Here's where I stand on the issues.....
Women's Reproductive Freedoms
Radical Florida Republicans BANNED abortion with NO exceptions for rape and incest. Right-Wing Politicians want to control Women's’ bodies. That’s not conservative. That’s EXTREME. No one -- not governments, not politicians -- should have the right to tell any woman what to do with her body.
The MAGA Republicans in Tallahassee have repeatedly passed legislation to severely limit access to health care for women in Florida. This is unacceptable, dangerous government overreach. We need to oppose the politicians responsible for the assault on women’s rights.
If elected, I will fight to to restore Roe vs Wade, increase access to family planning, and vote to codify access to birth control. At the very least, women should be able to control their own destinies. Reproductive rights shouldn't even be a debate in 2024.
Read MoreDemocracy & Voting Rights
Voting in our state should be made easier, not harder. But Radical Right-Wingers made it harder to vote in Florida elections. I vehemently oppose the Republican Legislature's recent law forcing voters to renew their vote-by-mail request after every general election cycle -- It is no longer renewed automatically, as it was before. They have also gerrymandered an unrepresentative supermajority in Tallahassee and sowed distrust in our voting system.
As a seasoned pollworker here in Florida, I can attest to the fact that our state's elections run very smooth compared to other states. They are very secure and transparent. Any claims of fraud are always investigated; these claims are a very small percentage of the actual voting public. To spread the misinformation that our Florida elections are anything less than safe and secure is unhealthy for democracy. The method of vote by mail is also a very safe and secure way for those to vote who maybe can't make it in person to an actual polling location. A lot of seniors utilize this option, and it should be protected so that they may continue to do so.
Corrupt Right-Wing Politicians fear Democracy; they want a government of the corporations, by the lobbyists, for the CEOs. Enabling dictatorships and eroding democracy is not conservative, it is treasonous! Election Day should be a national holiday.
Read MoreInsurance Rates
FL Property insurance rights have been gutted by the Republican Party’s 30 year reign in FL. The system is now rigged against homeowners. It's obvious to anyone that lives in Florida that our insurance costs became unaffordable in the past few years alone. The Elitist GOP have run Florida for the past 30 years; on THEIR watch, Florida’s property insurance premiums skyrocketed - now at 4X the national average!
The Florida GOP legislation have had several years to rectify the problem, but have failed because they are unwilling to make any meaningful changes to lower costs . . . In fact, DeSantis stripped Floridians of their ability to recover attorney fees when suing insurance companies that refuse to honor claims.
This is is not surprising: The insurance industry has donated over $10 million to DeSantis & Florida’s Republican Party. We’re paying for their greed. Corrupted Republican FL Congressmen now look out for the needs of their insurance company donors rather than the needs of the homeowners. My opponent has been bought by a machine that has gutted homeowner protections and has rigged the system against you. A vote for my opponent is a vote for special interests, corrupt insurance companies, and dark money developers
It is time for new leadership that is willing to change the status quo that the GOP has created. We MUST LOWER housing & rent costs, by EXPANDING CITIZEN'S INSURANCE and taking climate change seriously. Citizens Insurance is a public, non-profit insurer who does not have to earn a profit to function -- That allows it to charge insurance that is MORE AFFORDABLE. Florida should provide not-for-profit plans for residents that can’t rely on private insurance. Citizens should be available to all homeowners in the state.
Read MoreUnemployment Compensation
Most people have a short memory of what people in this state went through during the Covid Era that began in 2020. Thousands of people were unable to receive much-needed benefits in a timely manner because administrators in this state were not up to the task. Being that our state has many hurricanes, it is essential that we overhaul the system to ensure that not only will people receive these benefits expeditiously, but also at a higher economic rate. Florida is way behind other states when it comes to the value of unemployment insurance. Every hard working person in Florida pays into this system through their paychecks; it is not a handout! Most people never receive these benefits in their lifetime, even though they pay into it. Therefore, when a person is eligible to receive these benefits, they should be able to expeditiously receive them and at a higher monetary rate. Read More
Protecting the Environment
As a proud standing member of both the Hillsborough County Democratic Environmental Caucus, and the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida, I am extremely focused on ensuring our state's natural resources are sustained for the future, and that we do all we can to combat climate change and air pollution. The effects of climate change are no longer in an imaginary future- they are already here. We must act to reduce our environmental footprint and aid the planet we all share.
It seems that my opponent however, the Republican incumbent, does not share my environmental concerns. He has received an "F" rating, with a score of 49%, from the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
In stark contrast, I have proudly received the official endorsement of the Democratic Environmental Caucus of Florida.
Among several bills the incumbent representative has supported, which they recommended opposing, are:
H0087/S0632 in 2024- "Taking of Bears". This bill is essentially a "stand your ground" bill against bears.
H0433/S1492 in 2024- "Workplace Heat Exposure Requirements". This proposal disallows local government from enacting any legislation protecting outdoor workers from the extreme heat.
Read MoreMedicaid expansion
As a candidate, I would encourage fellow state representatives to implement the Medicaid expansion plan that was a part of the Affordable Care Act that the Supreme Court rejected. This would lower the cost of health care and allow more Floridians to be a part of it. It's a common sense measure that the GOP is rejecting solely for political reasons. Read More