Rudy Flores, former assistant to Governor Dolph Briscoe, recalls that bilingual education was one of Briscoe's campaign issues during the 1972 election. Once elected in 1973, Carlos Truan came to Briscoe's office to discuss introducing bilingual education legislation again. Briscoe instructed Flores to appear before the legislative committee as a representative of the governor's office in support of the bilingual education legislation. To Flores, Briscoe's commitment to bilingual education was due to his understanding that it was good for the people of the state. Flores also cites Briscoe as being instrumental to the passage of bilingual education legislation, stating that in other administrations similar bills had failed to get out of committee, but during Briscoe's administration the bills passed. Flores does not recall the previous governor, Preston Smith, being in favor of bilingual education and states that while Briscoe was campaigning for the issue in 1972, Smith's administration did not show support.