The Mexican American Legislative Caucus is a 501(c)(6) non-profit, non-partisan organization composed of members of the Texas House of Representatives

Texas House of Representatives

The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...

committed to addressing issues of particular importance to Latinos across the state.

History

The Mexican American Legislative Caucus (MALC) was founded in 1973 in the Texas House of Representatives by a small group of lawmakers of Mexican American heritage for the purpose of strengthening their numbers and better representing a united Latino constituency across the state.

In the 1990s, recognizing the growth of the Hispanic population in Texas and anticipating a new ethnic majority, MALC opened membership eligibility to House members of any race or ethnicity who represent majority-Latino constituencies.

Mission

Latinos today represent Texas’ fastest growing political and economic sector. To meet the needs of this rapidly growing population, MALC serves as an information clearinghouse to Caucus members and non-members alike. By researching the implications of policy on Texas' Hispanic communities and by voting together, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus ensures that the interests of all Texans are represented.

MALC’s educational outreach initiatives, conducted between bi-annual sessions of the Texas Legislature, strive to raise the level of Latino engagement in Texas government and politics.

Membership

In 2011, MALC has a membership of 39 House members from all parts of the state, and is the second-largest caucus in Texas. MALC members vote as a bloc on consequential matters for Latino constituents.
2011 Officers

Chairman
Trey Martinez Fischer
San Antonio

Vice-Chairman
Eddie Rodriguez
Austin

Secretary
Armando "Mando" Martinez
Weslaco

Treasurer
Roland Gutierrez
San Antonio

Legal Counsel
Veronica Gonzales
McAllen

Jose Aliseda
Beeville

Roberto Alonzo
Dallas

Carol Alvarado
Houston

Rafael M. Anchía
Dallas

Lon Burnam
Fort Worth

Joaquín Castro
San Antonio

Garnet Coleman
Houston

Dawnna Dukes
Austin

Joe Farias
San Antonio

Jessica Farrar
Houston

Pete Gallego
Alpine

John Garza
San Antonio

Larry Gonzales
Round Rock

Naomi Gonzalez
El Paso

Ryan Guillen
Rio Grande City

Ana E. Hernández Luna
Houston

Scott Hochberg
Houston

Tracy O. King
Eagle Pass

Jose Manuel Lozano
Kingsville

Eddie Lucio, III
San Benito

Dee Margo
El Paso

Marisa Marquez
El Paso

Ruth McClendon
San Antonio

José Menéndez
San Antonio

Sergio Muñoz
Mission

Elliott Naishtat
Austin

René Oliveira
Brownsville

Aaron Peña
Edinburg

Joseph Picket
El Paso

Chente Quintanilla
El Paso

Richard Peña Raymond
Laredo

Raul Torres
Corpus Christi

Michael Villarreal
San Antonio

Armando Walle
Houston

External links

• Official site
• Mexican American Legislative Leadership Foundation
• Texas Hispanic Research Council