Local Orgs Pen Letter to TX Lawmakers to Fund Gun Violence Prevention During Special Session
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 13, 2021
Press Contact:
Community Justice Action Fund
Sawyeh Maghsoodloo
(949) 293-9642
FIVE TEXAS VIOLENCE PREVENTION ORGANIZATIONS PEN OPEN LETTER TO LAWMAKERS TO FUND GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION DURING THE SPECIAL LEGISLATIVE SESSION
AUSTIN, TX.— Today, a coalition of five community organizations penned an open letter to Texas lawmakers ahead of the special session urging them to take action on gun violence prevention. Gun violence has surged across the nation in 2020, and Texas is no exception. The Texas chapter of Amnesty International USA, Community Justice Action Fund, the Texas arm of March for Our Lives, Texas Gun Sense, and VIP Fort Worth all ask that just 1 percent of Texas’ $15.8 billion in American Rescue Plan funding gets allocated to community violence prevention programs. See the open letter below.
“Dear Governor Greg Abbott and Members of the Texas Legislature,
Gun violence is an ongoing epidemic in the state of Texas. In order to combat this crisis, additional public investments are urgently needed to address the severe increase in homicides and shootings during the COVID-19 pandemic. Researchers from the National Commission on COVID-19 and Criminal Justice found that across the country, “homicide rates increased 30% in 2020, a large and troubling increase that has no modern precedent.” This is a racial equity and public health issue that cannot be ignored. We are asking that 1% of the funds allocated to Texas through American Rescue Plan funding gets allocated to community violence prevention programs.
Texas is not immune to the gun violence crisis. There were 3,683 gun-related deaths in Texas in 2019 , with gun violence costing Texas $16.6 billion per year. As you determine how you will spend the $15.814 billion of recovery funds from the ARP during the August 2021 special session, we urge you to dedicate just 1% ($158 million) to support community-based violence intervention and prevention programs, as well as youth workforce development programs serving communities hardest hit by gun violence.
The ARP guidance issued by the Department of Treasury states that funding can be utilized for "addressing health disparities and the social determinants of health through funding for community health workers, public benefits navigators, remediation of lead hazards, and community violence intervention programs.
The community-based violence intervention and prevention strategies that we implement and support have demonstrated success at interrupting entrenched cycles of violence, victimization, and retaliation, using a public health approach. Some effective programs in our very own state include VIP Fort Worth and Stand Up SA!, which saw an 85% reduction in murders in their target areas within their first quarter of existence. We recommend targeting resources to organizations like these. Since ARP funds can be used over the course of the next three years (until 2024), we believe that investments can be made in strategic ways to ensure multiple years of funding for life-saving programs that can make a significant impact on the health of communities that have been most seriously hit by both the pandemic and the interrelated public health crisis of gun violence. A number of states have already committed to allocating ARP funds towards community violence intervention programs, such as Illinois, Tennessee, and Virginia.
That’s why the Texas Invest In Us Coalition is urging you to make targeted investments with ARP fiscal relief funds to address community violence across the states. By investing $158 Million (1%) from the ARP Funds into proven solutions that provide targeted prevention, trauma-informed healing and recovery to communities most impacted. We can make our state safer and stronger for Texans all around.
Signed,
Amnesty International USA - Texas
Community Justice Action Fund
March for Our Lives - Texas
Texas Gun Sense
VIP Fort Worth”
###
The Community Justice Action Fund, a project of Tides Advocacy, is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization building power for and with communities of color to end gun violence.