Education

Increase teacher to pay to at least the Southern standard.

Increase funding for support personnel: aides, bus drivers, etc.

Explore and fund apprenticeship programs for high school students in the trades: electricians, plumbers, welders, coders, medical aides.

Increase funding for school nurses at each school. If scarcity of nurses prevents a nurse at each individual school, then limit the number of schools each nurse is responsible for.

Increase funding for school mental health professional (social worker, psych nurse) at each school. If scarcity of mental health professionals prevents a nurse from being assigned at each individual school, then limit the number of schools each mental health professional is responsible for.

Insurance

Fully fund the “Fortify” program to include the low-to-moderate housing.

Study and implement best building and re-fitting practices into code to strengthen new and existing homes to withstand hurricane winds.

Study and implement best practices for water management so heavy rains do not become floods.

*water gardens

*indigenous plants

*permeable paving

Study and implement best practices on increasing resiliency of electric grid, including solar and wind and “Project Lighthouses” which provide power to community centers when the grid fails.

Expand solar, wind, green hydrogen and geo-thermal power sources to supplement the oil and gas industries here in Louisiana. This will reduce energy costs, while lessening the fuel for climate change and employ Louisiana workers.

Crime

I support the police to train and retain officers to authorized, budgeted levels.

Fund mental health professionals to train or deploy with officers responding to calls to diffuse potentially violent situations, keeping officers safer as they keep us safe.

Fund afternoon programs to occupy kids/teens to keep them off the streets after school.

Midnight basketball courts to give young people something to do at night.

Encourage more opportunities for community/policy interactions/communications.

Support renewal of the Earned Tax Credit to help families feed and care for their children.

Long term, making equal pay for equal work and making our minimal wage a living wage the law of our state will help lift the almost 50% of Louisiana families out of poverty. This should curb those who commit crime to survive.

Jobs

Maintain ITEP Reforms instituted by Gov. Edwards in 2016 so industries are more invested in the community they inhabit.

Improve education standards so a trained workforce is in place here in Louisiana to entice companies to relocate here.

Explore and welcome green industries, expanding opportunities for businesses serving the energy sector of our economy. However, we must scrutinize these new industries insuring they are able to deliver on their promises.

Here are the issues I am concerned with, and what I plan to do about them. These thoughts are open to suggestions from people who have studied the issues to a greater degree than myself. I believe in science and expertise.

Healthcare

Concern over abortion ban having no exceptions for rape, incest.

*I will introduce legislation to create exceptions for pregnancies created by these crimes.

Concern over our incredibly high maternal and Infant mortality rates.

*Fund Doulas to aid pre- and post-partum mothers for at least 3 months

Extend and fund Midwives and NPs to continue care longer than 6 weeks post-partum

Mental Health Care

Fund mental health professionals in schools. This could be social workers or psych nurses.

Support community health centers having mental health professionals and/or help lines.