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Dear {name},
Last Wednesday, November 6, Texas Impact was delighted to participate in a wonderful celebration of community with faith leaders in San Antonio, Houston, and Dallas. You can watch the recording from San Antonio here, and see media coverage here and here. All the faith leaders who participated shared a common message: we were a community before, and we’re the same community now. Our commitment to civility and compassion is not predicated on the outcome of an election—elections are one opportunity among many to strengthen our community for the future.
Now it’s the week after the election. That means it’s time to get ready for what comes next…and what comes next is the 89th Texas Legislative Session. You may or may not feel “ready” for session, but legislators are already off to the races: more than 1,500 bills have been pre-filed so far, including bills related to every issue area on Texas Impact’s legislative agenda. We are reading the bills as they are filed, and we’ll provide updates and analysis starting right after Thanksgiving.
To help you prepare for robust legislative advocacy, Texas Impact is rolling out a new video series, “Faith in Democracy.” The first two episodes are available on our website and on YouTube, with new episodes coming over the next month. The series provides engaging, accessible lessons in civics and civic engagement in Texas and beyond, covering topics ranging from how legislative bodies are structured to "pro tips" for surviving a long legislative hearing.
This week is also the first week of COP29, the United Nations climate negotiations in Baku, Azerbaijan. Bobby and Becca are there, along with colleagues from faith communities in the US and around the world. They are posting blogs and videos from the proceedings, which are off to what Becca describes “as a strange start.”
Next week, on November 18, the State Board of Education will meet to take action regarding the proposed Bible-infused educational materials they considered earlier in the year. After extensive public comment, the materials underwent minor revisions and are still not appropriate for public school use. Public testimony will be taken at the November 18 meeting, with registration available on the Texas Education Agency website.
Finally, this week Texas Impact launched a legislative advocacy campaign calling on legislators to fix the Texas abortion ban. You can download campaign materials to use locally, as well as sharing links to our online petition. And we’re excited to announce that beginning in January, Texas Impact organizational members, including congregations and faith-based groups, will have a special opportunity to host screenings of the award-winning documentary film Zurawski v. Texas. Registration will be available starting next week.
That’s not all the news, but it’s enough for today. Thanks for being part of our network—we can’t wait to spend the legislative session with you!
Love, |
