Inside This Issue:
- The Impact of School Voucher Programs on Public Schools
- State Sen. Alvarado Introduces Bill to Expand Medicaid Access in Texas
- New County Commissioner Briones Discusses Priorities
- Donate to the Houston Food Bank or Give Blood This Holiday Season
- Get Involved: Join a Harris County Democratic Club or Organization
- Precinct Chair Corner
- Help Support HCDP Through Our Membership Program
- Blue Report Goes on Hiatus Until Jan. 12
The Impact of School Voucher Programs on Public Schools
"At least two bills have been filed for next year’s state legislative session that place school vouchers on the table once again…
Voucher programs would take state funds and give them to parents who wish to place their children in private schools instead of public schools…
Those who have studied voucher programs for decades also say that the promise of improvement among students who move from public to private schools is also largely unfulfilled.
Michigan State University professor Josh Cowan, who has conducted major studies of voucher programs for more than 20 years, says that outcomes are actually worse for those students."
Read more.
From Spectrum
From Texas AFT
From University of Texas
State Sen. Alvarado Introduces Bill to Expand Medicaid Access in Texas
Texas is dragging far behind in healthcare coverage and access to Medicaid. In fact, nearly a quarter of Texans are without health coverage.
That’s why, on November 14, State Senator Carol Alvarado pre-filed SB-125 in the Texas Senate.
If passed, the bill would expand Medicaid coverage for Texans who meet qualifications under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
State Senator Alvarado tweeted about this bill, saying, “ Texas remains the state with the highest number of uninsured residents at 5.4 million. We're also one of only 11 states that has not expanded Medicaid. To change this, I pre-filed SB 125 so that we can keep more Texans healthy."
New County Commissioner Briones Discusses Priorities
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Democrats have a supermajority in Harris County, and that is a beautiful thing. This is thanks in large part to newly-elected Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, who beat out Republican Jack Cagle on Election Day despite his steady lead the week before. Now, as we enter the new year, Commissioner Briones is ready to get down to business. First on her agenda: public safety. "The number one issue that we heard, and we knocked on about 100,000 doors, and the number one issue is public safety," Briones said. "Making sure we're continuing to address violent crime." Read more about Briones’ priorities here.
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Donate to the Houston Food Bank or Give Blood This Holiday Season
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The holidays are all about giving and community. Showing love to one another through kind gifts, kind words, and acts of service This holiday season, make a difference by donating food or funds to the Houston food bank, or by donating blood. These highly personal acts of kindness will make a difference in the lives of those within our community who need it most. |
Get Involved: Join a Harris County Democratic Club or Organization
It’s always a great time to get involved in keeping Harris County blue!
One of the best ways to get involved with HCDP is by joining one of the many Democratic clubs and orgs in Harris County. This is a great opportunity to meet wonderful communities of like-minded Democrats, and take part in making a difference in the community!
You can find all of HCDP’s clubs and orgs here.
Precinct Chair Corner
Q4 CEC
The Q4 County Executive Committee (CEC) has been set for 2 PM, December 4 at the East Harris County Activity Center on 7340 Spencer Highway.
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Get some rest over the holidays because we need to flesh out our plans for 2023.
The Precinct Chair Support Committee will continue to serve you! Alan Guttman and his team will be developing some plans and activities to get ready for 2024, including creating a monthly schedule of best practices for the chairs to work their precincts throughout the year.
It has never been more important for us to work and plan for the next election!
Help Support HCDP Through Our Membership Program
Work by the Harris County Democratic Party is supported through our membership program.
- Friend of HCDP - $10 a month
- Ally of HCDP - $15 a month
- Activist of HCDP - $30 a month
- Advocate of HCDP - $60 a month
- Champion of HCDP - $125 a month
Sustaining members who donate a regular monthly or annual amount allow us to underwrite our day-to-day operations. This is how we pay our staff. This is how we support Democratic candidates. This is how we fund our voter outreach.
This is how we help elect more Democrats to office.
Blue Report Goes On Hiatus Until Jan. 12!
The blue report will go on a brief hiatus until Jan. 12, 2023.
We are so grateful to all of our amazing readers who are fighting the good fight and keeping Harris County decidedly blue.
Have a wonderful holiday season and the happiest New Year!
We’ll see you in 2023!
Wishing you the most wonderful holiday season!
Team HCDP