Recent Articles
Civic Engagement
Lights in the Darkness: Faith Leaders Launch GOTV Work Despite Grid Failures
On Tuesday, thirty-seven faith leaders representing 19 congregations convened to launch the Houston Faith Votes Civic Engagement Cohort, a new pilot project designed to take Texas Impact's existing faithful civic engagement work to the next level. Despite the...
Mail Time! Tools to Help You Submit a Letter to the Editor
To paraphrase a trademarked slogan, "Neighbor, when's the last time you wrote a letter to the editor? Well, that's too long!" Summer is an ideal time to submit your thoughts on current events to your local paper: there are interim legislative hearings;...
“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...
Climate Justice
Building Resilience Experts Talk Hazards and Insurance
In a recent article on Climate Connections, meteorologist Jeff Masters stated plainly what is at stake for the housing market if we fail to prepare for climate change impacts in the United States:“In the U.S., the most likely major economic disruption from climate...
PUC Announces Finalists for Texas Energy Fund
Yesterday the Public Utility Commission announced the selection of the project proposals which will receive funding from the Texas Energy Fund. The Texas Energy Fund is public money set aside by SB2627 for the Public Utility Commission to issue loans to support...
Lawsuit Calls for Humane Conditions in Overheated Texas Prisons
A lawsuit filed by a cohort of Texas prison-rights advocates against the executive director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice accuses the department of creating inhumane conditions inside Texas prisons by failing to air condition the facilities. The lawsuit...
Economic Justice
Submit a Comment on the Abortion Ban Rule
The Texas Medical Board’s proposed rule clarifying Texas’ abortion ban exception is open for public comment. The public comment period will last at least until the Board's next meeting, which is June 20, 2024, and could last longer if the Board decides to extend it....
March 5: Where Do We Go From Here?
For ten years, the Texas Legislature has been a divided body. The extreme wing of the Republican Party controlled the Senate and the traditional wing of the Republican Party controlled the House. That ended on Tuesday. A House Speaker’s job is to “protect the...
Tell the Texas Medical Board: No Guessing Games on Emergency Abortions
Next Texas Medical Board Meeting: March 21-22, 2024 Courts, doctors, and patients all are asking the Texas Medical Board to clarify when a threat to the life of the mother creates an exception to Texas laws that ban abortions.The TMB has both the authority and the...
Human Rights
What is a gun? Ghost Guns and Beyond
At the start of this week, the US Supreme Court took up another major case concerning firearms – ghost guns. Ghost guns, which are home-built guns without serial numbers, are a recent phenomenon that has blown in popularity in online sales. Without a serial number...
Ep. 409 “Are You With Us?” Immigration Ministries in the Public Square
This week we are excited to introduce Robert Rivera, who wears many hats. Among them, he is Vice President of the Synod Council of the Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is also part of the Houston Faith Votes leadership team, and part...
What Do Dropping Crime Rates Mean for Gun Violence Prevention?
When I hear presentations on gun violence in America often they mention rising gun violence rates as evidence of America’s need for reform. The logic is sound – a rising number of deaths is clearly an indication that something is wrong. However, preliminary data for...