Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, visited UTEP in preparation for the next regular session of the Texas Legislature. The discussion took place Monday morning at the Undergraduate Learning Center.

It was a short meeting that only lasted about 10 minutes.

Democratic Texas State Reps. Joe Moody, Marissa Marquez, Joe Pickett, Naomi Gonzalez and Cesar Blanco attended the event.

Straus said his only marching order from UTEP was the issue of tuition revenue bonds for construction of important facilities.

UTEP President Diana Natalicio plans to visit Austin for the next legislative session to ask for funds for an interdisciplinary research building and the expansion of a cooperative pharmacy program UTEP has with the University of Texas at Austin, which was denied to UTEP in the last legislative session.

“What we’re requesting is funding that would give us support over a limited period of time, just until the regular funding by student enrollment would kick in,” Natalicio said.

Maria Esquinca and Michaela Roman may be reached at [email protected].