Arizona’s elementary school teachers are the worst paid in the nation. Nearly half of all teachers leave within 3 years of starting. College tuition remains out of reach for Arizona’s working families while 7 out of 10 jobs in 2020 will require a post-secondary degree. Arizona’s budget continues to shrink as Republicans in the legislature enact yet more tax credits. Prisons continue to gobble up a tenth of our budget. Massachusetts, not Arizona with its 300 days of sunshine, is ranked the #1 state for solar power.
As a member of the House Environment and Judiciary committees, I introduced legislation to fund our public schools, expand career and technical education, reduce college debt, and promote clean energy. Community organizations like the Children’s Action Alliance, the Sierra Club, and the League of Arizona Cities and Towns have recognized my efforts while in the legislature. But there is so much more work that needs to be done.
Arizona must grab the reins and lead by example. I want to help turn Arizona around and that is why I have decided to run for re-election to the State House in 2018. But, I can’t do this alone. I hope you will join me today to fight for better opportunities for our families.
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My parents raised me to believe in the inherent worth, dignity, and equality of every person. They also taught me that we need to take care of each other and the environment in which we live. For me, this means we must educate and train our children and young people, care for the elderly, foster a vibrant and flourishing economy, and safeguard our water and land.
When Scott and I moved to Tucson over a decade ago, we committed to instilling these same ideals in our daughter. We’re proud to call Arizona our home.
Sadly, in our time in Southern Arizona, we’ve seen little but legislative attacks upon education, the economy and the environment. Arizona’s 49th-in-the-nation ranking for per-student spending has tangible effects as our teachers are underpaid and classrooms are frequently overcrowded and lack access to computers and even textbooks. Our environment is under attack by legislators who deny science. Monies owed local governments like Tucson are raided by bureaucrats in Phoenix.
And if that was not bad enough, we are losing ground in growing our economy. Arizona’s economy is recovering slower than that of neighboring states. The legislature and governor’s office must and can do more to jumpstart our economy. We can start with common sense policies that invest in education and build an environmentally sustainable economy.
That’s why I stood up in 2016 and ran for State Legislature. Now we face threats from an administration and a President who deny climate change, who want to take healthcare away from millions, who want to build walls between us and our neighbors. I am running for re-election to the Arizona State House to fight for Southern Arizona, to be the voice of our community, and to fight back against those who put ideology ahead of we the people.
Welcome to my website. Please browse through these pages to learn more about me and what I will continue to do as your representative in Phoenix. I welcome your thoughts and ideas. What matters most to you? What changes would you like to see in our state government? You can leave me a message HERE.
