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Greetings,
Class is in session. The fall semester has begun, and election season is coming to a close.
Candidates across the state are running out of time to reach constituents prior to the Nov. 8 election. Early voting is set to begin Monday, Oct. 24. Typically, the months leading up to the start of the legislative session in January are filled with committee hearings. However, many statewide elected officials are experiencing more contentious races this year. Therefore, legislative homework has been put on hold until after the election. We plan to see a busy calendar once the polls close so committee chairs can wrap up their interim reports.
The week of Sept. 26, President Jennifer Cowley will publicly present the University’s legislative appropriations request to the legislative budget board staff, along with other UT System institution presidents. The hearings will be broadcast live.
The Legislature has taken an interest in two areas experiencing a workforce shortage: public school teachers and nurses. Earlier this month, the House committees on public and higher education met to jointly discuss the Texas teacher shortage. It is believed that this hearing signals the House's plans to lead the charge on this issue going into the next legislative session. Both chambers also recently met to discuss the ongoing nursing shortage and how to address obstacles to nursing education, including limited clinical space and nursing faculty shortages.
As we enter the final stages of the 2022 election season, we urge you to reach out to Government Relations or the Office of Legal Affairs regarding any questions you may have about how to handle any request from an elected official or a candidate for elected office.
Thank you for your dedication to UTA and Go Mavs!
— UTA Government Relations
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