"Neither politics nor partisanship should prevent our state from meeting the essential and critical needs of our people, safety, education or building our economy!

Prioritizing needs with prudent budgeting and spending practices should prevail.

When businesses thrive, the positive impact enhances lives and communities survive.

For the above reasons, I supported the secured bonding package proposed at the fifth special session of the legislature in that the package:

(1) Sustained safety and security in the state with appropriate patrol;


(2) Sustained K-12 school funding; and,


(3) Sustained critical services for independent living of our seniors, disabled, veterans and the developmentally delayed.


I also supported the business bill that provided tax credits for employees hiring full-time employees over the next six months as well as the elimination of the inheritance tax that dissolves lifetime-gained assets for those who have worked so hard. Spending vast hours in research I am disappointed our budget process does not identify agency overheads or performance for reduction evaluation. Based on citizen input that I deeply appreciate, I advocated tirelessly for our citizens in every session. There were $641 million of new and enhanced programs that could have been put on hold, duplicative services, and non-essentials. I did not want our schools, fragile citizens, and businessmen to face uncertainty for four more months.

The budget process needs reform.

Priorities for essential services must come first, with dedicated funding sources identified for each.

Needs vs. wants. Fortunately, the legislature will be back in session before January 28 and will be able to mitigate most of the serious cuts."


Para oportunidades mejores para todas las familias.