|
This week, lawmakers are struggling to find and maintain balance:
- Balance between broad community consensus and sectarian orthodoxy
- Balance between current and future priorities
- Balance between institutional integrity and systems transformation
In Washington, the House Budget Committee rejected the budget proposal the House intended to vote on next week. The proposal includes cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, and other programs for low- and moderate-income families, so Texas Impact is not disappointed at this temporary setback—but the swing votes against the bill came from hard-right committee members—including Congressman Chip Roy of Texas—who insist the cuts need to be deeper and faster.
Read more and download handouts
The delay does give advocates at least a couple of additional days to push against the cuts, and faith communities are key. On a webinar cohosted by Texas Impact and Texans Care for Children, Congressman Joaquin Castro of San Antonio urged Texas Impact members and other Texans of faith to share their stories, and ELCA Advocacy’s Andrew Fuller stressed the important community perspectives that congregations and their outreach ministries offer lawmakers.
Watch the webinar with Congressman Castro and ELCA’s Andrew Fuller
Meanwhile in Austin, after weeks of delay the Senate Public Education Committee finally held a hearing on its committee substitute for HB 2—the public school finance bill. The committee substitute upends the House-passed bill, demonstrating disregard for local communities and local elected officials who bear the responsibility of operating our state’s public education system.
Read more
This week marked the beginning of the end of the current legislative session, with deadlines hitting in the House. House bills that have not passed the House are “dead” as of tonight, and Senate bills that have not been reported from House committees will be similarly deceased as of May 24.
See the legislative deadline calendar
As House members soldiered through the week, trying to get through as many bills as possible before midnight May 15, many of their colloquies and speeches provided important insights into the pressures and perils of our current hyper-partisan climate for rank-and-file lawmakers across the political spectrum who just want to serve their districts and make a difference for good. We posted a lot of these exchanges on our LegeTV YouTube channel, from antics with rubber snakes to heartfelt pleas for mercy and justice.
Watch LegeTV
There are still two weeks and change till Sine Die. Almost anything can happen—so keep your head in the game! |
