Gen Y Affecting Change in the Legislative Process

August 25, 2010 by Tamara Bell

[HTML1] In the past couple of episodes, we have explored the relevance of the federal government to our every day life. In our discussion of the U.S. Supreme Court and the 2010 midterm elections, we learned about the need for Generation Y to stay informed about and engaged in their government. After all, democracy relies on our commitment to the process.

We’re going to continue that conversation with a look inside the U.S. Congress. And our guide for this legislative sojourn is Leo Munoz, chief of staff for U.S. Representative Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, Texas.

Leo joins Keeping Up with Gen Y to give us the lowdown on how a bill really becomes a law, and how Generation Y can affect change earlier in the legislative process, when it can make a difference. But for those unable to follow every bill filed in the U.S. Congress, Leo points out that the best, and easiest, way for young people to have their voices heard by their representatives is through the ballot box.

More about Leo Munoz
Leo Munoz is chief of staff for U.S. Representative Charlie Gonzalez of San Antonio, Texas. Leo moved to Washington, D.C., in 2002 and was an aide for Congressman Gene Green of Houston. Leo had previously worked for Rep. Green when he was a member of the Texas State Senate. A native of Texas, Leo also worked in the state capitol for several House members.

A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, Leo’s legislative expertise includes Communications and the Internet, Energy and Environmental issues.

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About Tamara Bell

Tamara Bell is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Y Gen Out Loud, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that provides a platform for Generation Yto discuss national politics and public policy issues.

Tamara began her journalism career as a staff reporter for the Dallas Times Herald. A few years later, she moved to York, Pa., as a political reporter for the York Dispatch, covering local, state, and national government as well as writing investigative stories for the mid-sized daily newspaper.

A Texas girl at heart, Tamara returned to Dallas a year later to work as press relations director for the re-election campaign of U.S. Rep. John Bryant. The next year, she moved to Austin and the Texas Legislature, where she stayed for 15 years. While at the Legislature, Tamara worked for Democratic House members as Chief-of-Staff and Press Secretary, and as a Senior Policy Analyst for the Senate State Affairs Committee chaired by a Republicansenator.

In 1996, Tamara became co-owner of a political newsletter covering state issues and elections. As Editor-in-Chief, Tamara helped shape the weekly publication into a must-read for state officials, legislative aides, and lobbyists. More recently, Tamara wrote a regular column analyzing coverage by the Texas Capitol Press Corps for an online political publication. She also works as a lecturer in the Advertising Department at The University of Texasat Austin.

Tamara has also been a judge for the 2010 Bright Ideas Award given by the Texas Daily Newspaper Association, served as a panelist at the Society of Professional Journalists 2010 Region 8 Conference where the theme was How to Save Journalism, and has been a guest lecture for the Advertising Department’s Internship course, speaking about the jobs outlook for graduating seniors.

Tamara earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Journalism from The University of Texas at Austin, and her B.A. in Journalism from Texas A&M University. She resides in Austin with her son, Jackson.

Tamara Bell is also the Host of Keeping Up with Gen Y on WomensRadio. Keeping Up with Gen Y offers discussions, interviews, and commentary about important issues of the day from the perspective of Generation Y (18-to 30-years-old). Aimed at all generations interested in learning about and inspiring young people, this show features professionals, experts, researchers, and members of Gen Y who share insights and experiences about the topics on the minds of today’s young adults.