Education
University School Nashville, Yale University, Trinity College-Hartford, Vanderbilt University Owen School of Management
Tennessee ranks dead last in per-pupil spending. We are not investing in our children's future.
Three steps. Fund TISA at a level that meets student need, and stop diverting public dollars to private schools while public schools go underfunded. Pay teachers a professional wage so we stop losing them. And fully fund special education, including what happens after graduation. My son, who was born with a rare developmental disorder, aged out of Metro Schools care this year, and our state has very few options waiting for him.
My mother spent fifty years in Metro Schools, first as a teacher and later as an administrator. I have seen this system from the inside my entire life
Data centers are not new, and other states are moving on this much faster than we are. We need guardrails.
Protect Tennesseans, so we're not subsidizing the power and water these facilities consume. Protect the resources themselves. Require water and energy usage disclosure before permits are granted, not after. And protect local control, what works in one county may not work in another. Nashville is not McMinnville, and the state should not be making that call for either of us.
Georgia now requires large data centers to pay for the infrastructure they need instead of passing it to existing ratepayers. Texas, Florida, and Alabama have ratepayer protections. Tennessee should get out in front of this instead of our normal react to a mess.
TN is one of the last states refusing to expand Medicaid. Roughly 300,000 fall into the gap. They earn too much for TennCare and too little for a subsidy. They just cannot get covered.
Women pay the most for that refusal. TN leads the nation in maternal deaths. Rural hospitals have closed and taken labor and delivery with them. States that expanded have better maternal outcomes. We chose not to.
20 yrs in healthcare tech taught me what coverage does. My son taught me what its absence costs.
Home prices rose 170% over a decade while wages rose 14%. Half of Nashville renters are cost-burdened. Families cannot afford to buy homes. It is the result of bad policy.
Four steps. Cut the grocery sales tax. Repeal wage preemption and let cities set their own. Cap corporate investor purchases of single-family homes so families are not bidding against hedge funds. And build the missing middle housing that teachers, nurses, and firefighters can afford.
None are radical. All are refused.
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Education
Vanderbilt Law School, Eastern Kentucky University
Campaign Phone
615-430-5877
We must fully fund public education, full stop. We also need to stop using tax payer dollars to pay for private school tuition. I am opposed to school vouchers and I believe there needs to be accountability with the current program.
We also need to make sure that we are paying our public educators a competitive salary that will allow our public schools to attract and retain the best and brightest educators. Additionally, if we had more teachers' assistants in the classrooms, the teacher to student ratios would decrease, our children would receive a better education and our teachers would not be working 7 days/week to accomplish all that is necessary to effectively teach.
I am in favor of a moratorium on data centers until we are able to figure out the exact zoning regulations and operational standards that we need to keep our communities safe and ensure that Tennesseans aren't burdened with the costs of data centers.
I believe that local governments are going to know best what is right for their communities. That doesn't mean the state legislature shouldn't also act and ensure that we have environmental and energy standards in place to protect the public and tax payers.
We must tackle the affordability crisis in Tennessee. I will sponsor legislation on day one to end the grocery and gas tax. I also want to see us put in place additional protections for our seniors and disabled veterans who are being hurt by property tax increases.
Additionally, I want to see the legislature do something (anything, really) to prevent gun violence and help keep our schools safe. It is sickening that nothing has been done since shootings at Covenant and Antioch High School.
TN is one of 8 states that still has a grocery tax. We must end the taxes on groceries and gasoline immediately. We also need to ensure that there are are additional protections in place to help our seniors and disabled veterans who are impacted by property tax increases.
Childcare has become so expensive that women are leaving the workforce because working and having children it not feasible; the state needs to work with daycares to lower costs without compromising safety.
Education
Criminal Justice, B.S. Austin Peay State University, completion of Tennessee Highway Patrol Academy, Tennessee Government Executive Institute, Northwestern University's School of Police Staff and Command
Campaign Phone
6153475472
As the father of two daughters in Metro Nashville Public Schools, this issue is personal to me. Every child deserves access to a high-quality public education, regardless of their ZIP code. We should fully fund our public schools, invest in competitive teacher pay and support, and ensure students have the resources they need to succeed.
We must strengthen accountability by making sure taxpayer dollars are spent in classrooms, where they have the greatest impact, while giving educators the tools and flexibility to meet students' needs. I oppose diverting public education funding to private school voucher programs that reduce resources for public schools. I will be a watchdog for our tax dollars used for the voucher program.
Data centers are becoming an important part of our economy, but growth must be responsible. As Nashville is currently demonstrating, communities deserve thoughtful guardrails before large-scale projects move forward. The Legislature should establish statewide standards that protect our electric grid, water resources, taxpayers, and quality of life while respecting local planning decisions. We should also encourage developers to use Tennessee's skilled local workforce, including union labor and registered apprenticeships, so these investments create good-paying jobs here at home.
I want to restore practical evidence-based gun safety laws. In my career in law enforcement leadership, I worked for years on legislation to prevent gun violence and oversaw protection of state employees so I know how critical prevention is. I will work to reinstate handgun permit requirements, universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and red flag laws. I also support accountability in campaign finance because public service is about serving the public, not accumulating war chests
The legislature should invest in infrastructure and workforce development that creates good-paying jobs for local workers, expand access to reliable, affordable childcare so more parents can participate in the workforce, reduce unnecessary barriers that increase the cost of building affordable housing, protect public education, and eliminate government waste. We should ensure taxpayer dollars are spent on priorities that improve the daily lives of Tennessee families.
Education
Bachelor of Arts, Western Kentucky University
Campaign Phone
615-608-0941
I am strongly opposed to the school voucher program. The school voucher program is effectively subsidizing the wealthy while cutting critical funding from our state’s already underfunded public schools. Fully funding the public education system is paramount to the success of Nashville, Davidson County, and District 59. Regardless of a family’s personal decision to send their children to private/independent schools, I believe fully funding our public schools helps the next generation of Tennesseans grow into impactful community members and leaders. I will advocate for our public schools by supporting increased teacher pay, higher per pupil investment, and opposing the voucher program.
The State has a responsibility to protect local resources. Data centers require a massive amount of energy and water. The legislature must shield Tennesseans from the financial burden placed by the power demand of data centers. In addition, centers consume high amounts of water and produce noise and air pollution. The State must balance this emerging technology and growth with protecting our citizens and natural resources.
Tennessee is number one in the country for maternal mortality. The problem is exacerbated by the state’s near-total abortion ban. Nearly 1/3rd of our state is a maternity care desert. I want to work with legislators in cities and rural areas to find solutions. The Tennessee Department of Health reports that 74 percent of deaths are preventable. We must act swiftly and cooperatively to pass legislation to expand Medicaid, address care deserts and improve statewide community interventions.
Raising our minimum wage to a living wage will help give everyone the opportunity to properly support themselves and their families. The current minimum wage of $7.25 was implemented in 2009, making it woefully insufficient to address the costs of living in Tennessee today. I would vote in favor of a higher statewide minimum wage and support a bill that gives local jurisdictions, including Nashville, the ability to create our own minimum wage rules if the state fails to address the crisis.
