State Sen. José Menéndez (D-26) and Rep. Diego Bernal (D-123) both changed jobs earlier this year, running in special elections that included runoff races both won in mid-February. Menéndez ascended from the Texas House to the Texas Senate and Bernal moved from the San Antonio City Council to the Texas House. Both found themselves joining a legislative session already well under way. They sat down this week to reflect on their new roles, the past session, and some of the major issues they face as members of the state’s minority Democratic Party. Listen to their conversation below or click here to listen on Soundcloud.
*Featured/top image: State Sen. José Menéndez (D-26) and Rep. Diego Bernal (D-123) speak with Robert Rivard (left) during a podcast recording. Photo by Scott Ball.
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I would love to see these guys take on an effort to make the Texas Legislature a unicameral body. I believe it would save money and make for a more efficient legislative process. The import behind the federal government’s structure doesn’t really exist at the state level. For info on Nebraska’s unicameral legislative body-the only state with one see: http://nebraskalegislature.gov/about/history_unicameral.php