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
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...
Add Your Name: Texans Oppose Public School Chaplains
Senate Bill 763 gives public school districts the option to replace school counselors with religious chaplains. SB 763 doesn't require school boards hire chaplains, but it...
Texas Impact Joins State Parks Coalition
This year, Texas is celebrating the 100th anniversary of our system of State Parks. To mark the centennial, Texans statewide will have the opportunity to vote on November 7th to...
UPCOMING EVENTS
Events
PROGRAMMING
Ep. 415 COP and Go: Updates from the Global Climate Summit
This week we turn our attention to the other side of the globe as we welcome Texas Impact’s Climate Action Fellow, Rev. Dr. Becca Edwards to the program. Becca recently returned from the 29th UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP), the global…
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Ep. 414 Turn, Turn, Turn
Well… we had an election… and we know folks have lots of feelings, and we are going to talk about feelings today. But, in addition to that, we are going to talk about how the election impacts Texas, and we are going to talk about what Texans of…
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Ep.413 Every Day: Civility and Compassion for Community
Election day is almost upon us! You have heard us talk for years about Texas’ low voter turnout and how that impacts public policy. If you are listening to this before election day, you have a chance to do something about that. Many of us are…
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