Story by MATEUS FERREIRA/Head Writer
Photos by KARLEIGH YANCY/ Editor in Chief
Talon Student Media interviewed candidate for governor, State Rep. Gina Hinojosa, and candidate for Texas Senate, Rep. James Talarico. Here is how they responded to questions important to college students in Texas.
James Talarico
Recent policies have restricted campus protests, faculty governance, DEI and “controversial” content in curriculums and classrooms. How would you address academic freedoms when it comes to Texas Universities?”
“Public education is under attack in this state and in this country; both K-12 public schools but also our institutions of higher education, our public colleges and universities, and we have to fight back against these attacks on education. We have to protect academic freedom, we gotta let our teachers teach, we gotta let our students learn and we gotta let our readers read.”
Undocumented students have been blocked from receiving in-state tuition and state financial aid. How would you approach policy when it comes to undocumented students?”
“I would protect our undocumented students and their right to a public education in this state. We’ve invested in them in their K-12 journey, and we should get what we paid for and have them complete their higher education so that they can become contributing members of our society. I had undocumented students on the west side of Saint Antonio as a teacher, and I will fight for them just like I fight for every other student.”
Gina Hinojosa
You have put affordability on the forefront of your campaign. How would your proposed policies better help college students facing rising student loan debt and cost of living?
“When I represented the University of Texas at Austin, in the Texas House, and we saw bills to prohibit landlords from income discrimination. There are certain landlords who will not accept student loans, for instance, as proof of income. I think that’s wrong. I think that should end.
That I got from a college student. But we’ll do a review on these hardships affecting students, but definitely what we need to do is make sure that college is affordable for any hard-working kid who wants to go to college.
It should be an option for the price of housing, the price of college, shouldn’t stand in the way. We have the money as a state to do these things, invest in the people of Texas. We don’t do it. Why? Because we’re all paying the Greg added corruption tax. Our money more and more is going to pay off Greg Abbott’s donors and friends.
When we get rid of that corruption tax, when we wipe it clean, that creates money to invest in Texans and especially our young Texans.”
How would you approach policy when it comes to undocumented students?
“Undocumented students are when you think about it, especially dreamers.
These are kids who have grown up here. They are as Texan as anybody. Their experiences are deeply American, actually. We have a broken immigration system in this country, and it’s unfortunate that there are people who are paying the price for it when they want nothing more than contribute to this country and to this state. A lot of that is federal.
That is under federal control, but as governor, I will use the holy pulpit to speak unapologetically in support of all Texans and to advocate for a path for these hardworking, law-abiding immigrants to stay here legally.”
How would you address academic freedoms when it comes to Texas Universities?
“Challenging ideas, especially when you don’t agree with them, has always been an essential part of higher education, and it’s such a shame to see the crackdown happening on speech right now on our campuses. The governor has power to appoint all the boards of regents. Some of these things are statute, but some of them are not.
Some of them are just fear that’s coming from on high. So I will appoint members of the boards of regents who are respectful of academic freedom.”
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