Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa will be the special guest at the June meeting of the Bay Area Association of Democratic (BAAD) Women. Social time begins at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 20, followed by the meeting at 7 p.m. at the Bay Area Community Center in Clear Lake Park, 5002 NASA Parkway in Seabrook.

Join us for the June BAND meeting at 7 p.m. this Wednesday, June 12 at the Harris County Courthouse Bay Area Annex at 16603 Buccaneer, across the parking lot from the Freeman Library. We'll discuss the latest on the voter registration group, the mayor's race and the redistricting controversy in the legislature's special session. State Sen. Sylvia Garcia originally planned to come to this meeting, but she may be unable to attend because of the special session in Austin.

Some members of the Texas House of Representatives are holding hearings around the state to get citizen input on redistricting. One of those hearings is at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, June 12 on the University of Houston main campus in the Michael J. Cemo Hall, Room 100 D, 4800 Calhoun, Houston 77004. If you attend a House hearing, please sign in against House Bills 1, 3 and 4. You can sign in to register your opinion even if you don't wish to speak. Public testimony will be limited to five minutes. If submitting written testimony, please provide 25 copies , with your name on each, to the clerk.

Democrats are organizing to register voters again, but first we must be trained as deputy voter registrars. In Harris County, we will have another opportunity to do so this week. On Tuesday, June 11, training will be from 2 to 3 p.m. at the Harris County Administration Building at 1001 Preston Street, Houston 77002.

Volunteer deputy voter registrar appointments made during 2013-14 expire at the end of 2014. All volunteer deputy voter registrar appointments expire on Dec. 31 of even-numbered years, so if you were appointed in 2011 or 2012, you will have to attend training again.

The Clear Creek Independent School District election deserves your attention! Area voters will have the opportunity from now until May 11 to determine two school board positions and to decide whether the Clear Creek Independent School District can use new bond money to repair and update district facilities. Early voting continues until May 7, although polls will not be open Sunday, May 5. Because finding your particular polling place for your precinct on May 11 may be difficult, it's a good idea to vote early at any of the locations below.

Dawn McCarty from Casa Juan Diego, a Catholic Charity in Houston, will be the guest speaker at the BAND meeting on Wednesday, May 8. She will discuss the work that Casa Juan Diego does for immigrants in the Houston area and current immigration legislation. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at the Harris County Courthouse Bay Area Annex at 16603 Buccaneer.