Legalize Cannabis

I believe - and a majority of our neighbors agree with me - that cannabis should be legalized in GA, that folks who are incarcerated for non violent crimes in relation to cannabis should be released, people with criminal history due to cannabis have their records expunged, that we regulate in a way that allows cannabis based small businesses to thrive and allows for family farms to grow cannabis and hemp without the licenses being difficult to obtain or cost prohibitive.

We must stop using cannabis prohibition to fill our prisons. Cannabis legalization will help break the stranglehold opioids have on Georgia, and provide a myriad of medical benefits to our veterans and neighbors with conditions causing chronic pain and other neurological issues. Cannabis will provide a boon for the local economy, create jobs, and offer new small business opportunities. Hemp based products like paper and plastics are good for the environment and sustainable. I don't personally use cannabis medicinally or socially, but folks who choose to should have that freedom.

Good Paying Jobs

The bedrock of our state economy is agriculture, and has diversified though construction, information technology, healthcare services, and manufacturing. But that’s just the beginning. A strong economy includes investment in infrastructure including high speed internet, and by encouraging labor union participation to grow wages for the working and middle class. By focusing on good paying jobs, we can ensure that central Georgia is one of the best places in the nation to live and raise a family.

Lower Property Taxes

Our state budget has moved too much burden onto local taxpayers. The most glaring example is how the state government and local school districts split the cost of public education. Every dollar earmarked for education cut from the state budget forces us to foot the rest of the bill locally, driving up our property taxes year after year. This is especially hard on rural property owners. I will work to make sure the state government invests properly in school funding, meaning lower property taxes for all of us. We can do this without raising sales taxes by making smart decisions that will bring in millions of dollars in new revenue, starting with legalizing cannabis and sports betting.

Affordable Healthcare

Everyone needs access to affordable, quality health care. There is no peace of mind if you cannot afford to care for yourself, a sick child, or a family member. No one should have to make a decision between putting food on the table and going to the doctor or filling a prescription.

Support Public Schools

Public schools are the backbone of Georgia’s economic, political, and social health. No institution impacts families more than the local school system. Let's work together to protect our public schools from corporate greed and budget cuts, and to enhance the public school curriculum to educate and prepare our children for the high demand, skilled trades of the present and future. Our commitment to a quality education in Georgia should never be on the chopping block, even when budgets are tight.

End Partisan Gerrymandering

Politicians should not have the power to draw legislative districts that give a candidate or political party an electoral advantage. Not only is gerrymandering common, it's becoming more extreme. Georgia can end gerrymander by giving the responsibility for drawing voting districts over to an independent, non partisan redistricting commission.