Texas politics can be better than schoolyard bullying and making fun of someone’s name. There are too many real policy issues to discuss to give into race baiting or using another’s name to imply that person is a race traitor.
It’s easy to think that water comes straight from the sink and that it’ll keep flowing well into the future. But 1,000 to 1,200 people are moving to Texas each day — and none of them are bringing water with them. That means we all have an interest in brainstorming workable, long-term solutions, and creative conservation strategies can provide benefits across the board.
In the four general elections held so far this decade, Texas has consistently ranked in the bottom five among the 50 states in turning out its voting eligible population. And within the state, younger Texans have voted at a much lower rate than their elders.
Dallas County should follow the lead of other jurisdictions and refuse to jail anyone even for a day simply because they cannot pay money bond. We demand that our elected officials — prosecutors, county commissioners and judges — implement policies that end money bail immediately. We will not stop until we end money bail in Dallas.
There are certain criminal justice reforms we can all agree on, but the elimination of bail is not one of them. The bail system simply holds defendants accountable for showing up to their trial, so a judge or jury can determine their guilt or innocence — the backbone of our criminal justice system.
People are paying more attention to the tragedy of human trafficking. Laws such as the Trafficking Victims Protection Act severely punish perpetrators and support survivors whose cases are being prosecuted. But survivors who choose not to engage with law enforcement need an approach to human trafficking that includes public health measures.
In July 2017, a group of funders convened to consider how, working together, we might bring additional attention and resources to areas of rural Texas. The Texas Rural Funders Collaborative (TRFC) is made up of private foundations, community foundations and health-conversion foundations. We represent a variety of interests. But our shared belief is that the health of our state depends upon the success of all of its communities, and that urban and rural areas are inextricably linked.
The unequal distribution of disciplinary practices toward African American students in public schools in Texas should not go unnoticed. It is our responsibility as a community to address these issues and assure schools are safe and equitable for all students, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Trends show that over the past two decades, rural Texans have fallen behind in income, assets and health care. Rural students are less likely to have postsecondary degrees or industry-recognized certificates. However, that can be improved with better access to broadband Internet, online certifications and distributed college degree programs.
Our marriage to Texas has gotten old. New Mexico is younger and more attractive. We would not be ignored, especially because we would be their largest city. Grant us a divorce and we won’t even request the back support. If there are any El Pasoans who think we need a wall to protect us, take ‘em. You can have custody and everyone will be better off.
Austin’s paid-sick-leave ordinance was scheduled to go into effect on Oct. 1, with San Antonio’s ordinance to follow next year, but a court-ordered temporary block and looming threats of state legislative action have interrupted that timeline.
Policy changes to overdue fines might be a small gesture, but changes like these will have an incredible impact on how libraries are able to reach out to underserved pockets in their local communities and connect residents with quality information and resources. And of course, to connect residents with the latest best-sellers too.
Lawsuits to hold robocallers accountable for wrongdoing are already few and far between. As more of these cases are thrown out while consumers await decisive action from the FCC, robocallers, emboldened by such rulings, will continue to make unwanted robocalls with no fear of penalty.
Transparency and prevention must replace shame and blame to effectively keep patients safe. The physicians’ Hippocratic credo — “to keep them from harm and injustice"— must be reaffirmed. Patients and physicians deserve a culture of justice.
We’re willing to wager that few Texans know the first thing about how their utility providers — both private and public — are planning for the future of their water. Yet most Texans know the future of this precious resource here in Texas and across the country is precarious. They can feel it.
Our nation’s cross-section of faith-based and secular organizations are on standby, ready to take in more vulnerable people. Now it’s up to our government to step up and do the right thing.
Our organization, West Street Recovery, is a twelve-person grassroots organization that formed in the days after Harvey to provide direct assistance to our neighbors in Northeast Houston. Though we never expected to be doing this work a year later, we continue to meet families who have fallen through the cracks of an aid system that deepens inequalities that existed before the storm.
Without the Affordable Care Act, those living with autism and other pre-existing conditions will be denied coverage and will have little to no access to the health care treatment and therapy that they greatly need.
The federal government has just announced its latest salvo in its ongoing war on asylum seekers, proposing rules that would allow children to be held in immigration detention for prolonged periods of time. The rules would undermine our legal obligations to refugees and strike a particularly vulnerable population: asylum-seeking children.
We want to build a future where our families can thrive, and where we can make our own decisions about pregnancy and parenting. In Texas, reproductive rights and justice advocates know what it's like to face tough odds. We’ve been fighting for ourselves, and each other, for generations.
