By Tabitha Redder/managing editor

A visit from Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis filled College Hall to the brim on NE Campus Sept. 15.

After an introduction from Tarrant County Justice of the Peace Sergio De Leon, Davis dove into declaring policies and highlighting her political achievements.

A former NE Campus student herself, Davis understands the impact community college can make for both traditional and nontraditional students, De Leon said

Davis plans to make both the B-On-Time low-interest loan program and the Texas Grant program more accessible to students as well as implement policies that would exempt college textbooks from sales tax. These changes will make college more affordable for thousands of Texas students, she said.

In addition to helping restore $3.4 billion in public education funding last year, Davis said she fought against $5.4 billion in budget cuts for public schools in 2011 that her opponent, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, advocated.

“He is now a leader of a party whose platform literally calls for the defunding of public education at every single level — from Pre-K all the way to our community colleges and university system in this state,” she said.

After outlining plans to invest in education, infrastructure and innovation, Davis said she wants to raise the minimum wage from $7.25 an hour to $10.

“This is a family issue,” she said. “Of the 2.8 million Texans that would benefit from an increase in the minimum wage, over half of them are parents. At $7.25 an hour, which is $15,000 a year, we can’t afford to support a family on that amount of money, and I understand that, but Greg Abbott does not.”

Davis accused Abbott of intending to veto the Texas Equal Pay Act, a bill that would close the pay gap between women and men.

Phone calls to Abbott’s campaign office seeking comment were not returned.

Davis stressed the importance of students not having to choose between paying their mortgage payment and paying tuition.

NE student Alys Benitez supports Davis’ policies.

“She supports equal pay for everyone and women’s reproductive health, just all the issues that I would like to see improved that are really important I’ve seen ignored and tossed aside by everyone else,” Benitez said.

TCC graduate and former NE student Fatumata Holloway also had positive comments to say about the event.

“I believe everything she said she’s going to do,” Holloway said.

The election this November will produce the first new Texas governor in 14 years. The voting registration deadline is Oct. 6.