Bill Would Force State Agencies Into Faith-Based Initiative Work

A bill proposed by State Rep. John Zerwas (R-Richmond) would force nearly a dozen more state agencies into faith-based initiative work and would require those agencies to designate specific employees to be faith- and community-based organiztion laisons.

Nine state agencies are covered under the bill ranging from TCEQ to the Office of Rural Community Affairs; the bill, HB 492, would also allow the Governor the power to designate any other state agency to designate a laison.

The agencies covered under the bill are:

(1)  the Office of Rural Community Affairs;
(2)  the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality;
(3)  the Texas Department of Criminal Justice;
(4)  the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs;
(5)  the Texas Education Agency;
(6)  the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission;
(7)  the Texas Veterans Commission;
(8)  the Texas Workforce Commission;
(9)  the Texas Youth Commission

Although the purpose of the laisons is designated to (among other things), “identify and remove unnecessary barriers to partnerships between the state agency the liaison represents and
faith- and community-based organizations,” the reality is that the legislation is simply another excuse for the right-wing Republicans in the Legislature to funnel more money toward religious groups to (at greater cost with less efficiency and less accountability) do the jobs government should be doing.

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