In the News

Hurricane season is approaching and the country enters disaster preparedness month. Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) calls on the public to prepare for disasters.

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As Congressional Co-Chair for National Disaster Preparedness Month, Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher calls on Asian American communities to prepare for disasters. She serves as co-chair of FEMA National Preparedness Month. This year, FEMA is focused on preparing Asian American communities for disasters. She called on the public to prepare for disasters in advance. The following toolkits are…

EPA Announces Clean School Bus Funding of Nearly $8 million for Alief ISD as Part of the Investing in America Agenda

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The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that Alief Independent School District is receiving $7,900,000 through EPA’s Clean School Bus Grant Program. This significant award which is made possible through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, will help the school district purchase 20 electric emission-free school buses to replace diesel operated school buses. EPA…

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, a champion of civil rights and progressive causes, dies

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Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee died in Houston late Friday at the age of 74. Jackson Lee, who was running for a 16th term, announced in June that she'd been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She had a reputation as a firebrand and a prominent voice on civil rights and progressive issues. Sheila Jackson Lee was a force in American politics. Born in Queens, New York, she was…

‘We are here for you, Harris County:’ Community leaders provide resources to residents impacted by Hurricane Beryl

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HOUSTON – Local and federal leaders gathered at Belen Community Center in Harris County Precinct 4 to address the pressing needs of over 1.3 million residents left without power during an oppressive heatwave after Hurricane Beryl. Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones started the news conference by highlighting the collaborative efforts to secure additional funds and resources…

The Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority Receives $5.78M Grant to Advance Phase 1 of the Civic Core Campus

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The Southwest Houston Redevelopment Authority / City of Houston TIRZ 20 is pleased to announce that it has worked in coordination with the City of Houston to secure $5.78 Million in federal grant appropriations for the Civic Core Campus project. The project is an effort to redevelop and expand the Southwest Multiservice center in Southwest Houston at Hillcroft Avenue and High…

MHRA secures $850,000 grant for sidewalk improvements

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The newly secured funds will be used to upgrade sections of sidewalks that are currently missing, in poor condition, or undersized, the MHRA said in a media statement dated June 25, 2024. The enhancements, it said, are crucial for providing safer connections and better access for community members, including students and children. The grant will specifically cover the construction costs,…

Sugar Land receives $1 million for first responder training facility

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The city of Sugar Land received $1 million in funding Tuesday for an expanded first responder training facility. U.S. Representative Lizzie Fletcher secured the federal dollars through a process that allows members of Congress to request money for projects in their districts. The federal money will be combined with funding from a bond approved by voters in 2019. "I think it’s really…

Representatives Fletcher and Williams Introduce Bills to Make Disaster Aid Accessible to Heirs’ Property Owners

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Representatives Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX) and Nikema Williams (D-GA) introduced the “Heirs Empowerment and Inheritance Rights (HEIR) Act” and the “Heirs’ Estate Inheritance Resolution and Succession (HEIRS) Act” in a single legislative package in the U.S. House of Representatives on April 24. The two bills would make disaster aid accessible to heirs’ property owners. “Heirs’ property” is…

New Legislation Would Expand Access to Disaster Relief, Provide Help With Titles for Large Number of Black Landowners

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Federal lawmakers introduced a legislative package on Tuesday that would expand heirs’ property owners’ access to disaster relief and provide assistance in clearing titles. Heirs’ property refers to land that has been passed down informally within families; without clear titles, owners can be ineligible for government aid and their land vulnerable to forced sales. Rep. Lizzie…

Another Real Pink Tax

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Kayla is correct to note that a decline in overall public safety harms women more than men. She is also correct that a lot of “pink tax” talking points have more to do with consumer choices than with any kind of actual tax. But there is one real pink tax the government levies: Tariffs on women’s clothes are, on average, higher than tariffs on men’s clothes. Research from Ed Gresser and…