Issues

Education is my chief issue. An educated populace is important, not only for the economic strength of the 53rd District but also the strength of our nation. Living in rural areas mustn't mean that our children receive a second-rate education. Tragically, some students are graduating from high school without the ability to read or write and do basic, change-for-a-dollar math. Meanwhile, school boards are focused on "culture war" issues, rather than low teacher pay, high staff turnover, and failing students. The alarm bell is ringing. Knowledge is power, and if we don't learn our history we are doomed to repeat it.

When I go to Richmond, I'll write legislation to make sure our schools are more-than-sufficiently funded, so that kids — not just those whose families can afford private or home school — get an education comparable to the best in the Commonwealth. I'll help find every available dollar in grant funding, so that at the end of the day we did every single thing we could do to help expand minds and broaden horizons.

Where we live, going to trauma and birthing centers can mean a long drive. Couple that with an aging population, the ravages of substance abuse, and children growing up in poverty, and we need more local avenues to care. With changes to Medicaid, we may even lose what healthcare resources are currently available. I will advance legislation to make sure our area's medical facilities are funded and expanded.

We also must increase access to fresh local produce — a win-win for our farmers and our neighbors. We live in what is largely a food desert, where it can be difficult to avoid overly processed food and where the bulk of the restaurants serve fast food.

By increasing access to healthcare and healthy food, we can prioritize and improve our community's health.

Half of the 53rd District is national forest — land protected and passed down by our forebears. We must defend this precious gift against any obscene and unnecessary attempts to develop it and erode those protections. I support commonsense legislation that doesn't hinder progress or unnecessarily hurt local farmers. Also, if Richmond is going to pass laws requiring farmers to comply with difficult or costly conservation efforts, then Richmond needs to make sure farmers have the tools and resources to ensure they don't lose revenue or capital while taking care of the environment.