Issues

Gun Safety

I support sensible gun legislation to ensure all Texans can live free of fear of gun violence. While Texans have a constitutional right to own guns, there must be reasonable limits necessary for public safety.

I support background checks on all gun sales, Red Flag laws, gun storage regulations, and a ban on assault weapons and high capacity ammunition.

LGBTQ 

I led the campaign for a comprehensive non-discrimination policy that includes sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression for the Houston Independent School District’s students, families and employees.

I support the expansion of anti-discrimination protections for all Texans and oppose “bathroom bills,” and other laws that would allow discrimination by businesses, healthcare professionals or others. 

Healthcare

According to a 2018 poll conducted by the Kaiser Foundation and the Episcopal Health Foundation, 54% of Texans favor increased spending on healthcare and 64% want the legislature to take a more active role in making that happen. Texas shamefully continues to have the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation.

I support Medicaid expansion in Texas, which would result in currently employed but uninsured Texans having access to healthcare. If necessary, I would support a joint resolution to take the expansion to voters. 

A woman’s right to control her own health care choices has been greatly curtailed at the state level and continues to be at risk. I fully support the expansion and protection of reproductive rights and every woman’s ownership over those decisions. I support access to affordable reproductive healthcare, emergency contraception and abortion; federal, state and local funding for reproductive healthcare by providers such as Planned Parenthood; and evidenced-based sex education and pregnancy prevention programs. 

Education

Currently, only 13% of low-income Harris county students complete a post-secondary credential. 40% of our third graders are reading on grade level. 63% of those students are low-income. (Good Reason Houston) This is not sustainable. Closing these gaps by making good on the promise of public education is both a moral and economic imperative. Every child must have access to more than one high-quality school in their neighborhood. I support investment in Texas schoolchildren, starting with meaningful increases in teacher salaries and family friendly policies that promote structural changes to public education in Texas. We must have more high-quality school options any of us would be proud to choose for our own children. I also support a transparent, robust accountability system to ensure our investment is resulting in better outcomes for children. 

Environment

A healthy environment is essential to quality of life. In our urban setting, this basic right often feels out of reach. Among the multiple measures at our disposal, I support increasing public transportation options in Texas; expansion of and robust enforcement of existing reporting and environmental regulations; and the right for cities to enact single use plastic regulations and other similar measures. Additionally, I support Houston, District 148 in particular, having a meaningful role in the final I-45 expansion plan.             

Immigration

One quarter of Houston area residents are immigrants who are a vital part of our community and economy. I oppose any attempt to repeal in-state tuition rates for undocumented, Texas high school graduates or Dreamers. I support the repeal of the “Sanctuary Cities” law, which punishes cities that seek to protect their immigrant communities, and minimizing the $800 million we have budgeted in the last two sessions on border security and, instead using those dollars to fund public education or other spending measures that impact Texans’ daily lives.   

Ethics and transparency

I successfully worked with my colleagues to overhaul and upgrade the HISD Board’s Ethics and Transparency policies, including an overhaul of the internal audit department. I support strengthening ethics laws around conflicts of interest for Texas lawmakers and making the government contracting process more open and transparent. 

Redistricting 

Texas will redistrict in 2021. I believe every community and every voter should be treated fairly in the redistricting process, and that fair maps will ensure that the voices of every Texan are equitably represented. I pledge to support maps that eliminate the partisan gerrymandering that occurred in the last redistricting process.