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
100+ TX Chaplains to School Boards: Keep Chaplains Out of Public Schools
MEDIA CONTACTSManisha Sunil, West End Strategy Team / msunil@westendstrategy.com; 202-417-0171Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, BJC / guthrie@bjconline.org; 713-614-4946Joshua Houston,...
Labor Day Litany
Litany for Texas Workers for Sunday, September 3, 2023 (Adapt for Your Faith Tradition) God, we ask your presence and blessing upon workers, this Labor Day and every day. ...
What is a public school chaplain? Texas school children may soon find out.
What is a public school chaplain? Texas school children may soon find out. In 2023, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 763, which gives public school districts the option...
Moms Need 12 Months of Postpartum Medicaid
Now that HB 12 ensuring 12 months of postpartum Medicaid coverage is in the Senate, your congregation or group can help get the bill over the finish line...but there's no time to...
Abortion 1-Pager: The Life of the Mother Matters
HB 1280, Texas’ abortion ban, which the Legislature passed in 2021 and went into effect in August 2022, creates an exception for cases when the pregnancy causes a "life...
Take Action for Reproductive Rights
Image: Rosa Rolanda, Autorretrato 1952Get these bills moving! The following bills have not been scheduled for committee hearings yet. These bills would help to mitigate the...
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…
Read MoreEp. 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…
Read MoreEp.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…
Read More