ECONOMIC JUSTICE
Economic justice refers to the way we design the systems through which each person earns a living; enters into contracts; exchanges goods and services with others; and otherwise produces a material foundation for their physical sustenance. Economic justice is the area of public policy where tension between “charity” and “justice is most often apparent. The world’s faith communities share deep commitment both to the charitable alleviation of suffering stemming from imperfect economic systems, and to policy advocacy for realignment of those systems to achieve justice.
EDUCATION
People of faith continue to be essential advocates for an adequate and equitable system of public education so that every child has the opportunity to fulfill their human potential.
HEALTH
Some health outcomes have genetic origins, but to the extent health-promoting and disease-preventing conditions and services are available to some people in the community, they should be available equitably.
POVERTY
In 2020, Texas’ overall poverty rate was 13.6%, placing the state 40th among the 50 states and the District of Columbia. More than 3. 8 million Texans were poor in 2020. White Texans experience poverty at a far lower rate than other groups: 18.7% of Latino Texans, 18.6% of African American Texans, 15.1% of Native American Texans, and 9.2% of Asian American Texans were poor in 2020, compared to 8.0% of White Texans.
NEWS + UPDATES
Send a Letter to Legislators: Public Dollars Belong in Public Schools
Make sure your legislators know you oppose vouchers! Even if you're sure your legislator is with you on the issue, they still need to know that you are with them and will have...
Texas Impact Attends TASA/TASB Convention
Over the weekend, Texas Impact staff and board members attended the annual TASA/TASB joint-convention, which more than 3500 school board trustees and superintendents attended....
How would a federal government shutdown affect Texas?
In a webinar with White House staff this week, officials from the Biden administration presented an overview of what programs will be affected in the event the federal...
New Explainer with Model “Chaplain Resolution” Options
Texas Impact's new brief "Chaplains: Right for Faith Communities, Wrong for Public Schools" is designed to help school district trustees understand the requirements of SB 763,...
Two Issues That Affect Us All: Climate Change and Public Education
Last night a frontal boundary combined with extremely hot temperatures and high humidity levels to spark a severe thunderstorm that brought widespread hail, wind, and extreme...
Whistleblowers Warn of Systemic Failures
Recently, there has been a lot of reference in the media to state employees who are “whistleblowers.” The Texas Whistleblower Act protects public employees who make good faith...
UPCOMING EVENTS
Events
PROGRAMMING
Ep. 346 Waiting Forever for Healthcare
This week we are excited to welcome Diana Forester, Director of Health Policy with Texans Care for Children. This is an important conversation this week because legislative leaders recently released their interim charges for the biennium, and it…
Read MoreEp. 345 Voices from the Field: Listening and Lobbying on the Farm Bill
Texas Impact is proud to be a part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s ELCA Advocacy family as a State Public Policy Office for Texas. Joining us this week is Christine Moffett, ELCA Program Director for Environment and Energy…
Read MoreEp. 344 Why DEI?: The Chilling Effect of SB17
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in Texas colleges came under fire in the last legislative session. The passage of SB17 has been controversial with many students and faculty over the elimination of these programs. This week we are…
Read More