Save Our State Rally

            More than 2,000 people representing over 20 organizations showed up at the Capitol to protest Texas budget cuts at the Save our State Rally on Wednesday, April 6^th. Though the turnout was substantial, it was far below the predictions that over 5,000 people would attend.

Marching to the Capitol

            Save our State Rally participants met at Waterloo park and marched to the south steps of the Capitol, holding signs and chanting all the way there. We met up with them about ten minutes before they reached the south steps and marched with them the rest of the way. Streets had been closed off all around the Capitol because of the marchers. It was inspiring to see so many groups and individuals from various walks of life out to protest. Young children and the elderly alike came out to make their voices heard. Many of the protestors represented minority groups: Hispanics, African-Americans, and disabled individuals.

A man was singing and playing the guitar on the steps as we walked up, and soon afterwards several different speakers got up to address the crowd. The main theme of the rally was – Why are the priorities of those in the Capitol so different than the priorities of most Texans? And the main target of the protest was House Bill (HB) 1, the state’s budget bill. A woman took the stage to announce the names of various legislators who had voted against the budget cuts delineated in HB 1, including Representative Donna Howard (Austin), Rep. Armando Martinez (Rio Grande Valley), and Rep. Sylvester Turner (Houston). The speaker then listed the ways in which HB 1 (which, at this point, had already been passed by the legislature) will negatively affect Texans:

·        HB 1 spends $23 billion less than the previous budget

·        Cuts funding for education by 21%

·        Cuts funding for Medicaid by 30%

·        Cuts funding for the Texas Department of Aging and Disability Services by 37%

·        Will cut 335,000 jobs in Texas over the next two years

In light of these facts, she announced: “We [Texas] just won the race to the bottom!” (to which some rally attendants cheered…) She acknowledged the fact that HB 1 had already been passed, but stated her intention to continue protesting until a more satisfactory version of the budget is passed.

            Those who had registered their attendance for the Save Our State Rally went on to meet with legislators throughout the afternoon to discuss these issues.

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            Overall, the rally felt somewhat anticlimactic. Not as many people showed up as expected. Things felt a bit disorganized once we actually arrived to the south steps of the Capitol. The fact that HB 1 had been passed earlier this month seemed to overshadow the rally and the efforts of those who had organized. No agenda for action was presented by the speakers.