ISSUES

Reproductive rights encompass the freedom to make informed decisions about our bodies, our health, and our futures. At the heart of the rights lies a womans right to choose whether to continue or terminate a pregnancy. The choice is deeply personal, influenced by myriad of factors health, economic circumstances, and individual beliefs.

In 1973 Roe v wade recognized a woman's constitutional right to access safe and legal abortion. This ruling was a beacon of hope for countless women who feared dangerous back-alley procedures or were denied control over their reproductive destinies.

However, recent events have shaken this foundation. The supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade is a grave setback, It threatens the progress we've made and jeopardizes the health and well-being of women across our nation.

We must ensure that women have access to comprehensive reproductive health care. This includes affordable contraception, prenatal care, and safe abortion services.

We will invest in education programs that empower individuals with accurate information about reproductive health. Knowledge is power, and informed choices lead to healthier outcomes.

Reproductive rights are not a privilege reserved for the wealthy. We will work tirelessly to bridge the gaps to access, especially for marginalized communities.

Health care providers who offer reproductive services deserve protection. We will defend their right to practice medicine without fear of harassment or violence.

In the face of adversity, we must remember that reproductive rights are human rights. They are about autonomy, dignity and the pursuit of happiness. Let us continue this vital conversation, ensuring that every person has the freedom to make the choice that shapes their lives.

Together we can create a groundswell of support for reproductive rights.

Let's stand united, raise our voice, and advocate for justice.

As your state representative, I am committed to safeguarding reproductive rights, in the state of Missouri.

Every Missouri child should have access to free, quality public education regardless of their zip code. As your representative, I will work to strengthen our public schools and fully fund our commitment to our kids.

Diversion of Public Funds

School vouchers divert public funds away from our already strained public schools. Our education budgets are stretched thin, and any further reduction in funding could undermine the quality of education for all students. Rather than siphoning resources away, we should focus on strengthening our public schools to benefit every child.

Diminished Accountability

When public funds are allocated to private schools through vouchers, these schools operate with less oversight and accountability. Unlike public schools, which must adhere to state standards and regulations, private schools accepting vouchers often have more flexibility. This lack of transparency can lead to uneven educational experiences and hinder our ability to access student progress effectively.

Impact on Student Achievement

Research shows that voucher programs do not necessarily improve student achievement. In fact, some studies indicate that students using vouchers perform no better academically than their peers in public schools. We must prioritize evidence-based policies that genuinely enhance educational outcomes or all students, rather than relying on unproven approaches.

Discrimination and Exclusion

Private schools have the right to select their students based on various criteria, including religious affiliation, academic performance, and behavior. While autonomy is understandable, it can lead to discrimination and exclusion. Students with disabilities or those who require additional support may find themselves left out of voucher-accepting schools, exacerbating educational inequities.

Harm to Rural Communities

In rural areas where private school options are limited or nonexistent, school vouchers can be particularly harmful. Families n these communities may have no viable alternatives to public schools. Implementing voucher programs without ensuring equal access to quality education across all regions perpetuates inequality and leaves some students behind.

As responsible stewards of our educational system, we must advocate for policies that benefit all students, regardless of their background or circumstances. Let us reject school vouchers and instead invest in strengthening our public schools, ensuring that every child receives a high-quality education.

A strong economy is one that works for everyone. As your state rep, I’ll fight for those who truly build up our economy—our workers—for the wages, benefits, and protections they deserve. I’ll support investments in educational opportunities to support a 21st century workforce.

I’ll work for policies that support local businesses who provide good jobs in our state and keep our economy growing. And I’ll work to bring new businesses here that want to capitalize on our skilled Missouri workforce and quality of life. But I’ll always put workers’ interests before the special interests of large corporations.

Central to the role of government is to fairly enforce the law, and to provide protection for its people. I will support our law enforcement officers in their difficult jobs, while also demanding accountability when they overreach.

I will support tough sentences for violent criminals, while also seeking ways to reduce our prison population and reintegrate folks into society after they have served their time. I’ll also support drug treatment courts and diversion programs that find alternative ways to punish and rehabilitate non-violent criminals without simply throwing them in prison.

No matter where you live in Missouri, the root causes of crime are the same: a lack of educational and work opportunities, along with drug addiction and poverty. Addressing these basic issues must always be central in any conversation about crime.

Our prescription drug epidemic tragically touches too many families in every community across Missouri. Tracking the frequency of prescriptions filled for these addictive drugs would allow for a chance to intervene with high risk users and save lives.

One critical tool our state can deploy to combat the misuse of opioids is the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP). Missouri remains the only state in the entire country without a statewide PDMP, and I will support efforts to finally pass this legislation for our citizens.

Agriculture is the backbone of Missouri, and at the heart of it are our family farms—where many of us call home and why generations before us settled here. But passing down our way of life to future generations is becoming increasingly challenging.

Our local communities used to have a say in how farming was done in our backyards, but the Republican-led state legislature has passed bills favoring large corporate farms and pushing out family farms.

Last year, state Republicans passed a bill taking control from local communities to regulate certain large feeding operations known as CAFOs. This allows large scale operations to buy up local farms, push the production limits of the land, and pollute our communities’ treasured landscape without local oversight.

As your state rep, I’ll advocate for the state of Missouri to protect local control, giving ordinary citizens easier access to have their say on how farming operates in their community.

Government works best when it is closer to the people it serves. I respect the fabric of our local communities and trust them to know best when it comes to overcoming the challenges they face.

In Missouri, we have seen many decisions influenced by special interests, circumventing the will of local communities on local issues by preempting local ordinances with state law or by diluting local opposition to matters by including state-wide votes.

I believe in the saying “show me your budget, and I’ll show you your values.” Our state’s budget serves as a moral contract with our citizens. Every year, it is up to the state government to allocate the tax dollars you pay to maintain and improve our quality of living.

But while our schools are underfunded, our health care costs are on the rise while our taxes increase, and we’re borrowing money to pay for our crumbling roads and bridges, corporations in Missouri are receiving tax cuts and incentive packages.

We simply should not be handing out money to corporations hoping that prosperity will trickle down. As your state rep, I will be a careful steward of your tax dollars in Jefferson City.

I believe you and your family are the economic drivers of our state. Our budget should reflect that by investing in the things that will improve you and your family’s life, rather than lining the pockets of big businesses.

Every person should have the autonomy to make decisions about their body and their life. Republicans have passed extreme abortion bans in recent years, limiting access to abortion even in cases of rape, incest, or medical need.

Mothers die from childbirth in Missouri in numbers far greater than the rest of the industrialized world, and instead of promoting health care, Missouri legislators have placed burdensome restrictions on it.

Republicans have gone so far as to pass legislation that costs hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to defend against Constitutional challenges, while at the same time blaming budget shortfalls for lack of funding for essential items like school transportation.

As your state rep, I will stand with women for the right to make the best decisions about their health care for their own lives.

Faith in government and the political process is the cornerstone of a functioning democracy. As your state rep, I’ll fight to shine a light on those who conceal their donors and influence our politics with dark money.

Over the years, Republicans have eroded the barrier between special interests and politics. In 2018, Missourians overwhelmingly voted in favor of Amendment 1, known as CLEAN MO. It capped contributions and limited the way money could move in and out of campaign coffers.

Special interests have continued to find loopholes around these laws, pushing ‘dark money’ further into the political process. At the same time, Republicans are advocating for the repeal of Amendment 2.

Ultimately, this campaign isn’t about me. This is your campaign and I want you to be proud of it and the coalition we build along the way. That’s why I’ll provide you easy access to the sources of our campaign money.

Every year for the past two decades, the Missouri Non-Discrimination Act (MONA) has been filed, only to be blocked by Republicans. MONA would allow basic protections to our LGBTQ community by adding sexual orientation and gender identity to Missouri’s Human Rights Act.

Missourians should not have to fear losing their jobs or being denied housing for who they love—discrimination that is currently completely legal in our state.

Meanwhile, Republicans in recent years have also passed legislation that makes it easier for employers, landlords or businesses to discriminate based on race, age, religion or gender—more so than in any other state.

As your state rep, I will work for a Missouri that welcomes people regardless of race, religion, gender, age or sexual orientation, and protects all people from discrimination.