Enjoying the freedom to assemble and the freedom of speech, a group of Lutherans (mostly lay people) gathered this week at Gethsemane Lutheran a Church in Austin, to discuss issues affecting people in in Texas. Tomorrow we will go to Capitol Hill in Austin to get to know our legislators, and discuss these issues.

Through a deliberative process, each synod discussed separately what issues were most important to people in their congregations. Then representatives of each of the three synods sat down to hammer out a list of concerns important to the Lutherans gathered here. Most participants were from the Southwestern Texas Synod, but representatives were present from all three synods in Texas. I’m deeply grateful for the Southwestern Texas’ Poverty and Justice Task Force for organizing this time together.

Here are the concerns we shared:

Health: Providing Reliable Access for Every Body

We call on the Legislature to provide reliable access to health care for all Texans. We urge lawmakers to correct inadequacies in our state’s health insurance system, which leaves behind many of the least of our brothers and sisters, whom we are called especially to serve. We encourage lawmakers to maximize Texas’ federal health care funding, especially through expansion of health insurance to low-income adults using federal Medicaid funds.

Public Education: Developing Gifts for the Common Good

The Legislature should affirm its constitutional obligation to provide high quality public education for the benefit of all children in our state. We oppose legislation that would shift funding designated for public education to private schools, including the establishment of any voucher programs. Current arguments for vouchers serve to highlight systemic inadequacies in Texas public education; we prefer to see these inadequacies addressed so that every Texas child can receive an excellent education, for their own benefit and the benefit of our whole state.

Immigration: Welcoming Sojourners Within Our Borders

We advocate for fair, humane policies toward immigrants in Texas. We call on lawmakers to leave off consideration of abolishing the Texas DREAM Act. We entreat Texas legislators to advocate with our Congressional delegation for federal policies that prioritize family unification, due process and hospitable accommodation of those who find themselves sojourning within our borders.

Criminal Justice: Embodying God’s Grace

We call on legislators to guarantee fair treatment for all Texans caught up in the state’s criminal justice system. We urge legislators to remove barriers to successful reentry into the community after incarceration; in particular, we call for an end to Texas’ draconian restrictions on SNAP and other important benefits for former drug felons. We encourage lawmakers to consider the frequent co-occurrence of mental illness with criminal behavior, especially substance abuse, and to ensure those in the criminal justice system with mental health needs receive appropriate, timely and effective care.

Water: Conserving and Preserving Life-Giving Resources

We urge lawmakers to prioritize our state’s water infrastructure investments around the primary principle of fair access to clean water for all Texans. We affirm the inherent worth of all creation and call on lawmakers to protect all of Texas’ natural resources. We applaud legislators’ focus on conservation, and pledge our active support and participation in a strong state planning process to ensure a radiant water future for Texas.

For more information about Lutheran Legislative Event or this legislative agenda, contact:

Gulf Coast Synod: Ashley Dellagiacoma, vicarashley@christbrenham.org, 512-940-3202
SWT: Brenda Krueger, Brenda.krueger25@yahoo.com, 210-385-3639
NTNL: Lissy Bethmann, lbethmann@birchwoodresultants.com, 817-714-6461