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In my first legislative term, I worked hard, across party lines as necessary, and won more than $26 million in new investments for my district (half for TSU). The achievement that gives me the most pride, however, is HB107, my first bill. This bipartisan bill, a speaker priority, sets up the state’s first sickle cell registry, a major step toward expanding research, improving care and saving lives. As I understand it, passing a priority bill as a freshman in the minority party rarely happens. For this and other work, the House Democratic Caucus honored me as “Freshman of the Year”. I’m the founder and chairwoman of the Labor and Workforce Caucus. I want to build on this experience and accomplish more in my second term.
I serve on the Public Health and Healthcare Affordability Interim Select Committee. The fastest way to increase access to care is for Texas to accept Medicaid Expansion. Millions of Texans lost Medicaid insurance when pandemic-era subsidies expired and again when Trump’s Big Ugly Bill passed. We have the highest rate of uninsured in the US. Many with insurance still do not receive the care they need because of expensive co-pays and prescription costs. In addition, we need transformational investments in mental health services. I will fight for additional funds for mental health care using the state’s budget surplus or reallocating funds from unnecessary and/or racist programs like Abbott’s border security initiatives and school vouchers.
Public education is at a breaking point. My priorities include increasing state funding for public schools (with the ultimate goal of fully funding public education), increasing salaries and benefits for teachers and support personnel, reforming the evaluation systems for students and teachers, ending censorship, and unwinding the TEA takeover of HISD and reversing its harmful effects. Private schools receiving vouchers should undergo independent financial audits, publicly report how taxpayer funds are spent, disclose academic results, meet health and safety standards, protect students from discrimination, and provide transparency regarding admissions, discipline, tuition, and services for students with disabilities.
The two most pressing issues are historic infrastructure neglect and persistent environmental and health disparities. Many neighborhoods still struggle with flooding, aging streets, and inadequate water and drainage infrastructure. I will fight to secure additional infrastructure, drainage, water, or flood-mitigation projects with state funding. Communities like Sunnyside have carried an unfair burden from pollution and unequal access to health care. I will work to expand air-quality monitoring, strengthen environmental enforcement, and secure additional funding for maternal health, mental health, sickle cell, and preventive care. Your ZIP code should not determine whether your street floods, the air you breathe, or how long you live.
