After 2022 Chapter 313 Victories, Texas IAF Braces for What Comes Next
“We pay our taxes. Parents, teachers, grandparents, alumni pay taxes towards our school districts and towards the state. So, we feel that that is something that every body is responsible for,” said Reverend Minerva Camarena-Skeith of St. John’s Episcopal Church."
Read moreTMO and Texas IAF Leaders Push Legislative Committee to Delay Vote on Extreme Payday Lending Proposal
Rev. Darrell Lewis from The Metropolitan Organization (TMO) and Rev. Olin Knudsen from Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI) testified before the House Pensions, Investments & Financial Services Committee to oppose House Bill 3292. Both pastors argued that payday loans are immoral and spoke of how predatory loans trap families in their congregations in vicious cycles of debt.
House Bill 3292 Fact Sheet, Texas Fair Lending Alliance
TMO Leaders Join Texas IAF Leaders to Call on Legislature to 'Invest in People'
50 TMO leaders joined 250 other Texas IAF leaders at the Capitol to call on state legislators to increase state finance for adult and K-12 education, including the ACE fund.
After a morning briefing on school finance, the Texas Innovative Career Education (ACE) program and other issues -- including healthcare, payday lending, and infrastructure in the colonias -- leaders were honored for their establishment of noteworthy labor market intermediaries, including Capital IDEA-Houston. Immediately afterward, they convened on the South Capitol steps. Legislators representing districts from across the state stood in solidarity with leaders and pledged to continue working for investments in people.
In photo above, the Rev. Dr. Rhenel Johnson is accompanies by TMO leaders and leaders from sister organizations, including Dallas Area Interfaith (DAI), San Antonio (COPS/Metro), Central Texas / Austin Interfaith, West Texas Organizing Strategy (WTOS), El Paso's Border Interfaith & EPISO, and the Rio Grande Valley (Valley Interfaith).
After the press conference, leaders broke out into smaller delegations to meet with legislators representing their geographic regions.
Organizations Call On State Legislators to Support Adult Education, Univision 62 [Spanish video]
Piden a Legisladores Texanos Más Fondos Para Apoyar la Educación de Adultos, Univision 62
Valley Interfaith: State's Share of School Funding Has Dropped From 50% to Barely 36%, Rio Grande Guardian
TMO & Texas IAF Clergy Testify at House Public Education Committee Hearing on School Finance
Minister Jaqueline Hailey of New Hope Baptist Church and TMO testified with Fr. Miles Brandon of St Julian of Norwich Episcopal Church and Central TX Interfaith on behalf of the Network of Texas IAF Organizations at the Texas House Public Education Committee hearing on school finance.
The Network of Texas IAF Organizations is calling on legislators to 'invest in people' through increased spending on public schools and adult workforce education programs.
Texas IAF Leverages $5 Million for Job Training
Following up on its $5 million win from the last legislative session in 2013, Texas IAF leaders - including several from TMO - succeeded in ensuring that the Adult Career Education (ACE) Grant program (and its $5 million in funding) stayed on the Texas budget. This means that Texas IAF workforce development programs like Capital IDEA-Houston, Project ARRIBA, VIDA, Project QUEST, SkillsQuest and Capital IDEA of Austin can apply for these funds to expand the job training they currently offer.
Capital IDEA-Houston, founded by TMO, is an integral strategy to train people out of low-wage employment and into living wage careers.