Texas Impact's Weekly Witness

Bee Moorhead, Executive Director of Texas Impact, speaks about how congregations and individuals can prepare for the upcoming election season. 

Tune in this week to listen as Kathleen Wells & Katie Sherrod, representing the Episcopal Diocese of Ft. Worth, share reflections and next steps from the Episcopal General Convention. 

This week Dick Lavine, Senior Fiscal Analyst for Center for Public Policy Priorities, discusses the Texas State Budget.

Eva DeLuna Castro, Program Director of the Center for Public Policy Priorities discusses the upcoming budget that the 86th legislature will face when they convene in 2019.  

Episcopal Migration Ministry Liaison Alyssa Stebbing and United Methodist Missional Excellence Director Scott Moore discuss their recent trips to visit migrant families and their advice for congregations   getting involved. 

Reverend Abby Herrera and Ezequiel Herrera, Texas Impact's Pastoral Fellow from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, discuss next steps for faith communities around the ongoing immigration crisis.

Rev. Tim Moore of the National Immigration Forum joins Texas Impact to address the family separation crisis, and discuss how people of faith can make an impact. Scott also directs people to stopfamilyseparation.org  to sign the anti-family separation petition and stay up-to-date on relevant information. 

Merily Hodge Keller, co-coordinator of the Texas Suicide Prevention Council, discusses how congregations can get involved with suicide prevention, and how to care for people in their community dealing with mental health issues. 

Texas Impact's general counsel and director of government affairs, Joshua Houston, discusses the results of the primary runoff election, what it means for November's general election, and the outlook for Texas. 

Live from the Texas Annual Conference reception - Four Texas Impact Board Members, Rev. Scott Moore, Dr. Rev. Randy Smith, Rev. Glynden Bode, and Rev. Kevin Young discuss their personal journeys to advocacy, the importance of getting involved in public policy, and how their faith calls them to work for justice.

Texas Impact Board Member and former Texas Senate District Director Cathy Herzog talks about the importance of visiting district legislative offices and tips for success. Texas Impact Policy Analyst Imaad Khan then discusses the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, its history, and traditions. 

Anne Dunkelberg, associate director of  the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP), discusses immigration policy and the proposed changes to public charge regulations. 

Erica Nelson, Project Director of Texas Impact's "Responding to Family Violence: Toolkit for Congregations," talks about ways to help people experiencing family violence, how congregations can begin reconciliation within their communities, and the theological mandate "to care for the least of these." Erica is a graduating student at the Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary.

Bishop Michael Rinehart, Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, discusses the 2018 farm bill, immigration, and why people of faith should participate in advocacy. 

Kathy Green, Sr. Director of Advocacy and Public Policy for the Central Texas Food Bank, discusses the 2018 Farm Bill: its current status, how it will affect families and individuals, and its impact on food stamps (SNAP).

Two longterm members of Texas Impact join Scott to discuss our 2018 Spring Membership Drive. They both share past advocacy efforts, how they got involved, and how Texas Impact has helped them engage with their legislators. 

Texas Impact Executive Director Bee Moorhead and Policy Analyst Imaad Khan discuss Faith Climate Action Week, the UN's Talanoa Dialogue, and introduce Austin Presbyterian Seminary's 787 Collective.

Chandra Villanueva, program director of the Economic Opportunity Team at the Center for Public Policy Priorities (CPPP), discusses public education and the Texas Commission on Public School Finance. 

Scott and Joshua Houston, Texas Impact General Counsel and Director of Government Affairs, discuss what happened during the primary election, run-off races to watch, and the political outlook for Texas.  

Scott interviews Chris Tackett about campaign finance and following the money behind Texas politics. Recorded live at Acton United Methodist Church in Granbury, TX on March 5th, 2018. 

The primary election is coming, are you ready? Sr. Editor for KUT Ben Philpott and Texas Impact Executive Director Bee Moorhead discuss the 2018 Primaries. Recorded live on February 26, 2018 at First United Methodist Church of Austin.