TO: CVF-NEWS
FROM: Kim Alexander
DATE: May 17, 1999
RE: Zedillo in Sacramento

Hi Folks,

It's not every day the president of Mexico visits California, but soon California will greet the President of Mexico, Dr. Ernesto Zedillo Ponce de Leon.

President Zedillo will address California lawmakers in the Assembly chamber of the California State Capitol on Tuesday, May 18, 1999. His address is to begin at 10:30 a.m., and will be available for viewing on TV via the California Channel (check your local cable listings), or via the California Channel's web site, at http://www.calchannel.com. You can also try the Assembly's web site, at http://www.assembly.ca.gov, or the State Senate's, at http://www.sen.ca.gov for a live Internet feed of the event.

For more details about the visit and the apparent "thawing" of California/Mexico relations in the wake of passage of Prop. 187, take a look at Scott Lindlaw's story for the Associated Press....he writes:

"SACRAMENTO (AP) -- For the first time in the 20th century, a Mexican president is traveling to California's capital. In doing so this week, President Ernesto Zedillo will give the most vivid demonstration yet that the cross-border relationship is thawing.

Zedillo's visits to Sacramento, San Francisco, Burbank, Los Angeles and San Diego this Tuesday through Thursday will reciprocate for Democratic Gov. Gray Davis' trip to Mexico in February.

Both leaders want to improve California-Mexico relations chilled by California voter-approved ballot measures meant to curb illegal immigration and dismantle affirmative action.

The initiatives were spearheaded by Davis' predecessor, Republican Gov. Pete Wilson.

'This is a symbolic closing of the gap that had developed for the last six years under the previous administration,' said Harry Pachon, an expert on Hispanic politics and president of the Claremont Graduate University's Tomas Rivera Policy Institute.

Davis will be at Zedillo's side throughout his visit.

The president will address a joint session of the Legislature here, meet with business and labor leaders in San Francisco and hold a town-hall meeting in Los Angeles followed by a reading to a bilingual second-grade class there.

While Zedillo's visit is heavy with symbolic gestures, the real-world stakes are enormous for both leaders...."

For the full story, visit the Sacramento Bee's Capitol Alert:

http://www.capitolalert.com/ap_wrapper.cgi?CA--CAPITOLN.134101.HTML