The Core Blog

Civil asset forfeiture is the legal process by which law enforcement agencies, particularly local police departments, are able to seize either currency or property from owners under a suspicion that it was used for or obtained through criminal activity. Once property has been seized by law enforcement, a court then determines if it is subject to forfeiture (i.e., permanent confiscation). Law enforcement officers need only have “probable cause” that there may be an associated crime

The Texas Appleseed Criminal Justice Program priorities for the 2021 Texas legislative session continue our longstanding commitment to limiting the impacts of the criminal legal system on communities of color and poor Texans. In concert with partner advocacy groups, faith and business leaders, community organizations and directly impacted people, we strive for a more just and equitable Texas legal system that ceases criminalizing poverty and prioritizes accountability over punishment, healing over retribution and freedom over

Auto insurance is required by law to own a car and drive legally in Texas. Credit scoring is often used in the pricing of auto insurance and may directly affect someone’s premium. With the broad-based economic impact of the pandemic, more protections are needed to ensure that people are not charged more for insurance simply due to financial shortfalls caused by the pandemic.Adding fair pricing provisions, that protect people from use of credit scores that

Domestic violence and financial abuse have been on the rise during the pandemic, with some areas of the state reporting a 50% increase in outreach to programs that offer assistance to people experiencing domestic violence. Financial abuse, often in the form of coerced debt—debts incurred in the victim’s name by the abuser—is a common part of domestic abuse, and one that stays with the victim long after leaving an abusive relationship. In 2019, 30% of

In the first quarter of 2020, with the economy booming, car repossessions by auto title loan operations reached an all-time high — over 13,000 cars repossessed in one quarter. Fees for payday and auto title loans have also been trending up in Texas. These uncapped loans average 200% to 500% APR. In 2019, borrowers paid over $2 billion in fees for high-cost payday and auto title loans, with an average $500 loan costing $1,100 or

Texas has a long history of protecting wages from debt collection in the state constitution. This protection is essential, but current laws are antiquated. They protect current wages, but once wages are deposited in an account, protections often no longer apply. When debt collectors freeze accounts to collect an old debt, many Texans face a financial crisis: cascading defaults on housing, bills, and other debts, and no funds to pay for food or basic necessities

Recent news headlines point to the troubling trend of school privatization in this pivotal moment of history. It’s certainly nothing new; young people, parents, and community organizers have been fighting against concerted attacks on public education for decades. Sociologists like Dr. Eve L. Ewing have documented recent grassroots-led struggles against school boards that have proposed massive school closures in Chicago. There is certainly an inextricable link between the closure of public schools and increased enrollment

Today we mourn the loss of life and begin to see the catastrophic damage caused by Hurricane Laura. Compounding this devastation is the COVID-19 pandemic. This unfolding crisis is horrific and traumatic for everyone affected, regardless of class, race, age, and disability. Even as we care for all of those affected, the reality is that disasters, including catastrophic Category 4 hurricanes, do not affect everyone equally. Low-income neighborhoods and Black and Latinx communities, because of

In keeping with long struggles to secure civil rights and liberties for all people in the United States, efforts to gain equal access to educational opportunities have been led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color for centuries. From the Reconstruction era following the Civil War, to the Civil Rights Movement in the twentieth century, to the Movement for Black Lives in our present moment, historically underserved communities — led by those most directly impacted

We surveyed homeless liaisons across Texas to hear what is working and where they need help. Under federal law, every school district in the nation is required to have a homeless liaison. Homeless liaisons serve students experiencing homelessness by supplying resources and connecting them with help. While only 10 percent of Texas’ school districts receive federal grants to support their homeless liaisons, districts and staff are jumping into action to help students experiencing homelessness; and

We are living in an essential moment. A worldwide pandemic. A nation in mourning for the loss of life wrought by COVID-19. Now with the loss of another Black American who died at the hands of the police, we mourn anew all our brothers and sisters who have died as a result of police violence. Last year at this time, Texas Appleseed was launching our “Justice Is” campaign, focused on engaging Texans in a conversation

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented disaster in scope and scale. America’s disaster response and recovery system is designed to deal with localized disasters and assumes that people have the resources to recover quickly. COVID-19 is a nationwide disaster that has been ongoing for months, with an economic impact that has stripped millions of Americans of the resources to pay rent and buy food. Many Texans are all too familiar with major disasters and FEMA