Austin-area AFT Locals invited Austin-area Texas Legislators to a Breakfast on Saturday, February 25, 2023, to brainstorm on public K-12 and higher education issues. In the above picture, Rep. John Bucy is responding to ideas from Texas AFT members and Texas AAUP Conference Officers Jim Klein (on the left) and Brian Evans (on the right) attending as private citizens. AAUP affiliated with AFT in August.

The following Legislators attended:

• Rep. John Bucy, III (D-Cedar Park, District 136) BA History Austin College
• Rep. Sheryl Cole (D-Austin, District 46) BA Accounting, UT Austin; JD UT Austin
• Rep. Lulu Flores (D-Austin, District 51) BA Government, UT Austin; JD UT Austin
• Rep. Vikki Goodwin (D-Austin, District 47) BBA UT Austin; Masters LBJ School of Public Affairs, UT Austin
• Rep. Gina Hinojosa (D-Austin, District 49) BA Government, Liberal Arts Plan II Honors, UT Austin; JD George Washington University
• Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin, District 48) BS & MS Nursing, UT Austin
• Rep. James Talarico (D-Austin, District 50) BA Government, UT Austin; MA Educational Policy, Harvard University.

Reps. Bucy, Cole, and Howard are on the House Higher Education Committee and Reps. Hinojosa and Talarico are on the House Public Education Committee.

The AFT sponsors were Austin Community College AFT, Education Austin, Bastrop Federation of Teachers, and Education Round Rock.

Eleven Texas AAUP Members attended as private citizens including Jim Klein, Teresa Klein and Pat Heintzelman shown below. Jim Klein is also the President of the Texas Association of College Teachers; Teresa Klein is the Texas AAUP VP for South Texas; and Pat Heinzelman is also the President of the Texas Faculty Association, TSTA, NEA.