Make students and public education a priority again and stop undermining them; Fully support teachers with resources and volunteer support and allow them to do the job for which they were trained; Repeal Lee's voucher program and redirect those funds into public schools; Provide free school meals to every child; Repeal Republicans' book ban law and improve literacy rates so students can benefit from full libraries; Eliminate state charter school commission and other overreaching state bureaucracies; Reduce emphasis on standardized tests; Repeal "third-grade retention law"; Increase scheduling flexibility for administrators; Adjust high school start times to align with science; Require the governor to hire a qualified DOE commissioner.

The state has a significant role to play with respect to the environmental and energy consumption and cost concerns arising from data centers generally, as well as the macro regulatory issues, i.e. licensing, etc. The zoning and codes issues arising from any administratively-compliant data centers should be handled at the local level. Local governments should have the power to decide whether or not they want data centers in their community and if so, what type, how large, and where they want them.

I will remain primarily focused on addressing three big issues: public education, transportation infrastructure, and healthcare. Strengthening our public education system will provide opportunity for every child. Modernizing our archaic and crumbling transportation infrastructure system and they way we fund it will facilitate continued economic growth in every community. Increasing access to quality healthcare, including mental healthcare, will benefit every family.

First, we have to convince Republicans to acknowledge that the crisis exists and then work with us to address it. We have multiple opportunities to help working families keep money in their pockets, some of which include: reducing/eliminating the grocery tax; increasing access to reliable regional public transit; adopting a "living wage" law; and, drafting a state budget that prioritizes Tennesseans rather than special interests.

A quality education starts with ensuring that every school district has the resources it needs to serve its students well. Tennessee’s rural and urban districts face different challenges, so I don’t believe a one-size-fits-all approach is the answer. Local school boards are often in the best position to understand the unique needs of their communities, and the state should work to ensure they have the funding and flexibility to meet those needs.

First, communities deserve transparency. People should know when a data center is being proposed and have the chance to share their concerns before decisions are made. While local governments make land-use decisions, the state can ensure a transparent process that gives communities a voice.

Second, data centers should pay the full cost of the utilities and infrastructure they need. Tennessee families should not see higher utility bills because of private development.

Finally, we must make sure our power grid can handle the added energy demand before new data centers are approved. We should encourage innovation, but not at the expense of reliable and affordable power for our communities.

One thing I would like to accomplish in the next legislative session is helping Tennessee prepare for the retirement of the baby boomer generation. Many small business owners are nearing retirement, and without a plan, those businesses could close, taking jobs and years of hard work with them. I want to explore ways to encourage mentorships between retiring business owners and the next generation. Not every student wants to attend a four-year college, they just need mentorship and experience.

The affordability crisis cannot be solved with one policy. We need to help Tennesseans earn more, keep more of what they earn, and reduce unnecessary costs.

One way to do that is by helping the next generation take over small businesses as baby boomers retire. Supporting mentorships and business succession can protect jobs, create new business owners, and strengthen local economies.

I also support eliminating the state grocery tax so families can keep more money in their pockets.