TEGNA’s 10 Texas stations joined forces yesterday to let viewers know that roughly 25 percent of all children in Texas live in poverty.
The stations worked with The Salvation Army to bring in donations and reported on the issue to raise awareness. Each station profiled one child or neighborhood affected. On social media, journalists used the hashtag #TexasforChildren.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE points out that while Texas Governor Rick Perry says that while he’s been Governor, Texas has created almost one-third of all jobs created in the U.S, 29 percent of those job don’t pay enough to keep a family of four out of poverty.
Texas ranks fifth in the country for the highest share of workers paid at or below the minimum wage.
State Rep. Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin, says that’s nothing to boast about.
“We’re doing a lot of things to encourage business to come to Texas, but they’re not employing a large number of Texans and they’re not employing them at a pay rate allowing them to provide for their families,” Rodriguez said.