Jul
27
Gambling
On June 30, 2010, the Legislative Study Group (LSG) of the Texas House held a hearing to begin the discussion of the benefits and consequences of expanding gambling in the next legislative session. Representative Garnet Coleman chairs the LSG and at the outset reminded all those in attendance that the informal group of legislator’s goal is to consider policies from the perspective of the average, tax-paying Texas family.
Numerous representatives of the gambling industry were invited to testify and share with members what their particular form of gambling can bring to the state. Both Suzii Paynter and consultant Rob Kohler testified on behalf of the CLC. Mr. Kohler’s testimony highlighted the inefficiency of generating tax revenue from casinos by noting that, to produce a little over $1 billion from a casino, the public would have to wager nearly $52 billion dollars. Mrs. Paynter underlined the history of broken promises made in previous gambling proposals, especially from pari-mutual wagering, and pointed out that the entire state of Nevada only generates around $1 billion dollars in tax revenue. At the end of her testimony she asked the representatives: “If you don’t gamble, and wouldn’t use gambling to solve your own problems, why would you use it to solve the state’s problems?”
The legislators in attendance asked tough questions of the gambling industry representatives and, we believe, moved the debate in a positive direction by calling into question the outlandish promises of revenue. Many members seemed to be concerned with where and who the revenue would come from and the negative consequences that would come with increased gambling addiction in Texas.
On July 8, the Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee of the House held a very similar meeting that once again featured many members of the gambling industry. The meeting appeared to be little more than a forum at which proponents of casinos in Texas could again air their lofty promises. A member of the state comptroller’s office had the only new information presented. The basic facts he recited regarding the scope of gambling across the country and the revenue generation in other states added a dose of reality to the otherwise rosy projections.
Lone Star Stewards
People of faith securing renewable energy leadership for Texas
At present, Texas leads the nation in wind energy production, but in order to further energy independence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create sustainable energy options, and drive a new clean energy economy, we must continue to diversify our energy sources. By doing so, Texans stand to gain thousands of jobs while simultaneously improving our environment.
In response to the need to support these economic opportunities for Texas, The Texas Clean Energy Coalition has launched an effort to identify and recruit new voices advocate for clean energy, energy efficiency and the economic development for Texas communities. The Coalition will focus on competitiveness, economic development, job growth, energy efficiency and Texas’ energy leadership for the long term.
The Christian Life Commission and Texas Impact and are partnering together to encourage people of faith to join the effort. This new group of voices will be called the Lone Star Stewards. Forums will be held throughout the state in order to engage pastors, rabbis, imams and lay leadership in order to educate and motivate them into leadership in their local communities. Each forum will feature experts in both renewable energy and economic development as well as representatives of the local region and religious leaders. The dates and locations of the meetings are as follows:
- August 30, 2010 | Central Texas Regional Forum | McKinney Roughs, Bastrop, TX | 11:00am-4:30pm
- September 27, 2010 | North Texas Regional Forum | Brite Divinity School of TCU, Ft. Worth, TX | 2:00pm – 5:00pm
- October 25-26, 2010 | West Texas Regional Forum | Indian Lodge, Ft. Davis Mountains, TX | 6:00 pm October 25-breakfast October 27
Through education and advocacy, we can help make sure Texas remains a leader in energy in the 21st century. There is no registration fee to attend. For more information contact Charlotte Bumbulis or Julie Valentine or call 512-473-2288.
Texas Food Policy Roundtable
The Texas Food Policy Roundtable met on July 20, 2010 for our 3rd quarterly meeting.
The meeting was devoted to discussing and voting on legislative priorities for the upcoming 2011 legislative session. Many of the Roundtable’s participating organizations were in attendance and shared their top policy ideas to address the problems of hunger, obesity, and access to nutritious food in Texas. Representatives of state agencies and elected officials were also invited to this meeting. The top policy priorities for the Roundtable will be determined by a democratic process and will be announced shortly. Our next quarterly meeting will be October 19, 2010. For more information on how you or your organization can be involved please contact Anne Olson and visit the Roundtable website.
:: Food Policy Affects All of Texas (pdf)
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Jun
16
House Committees Meet on Human Trafficking
On June 3, the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence and the House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence (pdf) held a joint hearing to discuss their interim charge regarding human trafficking. The charge asks specifically for the committees to make recommendations on best practices in the areas of investigation, prosecution, and tracking of the victims of trafficking crimes, and study whether victims are allowed to effectively recover from their attackers in a civil cause of action.
At this hearing, legislators heard testimony regarding Texas’ response to domestic and international sex trafficking from local law enforcement officials, attorneys and child advocates from around the state. A few witnesses were also members of Attorney General Greg Abbott’s task force on human trafficking, a group assisting with recommendations for upcoming legislation, which is divided into four work groups: Law Enforcement, Training & Outreach, Victim’s Services, and Legal Review.
Witnesses asked for the committees to consider an extension on the statute of limitations for human trafficking cases, pass a statute to align Texas’ definition of “sex trafficking” with the federal definition, and help with safe harbor efforts in the future to help break the cycle of trafficking prostitution in the state. A major focus of the hearing was on domestic trafficking, or the trafficking of minors who are United States citizens and are forced into prostitution. A vast majority of these children are runaways.
Because human trafficking often climbs around large events such as the Super Bowl, a regional North Texas task force is preparing strategies to combat this type of illegal activity at the 2011 game in Arlington. Legislators and witnesses both agreed that human trafficking crimes are much harder to track and prosecute than drug crimes, though they are often connected, and they agreed that a major public awareness campaign is key to ending human trafficking. Texas law enforcement is, however, making progress. One witness gave an astounding statistic: the state of Florida and the city of Houston, Texas, prosecute the most human trafficking cases out of any one of the 42 known regional task forces in the country.
No legislator or witness denied the enormous problem human trafficking is, however the some legislators did express concern that the issue is much more complicated than first appears. By adding more felonies to the codes on criminal justice, a heavy cost and capacity strain is put on the criminal justice system. During session, as hundreds of crime bills are filed, it will be imperative to raise awareness in the Capitol of the horror of human trafficking to ensure attackers are punished to the fullest extent.
Literacy Coalition Honors Legislators with Literacy Champion Awards
The Literacy Coalition of Texas, a group with which the Christian Life Commission is a member, and the Mayor of San Marcos, Susan Narvaiz, honored state elected officials who have played a major role in support literacy efforts in Texas. The coalition honored Senator Florence Shapiro, Representative Rob Eissler, Representative Mark Strama, Representative Scott Hochberg, and former Speaker of the House Gib Lewis for their efforts in passing ground-breaking legislation during the last session. About one in five adults in Central Texas cannot read or write well enough to fill out a job application. Yet less than one in twenty of those adults has access to a program to address their needs. With this reception and awards luncheon, the Literacy Coalition helped raise awareness of the adult education needs in the Central Texas community.
Representative Hochberg is a Literacy Champion especially as Chair of Appropriations Subcommittee on Education to advocate for funding for adult learners and job development. He also serves as Co-Chair of the House Committee on Public Education.
Representative Strama is a Literacy Champion especially in the establishment of Interagency Literacy Council. He also serves as Chair of the House Committee on Technology, Economic Development, and Workforce. His committee is currently overseeing two Interim charges which are to review ways in which communities can meet increasing demand for child-care services while preparing children to succeed in school.
Representative Eissler is a Literacy Champion especially as an advocate for adult learners and job skills programs within TEA and as a promoter of cooperation between agencies for funding, accountability and impact for programs serving adult learners. He also served as Chair of the House Committee on Public Education and sponsored multiple bills to assist with job training and education.
Senator Shapiro is a Literacy Champion especially for promoting and advancing cooperation between agencies: Texas Education Agency (TEA) & The Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) & Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) on behalf of adult learners and as an advocate for adult learners and job skills programs within TEA. She also serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Education.
Speaker Lewis, former Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, is a Literacy Champion in his capacity as education lobbyist. He has a special interest in, and works persistently on behalf of, adult learners.
Gambling Update
With a looming state budget shortfall as high as $18 Billion by some estimates, the pressure on the 82nd Legislature to cut state services and find new sources of revenue will be immense. As expected, the various segments of the gambling industry are already out in force claiming to have just what the state needs – electronic casino style gambling. House Appropriations Chairman Rep. Jim Pitts (R-Waxahachie) recently told the press that the state should look to all potential revenue sources to help close the budget gap and specifically recommended considering casino gambling. As in the past, there are competing segments of the gambling industry all claiming to be the best option for Texas to the exclusion of others. The players include current horse tracks and license holders, Native American Tribes, poker players groups, those that favor building “destination resort casinos” and the current charitable bingo operators. It is the position of the CLC that any expansion which includes electronic, slot machine style gambling is a bad bet for the state and that the introduction of such “class III” games will have dire consequences our of the control of the state as it relates to tribal casinos.
The CLC believes that the state should certainly be looking to raise revenues, not just cut an already thin state budget. However, there are many other options for generating revenue that don’t come with such an extreme costs to individuals, families and local economies. Casino slot machine style gambling is an inefficient, unreliable and regressive form of revenue generation that preys upon the poor, relies upon addiction for profit and cannibalizes the local economy. The state of Texas has no business partnering with and profiting from a business model that plays its citizens for suckers.
In the interim, the CLC has been educating folks around the state about the negative consequences of gambling expansion. Our staff and consultants have been meeting with candidates, elected officials and their staffs, like-minded advocacy organizations, the staff of the Texas Lottery Commission, our CLC Commissioners, our Board of Consultants, and making presentations on the subject (mp4).
Watch Videos:
- Stephen Reeves and Rob Kohler – “Better than Luck–Why the Lottery and Gambling are for Losers” (mp4)
- Steven Reevs Interview (video)
- Rob Kohler Interview (video)
In the coming months we will be intensifying our efforts to educate the public. We will be producing new educational resources and making them more widely available. We encourage you to educate yourself and talk to your neighbors about this issue. The pressure on legislators will be huge and we will be up against industry funded multi-million dollar lobbyists. If we are to push back the forces that seek to prey upon our fellow citizens we will need your help.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Apr
21
Ending Underage Drinking, Tobacco and Drug-use
This spring, the CLC has been working with one of our partner organizations, Texans Standing Tall, to educate Texans on ways to make alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs irrelevant in the lives of youth. The CLC has presented information on legislative action in the 2009 session at two regional forums in San Antonio and Austin. City and county employees, school district and university officials, drug and alcohol treatment counselors and members of non-profit organizations all participated in these forums and worked together to find local and state-level solutions to end underage usage. Among the bills the CLC has presented is keg registration, one of our key issues during the 2011 session. The next forum is on April 22 in Midland, and the last forum in the 2010 series in on May 11 in Lubbock. Please see the calendar of events for more information.
Statewide Summits on the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children
Texas Baptists is proud to have sponsored two statewide summits, in Dallas and Houston, to raise awareness on the trafficking and exploitation of children. The summits were hosted by Children at Risk, a Houston-area non-profit. Tomi Grover, Director of Community and Restorative Justice in the Advocacy/Care Center at the BGCT, spoke to a captive audience about the importance of engaging the faith community in ending childhood slavery. Sen. Leticia Van de Putte (D- San Antonio), Rep. Randy Weber (R- Pearland), and Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D- Houston), Rep. Carol Kent (D- Dallas), Rep. Rafael Anchia (D- Dallas), and Rep. Paula Pierson (D- Arlington) participated in panel discussions on the upcoming 2011 session. Other local and statewide officials including Attorney General Greg Abbott and staff from the TABC and the FBI discussed law enforcement and best practices for childhood exploitation prevention and treatment. The CLC is dedicated to working with these state officials to increase awareness on this issue during the 2011 legislative session.
Students from Baptist University of the Americas Visit Austin
The CLC Austin Office was delighted to host Patty Villarreal’s Ministry and Community class from Baptist University of the Americas last week at the Texas Capitol. The students are interested in social work and community ministries and how public policy affects the lives of those they hope to minister too. The day began with a tour of the capitol building, followed by in-depth presentations and conversations about the CLC, including what the CLC does during a legislative session, how predatory lending affects the state of Texas, and how they as college students can combat human trafficking. The students ended the day with a visit to the office of Rep. David Leibowitz (D-San Antonio) whose district includes the BUA campus. The representative’s chief-of-staff discussed the legislative process and internship options with the class. We were delighted to host the group and are happy to welcome similar groups interested in the legislative work of the CLC.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Mar
18
Public Policy at the CLC Annual Conference
On March 22 & 23 the CLC Annual Conference will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, TX. The theme this year is Neither Need Nor Greed: Christian Stewardship of Money and Resources. Several speakers will touch on topics relating to public policy including predatory business practices like payday lending, the lottery and gambling. Stephen Reeves of the CLC and consultant Rob Kohler will make a presentation explaining why current law and past history demonstrate that the idea of limited casino gambling expansion in Texas is flawed and would lead to uncontrolled and unregulated Native American Casinos.
Texas Food Policy Roundtable Moves Forward
The work of the Texas Food Policy Roundtable (TFPR) is well underway. There is a strong commitment to end hunger in Texas, and participation in the TFPR is proof that Texans are ready to fight the hunger epidemic on a statewide policy level. The CLC has taken a leadership role in coordinating communication to members of the roundtable, and at the end of February, the first TFPR newsletter was sent to over one hundred recipients. The TFPR’s website, http://txfoodpolicy.org, is also now up and running.
The Texas Food Policy Roundtable is committed to creating a legislative agenda for the 2011 Texas Legislative Session, focusing primarily on four issue areas.
These areas are:
- SNAP. Formerly referred to as “food stamps,” SNAP food benefits are designed to help Texans in poverty to buy food and other resources for good health. Right now, Texas enrollment rates are extremely low as compared to the number of those eligible. The state has recently begun concentrated efforts to relieve a backlog of applications in the eligibility process. Since SNAP funds are entirely federal, it is the job of the state to make sure those resources reach those in need.
- Obesity. There is a direct relationship between hunger and obesity. A recent New York Times article quotes an expert saying that obesity and hunger often the “flip sides to the same malnutrition coin.” Often, when people are hungry but cannot afford healthy food, they buy what they can afford—processed, high-calorie meals that will keep them full. If hunger is going to end in Texas, the obesity issue must be addressed.
- Summer Food Programs. Summer Food Programs in Texas offer children at least one meal per day during the months they are not in school. This program has a lot of room for growth, and this summer the goal is to drastically increase the amount of food sites in Texas. Churches are getting involved with this initiative, feeding children and keeping them active during the summer months.
- Nutrition and Sustainability. Through it all, in order to end hunger in Texas, every Texan must have access to nutritious meals, with the ultimate goal of increased sustainability. The Texas Food Policy Roundtable will focus on helping to meet that goal.
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Texas Food Policy Roundtable, or if you are simply curious to know more about hunger in Texas, please e-mail txfoodpolicy@gmail.com to subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Feb
17
Food Policy Roundtable
On January 20, the CLC, along with members of a small steering committee, convened the first ever meeting of the Texas Food Policy Roundtable. This new coalition is one way the CLC is committed to fighting hunger in Texas and support the goal of the Texas Hunger Initiative of ending hunger in Texas by 2015. To reach this lofty, but obtainable goal, work must be done not only on the local level through THI’s Food Planning Associations, but also on a statewide level by looking at how good public policy can help make Texas food secure.
The meeting was a success with over forty individuals representing diverse organizations, many of whom had not previously met, in attendance. The group heard a recap of workshops conducted at the Hunger Summit, heard from expert advocates about the recent history of food and hunger policy in Texas, and learned current ways they can advocate for hungry citizens on the state and federal level. In the coming months the roundtable work toward crafting policy priorities that support advocacy efforts in four categories: children’s summer feeding programs, nutrition and obesity, local and sustainable food and SNAP (food stamp) enrolment and eligibility.
The CLC will coordinate communication to and among roundtable members and in the coming weeks will be launching an email newsletter and website dedicated to hunger policy.
Hispanic Education Leadership Day
On Tuesday, February 2, 2010, the Christian Life Commission was happy to host members of the Hispanic Education Initiative Council, officers from Convención, members of the education committee of Convención, Texas Baptists Associate Executive Director, Steve Vernon, members of Texas Baptist Men and WMU leadership, as well as members of the BGCT Executive Board, for a day of advocacy and learning about education issues in Texas. The event was held at the state Capitol and included a time for participants to meet with their state legislators’ office about relevant interim charges.
The day’s speakers included Jan Lindsey from the Texas Education Agency, who spoke on dropout prevention in the state, and Sylvia Acevedo, renowned public speaker and founder of La Feria para Aprender (a bilingual parent outreach fair held in various cities across the state), who discussed Texas demographics both present and future and what it means for education and the workforce in Texas. Bill Pounds from the educational software group AZTEC gave a demonstration of the company’s workforce training software program, and Luis Figueroa, an attorney with the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), spoke about the DREAM Act, the Census and federal and state immigration issue. Lester Meriwether, president of Literacy Connexus, gave a presentation on the Literacy Texas coalition as well. In small groups, participants discussed what they had learned from the day and how they can implement that knowledge into their church lives and communities. Thank you to the participants; it was indeed a blessed day!
Public Policy at the CLC Annual Conference
On March 22 & 23 the CLC Annual Conference will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in McAllen, TX. The theme this year is Neither Need Nor Greed: Christian Stewardship of Money and Resources. Several speakers will touch on topics relating to public policy including predatory business practices like payday lending, the lottery and gambling. Stephen Reeves of the CLC and consultant Rob Kohler will make a presentation explaining why current law and past history demonstrate that the idea of limited casino gambling expansion in Texas is flawed and would lead to uncontrolled and unregulated Native American Casinos.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Jan
18
Capital Punishment
In 2003, after two years of study, the Christian Life Commission released a report called Christians and Capital Punishment (pdf) (view summary pdf) that called for a moratorium on the death penalty in Texas. Since that time the CLC has advocated for many policies related to capital punishment including the addition of the life without parole sentencing option and the creation of an innocence commission to study what went wrong in the cases where individuals have been exonerated. In December, the Texas Campaign to Abolish the Death Penalty released its annual report of developments (pdf) related to the death penalty in Texas. Among the findings, the report shows that there were just eight new individuals sentenced to death in 2009, the lowest since the court reinstated the death penalty in 1976 and down from a high of 48 in 1999. The report shows that once again Texas accounted for half of all executions nationwide. Since 1982 this state has executed a total of 447 people and 11 Texans have been exonerated from death row. There are currently 322 men and 10 women on death row in Texas. The Reverend Carroll Pickett, who served as chaplain for death row for nearly 16 years and witnessed 95 executions, was at the press conference releasing the report. Rev. Pickett was the subject of the award winning 2008 documentary “At the Death House Door”. Anyone interested in this issue, whether for against capital punishment, should find a copy of this film.
View Christians and Capital Punishment (pdf)
View Summary of Christians and Capital Punishment (pdf)
View Death Penalty Developments in 2009 (pdf)
Payday Loans
The number of payday loans in Texas has exploded. However, many Texans don’t know what payday loans are let alone why they can be a problem for some people. Payday loans are small dollar loans with enormously high service fees that offer instant cash with no credit checking.
The following scenario is an example of how typical payday loans operate and how they can lead to trouble. Let’s say that a single mother has a car in need of repair. The bill is $300, but she only has $150 until her next pay check and she has no credit card or her credit card is maxed out. She writes a check to a payday lender for $361.07 ($300 principle loan, plus $1.07 interest, and a $60.00 service fee). The payday lender promises to hold the check for 2-3 weeks until she gets paid again. The mother now has two options. The next payday, she will either pay off her $361.07 debt in cash or she will allow the payday lender to cash the check. She cannot pay it off in installments; she must pay it in full. If she doesn’t have $361.07 in two weeks, the check will bounce incurring penalty fees from both the bank and the lender. To avoid the penalties, she rolls over the original loan and pays an additional $60.00 loan fee. If the loan was paid off after the second pay period, a $300 loan would generate $121.07 in profit.
Payday lenders mostly serve families with moderate- and low- incomes. In a recent survey, the majority of payday borrowers earn an income of $30,000 or less. One in ten payday borrowers use them monthly. 58% of people who use a payday loan roll over the loan at least once, while one in four payday borrowers roll them over multiple times. Most payday loans are used for recurring expenses of basic needs like rent, utilities, and food. Payday loans generate profit by creating a cycle of debt.
Attempts have been made in Texas to more tightly regulate payday lenders. The Texas Finance Code sets restrictions on fees and payment periods. Yet, many lenders operate as Consumer Service Organizations in an effort to avoid regulation. CSOs register with the Secretary of State but are not regulated by or required to obtain a license from the Office of Consumer Credit Commissioner. This business model sidesteps many state regulations on the books.
The Christian Life Commission views predatory lending in the same category as predatory gambling. Both prey on vulnerable populations for profit. The CLC will be researching legislation that may better regulate payday loans in order to decrease predatory lending in Texas. In addition, the CLC is working with coalition partners to promote alternative small dollar loan products – products that help families get out of debt rather than perpetuate a cycle of debt. Payday loans and other predatory practices will be discussed at the CLC Annual Conference, March 22-23. The conference will focus on ways to establish a healthy life of thrift in relation to the call of Christian stewardship.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Dec
16
House Interim Charges
When not in session, the work of the Texas Legislature continues. Though they convene at the capitol in Austin to pass laws for only five months in odd numbered years, interim charges help committees to continue their work. Each committee in both the House and Senate are assigned a set of questions to study prior to the next session. The questions are assigned by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor and are often read as a good indication of what issues they feel are most important and should be addressed the next session. The committees convene, often outside of Austin, hear testimony from experts and the public and then publish reports of their findings.
The current interim charges for the House were released by Speaker Straus in November. Several charges address issues of interest for the CLC, a few of which are set out below. The CLC staff will use this opportunity to interact with lawmakers and their staff and educate them about our policy positions.
:: Entire List of Charges (pdf)
Watch upcoming newsletters for a link to the Senate charges when they are released.
Human Trafficking
House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence
- Study the human and sex trafficking problem in Texas. Make recommendations on best practices in the areas of investigation, prosecution, and tracking of the victims of these crimes. Study whether victims of these crimes are allowed to adequately recover from their attackers in a civil cause of action. Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence
Environment
House Committee on Environmental Regulation
- Monitor federal legislative and regulatory initiatives as they pertain to climate change. Consider Texas’ responses to proposals and make recommendations as to any further preparations.
House Committee on Energy Resources
- Examine the state’s portfolio of electric generation resources, including traditional sources, emerging renewable technologies, and energy efficiency. Determine whether the existing state regulatory programs and incentives are adequate to meet the energy needs of the future. Consider factors relating to reliability, requirements for additional transmission, or auxiliary services. Joint Interim Charge with House Committee on State Affairs.
Hunger
House Committee on Human Services
- Monitor the Health and Human Services Commission’s progress toward improving the timeliness of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program eligibility determinations. Evaluate the impact of corrective measures already taken by the commission.
Health Care
House Committee on Insurance
- Monitor implementation of the Healthy Texas insurance program established by SB 78 (81R).
Hunger Summit
On November 19, the Baylor University – Texas at The Table Hunger Summit was held in Waco. The summit was a huge success with hundreds of advocates from across the state accepting the challenge to work together to end food insecurity in Texas by 2015. The Texas Hunger Initiative, a joint project of the CLC and the Baylor School of Social Work, hosted and help organize the event. In 2010 the work of the Hunger Initiative will focus on organizing local efforts in 7 Texas counties to combat hunger. The CLC will help convene advocates in Austin to establish a Food Policy Roundtable to address any policy changes necessary to meet our goals.
:: Baptist Standard report on the event
STREAM
The BGCT Annual meeting had a slightly younger look this year as 200+ Texas Baptists under-35 gathered for STREAM. The group was comprised of both young ministers and lay members many of whom were registered messengers. STREAM was a series of parallel activities designed with the younger generation in mind. CLC Austin staff members were involved in the planning and recruitment efforts for the event. The conference began with a purely social gathering hosted at the Union Station rooftop at Minute Maid Park, home of the Houston Astros. The group also met for two general sessions and held several workshops. The workshops concentrated on social justice issues all addressed by the Christian Life Commission including Hunger, Human Trafficking and the Environment. A group of over 45 young people also spend one afternoon at the Houston Food Bank where they packaged for delivery over 20,000 pounds of food.
:: Baptist Standard article about the event
Stop Predatory Gambling Conference
In early November the national anti-predatory gambling organization, Stop Predatory Gambling, held their annual conference in San Antonio. The conference brought together advocates, experts and legislative staff members from across the country. If you are passionate about this issue, you should certainly check out their website and join together with advocates to prevent expansion and turn back the progress of predatory gambling establishments.
Sep
28
Food Policy Roundtable
The Texas Hunger Initiative is a joint effort from the CLC and the Baylor School of Social Work with the goal of ending hunger in Texas by 2015. The project launched in February and we introduced you to their work and their Director, Jeremy Everett in the May edition of our E-newsletter.
Part of this effort will look to affect the policies or procedures that need to be enhanced on the state and federal level in order to achieve this attainable goal. In order to understand the policies and programs involved, discuss current problems and advocate for solutions, THI the CLC and have launched the Food Policy Roundtable. The CLC Austin staff will provide leadership and serve as facilitators and conveners of this group of nonprofit advocates, direct service providers, representatives from state and federal agencies and others. Our initial project has been to plan and host a one-day conference called, Texas at the Table: Baylor University Hunger Summit on November 19 in Waco. You will receive more information about the Texas Hunger Initiative, the Hunger Summit, and the Food Policy Roundtable and how you can get involved in coming months.
Lottery Commission and Gambling Update
As reported in previous editions of our E-newsletter, the CLC is opposing a proposed rule change at the Texas lottery commission. (See links to news articles for more info.) We are concerned, in part, because these new games will introduce a central determinant system to our state that is an essential element of video lottery terminals. An identical computer system was part of previous legislative attempts to legalize VLTs. The expansion of legalized predatory gambling does not occur in a vacuum. In other states, we have witnessed small advancements resulting in full blown casinos. Many attempts at expansion in Texas have relied upon previous failed efforts. Many small steps to casino gambling are pushed by casino and game manufacturing interests. In an attempt to gather all pertinent information regarding the current lottery proposal we made several open records requests to state agencies. We are particularly interested in similarities to previous attempts to legalize VLTs and would like to know the individuals and entities behind such efforts.
In November the National Stop Predatory Gambling conference (pdf) will take place in San Antonio. The CLC and several of our partner organizations have been helping to organize this event and we encourage your attendance. The conference will be attended by predatory gambling opponents from across the country and will shine a spotlight on our state. Whether you are a passionate opponent of gambling expansion, a legislative staff member or would just like to learn more about the issue, don’t miss this opportunity.
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Aug
27
Human Trafficking Bill Signing
On August 20th, the Christian Life Commission was invited to be present at the bill signing ceremony of landmark Human Trafficking legislation. Such invitations are often based on the work of advocates in pursuing passage of the bill. The CLC strongly supported these bills and worked to make sure both legislators and Texas Baptists understood how important the legislation was in fighting Human Trafficking in this state. We are honored that the Governor recognized our efforts and extended the invitation. We especially want to thank and commend our legislative consultant, Shelton Green, on his efforts. Shelton has since gone on to further work and advocacy on behalf of human trafficking victims, check out http://whatsyourresponse.com and this article to see what he’s been up to recently.
To read more about the bill, including quotes from Suzii Paynter see this article from The Baptist Standard.
Proposed Texas Lottery Rule
Last week, the CLC sent out a public policy alert regarding some proposed rule changes at the Texas Lottery Commission that would allow electronic instant printed games. The CLC opposes this rule change in part because it would create a computer system very similar to those used by Video Lottery Terminal slot machines. While the public comment period at the Lottery Commission has now closed, you may still contact your elected officials and urge them to oppose this rule.
National Health Care Reform
The attention of the nation is certainly tuned to Washington and the debate surrounding national health care reform. The debate has generated much heat and little light lately. During this August recess many members of Congress are holding town hall meetings and conference calls. The CLC encourages you to learn about the key elements of proposed reform, to consult various factual sources both those in favor and opposed to current proposals and engage the issue in a civil manner remembering our call to Christian humility. If you feel strongly please find out what your elected officials are doing about the issue and attend town halls and let your voice be heard.
There are two important things to keep in mind. First, almost all participants agree some sort of change is necessary. Current trends in costs and number of uninsured mean the current system will likely be unsustainable in the long term. Most disagreement centers around what reform should look like. Second, the current version of the bill in congress will not be the final version that is passed. Both the Senate and House versions of the reform bills have a long way to go with many changes and amendments to come. While we should pay close attention to content of all bills, we should be careful not to base support or opposition for the legislation on single sections that may not survive the process.
Here are a few resources worth reading.
Opinion: The moral imperative of health-care reform
By David Gushee
Associated Baptist Press
How Heath Insurance Reform Will Benefit Texas
From HealthReform.gov of the US Department of Health & Human Services
5 Myths About Health Care Around the World
By T.R. Reid
The Washington Post
We value your input and suggestions.
Your comments and recommended resources are welcome in the comments box below.
Aug
19
Citizenship & Public Policy Alert – Stop Gambling in Texas
Filed Under Public Policy Updates | 3 Comments
Contact you Legislator immediately and tell them you are against the expansion of gambling in Texas and you are against the adoption of the new rule TAC 401.317, and the amendments to TAC 401.301 and 302.
Click Here to See Who Represents You
Dear Friends,
We need your help by Monday, August 24. Proposed rules at the Lottery Commission will create new electronic gambling with instant tickets, without Legislative approval.
Explanation: The proposed rule, TAC 401.317 and the amendments to TAC 401.301 and 302 would allow the Texas lottery to offer electronic instant lottery games on a “central determinate system.” This server- based gaming system is the key component of a video lottery system. The two proposed games include an add-on game to Lotto Texas and an instant printed ticket.
While the lottery commission claims these games are not technically a video lottery terminal, this rule would constitute a giant leap forward for electronic gambling and only one small step away from stand alone VLTs.
Question: Has Texas recognized the connection between “central determinate systems” and VLTs?
Answer: Yes, in the March 5, 2005 Texas House Research Organization’s Report: “Betting on Video Lottery Terminals to Raise Revenue”, the “central determinant” video lottery system was described as: “similar to playing a scratch-off lottery game in which players try to purchase a predetermined winning ticket that has been distributed randomly. The VLT equivalent of this system, used in New York, is called a ‘central determinant win’ in which the video lottery’s central computer system, rather than the machine itself, randomly chooses which plays are winners”
(click here to see report).
If you oppose casino gambling in this state, please take this proposed rule very seriously.
We defeated casinos in the Legislative session – act now to preserve the victory.
Act by next Monday, August 24. If enough voices are heard, the Lottery Commission may decide to abandon this rule making process at their September meeting.
ACTIONS – By Monday, August 24, 2009
Lottery Commission
1. Click the link below to submit your objections to the adoption of these rules. Be sure and fill out the entire information requested (Name, address etc.) and indicate that you are against the adoption of the new rule TAC 401.317, and the amendments to TAC 401.301 and 302.
:: Tell the Commissioners not to adopt the proposed rules.
:: I oppose electronic gambling with instant games and the Texas Lotto add-on game.
:: These games have key components of VLTs.
Email legal.input@lottery.state.tx.us or
Fax to (512) 344-5189,
Attn: General Counsel – Rulemaking; or
Mail to: General Counsel – Rulemaking,
Texas Lottery Commission,
P.O. Box 16630, Austin, TX 78761-6630
Governor
2. Encourage Governor Perry’s opposition to gambling. Ask him to instruct his appointees to the Lottery Commission to not expand gambling in this state and to vote no on the new rule TAC 401.317 and the amendments to TAC 401.301 and 302. You can use the link below to contact the Governors office.
www2.governor.state.tx.us
Legislators
3. Contact your elected State Representative and Senator and ask them to contact the Lottery Commission and request that the proposed rules (new rule TAC 401.317 and the amendments to TAC 401.301 and 302) be withdrawn. The following links can help you contact your representatives’ and senator’s office:
www.house.state.tx.us