50 years later, TexPIRG is still going strong

In 1972 students across Texas joined together to form an organization that would stand up to special interests and work for a healthier, safer world in which we’re freer to pursue our own individual well-being and the common good.

Fifty years later, TexPIRG is still going strong. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we’ll be reflecting back on our many victories over the decades. Look for those stories and photos – including ones of me in the 70s with some righteous sideburns ? – over the course of this year.

Today, I wanted to share some more recent history – our work over the last few months to protect school kids from lead in drinking water and diesel exhaust from buses, protect consumers from ripoffs and dangerous products, and, of course, recruiting and training college students to be active citizens helping Texas be the best state it can be.

Please enjoy these recent highlights, and I look forward to sharing more with you soon.

Sincerely,

Ted Siff

Co-founder, TexPIRG and Board Member, TexPIRG Education Fund

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Under the leadership of TexPIRG Students President Selena Flot and campus organizer Sydney Kale, TexPIRG is thriving at UT Austin. With 22 leaders and volunteers, the team is tackling hunger and homelessness, addressing plastic pollution, saving the bees and working to register students to vote. In the last few months, the students have fundraised and volunteered to help the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, lobbied city council to declare Austin a “Bee City” (which would expand programs to protect pollinators), and much more.

TexPIRG Students volunteer at the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center 

TexPIRG Students President Selena Flot 

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In January, TexPIRG Education Fund released Unleaded Education: Ensuring clean water for Houston ISD, a new report showing 84% of Houston ISD schools still have lead contamination of drinking water, even after some remediation efforts by the district. TexPIRG’s Claire Ganschow joined with Rev. James Caldwell of the Coalition of Community Organizations (COCO) and twenty other health, parent, and community leaders to urge HISD Superintendent Millard House II to use new federal funding to replace all fountains with water bottle/hydration stations equipped with filters that remove lead, and install filters at all other taps used for cooking or drinking. Our efforts were covered by Houston Public Media, Univision and KHOU.

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Our Consumer Defense program works to get dangerous products off store shelves, end exploitative practices, and ensure a level playing field in the marketplace. We also advocate for new rules, institutions and policies to defend consumers from the economic and political power of special interests. In the last few months, we’ve warned consumers about threats to food safety, the health impacts associated with gas cooking, predatory lending and more. Our December report finding DFW Airport was the worst for flight delays was covered by Axios, WFAA, Dallas Morning News and others.

In November, we joined with Congressman Lloyd Doggett at our annual toy safety press conference at the Escuelita Del Alma childcare center. 

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One in five insured Americans who have surgery or visit an emergency room receive a surprise medical bill. Often, patients don’t know that the provider who treated them was out-of-network until they’re at home, recovering, and receive a medical bill for hundreds or even thousands of dollars that their insurance company isn’t obligated to pay. As of Jan. 1, a new law called the No Surprises Act protects insured Americans from most surprise medical bills. Our Health Care Campaigns Director Patricia Kelmar put together a tip guide to help consumers know and use their new rights. She promoted the guide to the media, getting the attention of NBC DFW, Fox 7 Austin, Houston Chronicle, Fox San Antonio and others. 

Patricia spoke at the Texas Association of Health Plans conference in November about surprise medical bills

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Since we released our first report on electric buses back in 2018, electric buses have taken off in a big way. We celebrated in August when METRO Houston committed to buy only electric or zero emission buses by 2030, in September when Austin’s Capital Metro approved a contract to acquire nearly 200 electric buses, and in November when President Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which includes $5 billion for electric school buses and more for charging stations, into law. In December, we held a webinar to help school districts learn about new federal funding for electric school buses.