Yesterday, in a 7-2 decision the Supreme Court told payday lenders to take a hike.

Ok, maybe not exactly, but that’s what it felt like. After working for reform for almost 15 years such clear victories have been few and far between and yesterday, for me, was a day for celebration.

A solid majority of the court ruled that the way Congress chose to fund the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is not unconstitutional. That means the CFPB can continue their mission of looking out for American consumers and regulating folks like predatory lenders.

Last week, I engaged in four different types of advocacy. I have experience in advocacy, but this was a rare week for me. One thing I did wasn’t more important than another. And one kind of advocacy isn’t more impactful than the others. All are needed. And all of us can do one of these things.

Calling all Texans! The Senate is getting to pass two terrible immigration bills that would encourage racial profiling and create a lot of fear and chaos.

Today, 39 national and local organizations launched a new campaign to #LetAsylumSeekersWork faster. The effort comes at a time of historic national labor shortages. People seeking asylum in the United States are eager to support themselves and join the labor force yet are currently required to wait up to six months or more to access work permits. Groups behind the effort are calling for urgent congressional action to reduce the amount of time asylum seekers must wait before being eligible to apply for work permits. 

With less than two weeks left in the 88th Texas Legislative session, much remains up in the air. The recent passing of critical deadlines means several bills of concern are officially dead. Unfortunately, some good proposals died as well. In other cases bad bills have been resurrected as amendments to legislation not killed by calendar deadlines. 

The Biden administration has begun preparing to end Title 42 –the COVID-19 order that authorizes the rapid expulsion of migrants, primarily to Mexico– on May 11. The administration will impose penalties for those who enter the U.S. without inspection, while at the same time opening new programs for migrants to come to the U.S. Unfortunately, the efforts the administration is taking largely exports our immigration dilemma to other countries, militarizes our border, and fails to fulfill our legal obligation to allow people to seek asylum in the United States.

Fellowship Southwest is active at the Capitol in Austin during this legislative session. This week we have registered support or opposition to bills related to public education, immigration, and predatory lending. We most often do our work in coalition with others. For a list of coalitions and organizations we pay attention to, see last week’s newsletter.

Fellowship Southwest is committed to pursuing justice and equipping others to do the same. We feel called to use our voice, influence and privilege to advocate alongside, and on behalf of, those who are too often ignored or disempowered. We’re not out to advance a narrow agenda but to promote the common good. It is one way we love our neighbors.

When our family moved to Dripping Springs, Texas, a little over a year ago, the reputation of the local public schools was a big factor. Though we mourn the lack of diversity as compared to our school in Georgia, so far we’ve had a mostly excellent experience.

Imagine my surprise then when I clicked on the Texas Monthly cover article from March, “The Campaign to Sabotage Texas’s Public Schools,” and the first photo of a school was my kid’s elementary school.

Fellowship Southwest held its first day of advocacy in Austin, Texas, on Feb. 28, 2023. It was a wonderful day of education and fellowship with advocates from all around the state.

CLICK HERE to read all about the day, including visits with legislators, and see lots of photos.

Fellowship Southwest supporting congregation Broadway Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, is doing impactful, courageous, and faithful advocacy we think you should know about. Take a few moments to read this in-depth article from Baptist News Global about Broadway’s Justice Committee and their local advocacy work. The church has been a leader in the city calling for improved conditions and procedures at the Tarrant County Jail and for an independent investigation into why 39 inmates have died since 2019.

FSW Executive Director Stephen Reeves is in Washington, D.C. this week with Elket Rodríguez, Chrissy Tatum Williamson. Elket is a CBF field personnel and immigration specialist in Texas' Rio Grande Valley, and Chrissy is the pastor of Greystone Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC.

Evangelical Immigration Table invited advocates from all over the country to join together in an organized action week for immigration advocacy. They are asking Congress to pass long overdue immigration reforms to provide permanent solutions for Dreamers, TPS recipients, and agricultural workers, and work with administration officials to improve border management.

Ten days before the massacre in our own region, there was Buffalo. Friend and partner to FSW, Starlette Thomas, offers this reflection in Good Faith Media of what transpired at her mom’s local grocery store and the racist conspiracy theory behind the attack.

Thanks be to God, the state of Texas did NOT execute an innocent Latina mother yesterday.

When the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals granted Melissa Lucio a stay of execution on Monday, they also directed Cameron County District Court to review the new evidence in her case. “It’s a pathbreaking decision,” The Washington Post reports. “It’s not merely a temporary stay of execution, it’s a potential opening to liberty.”

You have likely heard and read all about Melissa Lucio's tragic upcoming execution by the state of Texas, from us, from our partner Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, the Innocence Project (screenshot above captured from Instagram @innocenceproject quoting FSW pastor Jesse Rincones), from the media (NPR, CBS, John Oliver, and many others).

Do you have a book you can say changed your life? I do. I was a freshman in college when I read “Dead Man Walking” by Sister Helen Prejean. It had a profound impact on what I thought, believed, and ultimately upon the trajectory of my life and career.

Since reading that book over 25 years ago I have been adamantly opposed to the death penalty. I recall this conviction as the first time I came to my own conclusion about an issue apart from what I gleaned from my community, culture, and family. It certainly influenced my decision to pursue law school and once there take an advanced criminal law course on the death penalty in Texas.

This week has shown a promising development in the case for clemency for Melissa Lucio, the first Hispanic woman on Texas' death row. Melissa was sentenced to death following the tragic death of her two year old daughter Mariah in 2007. Recent compelling evidence points to Melissa's innocence.

Thanks to the faithful work of Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, Fellowship Southwest and CBF Texas have been aware of and concerned about the upcoming execution of Melissa Lucio. Many believe she was unjustly put on death row. Lucio is scheduled for execution April 27.

It's an election year. The best way to ensure sound policy-making in your state's upcoming legislature is to have a say in who the policy makers are.

In Texas, early voting for primary elections ends tomorrow, Feb. 25. Election Day is Tuesday, March 1. In a state like Texas, the primary election is sometimes even more important than the November general election, but voter turnout is critically low.

Fellowship Southwest is deeply disappointed in the recent failure of federal voting rights legislation in the U.S. Senate. The freedom to vote and ensure all votes count is fundamental to our democracy. Moreover, we have a long and sad history of denying citizens the equal right to vote due to racial discrimination. The struggle continues to this day, and federal legislation is needed to protect the right to vote.