I’m motivated by my faith. In my faith, you look out for your neighbor. By looking out for one another, we build a strong, powerful community. To me that means we need to:
- Close the Medicaid Gap. Healthcare should not be a privilege. America’s healthcare system has the highest costs and results in the lowest life expectancy of any country in the industrialized world. The difference: other nations offer healthcare to all. Meanwhile, Georgia legislators turned down federal health coverage that would have helped the more than 600,000 uninsured Georgians. I am proud to co-sponsor legislation that would not only expand Medicaid but also save rural hospitals and the thousands of jobs that come with them.
- Repeal Campus Carry. Our legislators are supposed to represent us, but too often, they don’t. The Georgia Legislature voted to allow guns on campus despite overwhelming opposition from educators, law enforcement, parents and students — and above all Georgia voters. That’s not representative democracy – that’s too many legislators in the pocket of the NRA.
- Fight for a Livable Wage. If you work 40 hours a week, you shouldn’t be living in poverty, or anything close to it. Our state’s minimum wage laws are out of date and hurting Georgia families.
- Defend Reproductive Rights. With the current composition of the U.S. Supreme Court, we cannot take anything for granted. I will fight against efforts to limit access to contraception and any attempt to rollback reproductive rights for Georgia women.
- Stand with LGBT Georgians. Our Legislature passed a religious discrimination bill that not only was an assault on LGBT Georgians but also would decimate our state’s economic growth. Just proposing this law sent prospective investors in the state fleeing and hurt Georgia’s economy.
- Deliver Tax Credits to Working Families. Our State tax code should honor work. This year I co-sponsored a bill that would deliver tax credits to working families. These credits boost spending power and make health care more accessible.
- Pursue Smart Justice. We should accept nothing less than a criminal justice system that treats all Georgians equally. That means it should not be a crime to be working class. For starters, we should eliminate cash bail.
- Promote Smart Growth and Road Safety. With your support, I’ll fight to enact smart growth plans that save Athens-Clarke and Oconee Counties from turning into another poorly planned Atlanta suburb. And I will push to boost driver safety on 316 by extending limited access.
- Attract and Create Higher-Paying Jobs. As a successful tech entrepreneur and long-time Four Athens mentor to local start-up companies, I know that investing in our local workforce is key to attracting and growing the kinds of businesses that will sustain our community for the long-term. As your representative, I will work to ensure that workers in Athens-Clarke and Oconee have the skills to compete with anyone in the state, the nation, or the world.
Together, we’ll encourage entrepreneurial growth in our state and in our district that works for everyone. Let’s strengthen our community together by putting people first!