IN THIS ISSUE:
- Ready! Set! Let the Session begin!
- DPC will be hosting a little lunch with a side of legislation.
- Mark your calendar for “First Friday” conference calls.
- Keys to the Community
- DPC member organizations are putting their mark on the session.
Ready! Set! Let the Session begin!
As you read this, the nation is settling down in the aftermath of President Obama‘s inauguration. The new president has emphasized more than once in recent days that there‘s a lot of hard work in the nation‘s future and little time to spare in getting started.
The State of Texas is not exempt from the challenge, as members of the 81st Texas Legislature are keenly aware. The session started with a bang on January 13, with the election of a new Speaker of the House, Joe Straus (R-San Antonio), and a rules skirmish in the Senate. Other than that, with the spotlight on the national scene, the session has pretty much been relegated to the wings.
That‘s about to change. The legislature and all those with a stake in it are expected to hit full stride within a few days after the inauguration. And if it‘s like sessions past, the pace won‘t let up until the last strike of the gavel June 1.
This newsletter, Texas Action Update, is one way the Disability Policy Consortium works to help you keep up with issues important to the disability community. We strive to provide timely and useful information that will help you be an effective advocate for issues that matter to you.
The newsletter works hand-in-hand with the Texas Action Center, a Web-based advocacy network that makes it easy to communicate with members of the Texas Legislature and U.S. Congressional delegation on a variety of issues. You can find a link to the Texas Action Center on the DPC‘s Web site: http://www.dpctexas.org.
We‘ll have more information about both of these helpful tools in future issues. In the meantime, we want to be sure you know about some important dates and events on the horizon.
DPC will be hosting a little lunch with a side of legislation.
On January 29, DPC members and key legislative staff will get together for lunch and a quick overview of the Consortium‘s policy priorities for the 81st Texas Legislature. This will provide an opportunity to come together and discuss the important issues to assure the health, safety, independence and productivity of Texans with disabilities.
To see DPC‘s 2009 Policy Priorities briefing book, look for the link under the 81st Texas Legislature tab on the DPC Web site: www.dpctexas.org.
Mark your calendar for “First Friday” conference calls.
Throughout the legislative session, the DPC will sponsor special telephone conference calls to help folks outside of Austin to keep up with the action at the Capitol. The conversation will focus on the bills DPC member organizations are tracking.
Dates for the calls are February 6, March 6, April 3 and May 1. Each call will begin at noon. Call-in slots are limited. If you want to participate, contact Toni Byrd, DPC project coordinator, at your earliest convenience. Send e-mail to toni@dpctexas.org or call 512-371-1783.
Keys to the Community
The 81st Texas Legislature has unprecedented opportunities to open the doors to independence for thousands of people with disabilities in our great state. In the course of this session, legislators will consider a variety of important bills that represent the keys to the community for Texans with disabilities.
- No waiting lists.
- Community services.
- Livable wages and benefits.
- Accessible, affordable housing
DPC member organizations are putting their mark on the session.
A number of DPC member organizations are planning marches, rallies and conferences to coincide with the legislative session. The following are events we‘re aware of at this writing. We‘ll be updating the list in the weeks to come.
February 4: Texans Care for Children Voices for Change Day
Advocates, parents, youth and children from across Texas will ask policymakers to Put Kids First in their decision-making. Participants will promote reducing the barriers to children's health insurance, increasing funding for juvenile justice programs, improving our foster care system, or simply creating a brighter future for Texans, among other things.
For more information and registration form visit the Texans Care for Children website
or send e-mail to info@texanscareforchildren.org.
February 22-24: National MS Society—Lone Star Chapter Public Policy Conference
The 2009 Texas Public Policy Conference shapes the legislative agenda for the 20,000 Texans living with MS. More than 200 MS activists will gather in Austin to get advocacy training and head to the State Capitol to meet with state legislators to advance policies that directly impact the lives of people with MS and their families. Attendees will be motivated by inspiring personal stories of many who face the challenges of living with MS and how they are making an impact through activism. Scholarships are available. The registration deadline is February 1.
Visit the Lone Star Chapter‘s website for more information and registration.
February 26: Community Now! March & Rally
This peaceful event will bring together people from throughout Texas to call on legislators to end the institutional bias and re-direct funds to the Medicaid waiver waiting lists.
For more information send view the event flyer or sent e-mail to communitynowfreedom@gmail.com.
March 4: NAMI Texas Rally on Capitol Hill
An all day event including a program and training in the morning, followed by a rally and visits to the legislators‘ offices in the afternoon.
For more information send e-mail to August Williams at williams@namitexas.org or call 512-693-2000.
March 9-10: Texas State Independent Living Council Relay Independence: No Challenge Too Great!
The conference will address topics of interest to youth with disabilities and professionals working in transition and related fields, to provide opportunities for participants to interact with legislators, and to recognize outstanding accomplishments promoting independence of people with disabilities. The conference will be of particular interest to people with all types of disabilities, especially youth, family members, transition rehabilitation counselors, independent living service coordinators, disability advocates and others interested in assisting young consumers to successfully integrate into the community. A limited number of stipends are available. The registration deadline is February 6.
For more information and registration, visit the Texas SILC website, call the SILC office at 877-0371-7353 (toll-free) or send e-mail to admin@txsilc.org.
April 4-7: Brain Injury Association of Texas & Coalition of Texans with Disabilities 2009 Statewide Conference
BIATX and CTD are joining forces for an annual conference focusing on professionals (CEU presentations), families and survivors, veterans‘ issues, panel discussions, advocacy, workshops, Capitol visits and more! The conference is planned for Austin at a strategic time during the 2009 Texas Legislative Session.
For more information, go to the organizations‘ websites: http://www.biatx.org/support/go/conference.html or http://www.cotwd.org/.
June 11-13: Texas Association of the Deaf 45th Biennial Conference
San Antonio—Holiday Inn El Tropicano Riverwalk
For more information visit the Texas Association of the Deaf website or send e-mail to Karen Kirby at karen@deaftexas.org.
About the Disability Policy Consortium
The DPC is made up of a diverse assortment of disability advocacy groups that have joined forces to advance the rights, inclusion and independence of Texans with disabilities. Each member organization contributes its unique perspective and resources to the collective effort to promote effective public policy for a variety of issues important to people with disabilities and their families.
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