Faith in the Constitution, Freedom to Choose, True Family Values: Our Diversity is Our Strength AND Putting People over Politics

Together, we can push past the small and divisive politics that we see in Texas today — and get back to the big, bold vision that used to define Texas. 

Since President Trump appointed three justices to the Supreme Court, the MAGA supermajority has eliminated our right to abortion, made it harder to prevent school shootings, allowed massive corporations to pollute our air and water, helped politicians suppress our votes, and so much more. Now, the hand-picked justices are threatening to take even more power to rewrite the rules in favor of special interests, billionaires, and major corporations — helping the rich get richer and the powerful gain more power — at the expense of the American people.

RURAL TEXAS ISSUES

ENHANCING BORDER SECURITY: We will work with Texans — regardless of party — to develop the immigration and border security reforms that will allow us to have a legal, orderly system of immigration and uphold our country’s asylum laws.

Republicans don't want to solve the border crisis so they can continue to campaign on it, they are really more interested in chaos and politics rather than serving the people.”

REVITALIZING PUBLIC SCHOOLS: We will fully fund public schools and fully support teachers, students, and parents. We will NEVER SUPPORT SCHOOL VOUCHERS that will DEFUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS!

Republicans want to fund vouchers paid to wealthy families, which will indoctrinate children into The Christion Nationalists ideology! It’s not a realistic option for hard-working Texas families in rural areas of our state (which do not have practical private school options). Let’s keep public tax dollars where they can benefit the public good. Texas families don’t need vouchers to get the best education for their students — they already have that choice among the 1,026 public school districts in the state.  

PROTECTING REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM: All Texans deserve the freedom to make their own decisions about their own bodies, their own health care, and their own future.

Republicans believe in forced-birth, they are taking away the personal choice of women to control their own bodies. Who are they to play GOD in making such a personal decision while killing women who do not have access to safe medical care, So much for pro-life!

COMMON SENSE GUN SAFETY: We can PROTECT the Second Amendment while protecting Texans from gun violence. We must change how easy it is for people to use firearms irresponsibly in this state. Over 4,000 Texans are killed by gun violence every year (60% by suicide) .

Republicans, Despite several tragedies in Texas—including the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, the 2019 El Paso and Odessa shootings, and the 2017 Sutherland Springs shooting—state lawmakers continue to sit on their hands and refuse to enact foundational gun safety laws. To the contrary, the laws passed in recent years have torn down existing protections. Texas now forces colleges and universities to allow guns on their campuses, allows school personnel to carry guns in K–12 schools, and as of 2021, has no requirement to get a permit before carrying a concealed handgun in public. In 2022 The NRA spent $16 Million to elect a Republican House majority to sit on their hands and allow the killings to continue!

IMPROVING HEALTH CARE & ACCESS: We Texans deserve access to affordable health care by keeping the “AFFORDABLE CARE ACT” in place, while EXPANDING MEDICADE and accepting the $450 million to help feed 3.8 million hungry children , while attracting the best and brightest medical providers.

Democrats have fought for years to get Texas to expand Medicaid eligibility and help the most vulnerable Texans get access to health care. By unlocking billions of federal dollars to help with health care costs, the change would be a boon for the state’s economy -- helping to keep premiums down for everyone, keep rural hospitals open, address racial injustice in the health care system, and keep families across the state healthy.

Republicans continue to refuse the expansion of Medicaid to those who desperately need subsidized healthcare. According to a poll, nearly 70% of Texans support Medicaid expansion . Texas leads the nation in the number of uninsured residents. Republicans’ longtime refusal to extend health care to Texans who need it is pure political posturing. Because Texas Republicans consistently put politics above our health, lives, and livelihoods, the state has said no to at least $9 billion in federal funds to help insure more Texans. 

KEEPING SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE: Social Security Works!  Social Security is strikingly superior to its private sector counterparts. It is more efficient, universal, fair and secure. DEMOCRATES WILL EXPAND SOCIAL SECURITY. Currently, the wealthiest Americans do not contribute into Social Security on their wage income above $168,600, or on any of their unearned investment income. If we require millionaires and billionaires to pay in all year long on all of their income, just like the rest of us, we can afford to protect and expand Social Security’s modest benefits. Doing that will help address today’s income and wealth inequality, a primary cause of Social Security’s projected shortfall.

Republicans "MAGA House Republicans are demonstrating their hostility to working Americans and retirees via their fiscal year 2025 budget resolution," "The MAGA budget includes trillions of dollars in cuts to domestic spending (SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE ECT) while extending the Trump/GOP tax giveaways to the wealthy and profitable corporations that increased the debt dramatically."

UPGRADING THE POWER GRID & LOWERING ENERGY BILLS: The Texas Division of Emergency Management has received $60.6 million from the federal government to help utilities strengthen infrastructure on the state’s electricity grid. The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded the funds so that Texas’ power grid might better withstand extreme weather events. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created the grant program. We will fix the power grid to prioritize Texas and not write laws that benefit massive energy corporations. Texas is uniquely positioned to lead the energy expansion movement. We already have the workforce, technology, and experience to get this done. We just need the right leadership.

Republicans The Republican bill cuts programs in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) by $9.4 billion. These cuts include $7.8 billion from the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund which supports investments for disadvantaged communities and the creation of high-paying jobs. Republicans cut $1.4 billion intended to address environmental health impacts in underserved communities. They also slash hundreds of millions in additional funding for the Department of the Interior (DOI) and Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ).

RURAL INVESTMENT: We will be a partner for rural communities. We want every part of Texas to share in this state’s wealth.

PUBLIC SAFETY AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE; We must invest in programs that keep our communities healthy and secure, preventing crime before it happens. AND KEEPING CORUPTION OUT OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT!

Republicans in Texas have created a corrupt political culture, one example: https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-politics/texas-gop-primary-glenn-rogers/ It is shameful what TEXAS has become: steal from the people and give to the oligarchs, which are the corporations in America. We have become a Dictatorship, where districts are gerrymandered so only GOP can win. .

DISABILITY RIGHTS: Texans with disabilities of all ages deserve equal opportunity to live and age in place and to achieve economic self-sufficiency in the community.

PROPERTY TAX RELIEF: We can provide true property tax relief, uphold Texas’ proud tradition of being a No Income Tax state, and hold the line on sales taxes if we just get smarter about managing the states’ budget while fully funding our public schools by not giving tax breaks to wealthy corporation's!

Republicans Promise to cut or even eliminate property taxes but that is not realistic! This tax pays for public schools, roads, bridges, community services: like police, hospitals and health care in the state. It would mean raising the state sales tax to 20% or more, which would severally harm medium and low income families. Or start a state income tax. They just don’t care if that were to happen, again its politics over people! The solution is to raise the tax rate on corporations, which Republicans don’t want to do because that is who funds their campaigns!

CREATING HIGH PAYING JOBS: Over the past decade, Texas has lost 600,000 living wage jobs. We’ve got to start doing the big, bold things that can move this state forward—not just the bare minimum.

ENSURING VOTING RIGHTS: Every citizen in this state should be able to vote. Generations of Texans have fought and died to defend that right and PROTECT OUR DEMOCRACY.

Republicans in TEXAS have made voting extremely difficult: Texas does not offer online voter registration, Texas severely limits who can vote by mail, Texas makes lines longer at polling places, Texas restricts assistance for voters with disabilities and voters who speak limited English, Texas threatens voters with criminal penalties for misunderstandings about election law.

MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION: Marijuana arrests have created vast racial disparities in our criminal justice system, generated an unnecessary burden on Texas taxpayers, and diverted law enforcement officers’ time and attention away from violent crime.

VETERANS: Texas can and must do more to serve our veterans: cut property taxes for disabled and low-income veterans and dramatically expand the state’s veterans’ health care case management system.