Oak Cliff Community Summit addresses legislative issues

Oak Cliff Community Summit addresses legislative issues

Oak Cliff Community Summit addresses legislative issues 1From left: Sen. Royce West and State Rep. Rafael Anchia, – Courtesy photos.

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(The Dallas Examiner) – A Community Summit, a community meeting in Oak Cliff where local, state and national legislative concerns were addressed, was hosted by Sen. Royce West, Rep. Rafael Anchia and Sen. Nathan Johnson and moderated by Cassandra Hernandez, candidate for Texas House District 115.

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The September event began with a discussion on a long-awaited public park project.

The Trinity Park Conservancy is managing the plans for a $325 million, 250-acre nature park, which will be named after late Dallas businessman Harold Simmons. With groundbreaking scheduled for Oct. 22, the park will be built along the Trinity River in a space that stretches between the Margaret McDermott Bridge and Ronald Kirk Bridge on the west side of downtown.

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The vision is for the park to be a place where visitors can connect with nature and neighbors can connect with each other. Voters first approved a plan for a park along the Trinity River in 1998. There has also been skepticism about the delay in starting the project, and whether Southern and West Dallas residents will benefit from the park.

“Many of you know that there’s always that tale of two cities. There’s still that tale of two cities between the north and south,” West said, keeping Southern Dallas in mind. “I am for the Harold Simmons Park. But I want to see in phase one, something south of 30 being developed.

“What has historically happened, is when we’ve had well-meaning public projects in the city that were supposed to benefit the entire city, we get promises that the Southern Sector will be taken care of a little later. And it’s always a little later, a little later, a little later.”

He spoke of his plans to enforce inclusion, stating that he would send an email to all elected officials that he knows represents the southern and western parts of the city, asking them to halt support of the Harold Simmons project until there is assurance that the first phase will include the Southern Sector, rather than on the latter phases.

“The most contentious issue, which I was pretty involved in, sought to prevent there being a highway getting built in the middle of the park. And I’m very pleased to say that we’ve put a nail in that coffin,” Anchia said. “I co-sign Sen. West’s plea that we make sure that the amenities in the park are built out for all of Dallas – north and south, and not just one particular part,” Anchia stated.

West reiterated his stance on pausing the first phase of the park until assurances were made that it would include the design and funding for south of Interstate 30.

“We as elected officials representing you in this area should not be supportive of anything happening with Harold Simmons Park unless we are in the mix, helping to make the decisions about what the park is going to look like.”

The discussion then turned to one of the most popular national legislative issues – abortion and reproductive rights. Currently, Texas has some of the strictest rules when it comes to abortion.

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“Literally in Texas now, a rapist can force their victim to carry that pregnancy to term. As if the initial assault and trauma was not enough. It is not a stretch to say that this is cruel and medieval,” Anchia said.

What Anchia has learned though, is that even when it comes down to evangelical voters who are often perceived to have more restricted positions on abortion, there is a blanketed belief in fair chances for pregnant women and the protection of victims of rape.

“There is a broad bipartisan consensus in this country, that at bare minimum, you should have exceptions in any rule that protects the health of a mother,” Anchia added. “Roe [v. Wade] largely got it right, and now we need a constitutional amendment to codify Roe.”

West explained that if voters in the state of Texas show up to the polls in record numbers in November, there will be representatives placed in positions to help make decisions that are most beneficial for women and families.

Public school vouchers have also been a popular topic amongst voters in Texas. Anchia explained that proponents of public school vouchers believe in the narrative that all public schools are failing and that students are trapped in public schools without the option of school choice. Therefore, the private market should be provided with a subsidy of federal dollars to remedy the issue by creating space for public school students in private schools.     

“To suggest that there’s no choice in the state of Texas is ridiculous. We have magnet schools. We have early college high schools that partner with Dallas College. We have open-enrollment public charter schools. And then we have the private market, which parents are free to choose from. So there is plenty of choice,” Anchia explained.

He went on to clarify that in many cases, voucher recipients are not students of failing schools. They are students who have always attended private school who end up getting a full subsidy for their tuition through school vouchers.

“This is your money, and it’s being given to private institutions with no strings attached. No accountability. No requirements to track the money. And no outcomes-based measurement,” Anchia said to the audience.

West closed with a plea to attendees.

“I’m gonna ask each and every one of you, over and over again, to make certain that you early vote, and that you take as many family members as possible and go out and vote. Make it a family event.”

The post Oak Cliff Community Summit addresses legislative issues appeared first on Dallas Examiner.

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