ERIN SHank

February 2020, an estimated 700 Texans died in the winter storm. 10 years ago, the Texas House and Senate were warned that a catastrophic storm of this size would cause our electrical grid to fail. Our current Representative, Doc Anderson, ignored the warnings and voted against weatherizing our electrical grid. This last session of the legislature, by all reports, Doc Anderson and the Texas Legislature did not sufficiently invest in weatherizing our systems to prevent another catastrophe. Anderson also voted to push the financial cost of the February electrical freeze on us, by increasing the costs of our electricity bills each month. This is simply inexcusable. McLennan County deserves leaders who will fight to ensure a catastrophe like this never happens again.

I believe our current state representative has not passionately and aggressively represented McLennan County. We deserve a leader that will be a visible presence here and in Austin, and bring our hard-earned tax dollars back to McLennan County. We deserve someone who will listen to our community to understand in greater detail what our district needs from Austin, and then fight for those needs in the Texas House of Representatives.

Access to fast and reliable internet is essential for every resident in our district. Nearly every aspect of modern life now requires an internet connection— whether it’s running a business, attending school, or staying in touch with family over Zoom. However, so many Texans do not have access to this vital resource because they live in rural communities, or the cost is prohibitive. It’s time for the state of Texas to expand rural broadband and ensure that all residents in McLennan County have a reliable internet connection.

COVID-19 has deepened gender inequality across the country. Amid pandemic lockdowns, women’s and girls’ unpaid care work has risen dramatically due to stay-at-home orders, the closure of schools and childcare facilities, and increased elder care responsibilities. We continue to witness violence against women, a slow dismantling of reproductive health services, and the failure to help children living in Texas’ foster care system. McLennan County deserves an advocate who will address structural policy change to ensure women and children find full recovery and economic security.

All people in our district deserve an advocate who will fight for their rights. I've spent the last twenty four years taking on health insurance companies on behalf of my daughter, Rachel, who was born with Down Syndrome, epilepsy, and a set of bad lungs. She has been hospitalized 63 times during her life. I have seen the good and the bad of our healthcare system up close. I have learned how to push government agencies to get what she needs. It’s time for McLennan County to have a leader that will advocate for health care and disability rights in our district and our state.

I am a former teacher. I am also the product of Texas public schools. I am the successful attorney that I am today because of many, many teachers and professors that poured their heart and knowledge into me. We must support our Texas public schools. They are molding our next generation. Our teachers and education staff need substantial pay raises and we must look at increasing their pay with funds obtained from sources other than property tax increases. We can do that by expanding Medicaid (so our tax dollars are not spent on health care for the uninsured), joining the American electrical Grid, making the State pay its fair share on at least a 50-50 basis of the cost of public education and cutting government excesses. It’s time to repeal the Staar test and replace it with a much shorter test. Our former teachers need a cost of living raise, each year. We need to protect our public schools from school vouchers because they will take away funds from our already underfunded public education system. Additionally, we should forgive teacher's student loans, or a portion of them, as an incentive to retain teachers in our public schools. It’s time for our leadership to reflect our education values - and that is FOR public education.