FEATURED: Julián Álvarez, III, a former Commissioner Representing Labor at the Texas Workforce Commission, will be the moderator for a legislative luncheon to be held in Edinburg on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, featuring Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, and Sen. Adán “Adam” Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi. Tickets to attend the luncheon are available for purchase ($85 individual, $750 for a table of eight) through Friday, January 16, 2026 by contacting the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce at (956) 928-0060.
Photograph Courtesy LONE STAR NATIONAL BANK FACEBOOK
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Legislative luncheon in Edinburg on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, featuring Sen. Juan Hinojosa and Sen. Adam Hinojosa, will showcase city’s $14 million Edinburg Arts, Culture and Events Center
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
Key state issues affecting the Rio Grande Valley will be discussed in Edinburg on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, by Sen. Adán “Adam” Hinojosa, R-Corpus Christi, and Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, during the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s State of the 956 Legislative Luncheon, Mayor Omar Ochoa has announced.
Remaining tickets for the luncheon will be available for purchase by the public through Friday, January 16, 2026, from the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce by calling (956) 928-0060.
Organizers of the event are projecting between 150 and 200 persons from throughout South Texas will show up.
The State of the 956 Legislative Luncheon will take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the $14 million, 36,000-square-foot Arts, Culture, and Events (ACE) Center, located at 315 W McIntyre Street, immediately east of Edinburg City Hall.
Parking for the Edinburg ACE Center usually involves nearby city lots, with free options often available at City Hall and other public spaces, such as the Edinburg Independent Consolidated School District lots.
Otherwise, parking meters are available on other nearby public streets within walking distance of the Edinburg ACE Center.
“Rep. Terry Canales, D-Edinburg, and Rep. Armando Martínez, D-Weslaco, are also confirmed to attend the event, which will provide attendees the opportunity to meet with four Rio Grande Valley state lawmakers in one location,” said Ochoa. “Members of the audience will also have the chance to have questions for both state lawmakers during the event.”
Julián Álvarez, III, a former Commissioner Representing Labor at the Texas Workforce Commission, will be the moderator for the legislative luncheon.
Álvarez currently serves as the Vice Chair of Government Affairs for the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is a Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development at Lone Star National Bank.
Ochoa will provide the welcoming remarks.
Other members of the Edinburg City Council and Edinburg Economic Development Corporation, as well as elected and appointed government leaders from Mission, Pharr, Rio Grande City, and South Padre Island, so far are confirmed to be in the attendance.
“In the Valley, we value informed conversations that bring our community and elected officials together,’ said Cynthia Sakulenzski, President and CEO of the RGV Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. “This luncheon gives our members direct access to the leaders guiding statewide decisions.”
The Rio Grande Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce drives the growth of Hispanic-owned businesses through advocacy, education and networking opportunities. The organization supports economic empowerment by connecting entrepreneurs with the resources, training and partnerships needed to achieve sustainable success across the Rio Grande Valley.
“This second annual State of the 956 Luncheon brings together regional leaders, policymakers, business owners and community stakeholders to discuss public affairs and issues affecting the Rio Grande Valley, Sakulenzski added. “Attendees will hear from elected officials representing the region on legislative priorities, economic development initiatives and collaborative efforts that impact the local community and business environment.”
The Edinburg Arts, Culture, and Event (ACE) Center’s history spans over 15 years, evolving from a concept started around 2007-2009 under Mayor Joe Ochoa, with subsequent mayors like Richard García and Richard Molina building on the vision.
This $14 million project, a joint effort with the Edinburg Economic Development Corporation (EDC), aimed to create a central cultural hub, culminating in its opening in late 2024 at 315 W. McIntyre, transforming former school property into a modern facility for arts education, performances, and community engagement.
In a related legislative development, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, and Speaker of the House Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, on Friday, September 12, 2025, announced the formation of Senate and House Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education.
Sen. Juan Hinojosa is the only Valley lawmaker on this legislative group. He was appointed by Patrick.
These select committees will meet jointly to study and issue reports on bias, discourse, and freedom of speech across Texas college campuses. The State of Texas has a responsibility to ensure its publicly funded institutions foster open dialogue and do not discriminate against students, faculty, or staff based on their beliefs, according to Patrick.
“The First Amendment guarantees the freedom of religion, of speech, of the press, of assembly, and of petition,” said Patrick. “It is the First Amendment because it is the foundation of all our rights. In that list, the free exercise of religion is paramount. Take away a person’s right to free exercise of religion and every other right falls quickly.
This committee will help identify ways to better protect the fundamental right of free speech on our campuses, including measures to ensure political gatherings are safe and secure, and its recommendations will guide the Legislature’s policy decisions moving forward,” said Burrows.
As those reforms are implemented, the Senate and House Select Committees on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education will examine the implementation of SB 37 and SB 2972, especially as it relates to the climate of discourse and freedom of speech on campus. The committee’s work will help ensure Texas remains a national leader in protecting First Amendment rights.
The following members have been appointed to the Senate Select Committee on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education:
- Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, Chair
- Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler, Vice Chair
- Sen. Cesar Blanco, D-El Paso
- Sen. Donna Campbell, R-New Braunfels
- Sen. Bob Hall, R-Edgewood
- Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen
- Sen. Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham
The House Select Committee on Civil Discourse & Freedom of Speech in Higher Education is made up of the following state representatives who were appointed by Burrows:
- Rep. Terry M. Wilson, R-Georgetown, Chair
- Rep. Richard Peña Raymond, D-Laredo, Vice Chair
- Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado
- Rep. Caroline Fairly, R-Amarillo
- Rep. James Frank, R-Wichita Falls
- Rep. Shelby Slawson, R-Granbury
- Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston
During the 89th Regular Legislative Session, the Legislature passed Senate Bill 37 and Senate Bill 2972, providing meaningful reforms to the governance and oversight of Texas higher education institutions.
The 89th Regular Legislative Session was the biennial (every two years) meeting of the state’s lawmaking body, running from January 14, 2025 through June 2, 2025., where they passed a state budget addressed major issues like public education funding, water infrastructure, and business growth, and passed numerous bills into state law, followed by Gov. Greg Abbot calling for two special sessions later that year.
A bill is a type of legislative measure that requires passage by both the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives, and action by the governor in order to become effective. A bill is the primary means used to create and change the laws of the state.
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Armando Villarreal contributed to this article. For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
