Following is a list of public policy statements made by the TCC Board since 1965. The specific date of the statement by the Board is listed. Right To Life Issues Abortion On Demand: The TCC Board went on record in opposition to abortion on demand legislation which was before the Texas Legislature. March 28, 1967. Alternatives To Abortion were supported by the TCC Board in a resolution which called for the Church of Texas to take immediate steps to launch a program through radio, TV, and other mass media appealing to women with so-called problem pregnancies to avoid abortion by considering all other alternatives. Women in this difficult situation would be encouraged to contact appropriate agencies for assistance in relation to maternity services, placement of children for adoption, and other problems. This resolution was passed at the first Board meeting following the historic Supreme Court decisions outlawing state laws prohibiting abortion. September 25, 1972. Human Life Amendment: The Human Life Amendment to the United States Constitution which would protect all human life from the moment of conception until natural death was supported by a formal resolution of the TCC Board. March 29, 1974. Human Life Federalism Amendment: On March 30, 1982, the Board issued a statement reiterating its support for the Human Life Federalism Amendment (The Hatch Amendment) which was currently being considered by the Congress of the United States. School-Based Clinics: On April 1, 1987, the Bishops of Texas issued a statement condemning the establishment of school-based health clinics for the purpose of providing family planning for minor children. The statement did support morality-based educational programs in human sexuality in public and private schools. Resolutions Concerning Specific Legislation Before The Texas Legislature Minimum Wage: H.B. 301, State Minimum Wage Law, was supported by the Board of Directors. This legislation did become law, March 9, 1965. A subsequent resolution by the Board of Directors in 1972 called for an amendment to the Minimum Wage Law of 1965 which would provide stronger enforcement provisions, require that all farm and ranch workers be covered by the legislation, and tie the state minimum to the amounts in the federal minimum wage law. Aid To Families With Dependent Children: By resolution the Board publicly supported increased aid for families with dependent children March 9, 1965. Administered by the Department of Public Welfare (Department of Human Services), the AFDC program in Texas was not increased in 1965 but was raised in 1969 and again in 1977, 1979, 1981, 1983, and 1985, largely due to lobbying efforts by a coalition of public interest groups, including the Texas Catholic Conference. Bilingual Education: The Board of Directors supported H.B. 78 which would provide compulsory English instruction for five-year-old Spanish-speaking students in public schools. Subsequently the Board voiced its support for bilingual education programs through elementary grades in Texas public schools. March 9, 1965. Sales Tax On Food and Drugs: In cooperation with the Lieutenant Governor of Texas, the TCC publicly stated its opposition to the extension of the state sales tax to food and drugs. March 5, 1969. State Welfare Ceiling: The Board of Directors publicly supported an amendment to the Texas Constitution which would remove the welfare ceiling from the document. When it became obvious that no amendment would pass the Legislature entirely removing the welfare ceiling, a compromise was agreed upon raising that ceiling from 60 to 80 million dollars annually. March 25, 1969. Constitutional Amendment On Aid To Families With Dependent Children: On October 27, 1981, the Bishops and the Board of Directors went on record in support of a proposed constitutional amendment (Proposition 2) which would be on the ballot in November of 1982. Proposition 2 would permit the legislature to appropriate up to one per cent of the total state budget for the Aid to Families with Dependent Children Program. The amendment did pass. Public Schools: The TCC Board of Directors supported full implementation of the basic goals developed for the long-range improvement of instructional programs in Texas public schools which had resulted from the blue ribbon Governor's Committee on Public Schools which functioned during 1969. The recommendations of the Governor's Committee were for the most part enacted into law by the 1969 Legislature. October 27, 1970. Farm Labor Contractors: The Board of Directors endorsed legislation which, if passed, would require all farm labor contractors to be licensed by the Department of Public Safety and be required to comply with safety regulations for buses and trucks engaged in farm labor transportation. The legislation also required that the labor contractors carry liability insurance for the farm workers being transported. March 21, 1972. Criminal Justice Reform: A comprehensive resolution calling for the reform of Texas prisons and jails as well as a statewide adult probation system was approved by the Board of Directors. Specifically, the resolution called for a statewide system of adult probation and non-institutional city based programs of alternatives to incarceration in preference to new construction of prisons or regional jail facilities. The resolution also called for improvement of appalling conditions prevelant throughout county and city jails in Texas. This resolution was partially responsible for the enactment of the legislation creating a jail standard commission in Texas. September 25, 1972. Public School Finance: The TCC supported the concept of equal educational opportunity for all children enrolled in Texas public schools. Specifically the resolution stated that the quality of public education in Texas should not be dependent upon the wealth of an individual school district but rather in some measure should depend on the wealth of the entire state. The basic thrust of the resolution was that children who happen to live in districts that have a low tax base should not be penalized. March 29, 1974. Equal Educational Opportunity: The Board of Directors of the Texas Catholic Conference on March 30, 1977, reiterated the position that every school child in Texas should be provided equal educational opportunity. Texas Legislature: The TCC publicly supported the Constitutional amendment which, if passed would have provided for annual sessions of the Legislature (60 day sessions for budgetary matters in even-numbered years, 120 day session in off-numbered years for all the business) and increased salaries for Texas Legislators up to a maximum of $15,000 per year. March 29, 1974. Family Farms: At the request of the Rural Life Directors of the Texas Catholic Conference, the Board approved the resolution supporting the continuation of the family farm in Texas. The resolution enabled the Conference to support legislation which would require non-family corporations involved in agriculture to register with some arm of the state government. September 29, 1970. Prison Construction: At the request of several coalitions dealing with reform of the criminal justice system in Texas, the TCC Board supported a resolution calling for a moratorium on prison construction in Texas until viable alternatives to incarceration had been adequately tested. The decision of the Texas Legislature in 1977 (65th Session) not to appropriate money for the construction of a new prison was partially due to the work of the above-mentioned coalition. September 29, 1976. Food Bank Legislation: On October 28, 1980, the Board of Directors voted to support the implementation of legislation to establish food banks throughout Texas. The specific legislation that had to be passed in order to implement the food banks had to do with liability for retail food outlets who would be donating the food to the food banks. Legalized Gambling: On October 30, 1984, the Board unanimously approved a position which tracks the position of the Texas Conference of Churches concerning legalized gambling. The position is that it is not good public policy for the State to encourage its citizens to gamble in order to raise needed revenues for social services including education. Regulation of Pesticides: On October 30, 1984, the Board unanimously approved a resolution supporting the regulation of the use of pesticides in Texas. Recommendations of the Adolescent Pregnancy and Parent Advisory Council to the Texas Legislature: In March 1993, the Bishops issued a statement clarifying their relationship to the Adolescent Pregnancy and Parenthood Advisory Council (APPAC), a quasi state agency concerned with the issues of teenage pregnancy in Texas. Because the executive director of the Texas Conference of Churches was a member of APPAC, there was some confusion as to whether or not the APPAC recommendations to the 73rd Legislature, a few of which were contrary to Catholic moral teaching, were supported by the Catholic Bishops of Texas. The statement made it clear that there was no Catholic representation on APPAC. Resolutions Concerning Federal Legislation Medicaid: The Board of Directors publicly supported legislation which would implement the federal Medicaid program, March 28, 1967. Civil Disorders: By resolution the Board of Directors publicly praised the March 3, 1968 report of the President's National Commission on Civil Disorders which had developed a comprehensive report on the causes of the recent urban riots in the United States. March 11, 1968. Welfare Reform: The TCC Board of Directors went on record in support of the Family Assistance Program pending in the United States Congress. This program was seen as the first significant attempt by the federal government to reform the welfare system. The resolution also called on the Texas Legislature to repeal the Constitutional ceiling on welfare payments, establish a vendor's drug program for outpatient treatment for persons now receiving Medicaid, establish a comprehensive system for day care facilities for working mothers and a comprehensive reorganization of the Department of Public Welfare. September 25, 1972. Braceros: The TCC supported the position that jobs be guaranteed to legal residents of the United States before a foreign labor force (Braceros) be brought into the country. March 29, 1974. National Health Insurance: After vigorous debate by both the TCC General Assembly and the Board of Directors, the Board approved a resolution supporting a system of comprehensive national health insurance. March 30, 1976. Central American Refugee Crisis: In January and February of 1989, the Bishops sent telegrams to outgoing President Ronald Reagan and incoming President George Bush requesting federal assistance to the Rio Grande Valley to assist in coping with the influx of Central American refugees. On February 21, 1989, the Bishops issued a public statement criticizing the Immigration and Naturalization Service for new policies designed to discourage "frivolous" applications for political asylum. Miscellaneous Resolutions Supported By The Board Human Relations: A resolution supporting the establishment by the State Legislature of a permanent state Human Relations Committee with subpoena power was approved. October 27, 1970. Health Maintenance Organization: A resolution was approved supporting comprehensive studies to determine the feasibility of establishing preventive care medicine (Health Maintenance Organizations) in Texas. Such a study was undertaken at the request of the Legislature and the Executive Director of the TCC served on the Citizen's Advisory Committee on HMO's. October 26, 1971. Boycott: The TCC Board gave its moral, spiritual, and financial support to the efforts of the United Farmworkers of the AFL-CIO to organize and actively support a boycott of iceburg lettuce in Texas. November 25, 1972. Status of Women: By resolution the TCC Board agreed to work with other groups concerned with the problems of women to correct existing wrongs in the areas of the rights to maternity leave, adequate insurance to cover the cost of prenatal care and confinement, adequate day care for children of working mothers, equitable homestead exemptions for widows and other single women, and a change in policies of lending institutions regarding extension of credit to women. March 29, 1971. Juvenile Justice: The Board publicly supported the actions of a federal district court in closing questionable juvenile rehabilitative institutions in Texas and calling for a drastic overhaul of juvenile justice in the state. Through the efforts of the TCC and other groups, the legislation was eventually passed providing for community-based corrections programs for juvenile offenders. March 29, 1974. Farah Products: The Board of Directors, after much discussion, voiced its support of the national boycott of FARAH products until that Texas based corporation agreed to negotiate in good faith with its employees and their duly elected representatives. March 29, 1974. Mandatory Sterilization of Women On Welfare: On March 25, 1980, the Bishops of Texas issued a public statement criticizing the Chairman of the Board of the Department of Human Resources when he made a statement that welfare mothers should be required to undergo mandatory sterilization. Statement On Agriculture: On March 25, 1981, the Bishops of Texas issued a comprehensive statement on agriculture. The statement dealt with a number of issues, including: ownership of agricultural land by non-family farm interests, the creation of an agricultural labor relations board in Texas, mandatory coverage under workers compensation for farm and ranch workers, and the need for adequate wages, health care, housing, and educational opportunities for migrant and seasonal farmworkers and their families. Distribution of Federal Block Grant Funds: On October 27, 1981, the Bishops of Texas approved a statement concerning the distribution of Federal block grants in Texas. Specifically, the bishops stated in their position that the truly needy should be served by the Federal and State government programs. Salvadorian and Haitian Refugees: On October 27, 1981, the bishops approved a statement calling on the Immigration and Naturalization Services to deal humanely with economic and political refugees coming into the United States from Haiti and El Salvador. Nuclear Weapons In Texas and In the World: On October 27, 1981, the Bishops approved a statement calling for increased educational programs on the nature of modern war, nuclear weapons, and the arms race. The statement also urged the American government to exercise moral and political leadership to end the production, assembly, and stockpiling of nuclear weapons by any power at any place in the world. Statement On The Criminal Justice System In Texas: In December of 1979, the Board of Directors approved a statement of the Texas Catholic Conference on the criminal justice system in Texas, entitled "When Did We See You in Prison?". The Statement was divided into seven sections: Prologue, Law & Society, Law Enforcement in Texas, Judicial Reform, Incarceration, Post-Release Issues, Capital Punishment, and a Conclusion. The statement was a comprehensive document on the entire criminal justice system in the state. In 1984 the Bishops reiterated their opposition to capital punishment. Concerning The Country of El Salvador: On October 26, 1982, the TCC Board of Directors approved a series of statements concerning the government of El Salvador. The Board opposed further military aid to El Salvador, supported granting of extended voluntary departure to Salvadorian refugees and urged the decertification of the government of El Salvador so that it would no longer receive military and economic aid from the United States. Pastoral Care For Hispanic Refugees: On October 1, 1985, the Bishops of Texas approved a statement calling on all Catholics in the State to provide humanitarian services to hispanic refugees regardless of their reason for coming to the United States. The statement was intended to cover refugees coming from Mexico and also from a variety of Central American countries. The Nobel Peace Prize Awarded to President Oscar Arias: On October 26, 1987, the Bishops issued a public statement congratulating President Oscar Arias Sanchez of Costa Rica on being named the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. President Arias was awarded the Prize primarily because of his efforts to secure peace in Central America. The Bishops expressed their hope that President Arias and the other heads of state in Central America would be able to come to a peaceful solution to the political problems in that region. Statement on Sexuality: On January 4, 1988, the Bishops issued a statement entitled, "An Invitation to Love: A Statement on Human Sexuality by the Catholic Bishops of Texas."