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. 420 (Don’t) Forget Paris
This week, we are excited to welcome Texas Impact’s Climate Action Fellow, Rev. Dr. Becca Edwards, to talk about the President’s recent executive action, once again, removing the US from the Paris Climate Agreement. There has been a lot…
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Ep. 419 Reflections from the Celebration of Public Witness for the 89th Legislature
Since 1973, Texas Impact has hosted a service or celebration of public witness on the south steps of the Texas Capitol in conjunction with the opening of the Texas Legislature. This year, the Texas Legislature convened Tuesday, January 14, and so the…
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Ep. 418 New Year, New Resolve
We hope you all had a meaningful and relaxing holiday season and a great start to the new year; it is about to get busy and your advocacy will be critical in the next few months. We know a lot of attention will be paid to what is happening in…
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