Editor’s Note: This is a first hand experience written by Jay Motheral, ATA’s summer intern. To learn more about the Civics Lab, follow them on Twitter. To learn more about the resolution, check out this article from the Austin Monitor.
A lot of people that are interested in politics are oftentimes very knowledgeable about policy. Whether it is a good friend of mine or someone random you can encounter at an event, if someone cares about politics, odds are they understand how a policy can impact a community or the general public. I always liked to pride myself that I knew a lot about policy myself, but one thing that a lot of people overlook is how one comes up with an idea and then gets it enacted in legislation. They do not explain that on the news and sometimes in a classroom as well.
I always liked to pride myself that I knew a lot about policy myself, but one thing that a lot of people overlook is how one comes up with an idea and then gets it enacted in legislation.
I joined a class called Civics Lab that my professor and advisor, Dr. David Thomason had started and asked me to take it because I needed credit. I came into the class thinking I would sort of fade into the background, try my hardest not to stand out, and just keep my head above water. Time would move forward though and as things progressed, I found myself wanting to get more engaged. There was something about wanting to advocate for a policy that could actually help a load of people that just seemed so important to do. The policy we wanted to advocate for was to try to fix the food desert problems which exist in Austin. There is a lack of healthy food in certain portions of the city, and even larger lack of knowledge on where the healthy food would be as well.
There was something about wanting to advocate for a policy that could actually help a load of people that just seemed so important to do.
I decided to take it upon myself, seeing that everyone else was laying the groundwork for the legislation to be promoted, hosting events and meetings to get the word out about what we were doing, we needed to write the actual text. My really good friend and I, George, sat down one day and wrote out an ordinance to be given to the City Council in Austin. After a few weeks, some really late nights, and a lot of coffee, we finally produced something that we would be proud of and that hopefully would get healthy food areas designated on city maps and in public transportation. My professor would deliver this in a public hearing at the council, and when it was brought forward, it was met with support but the way in which it was written had to be redone. It was not in their purview to enact this, as it would affect CapMetro and potentially involve the county too.
We were not undeterred from this though and decided to pick it back up again, writing a resolution and a couple other policy ideas to try to get the city to be a partner in this food-transportation policy. After supportive discussions from going to meetings with CapMetro, planners and board members themselves, and getting the support of Councilmembers Fuentes and Renteria, we got some momentum for this. Thankfully, the resolution to which the city would work with CapMetro to produce maps to get full service grocery stores on transit maps was approved and the city would get to work.
Democracy is not just about voting at the ballot box, it goes far further than that.
Democracy is not just about voting at the ballot box, it goes far further than that. Policies take time to get enacted and it takes a lot of work. Sometimes it takes longer than a couple of months, it can take longer. But putting a policy in motion takes time and energy. Getting it right was so important and giving up was not an option. The Civics Lab taught me a lot about government and civic participation, it was one of the most profound things I have ever participated in my life.