As a practicing attorney and local leader. I bring legal expertise, policy knowledge and community-rooted experience. I lead with integrity, collaboration and a commitment to delivering results.
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The State must promote a healthy Texas by ensuring affordable, accessible healthcare. I support strengthening Medicaid, closing coverage gaps & supporting community health centers in rural and underserved areas. We must protect against surprise medical bills, reduce out-of-pocket expenses & invest in mental health, maternal & preventive care.
I will advocate for workforce development initiatives that align with the current & emerging employment needs of our District. I'll support legislation that invests in our small businesses to expand access to workforce training grants & resources. I'll also work to strengthen partnerships between educational institutions & employers to create a path from education to employment.
I will work to advocate for affordable energy by strengthening grid reliability, upgrading infrastructure and holding energy providers accountable for drastic increases in costs. I support a diverse energy mix, including clean energy and efficiency, to lower costs and create jobs, while enforcing environmental protections that safeguard public health and communities.
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I support policies that ensure our public schools are fully & equitably funded & resourced, ensuring that school choice does not drain resources from classrooms or pay from educators. I also would prioritize student support & resources, including mental health services, counseling and family engagement programs, so schools can meet the whole needs of all students and remove barriers to learning.
Ashley Bean Thornton is a community connector and servant with years of experience in public education, business and higher ed. She believes in civil discourse and working together for progress.
Elections in Texas are already safe and secure. We should maintain that security while also making voting more convenient and accessible. For example, we should work to make it easier to register to vote, to vote by mail, and to obtain an acceptable photo ID. The more concerning issue regarding voting rights to me is gerrymandering. We should establish an independent board for redistricting.
Emergency rooms are the most expensive and least effective way to provide health care – but people rely on them when they don't have insurance. Texas has the highest uninsured rate in the U.S. There are literally 49 other states that we could be learning from - including other red states. Let’s task one of our universities with compiling a list of effective policies and start working on them.
Often communities are left behind because they were built around a single industry that is now changing, such as oil or agriculture. We need to make sure our overall economic policy doesn’t just support our current industries but also seeds emerging industries that could take root in these communities. Investing in Infrastructure and workforce education are also important. Raise the minimum wage.
Most states share power across regional grids to improve reliability and lower costs. Texas could partner with a neighboring grid at least for emergency power. About 30% of Texas power already comes from wind and solar. We should work with our current energy companies, including oil & gas companies, to build on that and invest in grid reliability, storage, transmission and emerging technologies.
The new Texas Water Fund is a good step, and we need to expect even more investment in water for the future. We need to plug leaks in our current water infrastructure, install more water efficient systems where we can, and explore new methods of water recovery. We need to make sure that emerging industries (e.g. data centers) are regulated appropriately to insure efficient and fair water use.
We have a strong economy. If we want to keep it that way, we need to invest in the 90% of Texas children who go to public schools. Invest in Pre-K, research-based behavior management, and teacher prep especially for low-income serving schools. For all schools, increase the basic allotment and restore local control. Make curriculum and testing more developmentally appropriate. That's a start.
