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Texas Right to Life is proud to announce the 2016 Life, Liberty, and Property Tour!

The Life, Liberty, and Property tour is a coalition of grassroots advocacy organizations that have come together to educate Texans about issues important to us all: protection of innocent human Life, preservation of our liberty from government overreach, and helping continued economic success in the Lone Star State.

Who is involved in the Life, Liberty, and Property Tour?

Coalition members include Texas Right to Life, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, the Texas Home School Coalition, Concerned Women of America, Grassroots America - We the People, and Texas Eagle Forum.

Join us! Visit the Life, Liberty, and Property Tour website for more information and to let us know if you'll be attending a tour stop!
TOUR STOPS:
Harris County: January 11 th at 7pm
4 Corners Conference Center
130 Agg Road
Tomball, Texas 77375

Dallas County: January 13th at 7pm
Addison Conference and Theatre Centre- Buckhorn Room
15650 Addison Road
Addison, Texas 75001

Tarrant County: January 14th at 7pm
Hurst Conference Center- Meeting Rooms 2-3
1601 Campus Drive
Hurst, Texas 76054

San Antonio: January 19th at 7pm
San Antonio Garden Center- Terrace Room
3310 N. New Braunfels
San Antonio, Texas 78209

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The Life, Liberty & Property Tour is back!

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Texas Right to Life is proud to announce the 2016 Life, Liberty, and Property Tour! The Life, Liberty, and Property tour is a coalition of grassroots advocacy organizations that have come together to educate Texans about issues important to us all: protection of innocent human Life, preservation of our liberty from government overreach, and helping continued economic success in the Lone Star State.

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Politics at its best serves the common good - far above any one interest or political party. And right now in Washington, we see that playing out as we continue to reach accord on immigration reform. But when it comes to our budget debate, partisan ideology and special interests are winning out over the common good.

The ever-looming "sequester" that was never supposed to happen goes into effect tomorrow. Billions of dollars will be cut from domestic and military spending without any plan or strategy; jobs will be lost and people will suffer. Public frustration is growing with our elected officials, while they continue to argue over the role of government instead of governing responsibly. The press discusses who wins and loses in the polls, but it is clear that it is the common good that is losing.

On the other hand, immigration reform is being discussed, at the same time with the same political players, in a very reasonable and hopeful way. On that important policy change, bipartisan work is going forward to shape legislation that could pass both houses of Congress.

In back-to-back meetings with church leaders and pastors, leading senators from both parties looked right into our eyes said, "To be honest with you pastors, we deal with most issues in ways that will help us win the next election; but on this one, we promise you, we will do whatever it takes to pass this, to fix this broken system, and protect the people you care about."

So on immigration reform, it is quite possible we could see a desire to serve the common good triumph over politics as usual.

Republican senators went to the White House this week to discuss immigration reform with the president - but not the fast-approaching sequester. Why? There are, of course, differences between the two policy debates and what is at stake, including the amount of money involved.

But one big difference between the sequester battle and the immigration debate is the tremendous influence and impact of outside groups and constituencies - in particular, the faith community, law enforcement officials, and business leaders. The White House and Congress say that the faith community is having a decisive impact in the immigration debate, especially evangelicals who have turned toward reform because of the Bible's instructions to "welcome the stranger."

When it comes to the sequester, the faith community's influence is not the same, but it's growing. This week, a very similar group of nearly 100 church leaders and pastors from the Circle of Protection delivered a pastoral letter to President Obama, Democratic leaders Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, and Republican leaders John Boehner and Mitch McConnell. We thanked them for mostly protecting low-income families in $2 trillion of spending cuts so far, and we promised to pray for them. But we also called for an end to irresponsible "brinksmanship" and for respectful bipartisan dialogue. We said fiscal health requires both spending cuts and additional revenues, affirmed that government does have a responsibility concerning the poor, insisted that moral choices must be clearly made for vulnerable people, and invited both parties to work together, and with us, to replace poverty with opportunity.

From the Catholic Bishops to the National Association of Evangelicals; from Black and Hispanic churches to major mainline Protestant denominations; from large faith-based organizations that directly serve the poor like World Vision, Catholic Charities, World Relief, and The Salvation Army to mobilizing organizations like Sojourners and Bread for the World - the unity of the faith community is very clear. Together we are saying that it is time to move responsibly toward fiscal responsibility and protect the poor at the same time. That is our commitment and our principle, and we believe both political sides should embrace it.

But more politicians need to hear that message and feel that pressure. And, just like with immigration reform, they need to hear it from pastors. If you are a pastor, we want you to add your name. If you know a pastor, then forward this column to them now and ask them to lead.

Pastors are not lobbyists, and they shouldn't be. But when 11 million children of God are trapped in a broken immigration system - or when special interests are dominating the future of the poor and most vulnerable - there are clear moral issues at stake. The media, with notable exceptions, is loving the fight, covering who might win or lose - rather than raising up the substantive moral issues. So it's time for the pastors to help do that. Let's make the common good more common in our nation's capital.

The time to act is now. If you are a pastor, a priest, or any other religious leader, sign on to the Circle of Protection letter. Sojourners will immediately send an e-mail of the letter with your signature to your representatives in Congress. Then, we'll let you know how to follow-up with your member of Congress by phone to make sure our elected leaders know they should find focus on the common good by ending the economic brinkmanship in Washington.

Jim Wallis is CEO of Sojourners. His forthcoming book, On God's Side: What Religion Forgets and Politics Hasn't Learned about Serving the Common Good, is set to release in April. Follow Jim on Twitter

Photo: pashabo / Shutterstock.com and Brandon Hook

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Pastors: It's Time to Speak Out for the Common Good

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Politics at its best serves the common good - far above any one interest or political party. And right now in Washington, we see that playing out as we continue to reach accord on immigration reform. But when it comes to our budget debate, partisan ideology and special interests are winning out over the common good.

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What challenges does the US face regarding voting?

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What challenges does the US face regarding voting?

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Whether or not aliens should be able to vote in american elections

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timothy hughes rare and early newspapers

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26th Amendment adopted... voting age of 18.... - RareNewspapers.com

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Timothy Hughes Rare & Early Newspapers offers the largest inventory of original historic newspapers for sale, all guaranteed authentic and all at great prices.

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ULGATL empowers metro Atlantans with access to civic and community leaders, and forums for productive dialogue regarding topics and priorities in their communities.

To uphold our mission to empower African Americans and others to achieve their highest human potential and secure economic self-reliance, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta collaborates with local community and faith based partners and our volunteers to educate the public and elected officials on the impacts of public-policy and resource allocation decisions within political, economic, and social systems.

The League also engages in public outreach and education campaigns to increase awareness and information dissemination related to issues and initiatives that have direct impact on the quality of life and economic development in communities of color and that are important to the greater Atlanta community.

We are eager to collaborate with other civil rights, community and faith based organizations to leverage resources and make a greater impact on our community. It is our goal to advocate for education, economic development, affordable housing, fair redistricting, transportation, small business and community development initiatives and policies and to serve as a voice for impactful change for Greater Atlanta. Our recent initiatives include:

Community Outreach and Education to Increase Minority Participation in the 2010 US Census in partnership with The Peoples Agenda, the Leadership Council for Civil Rights, NAACP and other community and faithbasedd partners.

Voter Education and Registration initiatives in partnership with The Peoples Agenda, SCLC Women, NAACP, Concerned Black Clergy and the Georgia Coalition of Black Women.

Foster Care Awareness Initiative in partnership with the Casey Family Programs and the Georgia Department of Health and Human Services to advocate for mentors for the more than 14,000 youth in foster care of which 78% are African American.

For more information or to volunteer your time to support these types of initiatives, please sign up as a volunteer or contact Deborah McClary, Advocacy and Outreach Coordinator at dmcclary@ulgatl.org or 404-659-2251.

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Empowerment Through Civic Engagement and Leadership

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To uphold our mission to empower African Americans and others to achieve their highest human potential and secure economic self-reliance, the Urban League of Greater Atlanta collaborates with local community and faith based partners and our volunteers to educate the public and elected officials on the impacts of public-policy and

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The way America conducts its elections could soon be upended by a landmark Supreme Court case.

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would hear a case over whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional-a move that could spell disaster for Republican domination in the U.S. House of Representatives, governors' mansions, and state houses across America.

Congressional districts are redrawn by state legislatures. The process is supposed to ensure that voters in each state are properly represented in Congress. Gerrymandering-the drawing of congressional districts to favor one party over another by packing it full of a disproportionate number of one party's voters-is a practice both Democrats and Republicans use. However, the GOP has been far more effective at turning partisan gerrymandering into political control.

The Supreme Court case comes as a result of a decision by a court in Wisconsin, which found that the state's Republican lawmakers had violated the Constitution's First Amendment as well as equal rights protections for citizens through partisan gerrymandering. When the Supreme Court issues its ruling, it will be the first time a court has decided the key parameters around the drawing of district lines based on partisanship.

Last Month, the Supreme Court ruled that North Carolina violated the Constitution by drawing two congressional districts based largely on race.

A recent study by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York Univesity School of Law found that Republicans were able to secure majorities in the House in the 2012 and 2016 elections largely due to partisan gerrymandering. In 2012, for example, Democrats could have held a 17-seat majority in the House over Republicans were it not for partisan gerrymandering, according to the Bennan Center's analysis. Instead, the GOP controlled the House with a 234-201 majority.

Three states-Michigan, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania-had the most extreme and consistent evidence of partisan gerrymandering. Florida, Ohio, Texas, and Virginia also had evidence of widespread gerrymandering.

If the Supreme Court finds that partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, the lines in dozens of states would likely need to be redrawn. As a result, Republicans could lose out in future elections, starting in 2020, thus potentially ending their hold on the House.

"This will be the biggest and most important election law case in decades," Josh Douglas, an election law expert and professor at University of Kentucky College of Law, told CNN. "However the Court rules will affect elections for years to come."

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This Supreme Court case could completely change how America conducts elections

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The way America conducts its elections could soon be upended by a landmark Supreme Court case. The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it would hear a case over whether partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional-a move that could spell disaster for Republican domination in the U.S. House of Representatives, governors' mansions, and state houses across America.