Governor Perry Held Signing Ceremony for HB 4114 Friday, May 29, 2009! Click on the link above for details.

HB 4114 by Martinez Fischer/Herrero (filed as the companion bill to SB 2251)...

• May 29, 2009, HB 4114 signed by Governor, Effective Immediately
• May 27, 2009, HB 4114 was sent to Governor's office.
• May 26, 2009, HB 4114 was signed by the House of Representatives and the Senate.
• May 23, 2009, House of Represetatives Concurs with Senate Amendments!
• ATTENTION SUPPORTERS! HB 4114 HAS BEEN VOTED OUT OF THE SENATE! It will now go back to the House for concurrence and be sent to the Governor for his signature! Thank you to all of you that have worked so hard to make this dream a reality!
• May 21, 2009, HB 4114 was Placed on Local and Uncontested Calendar in the Senate.
• May 18, 2009, Senators Zaffirini, Hinojosa and Lucio were Authorized as Co-Sponsors of HB 4114.
• May 11, 2009, HB 4114 was voted out of the Senate Committee on Administration and sent to the Local and Uncontested calendar. The Bill could be on the Governor's desk by late next week or the following, if all goes well.
• A Public Hearing was held for HB 4114 on Friday, May 8, 2009. The Bill was left pending in committee until Monday, May 11, 2008. The meeting was held in the Capitol Extension, room E1.714.
• On May 1, 2009 HB 4114 was referred to the Senate Committee on Administration.
• On April 29, 2009 HB4114 was passed out of the House and sent to the Senate.
• On April 4, 2009 HB 4114 was voted favorably out of committee. Good news on this bill as well, as it was voted onto the House Local Calendar with similar favorable implications. This bill should be up in the full House by next week, and then onto the Senate.

• May 21,2009, HCR 139 referred to Administration
• May 6, 2009, HCR 139 was placed on Resolutions Calendar.
• May 4, 2009, HCR 139 was considered in Calendars.
• April 20, 2009, Committee Report sent to Calendars.
• This resolution was also voted favorably out of committee on 16 April and should be up in the full House by next week, and then onto the Senate.

SB 2251 by Zaffirini...On April 30, 2009 SB 2251 was placed on the Local & Uncontested Calendar and was then removed at Senator Zaffirini's written request. On April 23, 2009 Senators Gallegos, Lucio, Uresti and Van de Putte were approved as co-authors of SB 2251.

SB 2251 was heard in Committee Monday 20 April, voted favorably out of committee. Additionally, the bill was voted to be placed on the "Local" Calendar (one of the schedules from which the full Senate considers bills for voting), which is very good news because bills on the Local Calendar largely are automatically passed by the Senate and are then sent on to the House. The bill should be on the Senate floor for the local calendar the first week of May.

• Chair, Tommy Williams
• Vice-Chair, Carlos Uresti
  
  Members:
• Steve Ogden
• Florence Shapiro
• Jeff Wentworth
• John Whitmire
• Judith Zaffirini

The public hearing for SB 2251, Tejano Memorial Monument will be Monday, April 20th at 3pm in E1.714 in the Capitol Extension.

Those attending and wishing to speak should arrive early, complete the witness sign-in form and give it to the clerk. If you do not wish to speak you can still sign the form and check off how you feel about the bill.

If you testify, remember to keep your comments to 3 minutes or less. An alarm will go off if you exceed the time and you will have to close. Those who do testify should bring at least 30 copies of your written comments to pass out to the members and their staff.

The hearing before the House Committee on Culture, Recreation and Tourism was a "resounding success", stated Tejano Statue Committee Vice-President, Andres Tijerina, Ph.D.

Executive Director of the Preservation Board, John Snead, recommended the Tejano Monument be located on the historic south grounds. Ten witnesses gave testimony, and the legislative committee expressed approval of the resolution. Committee Member Representative Larry Phillips (Dist. 62) said, “I can’t wait to see it.”

On Tuesday, April 14, 2009 supporters of the Tejano Monument attended the hearing and testified on House Concurrent Resosution 139 (HCR139) relating to placement of the Tejano Monument on the south lawn (in front) of the Capitol. In attendance were Dr. Barrera, Jaime Beaman, Juanita Tijerina, Dan Arellano, R.J. Molina, Sara Puig Laas, Dr. Andres Tijerina and others.

Prior to the hearing, Caytano Barrera, Chairman of the Tejano Monument, Inc. said, "This is a watershed bill for the Tejano Monument and should set us on a fast pace to complete the Monument." The Tejano Monument Statue Committee would like to thank those of you that testified, attended the hearing and sent emails to your elected officials.

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Click on the Rio Grande Guardian to read the article by Julian Aguilar, April 15, 2009; Victory Finally in Sight for Supporters of Tejano Monument on Capitol Grounds.

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Historians and Scholars Create Didactic Information

On Saturday August 9, 2003, a group of very prominent Texas historians and professors met ant the Texas Sate Capitol to begin writing the text that will go on the plaques in front of the Tejano Monument. The plaques will tell the story of the Tejano experience in Texas from the 1500's to the present. The historians pictured left to right are Dr. Carolina Castillo Crimm, Professor of History at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville; Jack Jackson, award winning author on Texas History; Dr. Gilberto Hinojosa Professor of History at Incarnate Word University in San Antonio; Dr. Andres Tijerina, award winning author and Professor of History at Austin Community College and Chairman of the Fundraising Committee for the Tejano Monument Inc.; Dr. Felix Almaraz, Professor of History at the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Dr. Tijerina, Vice-President of the Tejano Monument, Inc. chairs the committee that will edit the final version of the text panels. The blue ribbon panel of historians have graciously volunteered their time and talent to this endeaver and they are greatly appreciated.

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To view all articles from the Rio Grande Guardian click on the link. When you get there type Tejano Monument into the "Search" window and click on the search button. It will take you to their Tejano Monument archives.

The 77th Legislature passed House Concurrent Resolution 38, authored by Texas State Representative Kino Flores and sponsored by State Senator Mario Gallegos. HCR38 authorizes the creation of a monument on the Texas State Capitol grounds to commemorate the contributions of Tejanos to the State of Texas.

"I am very honored to be a part of this effort which will finally share our Tejano heritage and contributions with the entire state. This monument is long overdue, especially considering that Tejanos were among the first inhabitants of Texas and should be credited for many of the state's early innovations such as farming and ranching techniques, the birth of the "Vaquero" (precursor to the American Cowboy), many of the state's culinary favorites, numerous fine examples of architecture, and the language which is embedded in everyday use throughout Texas." Kino Flores

The Steering Committee invites you to become a part of this historic endeavor by making a "tax deductable" financial contribution to the creation of the "Tejano Memorial." Individual and Foundation contributions and Corporate Sponsorships are welcome. The estimated cost of the memorial and its installation is "One Million Dollars."

My name is Cayetano Barrera and I would like to thank the daughters of the Republic of Texas for inviting us today to tell you briefly about the Tejano Monument, and asking us to bring our brochures. First I would like to introduce to you members of our board that are here today, Dr. Andres Tijerina and Homero Vera from Premont, publisher of "El Mesteno", and Mr. And Mrs. William Zermeno, from Goliad, members of our Organizing Committee.

The question most people ask, is, why did you think of this idea now, but I think that Thomas Paine said it better than I ever could. When I was an Intern at the Sacramento Hospital, in Sacramento, California, in 1963, one of the required readings on our Psychiatric rotation was "The Age Of Reason" by Thomas Paine. In the same book, was also the pamphlets "Common Sense" written during the United States struggle for independence. The first statement of the Introduction to "Common Sense" made such an impression on me at the time that I underlined it at the time, and I quote: "Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages, are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them general favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong, gives it the superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defense of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason."

Time makes more converts than reason, it took our American forefathers 169 years. Our American forefathers had many occasions to think that something was wrong with the treatment that they were getting from England and it’s monarchy, and eventually led to the Declaration of Independence. I do not claim to be the first to think of this idea, as you have heard this morning from our speakers, we stand on the shoulders of many who have fought the fight before us. We do not want to declare independence, we just want to be included in our states History icons on the State Capitol grounds. Our Tejano forefathers shed too much sweat, blood and tears, we have a large investment in this great state, The greatest state in the greatest nation in the world.

Thank you for having us here today, and now Dr. Tijerina will give you a brief description of the monument we are planning for the state Capitol.

Artist Armando Hinojosa signs the contract to proceed with the next phase of the project, the production of the clay miniature maquettes. Cayetano Barrera (pictured here with Armando) stated "Eventually, these pieces will be enlarged and cast in bronze."

Rudy Cano, pictured here with Cayetano Barrera. is the Chairman of the Go Tejano Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. An "El Tejano" statue was presented by the Go Tejano Committee to the Board of Directors of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. The statue will be displayed in their reception room, the Tejas Room in the Reliant Center building, among other bronzes that decorate the room.

NOTICE TO THE MEDIA CONTACT: JOEL LARA

FRIDAY, MARCH 1, 2002 (713) 527-9010

TEJANO MONUMENT COMMITTEE INAUGURATES A REGIONAL FUNDRAISING GROUP

AUSTIN—The Tejano Monument Committee will inaugurate a regional fundraising group to help raise funds to erect the monument.

The 77^th Legislature authorized the creation of a monument to commemorate the contributions of Tejanos to the State of Texas.
The privately funded life-sized monument will be located on the grounds of the State Capitol.

Fundraising Committee Chairman, Dr. Andres Tijerina, will introduce the new group at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 2 at theMuseo Guadalupe Aztlan, 3004 Bagby, in Houston.

“We have a great task at hand but I am confident this newly named regional committee will work hard to help raise the funds needed to get this monument built,” Tijerina said.

Tijerina will formally recognize Joel Lara as the Regional Coordinator for the Houston Regional Committee. Members of several local civic and business organizations will also join Tijerina at the news conference.

For more information you can contact Joel Lara at (713) 527-9010 or visit the Tejano Monument website at www.Tejanos.com.

AUSTIN, TEXAS- The Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc. today announced that artist Armando Hinojosa has been selected to design and sculpt a monument for the Capitol grounds commemorating the contributions of Tejanos to the State of Texas to be completed within three years.

Hinojosa's life reads like a history book. The son of the late Geronimo Hinojosa, a Mexican immigrant, and Amalia Garcia Hinojosa of Laredo, a direct descendent of Don Tomas Sanchez (who founded Laredo), Armando was born during World War II. He worked hard to pay for his own education, starting at a private, boys' Catholic school and graduating from Texas A&I in Kingsville in 1966. He began painting at the age of 13 when his father allowed him to paint signs for highway advertisements.

Hinojosa has created 18 monumental sculptures including "Among Friends There Are No Borders"-a rendition of a charro and a cowboy-at Laredo's International Airport. Although a well-known artist, Hinojosa remains a humble man, serious and committed to the preservation of art and history. "In my drawings for the Tejano sculpture, my goal is to surround the viewer with history," said Hinojosa. "This total immersion approach will allow the viewer to experience a total physical response to the sculpture."

Hinojosa teaches high school art and is the Dean of Visual Arts at the Vidal M. Treviño School of Communication and Fine Art in Laredo, Texas.

The Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc. also announced a gala event to be held November 10, 2001 at the new Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. The gala will serve as a fund-raising effort and an introduction to the Tejano culture, and will provide numerous examples and exhibits of early Tejano pioneers and their contributions to the State of Texas.

House Concurrent Resolution 38, passed by Representative "Kino" Flores during this year's legislative session, and authorized the planning and erection of the monument on the Capitol grounds. HCR 38 will ensure that the contributions of Tejanos to the State of Texas are realized, documented, and never forgotten. The Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc., formed in April of this year, was established for the sole purpose of providing for the fund-raising efforts and to serve as a decision-making body.

Story by DAVID ROBLEDO
Photos by GERMAN GARCIA
The Monitor

EDINBURG - There's only one school organization in the state helping to raise money for the Monumento Tejano, and that's the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter at Edinburg North High School. The Monumento Tejano was conceived by Cayetano Barrera from McAllen, who took a stroll through the Capitol grounds in Austin last year, and realized that, among the many Texas-related statues, memorials, and commemorations, there was no monument marking the contributions of Tejanos to Texas culture. Thus, Barrera approached State Representative Ismael "Kino" Flores with the idea of building such a monument. Flores loved the idea, and petitioned the Texas Legislature for permission to build a work of art commemorating the contributions of the Spanish and Mexican pioneers who have influenced Texas life. In May 2001, the Legislature ap-proved the project.

"It's exciting. We didn't know what to expect. We went up to tell a bunch of northerners, 'Hey, we need a monument saying Tejanos were here,' " Flores said. Edinburg North's DECA chapter became involved when DECA advisor Melba Zaremba saw Flores promoting the monument on television. Zaremba thought that asking the DECA chapter to come up with a promotional campaign to raise money for the cause would fit well with the purposes of DECA, a marketing association. "The kids told me - 'Miss, did you know that nobody knows there's not a monument about Tejanos?' " Zaremba said.

DECA started raising money by creating a campaign called "The Power of One," in which club members asked fel-low students to tell one person about the monument, and to encourage those that were told to spread the word along to one other. The chapter then asked everyone who heard about it to contribute their spare pennies. The chapter collected $565.79 in pennies. "I made announcements and collected pennies and weighed the pennies - a lot of pennies," explained member Rose Molina, 18, a senior.

The penny drive was just the first step in DECA's promotional plan. Now, they're asking local businesses, such as Carmike Cinema, to give DECA space to advertise the monument. "It's important because at the Capitol grounds, there's no representation of Mexican-Americans. It's important to honor the contribution Tejanos have given to the state of Texas," Molina said. Fellow DECA member Alejandra "Alex" Flores, 17, a senior, agreed. "I'm doing something for my heritage. … I love this project," she said.

In November 2001, DECA member Juan Carlos Munoz, along with Zaremba, traveled to Austin to attend a Tejano legacy gala at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, where the chapter was recognized for their efforts. To get involved with DECA's promotion, call Zaremba at 316-7683. To find out more about the Monumento Tejano, log on to www.tejanos.com.

"This copyrighted story from the Feb. 2, 2002 edition of The Monitor has been posted with permission."

TEJANO MONUMENT PLANNED FOR STATE CAPITOL

BY TRICIA CORTEZ
Times staff writer

One summer day, two years ago, Dr. Cayetano Barrera of McAllen made the rounds of the newly renovated Capitol in Austin when he suddenly noticed something he never had before. "I told my wife, 'I need to go around again.' I couldn't believe my eyes," said Barrera, who had walked the grounds dozens of times in the past. "Out of the 31 statues and monuments I saw inside and outside the Capitol, not a single one had a Spanish or Mexican name, and not one was dedicated to the Spanish or Mexican pioneers that have lived on this land since 1519."

The family practitioner got on the phone and called his nephew Richard Sanchez, chief of staff for state Rep. Kino Flores of Mission, and asked, 'Would you please go around the grounds to look because maybe I missed something?" When Sanchez called his uncle back with the response, Barrera set the ball rolling to undertake the "historic and long-overdue project."

The goal was to erect the largest monument to grace the 22-acre Capitol grounds. It would commemorate the 500-year role of Tejanos and the Spanish-Mexican legacy in Texas. With the help of Flores and state Senator Mario Gallegos, the State Preservation Board and historian Andres Tijerina, Barrera was able to get legislation passed unanimously in February 2001 authorizing the monument.

"I think everyone was caught with a little embarrassment that this had never been done," Barrera said. Flores admitted being "nervous because I was not sure at how the legislature was going to respond. Surprisingly, there was no opposition whatsoever. "This monument should have been there many, many decades ago. The Capitol has monuments of other Texas heroes, but none of us. We, Tejanos, Latinos, Hispanos, Chicanos, whatever you want to call us, have carved out the history of Texas. Our roots are imbedded in every part," he said. "I realized that for many years, little Mexicanitos and Chicanitos have visited the Capitol and have come back believing they don't have a place in Texas history. They have looked at the paintings and monuments, and even their textbooks, none of which trace anything back to them. These young people have left thinking they were on borrowed land which is not the case," Flores added.

Rick Crawford, executive director of the State Preservation Board, which manages the Capitol building and grounds and the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum, said he did not know why Tejanos have long been excluded from the Capitol grounds. "All I can tell you is that Kino Flores was the first one to push for this monument. We are directed by the Legislature to do monuments, but they all require a law to be passed," he said.

Tijerina, an award-winning historian at Austin Community College, explained his opinion of the delay in acknowledging Tejano contributions to the state. "Mexican-Americans, or Tejanos, are just now reaching a population base of middle class professionals who can present this heritage in a formal format," he said, referring to legislative resolutions, fundraising campaigns, books, magazines, genealogy and other professional organizations. "Before this, Tejanos were not able to reach that formal level. We have always been here but have not always had access. But, let me stress that everyone, Anglo-Americans and Hispanics, have been gratified that we are now finally presenting these very positive and constructive facts. No one has challenged us, or questioned us, or expressed any doubt of any of the information we're celebrating," Tijerina said.

"Everyone has been exuberant. When Kino introduced this on the House floor, the bill drew 48 co-sponsors, most of who were Anglo-Americans," he added. Once the monument's site is finalized, the State Preservation Board has to approve the design and receive the construction money to begin, Crawford said. The $1.4 million bronze will consist of 12 life-size sculptures. Though it does not single out specific Tejano heroes and pioneers, it will cover the era from the 1500s to the 1800s. Last summer, the Tejano Monument's executive board commissioned Laredo artist Armando Hinojosa for the project.

"We are taking great pains to make everything authentic to the period, from the jacket, bridle, chaps, to the horse being a mesteño (mustang) and not a thoroughbred. There will also be a vaquero and a Tejano couple with a baby," Barrera said. He noted that five prominent historians, led by Tijerina, are writing the monument's text which will be recorded on six bronze relief plaques.

Tijerina is also chairing the statewide fundraising effort. "Because we have to raise the money ourselves, we are about to launch a fundraising campaign with focal points in Dallas, San Antonio, Houston and Austin. We're also looking at El Paso, Corpus Christi and the Valley," Barrera said. Just last Friday, the International Bank of Commerce, through its Zapata branch president Renato Ramirez, pledged $100,000 to the project, brining the total amount of funds raised to $250,000. "I personally sponsored a gala event at the Bob Bullock History Museum last November to kick off the fundraising effort," Ramirez said. Sanchez, Barrera's nephew, described the memorable gala. "We invited people from all over the state, many of whom came in costume. The attire read "Tejano Chic," Sanchez laughed. "It meant dressy but with a Tejano flair. Some of the ladies borrowed costumes from a place in Corpus Christi depicting Tejano life in the 1800s. Some wore ball-type dresses worn by the Tejano elite of that day, and the men wore wide bottom pants, blousy shirts, spurs, cowboy sombreros."

A Tejano Honor Guard also showed up "in really authentic looking stuff," he said. "We also hired a group from Mexico to play period music," Sanchez said He then recalled the excitement of the group's first meeting during the fall of 2000. "We sat around a table in the Capitol, and there was so much energy at that table. Everybody wanted to be there so bad, and everybody had so many ideas. We had to rein them in and had to first talk about why we deserve to be part of the Capitol grounds," he said.

After the bill passed last February, the group formed a non-profit corporation in April 2001 called Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc. d/b/a/ the Tejano Monument. It is charged with fundraising and helping the preservation board erect the statue. Interested donors can access www.tejanos.com, where small bronze statuettes of the central figure, the vaquero, will soon be sold as limited editions.

Barrera said the project should take two years to complete. The four historians working under Tijerina are Carolina Castillo Crimm of Sam Houston State, Felix Almaraz of the University of Texas at San Antonio, Gilberto Hinojosa of the University of the Incarnate Word and distinguished historian Jack Jackson of Austin.

(Staff writer Tricia Cortez can be reached at 728-2568 or tricia@lmtonline.com)

NEWS RELEASE

For Immediate Release: CONTACT: Richard Sanchez

July 23, 2002 512.463-0704

Austin - The International Bank of Commerce has announced a major contribution of $100,000 to help fund the Tejano Monument at the Texas State Capitol. Renato Ramirez, President and CEO of International Bank of Commerce (IBC), will make the presentation at 5 PM on Friday, July 26,2002, as part of the regular meeting of the Tejano Monument Executive Committee in the state capitol. The formal presentation will be held in the Speaker’s Conference Room on the second floor west wing of the capitol building.

Ramirez, who is on the Tejano Monument Executive Committee, stated in making the announcement, that the $100,000 pledge will be delivered in $25,000 increments, presented annually. He will present the first $25,000 gift on Friday. Ramirez added that IBC has taken the lead in sponsoring the Tejano Monument fundraising campaign, which must raise 11/2 million for the monument. Ramirez stated that “The International Bank of Commerce has been a prime sponsor of the Tejano Monument all along, and invites other banks and institutions to contribute to this worthy cause.”

The Tejano Monument will be a monument on the Texas Capitol grounds intended to establish an enduring legacy that acknowledges and pays tribute to the contributions by Tejanos as permanent testimony of the Spanish-Mexican heritage that has influenced and is inherent in present-day Texas culture.

The Tejano Monument is formally incorporated as the Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc. under the Texas Non-profit Corporation Act by the Texas Secretary of State. It has a federal I.D. tax number and is a charitable, not-for-profit organization, under Section 501 (c) (3) of the United States Tax Code. It maintains a registered bank account in the International Bank of Commerce in McAllen, Texas. The corporation has established other committees to carry out this project. It maintains a webpage at Tejanos.com with news and background information on the proposed monument.

The 77th Texas Legislature in 2001 passed House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 38, approving the erection of a statue or monument on the Texas Capitol grounds that pays tribute to the contributions of Tejanos to the State of Texas and recognizing exclusively the Tejano Statue-Capitol, Inc. working with the Texas State Preservation Board, as the organization to raise funds and erect the statue.