As a born and raised Texan, it’s astonishing that keeping the lights on is a policy issue in 2021, but y’all… Texans should be able to count on having an affordable and reliable energy system that doesn’t wreak havoc on the second largest population and economy in the United States.
Statewide, Winter Storm Uri created a cascading set of crises related to historic power outages that left over 10 million people without power for days, interrupted the state’s water supply, triggered food shortages for 29 million people, and killed hundreds of Texans1. More terrifying was learning that, during the week of the storm, the Texas grid was just 4 minutes and 37 seconds away from completely collapsing which would have left Texans without power for weeks or months. Making matters worse is knowing that costs from the winter storm, which range upwards of $130 Billion2, are beginning to be passed onto consumers
In District 51, I witnessed the effects of Winter Storm Uri firsthand as I helped organize several relief events where we distributed thousands of cases of food, water, basic sanitary supplies, and PPE along with thousands of hot meals distributed all along Travis County’s Eastern Crescent. Despite the amount of suffering endured in our district and across the state of Texas, we’ve recently learned that Texas is still vulnerable to more blackouts if another severe winter weather event occurs.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Requiring weatherization of all energy production in the state of Texas so that Texas can maintain a reliable electric grid regardless of what extreme weather may occur throughout the year.
Eliminating loopholes that were passed during the 2021 Legislative Session.
Texans deserve to have sufficient access to clean and affordable water.
Statewide, the Texas Water Development Board projects having a water shortage of 4.7 Million acre-feet by 2030, which is more than four times the water held by Lake Travis. On top of that, the percent of public water systems identified as a serious violator for water quality in Texas is well above the national average. States like Georgia, California, North Carolina, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania all have serious violator rates below the national average.
In District 51, we’ve seen the effect of these challenges as communities in the Eastern Crescent have struggled with serious water quality issues in addition to enduring water access issues both before and after Winter Storm Uri.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Increased adoption of water management strategies recommended in the 2022 State Water Plan that do not require a capital project were either partially or fully implemented compared to 2017 rates.
Oversight and mitigation strategies for public water systems identified as serious violators in Texas as well as audits of public water systems with any violations.
Texans deserve to have safe, affordable, and reliable transportation to meet their personal and professional needs.
Statewide, Texas saw traffic congestion drop in 2020 to levels not seen since the 1990s. Despite that drop in congestion, Texas has seen a 7.4% increase in vehicle-related deaths. And while the drop in congestion means less hours wasted in traffic and a reduction in congestion-related costs, data from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s Urban Mobility Report show these two metrics have been increasing rapidly since the early 1990s.
In District 51, we’ve not only seen the same uptick in traffic-related crashes and deaths within Austin, but at key intersections across the district (like Ross Rd. near Del Valle, HS and the William Cannon/Colton Bluff Springs Intersection in Easton Park). We’ve also seen traffic impacted by construction being done to accommodate record levels of growth in our district.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Texans deserve to have high-quality, affordable, and reliable child care.
Statewide, United Way’s ALICE 2018 research estimates that the annual cost of child care in Texas is ~$6,800. On top of that cost is the lack of access to reliable child care, which results in an estimated $4.9 billion dollar loss for the state.
In Travis County where District 51 sits, ALICE’s 2018 research estimates that the annual cost of child care in Texas is $9,900. That’s just $700 short what undergraduate tuition at UT Austin cost for in-state students in 2018. In addition to these costs, our district has only one Texas Rising Star-Certified child care center in Del Valle ISD and little access to high-quality childcare elsewhere in the district. It’s why, as Vice-Chair of the Early Childhood Council for the City of Austin, I helped advocate for expanded funding to increase Pre-K access in Del Valle ISD in addition to expanded funding for early childhood initiatives in Austin ISD through dollars from the American Rescue Plan.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Increased subsidies for families to access child care.
Increased funding for early childhood initiatives in Texas and District 51.
Increasing the number of Texas Rising Star-Certified Level 4 centers in District 51 and, especially, in the Eastern Crescent.
Texans deserve to have access to meaningful opportunity to jobs that pay a livable wage and help their loved ones thrive.
Statewide, the Texas population and economy have been in booming. We gained two new congressional seats while California lost two and saw an influx of business moving their headquarters to Texas. Additionally, the state saw home prices rise rapidly as more folks pack up and move to Texas.
In District 51, this same exact dynamic played out locally where both population, economic development, and housing markets have been skyrocketing. This growth is good only if we can ensure that families aren’t displaced. It’s why I’ve worked alongside neighbors in Del Valle to build relationships with new developments like Velocity Crossing and identify opportunities to increase high-quality, affordable housing and ensure new developments are adopting inclusive practices so that all families can enjoy this growth.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Ending Chapter 313, which has built a massive financial liability by providing tax breaks for businesses and reducing funding for public schools across Texas.
Incentivizing initiatives to grow innovation in Texas and District 51 instead of focusing on importing talent and innovation from elsewhere.
Increasing the supply and access to affordable housing for residents that need it.
Texans deserve to have schools that are equitably and adequately funded so that all Texans can thrive in our public schools.
Statewide, Texas has been in a decades-long battle to fix our system of funding for public schools so that all schools receive funding that is both fair and robust. In 2019, for the first time in decades without being mandated by a court, the Texas legislature made significant gains towards improving that system with an overhaul of school finance with House Bill 3 that reduced property tax burdens for Texans and added new money into public education. While HB3 is a great first step, concerns persist around how to ensure promises made in HB3 will be met for future generations of Texas. In addition, parents are concerned about potential cuts to public education funding in light of the pandemic’s economic toll on Texas.
In District 51, we’ve seen the impact of a broken school finance system. Austin ISD, a district where over half of the student population is economically disadvantaged, gives more than half of its budget back to the state due to large property values in Central Texas. This system is known as “recapture.” Del Valle ISD, a district where over 87.9% of students are economically disadvantaged, was recently identified as a property wealthy district.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Ensuring that the promises made in HB3 have sustainable revenue streams for future Texans. No more unfunded mandates.
Ensuring that districts with larger concentrations of poverty and need have greater access to funding.
Ensuring that funding will always be prioritized for schools and not state agencies.
Texas deserve to have educators who can focus on the most important job in Texas: building our future.
As someone who grew up in poverty, I lived through two drive-by shootings and experienced years of housing instability. But being a teacher was one of the hardest experiences of my life. It meant walking into a classroom where dozens of your kids could simultaneously carry similar or worse traumas than what I experienced growing up. It also meant surviving off wages that were hardly livable. My first year of teaching, I qualified for an affordable housing program.
Statewide in Texas, teachers report making roughly $50k a year after 10 years of service. After 20 years, that number bumps to $57k. At these levels of compensation, ALICE’s 2018 estimates suggest that Texas teachers with kids can’t afford to take care of their family.
In District 51, the lack of livability is even more true. According to data from the Texas Association of School Boards and ALICE’s 2018 estimates, Austin-area teachers make an average of $53k per year which is not enough money to afford any kind of life with children. As a result of these unsustainable wages, districts across Texas—including Austin ISD—are reporting teacher shortages.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Livable wages for Texas teachers that ensure they can afford to have a family.
Protecting retirements for educators and other public servants in the state of Texas.
Cost of living adjustments for current and retired Texas educators.
| Household Survival Budget for Texas | 2018 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Household Survival Budget estimates the actual bare-minimum costs of basic necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a basic smartphone plan) in Texas, adjusted for different counties and household types. | ||||||||
| Cost Category | 1 Adult | 1 Adult, 1 Child | 1 Adult, 1 In Child Care | 2 Adults | 2 Adults 2 Children | 2 Adults, 2 In Child Care | 1 Senior | 2 Seniors |
| Housing | $608 | $668 | $668 | $668 | $837 | $837 | $608 | $668 |
| Child Care | $0 | $189 | $567 | $0 | $377 | $1,071 | $0 | $0 |
| Food | $256 | $442 | $370 | $532 | $889 | $777 | $218 | $454 |
| Transportation | $358 | $516 | $516 | $530 | $826 | $826 | $312 | $438 |
| Health Care | $194 | $544 | $544 | $544 | $809 | $809 | $511 | $1,022 |
| Technology | $55 | $55 | $55 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $55 | $75 |
| Miscellaneous | $169 | $264 | $302 | $269 | $416 | $489 | $192 | $300 |
| Taxes | $220 | $223 | $302 | $344 | $342 | $492 | $220 | $344 |
| Monthly Total | $1,860 | $2,901 | $3,324 | $2,962 | $4,571 | $5,376 | $2,116 | $3,301 |
| Annual Total | $22,320 | $34,812 | $39,888 | $35,544 | $54,852 | $64,512 | $25,392 | $39,612 |
| Hourly Wage | $11 | $17 | $20 | $18 | $27 | $32 | $13 | $20 |
| SOURCE: ALICE in Texas: A Financial Hardship Study | 2020 Texas Report by United Way for ALICE | ||||||||
| Household Survival Budget for Travis County, Texas | 2018 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Household Survival Budget estimates the actual bare-minimum costs of basic necessities (housing, child care, food, transportation, health care, and a basic smartphone plan) in Texas, adjusted for different counties and household types. | ||||||||
| Cost Category | 1 Adult | 1 Adult, 1 Child | 1 Adult, 1 In Child Care | 2 Adults | 2 Adults 2 Children | 2 Adults, 2 In Child Care | 1 Senior | 2 Seniors |
| Housing | $1,166 | $1,387 | $1,387 | $1,387 | $1,696 | $1,696 | $1,166 | $1,387 |
| Child Care | $0 | $275 | $825 | $0 | $549 | $1,557 | $0 | $0 |
| Food | $293 | $506 | $423 | $609 | $1,017 | $889 | $250 | $519 |
| Transportation | $358 | $516 | $516 | $530 | $826 | $826 | $312 | $438 |
| Health Care | $194 | $544 | $544 | $544 | $809 | $809 | $509 | $1,018 |
| Technology | $55 | $55 | $55 | $75 | $75 | $75 | $55 | $75 |
| Miscellaneous | $244 | $373 | $432 | $370 | $561 | $672 | $266 | $399 |
| Taxes | $372 | $447 | $568 | $552 | $642 | $869 | $372 | $552 |
| Monthly Total | $2,682 | $4,103 | $4,750 | $4,067 | $6,175 | $7,393 | $2,930 | $4,388 |
| Annual Total | $32,184 | $49,236 | $57,000 | $48,804 | $74,100 | $88,716 | $35,160 | $52,656 |
| Hourly Wage | $16 | $25 | $28 | $24 | $37 | $44 | $18 | $26 |
| SOURCE: ALICE in Texas: A Financial Hardship Study | 2020 Texas Report by United Way for ALICE | ||||||||
Texans deserve to have efficient systems of education that ensure all students have meaningful opportunity.
Nationwide, statewide, and in District 51, the overwhelming majority of students in Texas attend public schools. Even though the number of charters has drastically grown since their first inception in Texas, most charter students increasingly attend one of six major charter management organizations across the state—all of whom get more funding per student from the state and some of whom get more overall funding per student than the average ISD in Texas. Despite this and the fact that they are held to a much lower level of accountability and transparency than their public school counterparts, Charters have sought to expand access to funding and their presence in communities. In a state of over 5.3 million students and over 1200 school districts, we cannot orient education policy around a handful of players.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Prioritizing state, local, and federal funding for independent school districts
Increase oversight and accountability for existing charter schools or networks.
Limiting the expansion of charter management organizations
Statewide, the coronavirus has infected over 3.5 million Texans, killed over 72 thousand, and upended the stability of our state’s economy and livelihood. Disparities among infections and deaths have further illustrated the unequal burden some Texans feel over others. What the pandemic has shown us is the need for improved public health infrastructure that can efficiently respond to infectious disease outbreaks so vulnerable Texans can stay safe and healthy.
In District 51, we’ve seen a similar story play out over 122,000 infections and over 1,100 deaths. In various parts of the Eastern Crescent, lack of equitable access to PPE, testing, and vaccines resulted in volunteer groups mobilizing to provide resources for the community through their own initiative. Simply put, they shouldn’t have to do that.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
As someone who spent much of my childhood attending a weekly food bank, I know what it’s like to be physically hungry and uncertain about how to put food on the table. In District 51, we have an urgent food security crisis that has manifested not only through a lack of grocery stores, but also through persistent food needs made worse by the pandemic’s economic toll and Winter Storm Uri’s havoc. Often we’re told that features of our food insecurity, like the lack of grocery stores, is due to a lack of households. The reality is, however, our district has seen record growth and that growth highlights the urgency of addressing access to healthy, affordable, and accessible foods. The map below shows only one grocery store south of Ben White and East of I-35. We can and should change that.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
For years, Texas has maintained some of the lowest voter turnout for major elections in the United States. We’ve also been identified as one of the most difficult states for people to vote. Instead of prioritizing participation in our democracy, the Texas legislature most recently spent its time making it harder for Texans to vote and catering to narratives that undermine faith in our democracy.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Expanding the number of opportunities for Texans to exercise their right to vote.
Expanding the mediums in which Texans can exercise their right to vote.
Just four years ago, the former Republican Speaker of the House Joe Straus wouldn’t even entertain legislation that targeted LGBTQIA+ communities. In 2021, the Texas legislature not only saw over 75 bills filed that targeted members of our state’s LGBTQIA+ community, which is more than all the anti-LGBTQIA+ bills filed over the past three legislative sessions, but it also saw some of that legislation get passed into law. Not only that, but the state has become reticent to promote anti-suicide resources meant to help members of the LGBTQIA+ community. There’s no two ways about it: these efforts are mean-spirited, cruel, and a manifestation of the worst political instincts in Texas.
Our campaign will advocate for the following:
Replacing anti-LGBTQIA+ laws with legislation that protects LGBTQIA+ Texans
Legislation that promotes the health, safety, and wellbeing of the LGBQTIA+ community in Texas through public health resources so that they and their loved ones have thriving futures in the Lone Star State.
Photo by Avi Werde on Unsplash
While the states death toll sits just over 200 deaths related to Winter Storm Uri, an analysis by BuzzFeed using a common statistical technique for estimating deaths related to natural disasters suggested that Winter Storm Uri could have killed over 700 Texans.↩︎
By comparison, Hurricane Harvey was estimated to have been $125 Billion in damages, potentially making Winter Storm Uri the costliest disaster in Texas History.↩︎