The following testimony was delivered on Nov. 9 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. As a church of immigrants, the Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the…
Read MoreThe following testimony was delivered on Oct. 19 before the House State Affairs Committee by Justin Estep, senior director of Immigration and Refugee Services, Catholic Charities of Central Texas. The Catholic Church has a long history of involvement in the immigration issue. Our experience in working with immigrants throughout the years compels us to speak…
Read MoreMy name is Bishop Michael Olson and I serve as the bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth that covers 28 counties in North Texas. I am here to testify on behalf of the Diocese of Fort Worth and the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops. We register initial support for the committee substitute for…
Read More88th Legislature Immigration Bills For years, burdens of an unworkable system of immigration have fallen heavily on states and communities along the US-Mexico border. The human and moral cost of ongoing federal inaction to create an effective set of policies to ensure safe and orderly migration is tragically reflected both in an unprecedented number of persons…
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AUSTIN — Recognizing education is one of the best means to escape poverty and that parents are best suited to determine the right educational choice for their children, the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops (TCCB) supports a set of bills increasing parental choice in education. The bills have been filed by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, Sen.…
Read More88th Legislature Parental Choice Bills The bishops’ criteria for supporting parental choice legislation includes the following: a preferential option for the poor and vulnerable, ensuring students with the greatest academic and financial need are first in line; academic accountability which requires accreditation and the administration of a norm- or criterion-referenced assessment each year (current practice…
Read MoreMy name is Jennifer Allmon, and I am the Executive Director of the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in support of SB 1968. The Texas bishops believe parents are the primary and principal educators of their children and therefore must be free to determine the best educational environment for their children. To ensure quality…
Read MoreMy name is Lisette Allen and I am the Director of Education at the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops testifying in opposition to SB 1669. The Texas bishops support school choice and religious liberty that respects the independence and autonomy of private and religious schools, while also fostering strong public-school options. We are concerned with…
Read MoreThe bishops seek to promote strong, stable, and healthy families, and oppose direct threats to innocent life, from conception to natural death. Our opposition to hormonal therapies and surgeries that aim at cross-sex transitioning or gender reassignment comes from this concern for the health of children and their families. For these reasons we support SB…
Read MoreAll human life, no matter how disabled or critically ill, is of inherent dignity and incomparable worth; all are entitled to adequate healthcare. A balanced approach to end-of-life care equally respects the rights of patients in the natural process of dying and the conscience of healthcare professionals providing their care. The Texas Advance Directives Act…
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