I've been involved in policy as a Republican for my entire adult life, serving as a local volunteer and leader in the party and then on the Clear Creek ISD school board for six years. In all of those roles, I've brought a problem-solving mindset that I've developed in my professional life as a chemical engineer.
I'm a lifelong resident of the district, having grown up in Clear Lake and still living there today, and I know the needs of our region and our industry well. I also know the needs and challenges that face our public schools and will be an advocate for parents and our schools at the state level.
I have the experience, the knowledge, and the passion to ensure our district continues to be represented well in the Texas Legislature.
The best approach for ensuring healthcare access is to decrease costs across the board and provide price transparency. People seeking care need to know upfront what their costs will be and have the flexibility to choose providers who best meet their needs and will cost the least.
Greater supply means lower costs--so we need more doctors, nurses, and other professionals trained to prevent shortages and allow competition.
I am a strong believer in maintaining a culture of life. I support legislation which has ensured new mothers in need (and their newborns) are able to receive Medicaid or low-cost medical care during pregnancy and for the following year after childbirth.
High performing public schools should receive the funding they need to excel, especially our suburban schools which receive less funding than the state average under the current formula. I oppose Robin Hood and will work to reduce or eliminate it, ensuring tax dollars remain within our districts.
For any school choice program, the greatest form of accountability is parental choice. Parents know what options are best for their children and for their families and we should trust them. However, we need accountability measures in place to ensure that all funds are spent for education, and not for other purposes--the program as it exists has those guardrails but we need to ensure they have worked properly as the program enters its first year.
Property taxes--I support Governor Abbott's plan to reduce taxes by granting a 100% homestead exemption to the school property tax (using the state sales tax surplus to replace school district funding). Beyond that, we need to limit appraisal growth to no more than 3% per year and reduce the frequency of property reappraisal.
Insurance--The best way to reduce windstorm insurance is to help people upgrade their homes. I support making grant funds available up to $10,000 per homeowner in high risk areas to do this (and Gov. Abbott supports this as well). Vehicle insurance can best be reduced by getting uninsured motorists off the roads and by allowing drivers with safe records and few violations to claim discounts from their insurers.
I have dedicated my life to public service. After studying international affairs and conflict resolution, I started my career in intelligence at the Pentagon. I was there during the 9/11 attack, and that called me to federal service as a Special Agent with the Diplomatic Security Service and later Homeland Security. During my career, I directed high-profile protection details around the world, conducted counter-terrorism investigations, and led disaster response teams during Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. Principally, I am a negotiator. I am ready to bring those skills to the Texas Capitol to serve the people of House District 129 and find common-sense solutions to the challenges we face today.
I would take steps to expand Medicaid eligibility in Texas. We are wasting our tax dollars by refusing to take money back from the federal government to help Texans afford medical insurance. We have the most uninsured children in the country and that cost is felt not just by those kids and their families, but by all of us. In HD 129, we are lucky to be near a great medical center, but rural hospitals and clinics across the state are closing at record rates and many countries don't even have a pharmacy. Getting more people on health insurance like Medicaid helps them access healthcare and keeps healthcare providers open to provide care for everyone.
Fully funding public schools is my top priority as a state legislator. It's not just the right thing to do, it’s in our State Constitution to “make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.” The voucher program takes money from our schools and students without the accountability and transparency we require from our school districts. I would support a repeal of the school voucher program. If that is not possible, I will work to require that private schools receiving these funds report educational outcomes in the same manner as public schools and publish financial information publicly. Public dollars belong in public schools.
Outside of supporting our public schools, the two most pressing issues in HD 129 are the high cost of homeowner’s insurance and an unreliable energy grid. We are a coastal community and we face the threat of hurricanes that can cause floods or knock out the power. Homeowner’s insurance rates are rising, if you can get insurance at all. We need to take steps to reduce our risk level by building coastal protections, expanding flood mitigation projects, and strengthening buildings. If we reduce our risk, we can make the insurance companies lower our costs. We also need to modernize our energy transmission system and embrace all our abundant sources of energy to keep the lights on in our homes. Texans deserve a reliable grid.
