Actions speak louder than words
Oklahoma needs forward-thinking leaders who value science and compassion and will consider not merely the fiscal cost of action, but also the human cost of inaction.
Health Care is a Human Right
Health care is a human right, and I've spent 8 years overseeing Oklahoma’s largest Community Health Centers in low-income communities, which served nearly 200,000 patients in 2021 alone. Seeing the frontlines of the health and mental health crises inspired me to volunteer as a petition trainer and organizer to help pass Medicaid Expansion - providing hundreds of thousands of Oklahomans with access to care. That’s why I'm advocating to expand the State’s uncompensated care fund, which provides care for many uninsured patients, and for continually expanding access to quality, affordable care. Additionally, I believe reproductive freedom is a right and that such medical decisions belong between Oklahomans and their doctors without interference from the State.
Public Education for All
With 7 immediate family members having taught,
currently teaching, or served on school board, Public Education is not a hypothetical issue. As a former substitute teacher and current Career Tech School Board member, I know the stories of students sacrificing to learn a trade and break cycles of generational poverty. Additionally, I’ve listened to the frustrations of teaching during a pandemic while public dollars are spent on private education.
That's how I know our classroom professionals and support staff deserve respect and students deserve a safe environment in which to learn. In order to recruit and retain educators, our State must raise pay and honor its commitment to retirees. That’s why I'm fighting against voucher schemes and curriculum censorship, for more Higher Ed funding to help reduce student debt, to reward our National Board Certified Teachers, for consistent retirement cost-of-living adjustments, and for our students who are simply growing into themselves.
Food & Shelter Security
In 2020, for the first time since the Great Depression, we saw empty grocery shelves due to the monopolized bottleneck in our food supply chain. As of February 2022, 81,000 Oklahoma renter-occupied households are still behind on rent. As your State Representative, I'll fight for tenant rights, access to our social safety net, public transportation, wraparound services for our unhoused neighbors, and advocate Norman's voice for accountability of a government that too often leaves behind those of us who weren’t born on third base.
Criminal Justice Reform
Oklahoma leads the United States in incarcerating women and is third in overall incarceration per capita. Additionally, 70% of people incarcerated in our County systems are pre-trial, meaning they haven't been found guilty or not-guilty; they merely cannot afford the fees. As a volunteer, I joined the board of one of our state's preeminent social justice organizations to fight against systems of oppression because the price of inaction far outweighs the cost of action. As your State Representative, I'll fight for reforms to pre-trial detention, cash bail, sentencing, an end to the death penalty, and the decriminalization of marijuana.
Social Justice
Our Legislature is plagued with bills that perpetuate bigotry and extremism instead of healing the health, economic, and racial wounds of our history. As your State Representative, I will listen to, amplify, and advocate marginalized voices and fight for a more equitable and inclusive Oklahoma. I'll fight against hateful legislation that targets Black, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, protect reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy, combat voter suppression laws, and work toward comprehensive non-discrimination protections, trans-related health benefits, and a statewide ban on conversion therapy.
Climate Change
Earth is our habitat, our home, and there’s only one. Oklahomans deserve access to clean water, clean air, and healthy, affordable food. Our state is among the top in wind production and has the potential to be Top 10 in solar production, but currently ranks 48th. As your State Representative, I'll fight for access to the sustainable energy sources provided by nature, protect our wildlife and water table from unnecessary infrastructure developments, and work to diversify our economy with renewable energy jobs that pay a living wage.
Worker's Bill of Rights
I believe all working people have the right to:
• A good job with fair wages
• Quality health care
• A safe job
• Paid time off and a flexible, predictable schedule
• Freedom from discrimination
• Retire with dignity
• Education
• Freedom to join together
• A voice in democracy