Iowa LULAC leaders to attend national Latino convention, meet with Iowa elected officials in D.C.

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For immediate release

Feb. 10, 2015

DES MOINES - Latino leaders from the League of United Latin American Citizens of Iowa and LULAC Council 307 in Des Moines, will travel to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with Iowa’s Congressmen, senators and other national leaders and their staff, White House cabinet officials, and Latino advocacy officials as part of the 18^th Annual LULAC National Legislative Conference and Awards Gala and to promote LULAC’s efforts in Iowa to energize the Latino community for the 2016 Iowa Caucuses.

LULAC of Iowa State Director and Council 307 President Joe Enriquez Henry, along with Deputy State Director Mike Reyes and Council 307 Vice President Jorge Valencia, are scheduled to meet with U.S. Rep. Dave Loebsack, a Democrat; U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican; and a staff member of U.S. Rep. Steve King, a Republican who represents Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District. This is the third straight year Iowa LULAC representatives have tried to meet personally with King but have been scheduled to meet with a staff member instead.

Enriquez Henry also is working to schedule meetings with Iowa’s other elected leaders – Sen. Charles Grassley, and Congressmen Rod Blum and David Young, all Republicans. Topics of discussion will range from access to affordable health care and quality educational opportunities to immigration reform.

“These meetings will give us a chance to remind our elected leaders and their staff of the strength and size of the Latino community,” Enriquez Henry said. “We need them to fight for us at the national level to ensure we have the same access to health care and good jobs, and that our children have the resources to become well-educated students and sought-after employees as adults.”

The LULAC National Legislative Conference and Awards Gala will highlight critical legislative issues that affect Latinos on the national level. The multi-day event features a policy summit with members of Congress and their staff, along with Hispanic leaders who will address policy priorities for 2015. Among this year’s topics are health care, comprehensive immigration reform, broadband adoption for communities with high concentrations of minorities, education and childhood obesity.

Founded in 1929, the League of United Latin American Citizens is the oldest Latino civil rights organization in the United States. There are more than 2 million members in more than 1,000 local LULAC councils, which hold voter registration drives, provide awareness to residents about language and immigration issues, sponsor programs and advocate for Latinos.

For more information, contact Joe Enriquez Henry at 515.208.7312; or Melissa Walker at 515.681.7731 or media@iowalatinos.org, or visit www.lulaciowa.org.

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