QUALIFICATIONS
What training, experience, and background qualify you for this position?
I am a lifelong resident of Wichita Falls. I graduated from Rider High School, then Midwestern State University with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in Accounting. I became a Certified Public Accountant in 1981 and opened my CPA office that year in addition to operating other ventures. A CPA is trained to be precise, look for details, work within the law and work with budgets. Having a family with two children who are now teachers in addition to having two sisters who are retired teachers gives me insight into the challenges of the education system. My volunteer work with Interfaith Outreach Services as a member of the Board of Directors and Treasurer gives me insight into poverty in Texas and the need to help others.
Public education is job #1.
For Texas to have the best jobs in America, we need the best public schools in America to be right here in Texas. I will work to fund the best schools staffed with great teachers.
Everyone knows that quality costs more, at least everyone in the 69th District does. Our district lacks the ability to tax adequately to provide the education we want for our students. Texas has complicated formulas to determine the funds our school districts receive. Since at least 1984, Texas has been underfunding our schools to the point that Texas schools are now underfunded by $4,000 per student compared to the national average. I will work to solve that problem.
Teachers are the backbone of a quality education. Texas teachers have gone the extra mile, but they are underpaid by about $10,000 per year compared to those in other states. Our retired teachers who retired after 2004 have not received a single cost of living adjustment to their retirement benefits even though health care premiums for retired teachers have skyrocketed.
I will work to put more money into the classrooms and say “no” to efforts to take our public tax dollars out of our schools and send them to private schools. This will not be an easy task as too many legislators just “go along to get along”. “Making waves” to improve funding for education is what I will do.
I will work to fully fund public schools and fully support teachers and students. That is job #1.
VOTING RIGHTS
What actions would you take to ensure that all eligible voters have equal access to safe and fair elections?
I support The Freedom to Vote Act and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. I will stand against voter suppression and the laws passed to keep people from voting. I will stand up against the current and future officeholders that continue to spread lies about the integrity of our voting system. Every Texan deserves no less than the right to vote for their choices on a ballot. If it is easier for me to vote than for my neighbor to vote, that is a wrong that I will work to correct. Who is my neighbor? Everyone is my neighbor.
Expanding Healthcare Coverage
Texas leads the nation in the number of people who are unable to afford to see a doctor. Rural Texas has an even higher percentage who can’t afford to see a doctor or fill a prescription. Expanding Medicaid in Texas is our best chance to bring affordable healthcare to an estimated one million Texans.
Texas is one of twelve states that have failed to take advantage of expanding Medicaid. Every state surrounding Texas has adopted and implemented Medicaid Expansion. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana have all implemented Medicaid Expansion. If Texas adopted and implemented Medicaid Expansion, it would bring approximately $5.41 billion in federal dollars annually to the state. Where else can you receive $900,000 for every $100,000 you spend on health care for Texans?
The Texas Hospital Association has endorsed Medicaid Expansion.
The Perryman Group, a leading economic consulting firm led by Ray Perryman has published the positive economic results from Texas taking advantage of Medicaid Expansion. Texas gross product would be increased by $45.3 billion, and Texas personal income would be increased by $29.4 billion. Texas would have an increase in job creation in every region of Texas.
As your State Representative for District 69, I will work with like-minded legislators to bring Medicaid Expansion to Texas.
REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM
All Texans deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about
their own body, their own health care, and their own future. Women
deserve the freedom to decide if, when, and with whom to start a
family.
I trust Texas women to make their own health care decisions.
BORDER AND IMMIGRATION
Texas should be THE leader in building a safe, legal, and orderly immigration system that meets the needs of our state and country. Safety and security at our border are a priority. We need to have a new guest worker program that will be a legal way to fill labor shortages in agriculture, oil and gas, and manufacturing. The guest worker program will identify who is coming and who is not allowed. We have crops dying in the fields. We have roads and homes needing to be built. We have problems that can be solved when we work together.
MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION
Medical Marijuana should be legalized in Texas. Medical Marijuana can help the patient if an individual has: Alzheimer’s disease, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Crohn’s disease, Epilepsy and seizures, Glaucoma, Multiple sclerosis, Severe and chronic pain, and Severe nausea or vomiting caused by cancer treatment and other conditions. Thirty-seven (37) other states have legalized medical marijuana. Texas has too many that could be helped and are not being helped.
Recreational Marijuana should be legalized in Texas. Nineteen (19) other states have legalized recreational marijuana including New Mexico and Colorado. If recreational marijuana is legalized in Texas, a new state revenue stream of about $1 billion dollars would be able to be used to invest in schools and reduce property taxes.
POWER GRID
What further changes are needed to ensure that Texas has sufficient power in times of extreme weather conditions?
I will support tougher enforcement and regulation of all aspects of the power grid. If Texans cannot count on our power grid to be dependable and fairly priced, then the alternative is joining The Eastern Interconnection and The Western Interconnection and eliminating ERCOT as a standalone entity. ERCOT was established in the 1930s for political reasons. By not crossing state lines, ERCOT is not regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. This ended up being our Achilles’ heel, a weakness in spite of overall strength, which can lead to a downfall, as Texas experienced in February of 2021.
BROADBAND ACCESSIBILITY
How will you address the present problems facing outlying areas electronic accessibility?
Texas has a “Rainy Day Fund” containing over $11 billion. Using some of the “Rainy Day Fund” could jump-start rural broadband until the Federal Infrastructure Bill, signed in November 2021, allocates money to Texas.
Too many students are sitting in McDonald’s parking lots at night using free Wi-Fi to complete their homework in both rural Texas and urban Texas.
I will work to provide broadband to everyone.