Local legislators host community engagement forum

Next week, state Reps. Donna Howard, Eddie Rodriguez, Celia Israel and Gina Hinojosa will host a forum so that constituents can get a detailed idea of the work each of them is doing in the 85th Texas Legislature. Hinojosa already made a splash last week with a proposal to make “intoxi-carry” (or carrying a firearm while intoxicated) a felony offense. The Center for Public Policy Priorities’ Ann Beeson will give tips on becoming an advocate and suggest policy areas to keep an eye on in the coming months, and a selection of local grassroots groups are scheduled to introduce themselves. The session will be held at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex, 1156 Hargrave St., on Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 6 p.m.