Recent Articles
Civic Engagement
Fossils
While representatives of national governments are parsing diplomatic language in meeting rooms at the climate negotiations, outside the rooms advocates from “civil society” use every strategy they can think of to advance their issues and get negotiators’ attention....
600,000
On May 24, 2022, Texas held its party primary runoffs. The message from those primary runoffs is that little has changed and we’re in for more of the same: despite the fact that there are nearly 4 million more Texans of voting age than there were in 2012, the 600,000...
Unclenched Hands
This weekend, I spent some time in the Texas Hill Country at the MoRanch Women’s Conference, talking with my (mostly) Presbyterian sisters about how people of faith can be effective advocates for justice in the current political climate. It was amazing to be...
Climate Justice
Texas Interfaith Power and Light Methane Lent Series
In the Christian tradition, Lent is a time of reflection about the ways we have missed the mark and the ways we would like to do better in the next year. Texas Interfaith Power and Light has put together a Lenten series of reflections focused on the environmental...
Pipeline Safety Agency In Process of Updating Pipeline Rules
Yesterday I pulled up to the curb in front of a music studio where one of my children takes guitar lessons and noticed for the first time a sign posted in the grass in front of the building that indicated the presence of a gas pipeline under the property. I noticed...
Why Does Texas Railroad Commission Oppose EPA Methane Rule?
While Texas Impact staff were in Dubai at COP28 we celebrated the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) announcement of new, strong methane rules. As a reminder, the new methane rule requires oil and gas producers to stop methane leaks from their...
Economic Justice
Reproductive Rights and the Dobbs Decision: History and Context
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling that substantially alters the landscape of reproductive health in the United States. As most observers expected, the ruling eliminates the U.S. Constitutional right to an abortion, and allows state legislatures complete...
Carson v Makin: From “No Aid” to “No Holds Barred”
In Carson v. Makin, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Maine law that prohibited state funds from being used to teach a religious curriculum in its state voucher program. The Court extended a doctrinal line of cases regarding “discrimination against religion.” The...
The Unsustainable Reality of a Car-centric United States
As temperatures continued to rise across the Southwest, imposing heat watches, advisories, and warnings, so did the price at the pumps. Gasoline prices hit a record high of $5 a gallon this weekend, harming the pockets of those who rely on cars to commute. The U.S. is...
Human Rights
Ep. 349 Vidas Robadas/Stolen Lives
This week marks the beginning of Gun Violence Awareness Month and many of us will still remember where we were when we received the news about the tragic school shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde just two years ago. Joining us this week is Texas Impact's Policy...
May in Texas – A Time for Remembrance and Action
In Texas, May is a special time for gun violence survivors. Within its markers are the anniversaries of two major school shootings – the Santa Fe High School shooting on May 18th and the Uvalde Robb Elementary School shooting on May 24th. It is a hard time for many,...
“At Least Our Voices Were Heard:” Interim Hearings Are Underway
This week, interim hearings started in the Texas Senate. On Tuesday, the Subcommittee on Higher Education met to hear testimony on three interim charges: “Monitor the Ban on Discriminatory DEI Policies;” “Combating Antisemitism on Texas College Campuses;” and “Campus...