"The Austin-based Workers Defense Project is asking the courts to step into its wage dispute with the developers of the downtown Austin J.W. Marriott hotel under construction.

'Developers need to keep their promises to taxpayers and workers, and the city must enforce its own rules,' said Kurt Cadena-Mitchell, a leader of Austin Interfaith, a multi-congregation group pushing the city to establish a standard above minimum wage on construction projects that are granted economic development deals by the city."

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Leaders of Dallas Area Interfaith called on Texas legislators to support bi-partisan House Bill 3791 which would expand Medicaid to insure an additional 1.5 million Texans. Clergy from Jewish, Catholic and Protestant congregations announced that DAI had collected over 5,000 signatures in the last few months in support of expansion Medicaid.

Printable press release

"Three-hundred Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley and Dewey-Humboldt residents told Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett that Arizona must start adequately funding education during a meeting Tuesday at Abia Judd Elementary School in Prescott.

'Over the last five years, cuts in funding have been imposed by the state in addition to the cuts from declining enrollments,' said Wendy Madsen, a parent of a student at Taylor Hicks Elementary School in Prescott. 'Our districts together have been forced to cut over $25 million.'"

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Omaha Together One Community wants both candidates to commit $1 million a year to the problem.

The city has 748 houses on its demolition list. On average, it costs the city about $12,000 to knock down a house -- but neighbors say it's worth every penny.

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"A rose to AMOS, a central Iowa church group, for another approach to getting people on the right track to meaningful careers... Project Iowa helps direct unemployed or underemployed participants into careers that happen to be in demand, such as welding or health care. The project was initiated last year by AMOS (A Mid-Iowa Organizing Strategy), a non-profit group formed by religious leaders and church groups. The program helps participants get training and certification for jobs with local employers looking for workers with specific skills. Project Iowa has assisted 57 participants, and more than 80 percent of those who have completed job training are employed."

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"With a call for a "pragmatic" approach to the expansion of Medicaid healthcare for the poor, the leaders of the Together Louisiana alliance of congregations has challenged Governor Bobby Jindal and lawmakers to work with the federal government on expanding health coverage for the poor. "We don't need an ideological discussion about Obamacare," the Rev. Melvin Rushing of Baton Rouge told a State Capitol rally. "We need our state's technocrats to sit down with the national Medicaid technocrats and work through this issue as the practical, pragmatic matter it is."

Our Views: Poor need coverage, The Advocate (4/29)

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"More than 600 people turned out on Sunday to hear more than 30 city and school board candidates speak at a joint forum put on by the El Paso Inter-religious Sponsoring Organization and Border Interfaith."

City Council candidates were challenged to invest in workforce development program Project ARRIBA, and complete quality of life and neighborhood infrastructure projects within the already established 7-year time frame. Because El Paso public schools mandate standardized testing at least once (and sometimes twice) per week, school board candidates were challenged to reduce the number of standardized tests by 50%. Candidates were also asked to commit to a more equitable way of funding the arts than simply asking parents of participating students to shoulder the cost.

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"Douglas Wells' path to a well-paying job with potential for advancement had a few bumps, but the 27-year-old credits perseverance and a publicly and privately funded training and mentoring program with helping him reach his goal.

Wells completed a welding course and has been working at the Bridgestone Firestone tire plant in Des Moines. For now he is driving a forklift, but he is sure there are opportunities for advancement. More important, this father of two young girls will be able to set an example....

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" Nieto spoke Tuesday during a news conference called by The Metropolitan Organization at which Houston faith and business leaders responded to a new plan for comprehensive immigration reform. The legislation, unveiled last week by a bipartisan group of senators, is the first major overhaul of U.S. immigration policy since 1986.

Speakers including Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston, Bishop Janice Riggle Huie of the Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church, and Rabbi David Lyon of Congregation Beth Israel said the highest priority should be creating a process for undocumented immigrants to earn legal status and eventual citizenship."

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"A new analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Fiscal Office said accepting the Medicaid expansion envisioned by the federal health care law -- but so far refused by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration -- would save Louisiana between $532 million and $544 million over the next five years.....

The theme of Tuesday's rally -- led by Together Louisiana, a recently formed coalition of religious and civic groups, and the American Association for Retired People -- was that if Jindal doesn't like the Medicaid program, he should insist on certain conditions while accepting the expansion...."

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