millenials and in fact, as i asked aaron last year, do your kids consider themselves more hispanic or millenial? and you said, millenial identity. and so i'm really wondering if we're looking through a lens here that is of the baby-boomers and thegen examiners are missing that the millenials are hispanic but the see. thes in a different light than previous generations. the big study that is intriguing -- i'm look fargo confirmation in texas -- the pew religious landscape candidate that says the millenials are abandoning catholicism in vast droves, and taking up things like yoga and meditation. which -- >> what is your question? >> are you seeing that and how will you reach out to noncatholic hispanics in this way? they don't fit traditional religious categories. will you be able to reach people

who have no interest in the culture wars? >> we had this discuss last -- discussion last time and it's wonderful discussion. it's difficult because now this is being televised and people in the baby-boom generation won't see it the way i think i see the world and many millenals see it. many young hispanics are what we baby-booms call hispanics, they identify as simply americans. they no longer identify as hispanics. i've had several young individuals ask me, how die identify myself? i'd like to identify myself as native american. i said, well, okay, you are hispanic so there's some truth, you're native american but you are whatever you believe you are. when we were in the house of representatives, when i served there, we had people who would question whether or not a particular member was in fact hispanic. and i ultimately came to the conclusion, as the chair of the

hispanic republican organization, if in your heart you believe you're hispanic and you culturally identify, you are in fact hispanic, because hispanics are not a particular race. we come in all races. we're simply an ethnicity. we're a culture. millenials -- many of them north all of them -- many of them simply identify themselves as americans and as people, and the challenge for us is to no longer get involved in the culture wars, as you described them, in identifying it with race and ethnicity, which is a problem to the democrats are stuck in. republicans tend to project arguments that apply across the board and that's an advantage and strength we have. we try no that break things do you intoth inic and religious groups. the reality of texas, frankly,

is demographic wells show you, we're all going to be the same fairly soon, and so this whole issue of, are you hispanic, i just want to end on this -- when i go to mexico -- i live on the border. when guy to mexico and say i'm mexican-american, they say that dot you mean you're mexican-american. you're an american. there's no mexican-american. you're an american. and it's interesting to get another country's perspective. the reality is, amongst millenials who did not go through the '60s and '70s where race and ethnicity was a big issue, that's going by the wayside and i think that's a good thing. >> next question. >> i'd just like to start off by saying i'm a millenial and definitely identify as hispanic. [laughter] [applause] >> many hispanics, including me, think that using the term illegal to refer to a person is derogatory.

so with that, how could you ever support a candidate like dan patrick, who openly and unapologetically referred to an undocumented immigrant as an illegal when he has debate with the mayor? and let me finish by saying that action are illegal. people are not. [applause] >> anybody want to talk about the use of "illegal" and whether republican candidates should turn to more of the "undocumented" term. >> i gave talk around the state where we talk about how to articulate our message in a more effective way. one of the talking points is, we cannot refer to a class of people based on their status. if i gate traffic ticket on the way home and they give me a ticket i'm an illegal. i've broken the law. but i'm a person. and the first thing that we need to do as a party is to recognize that while we do have a

significant undocumented resident population here in the state, these are people. these are people with families and lives just like ours. they care about and love their children just like we do here in the state. and so there's no question that we have got to do a better job of articulating that. with respect to senator patrick, i think he articulated that in a way that he probably would change. i don't think he has said that since then. i think he genuinely cares about the issues that are important to all texans, and i think the way -- he feels very strongly about there is issue, and so do i support him? unquestionably. i think he is going to be a wonderful lieutenant governor. do i have trouble with some of the language he might have used? hat happens sometimes. i don't have 100% faith and believe in every single person i support. so, we're as representative peña point out, group of people who

are a coalition party. we're not always going to agree. ronald reagan, said if you're my 80% friend you're not my 20% enemy. we has a party are a big tent and if i agree with 80% on somebody, i'm one of them. they're my friend, and we're not always going to agree on everything. >> sometimes they don't realize that it's offensive to us. the minute it was brought to his attention -- and there were many of us that called right away and said, that is offensive to us. that is not proper. it was immediately changed. i see alejandro here, dan patrick's communication director, and he was brought in i'm sure for that reason, help in the understand what shy not be saying. i'm not defending him jut just telling you that sometimes people don't realize they have offended us and it's up to us to speak up and say you have offended us. please, if you want to us be on your side do not repeat that

word again. >> goes back to leadership and what most of this is about is representative has been out on the road preaching that do and educating us and making us understand we should have done that's long time ago. i appreciate saying this young professional here bringing that to our take again, -- to our attention again -- and if we don't take a leadership -- it's making me want to step up and do mow because i'm in a police where in my area that people are going to start looking up to me. so it's the leadership. the circle of influence we have to follow. >> we only have time for one more question. i apologize to those in line waiting to ask questions. we'll take the last one. >> my name is thelma, and i'm also a millenia and proudly identify as a latina. my question is for everybody, so there's been a lot of talk about outreach to latinos, and young

latinos who may not identify socially conservatively to you guys, or -- but they do identify on other issues. ol y'all kind of share the same value, but your party is very -- they're not backing i. from the voter i.d. thing, and we can't lie to ourselves that the voter i.d. does not disenfranchise voters of color -- >> what is your question? we're run out of time. >> yes. what can you do to let your party know that voter i.d. hurts latinos? >> let me tell you, as somebody who deals with candidates all the time, voter i.d. is something that they say -- they face and have raised all the time, because somebody like myself, who understands south texas politics, understands that

there is a problem with that. there is a commit problem with that. there is a lady -- i know that the commissioner knows her, too -- there's a lady in bear county, that is a big democrat operative who, by the way, just happens to also own a cemetery that they just removed from her because she was violating some laws and what we have you. that in and of itself goes -- those are the kind of things we see on a daily basis on the ground, there's definitely issues with voter fraud, and why don't -- why can't you just show an i.d. to be able to vote? there's no reason not to be able to do that. in enterberg, they had their first election and they had no

problem with that when they had to show their voter -- their i.d. last november. >> i support it. >> i have to add something to that. first of all, i was in charge of overseeing the election process in the state of texas. and i will tell you it's all about protecting the process. and for you to say that it hurts the latino vote, actually sometimes we have been latinos to think they're not able to go out and get an i.d. most people -- [applause] >> most people are proud to show their i.d. they show an i.d. when they pick up a prescription. we should be more concerned about making sure that we have a mobile skype everywhere so there is an opportunity for them to get a voter i.d. but what i'm telling you is that as i travel the state, that's not what i heard. it's about making sure you're proud of a process we have in texas that that is what we want, one we can respect.

most people thought they had a vote -- they had to show a photo i.d. in years back, everyone knew each other. so when you went to a polling place, they recent you didn't have to show a voter i.d. is because everyone knew you but in texas we're the fastest growing state, growing by 1200 people a day. people can no longer be responsible for knowing each other. so in order to protect that process, we should be showing a photo i.d. and we should be weapons -- be concerned about making sure we make the i.d. available to everyone, rather than fighting something that already passed and it was passed by the people. >> if i could add, i actually carried the bill in part. polling has been done in the minority communities and in the black communities and the hispanic community. it's found to be supported 75-plus percent. so, some of the biggest support for voter i.d. comes from hispanic community, and even

comes from democrats. when they do polling, actually the texas tribune did much of the polling that i'm talking about. when they talked about democrats, democrats support voter i.d. so we live in a democracy and where the majority rules, obviously if there are issues the minority has -- i'm talking about minority in thought -- that they have, they'll take it up with through courts. the courts -- the supreme court has already ruled that voter i.d. is constitutional. the question presidentially is whether or not the texas version is constitutional. i believe it will be upheld. the bottom line is is this is supported by the public, supported by african-americans and the hispanic community and that's why the legislature voted for it. >> well, unfortunately, we have to wrap it up there we're the only thing between you and lunch so we'll get you out of here. thank you so much to tower penalize for being here today. thank you for joining us. the texas tribune has set up food trucks along the main lawn in front of the ut tower and

programming will resume at 1:45. thank you. [inaudible conversations] >> my comment about ebola is, we actually had ebola right here is in country. doctors coming back with ebola,...

>> is this ebola virus proof that we need a one payer health care system remap because we just saw what happened in texas with this capitalist -- capitalistic health care system. now it is going to cost us millions and millions to clean that mess up. and that is what i was kind of curious about. and we were out there for remarks on this and it's proof that we need a national health care system. >> continue to let us know what you think about the programs you're watching. call-center phone number or e-mail us at comments or you can

send us a tweet at c-span/comments. join us, like us on facebook or follow us on twitter. >> the midterm elections are less than a week away and we have more debate coverage tonight. up next, the new hampshire governors debate between maggie hassan and walt havenstein. and then we have dennis richardson an opponent. south dakota has four candidates running for an open u.s. senate seat. >> on the next "washington journal", diane oakley on the national institute of security discusses how prepared americans are too potentially outlive their retirement savings. after that, compassionate choices looks at the dignity loss in place across the u.s. as fo