The Texas Retired Teachers Association (TRTA) welcomes ALL of our members to our exciting Day at the Capitol event on Wednesday, April 12, 2023! Retired public educators are looking forward to meeting with legislators, advocating for a much-needed cost-of-living adjustment (COLA), and enjoying fellowship during an old-fashioned ice cream social on the East Lawn.
April 11 Special Activities
For those attendees coming in the day before, TRTA has a very special evening planned, which includes guest speaker Dr. Ray Perryman! Dr. Perryman will be speaking from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in the Governor’s Ballroom at the Hilton Austin downtown on April 11. This event is free for all TRTA members.
Perryman is a well-known economist, responsible for reporting many of the facts and figures featured in the TRS Great Value for All Texans brochure. He has been called a “genius” by The Wall Street Journal, a “world class scholar” by Business Week, the “unofficial state economist” by The New York Times, “the most quoted man in Texas” by Texas Monthly, and “the conscience of Texas” by NPR. This is a FREE, must-see event!
April 12 Day at the Capitol Event: What You Need to Know
As in years past, TRTA encourages members to WEAR RED on April 12! For members who cannot attend in person, please check your email on April 11 and 12, as TRTA will provide Action Alerts via the Inside Line you can send to your legislators inviting them to this important event! We will also provide links to the live webcasts of the House and Senate so that you can hear the resolutions honoring TRS retirees.
April 12, 2023 Projected Schedule:
7:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. Please plan to arrive on the East Lawn and be sure to pick up your bag, Day at the Capitol materials, and a small bottle of water. Consider bringing snacks, as lines in the cafeteria can be very long.
8:00 a.m.-9:00 a.m. This is a great time to schedule visits with your legislators or their staff members. Be sure to invite them to the ice cream social at Noon! Please use the Texas Legislature Online website to find contact information for your legislators.
9:30 a.m. Head to the House Gallery on the third floor to hear the resolution honoring TRS retirees. If the gallery is full, consider going to the Senate gallery instead.
10:30 a.m. Head to the Senate Gallery on the third floor to hear the resolution honoring TRS retirees.
12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m. Head to the East Lawn to enjoy an old-fashioned ice cream social! Many legislators will also join us and will often speak.
2:00 p.m. If you did not have a chance to visit with your legislator, this is a good time to do so and a great way to end a wonderful day!
Hotel, Parking, and Accessibility Information
Hotel Accommodations:
- Room reservations at the Austin downtown Hilton (500 East 4th Street, Austin, TX 78701) are full. To be added to the waitlist, please contact Ashley Jaramillo at ashley@trta.org.
- Free festivities will be held at the Hilton hotel on April 11, including guest speaker Dr. Ray Perryman at 4:30 p.m. and evening celebration at 6:00 p.m. A lively line dancing lesson will begin at 6:45 p.m., so don’t forget to pack your dancing shoes! Members do not need to be staying at the Hilton to attend these events.
Parking, Shuttle, and Bus Details:
- Onsite parking at the Hilton is $20 per night, a discounted rate just for TRTA members. On April 12, TRTA will provide shuttle service from the Hilton to the Capitol and back.
- For those not staying at the Hilton and planning to attend the April 11 events, public parking is available at the Austin Convention Center Parking Garage located at 601 East 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701. The garage is a one-minute walk to the Hilton and rates are $10 for 1-6 hours and $15 for 6-10 hours.
- There are designated parking zones near the Hilton. A parking permit is required for charter buses to load and unload at the Hilton on April 11. Requirements for obtaining a parking permit and overnight shuttle parking locations can be found here.
- For those riding in personal vehicles and traveling to Austin the morning of April 12, parking is available at the Capitol Visitors Parking Garage (1201 San Jacinto Blvd.) one block from the east lawn. Garage access is available on both 12th Street (off San Jacinto) and 13th street (off Trinity). Parking garage rates are free for the first 2 hours, $1 for each half hour thereafter, with a maximum daily charge of $12.
- For groups riding to Day at the Capitol by chartered bus:
- This guide shows the route for bus drivers to take after dropping off riders near the East Lawn to get to bus parking.
- Click on this map to see the area on Trinity Street adjacent to Waterloo Park between the 12th and 15th blocks where buses may park for free.
Accessibility at the Capitol:
- To read more about the Capitol’s Accessibility Services, please click here. You can also read the Capitol Accessibility Guide here.
Please Submit Your RSVP
We are asking TRTA members to submit an RSVP for Day at the Capitol. Your RSVP helps TRTA collect an accurate headcount for all planned events, such as the April 11 evening celebration and the ice cream social on April 12.
TRTA members will need to log in to their member profile to submit their RSVP. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, please use the “forgot username” and/or “forgot password” links to recover that information or send an email to membership@trta.org.
- When you log in, you will need to click the “register” button.
- You will have the option to register someone else (a great feature if you need to register someone who is not yet a member of TRTA, but who wishes to attend Day at the Capitol with you).
- Districts and local chapters have the option to register multiple guests (a great option if your district or local chapter is chartering a bus and you have had your members sign up for the bus already).
- Be sure to select which “programs” you will be attending (the Evening Celebration and Ice Cream Social). These are the free planned events for which TRTA needs an accurate headcount.
- When you are done selecting your programs and/or registering other guests, please click the “proceed to checkout” button near the bottom of the screen.
- There is no fee to attend Day at the Capitol; however, this button must be selected to confirm your registration(s).
Tim Lee Live on Facebook and YouTube Thursday, March 30 at 4 P.M.
Tim Lee, the Texas Retired Teachers Association’s (TRTA) Executive Director, will be live on Facebook and YouTube on Thursday, March 30 at 4 p.m. Central. He will discuss TRTA’s plans for Day at the Capitol and how you can participate from home if you are unable to attend in person.
Be sure to tune in on Thursdays at 4 p.m. as Tim Lee goes live with a variety of guests and topics related to the Texas legislative session.
