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On the ninth day, peace
On the ninth day, peace prevailed in the House. At least among critics of a proposal that originally gave Gov. Rick Perry control over a proposed fund to deliver money to faith-based groups and other community organizations that help low-income Texans.
A House panel today unanimously endorsed a revised version of House Bill 2479 by Rep. Dianne Delisi, R-Temple, which assigns the proposed Restoring Our Communities fund to the Health and Human Services Commission. The commission would be responsible for setting grant guidelines for the fund, which would start without state aid but could draw from private and other sources.
The commission still could assign administration of the fund to the Governor’s Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives, where the proposal originated.
Texas IMPACT, an interfaith advocacy group, opposed the original version, saying April 20 that it could amount to a gubernatorial “slush fund.” On April 28, Bee Moorhead of Texas IMPACT sent a letter to Delisi thanking her for addressing her “accountability and transparency” concerns.
Moorhead’s letter credits Delisi for encouraging agencies to coordinate their outreach to faith-based groups and for including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality among agencies to designate liaisons to faith-based organizations — a step that might help groups help poor residents come into compliance with automobile emission standards.
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