A PLAN ROOTED IN DISTRICT 125

Public schools are the beating hearts of our communities. Every child, regardless of income or zipcode, deserves access to a fully funded, high-quality public education. As a 15-year public school history teacher, I’ve seen firsthand how our students and school workers have been negatively impacted by  an overreaching accountability system, chronic underfunding, and harmful education policies. I will always fight alongside students, families, and school workers to create the schools Texas kids deserve.

Texas still ranks near the bottom in the basic allotment per pupil at $6,215 with local taxes making up 56% of that funding and the state reducing their portion down year over year. I will fight to increase the basic allotment without increasing local property taxes. We shouldn’t have to choose between fully funding our students and owning a home.

Texas is one of the last six states to still fund public schools based on attendance, rather than enrollment. Funding based on attendance disproportionately hurts school districts with high numbers of low-income students and students with chronic health issues. Attendance and chronic absenteeism should be addressed through accountability and Close the Gap efforts and not reduced funding. We need to invest in getting our students back into schools, not punish districts when students are absent.

Texas underfunds special education by 18% which means every time a school district identifies a student that requires special education services they go in the red. I will fight for fully funded special education programs. We need to meet students where they are and lift them to their fullest potential.

 Texas is #1 in uninsured individuals, and with Trump cutting millions of Americans from Medicare and Medicaid and millions of dollars in medical research, now more than ever, we need our state to step up and take care of all Texans. 

As a teacher, I have fought alongside students and school workers to address the needs expressed by students for more robust mental healthcare. Mental health We need to ensure our entire population, especially our young people, have access to quality mental health services. 

As your representative I will fight to expand the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), lower prescription drug prices, and restore reproductive rights. Working families have a right to quality, affordable healthcare. 

There are over 5.6 million seniors ages 60 and up that currently live in Texas. As a state, we need to ensure that our aging population is taken care of and can age in place. This means protecting seniors from skyrocketing insurance costs from housing to healthcare, as well as elderly-targeted fraud scams and elder abuse. Our seniors have earned the right to age with dignity, have fully funded pension security and a state legislature that invests in programs to keep our seniors happy, healthy, and safe. 

Homeowners and renters across Texas are struggling to keep up with the rising cost of living and increasing property taxes. Home costs and interest rates are at an all-time high; as your state representative I will fight to remove barriers to homeownership and lessen the tax burden on our homeowners and aspiring homeowners, while ensuring funding for our public schools is not cut in the process.

I will prioritize and pass legislation that helps incentivize housing that working families can access. We need to continue to encourage smart growth, and keep property taxes from skyrocketing and forcing seniors out of their permanent homes. 

Good paying jobs are the first step in ending generational poverty. As a third-generation union member with over 15 years of labor union experience, I have tirelessly fought alongside our workers– for fair wages, good jobs, and affordable child care for all workers and their families. As your next Texas House District 125 Representative, I will continue our fight to make sure Texas works for working families.

Both of my grandfathers were combat veterans whose service afforded me and my family opportunities we wouldn’t have had otherwise. Bexar County has the highest percentage of veterans in Texas, with over 13,000 veterans in the Texas House District 125. As your state representative I will fight to ensure those who fought for our country are guaranteed access to job training to transition into civilian life, access to healthcare including robust mental healthcare and housing security. It would be my honor to fight for our veteran community and help deliver the dignity and respect they have earned.

More than ever, this past legislative session has shown us that Republicans are openly and attacking our democratic process, gerrymandering our districts, disenfranchising voters, and taking away the rights of hard working Texans. As a life-long Democrat, I will fight back against power-hungry Republicans and ensure our legislature guarantees our constitutional rights and upholds our democratic process. 

Our local municipalities have the closest interaction and relationship with their communities, giving them the unique knowledge to know what is best for their community. We continue to see harmful bills come out of our Texas legislature that give power to Republicans at the state level that allow them to penalize Texas cities who enact policies that benefit their citizens. For example, when San Antonio passed a water-break ordinance for our outdoor workers in 100 degree heat, the state passed a bill prohibiting us from taking care of our workers. When elected, I will fight for cities to keep their right to govern and reflect the needs and aspiration of their constituents.

San Antonio is one of the fastest growing cities in the United States, and with growth comes an increase in drivers on our roads. Congestion has gotten increasingly worse on some of our major thoroughfares in District 125 like Bandera, Cuelebra, 410 and 1604. As the state prepares to begin construction on Bandera road, we need to ensure that we center the needs of our residents and local businesses along Bandera.

As a current member of the VIA Metro Board of Trustees, I know firsthand the importance of having a safe, quality public transportation system that connects our community to work, school, and family. As a state representative I will fight to prioritize funding to ensure robust public transportation systems to alleviate congestion, save money, and benefit our environment.

Beyond transportation infrastructure, it is vital that our digital infrastructure be built out to its full capacity. As a teacher during COVID-19, I have seen the impact of the digital divide in our community. The pandemic exposed the reality that access to the internet is an essential part of life, for work and school. With 91% of Texas jobs requiring digital skills and students requiring internet access to learn, now more than ever we need to continue to invest in building our accessible and affordable internet infrastructure to connect all Texans.