Willie Roaches Franklyn
Years in district: 11
Website: www.roaches4texas.com
If elected, I would: change the level of accessibility the residents of Texas House District 141 have to talk with their elected representative about their concerns and establish quarterly meetings around the various parts of the district to encourage involvement and input.
1. What do you see as the most critical project or initiative in your district?
I consider the need to increase state funding for flood control measures and for faster declaration, allocation and issuance of disaster relief assistance to Texans affected by local flooding as a critical initiative for this district ... There is a need to organize and certify more churches and nonprofit organizations as possible service hubs to increase the number of places available to access assistance. We also need a database of reputable resources for assisting families in finding services after a disaster, to reduce vulnerability to predatory companies and individuals and to include greater relief for non-homeowners and renters.
2. What bills would you plan to file or sponsor in the next legislative session?
The actual bills filed would depend on the input received from the District 141 constituency. However, I realize that it may be overly ambitious to want to accomplish so much, so quickly, but some areas that I would promote include increasing the minimum wage to a livable wage; enhancing flood relief resources; establishing vaping restrictions; increasing state use of Medicare funding; restricting utilities’ marketing of warranty-related products; repealing or amending the original provisions of [House Bill] 1842 related to state takeover of local school boards; enforcing child visitation orders for non-custodial parents who are compliant with child support orders; banning assault rifles; legalizing marijuana; increasing safeguards against human trafficking; providing treatment and services for victims of human trafficking; prohibiting any increases in state funding for border enforcement and reallocating any proposed increases toward funding for healthcare instead; establishment and enforcement of a more comprehensive environmental protection plan for our state; legislative term limits; and criminal justice reforms.
3. What is the most pressing issue facing the nation’s health care system, and how do you plan to address it?
We are facing increasing healthcare costs from healthcare providers and increasing premiums and out-of-pocket costs from insurance providers, while household incomes for most of us are not rising nearly as quickly. We have to regulate healthcare costs and insurance costs and coverages. A national healthcare system or, better yet, increased federal funding of state-designed healthcare systems which must align with federal guidelines and protections would better serve the needs of all Americans ...
Senfronia Thompson
Years in district: 55
Website: www.senfroniathompson.com
If elected, I would: continue my absolute commitment to those less fortunate and continue my never-ending fight for equality, justice and opportunity for all.
1. What do you see as the most critical project or initiative in your district?
There is a proliferation of rock crushing companies in our communities. It is difficult to fight their permits yet we see a series of long-term respiratory issues and poor water quality. For example, a cancer cluster was identified in a neighborhood near an old railyard that used toxic chemicals.
2. What bills would you plan to file or sponsor in the next legislative session?
I will re-file my bills to raise the minimum wage, earn equal pay, combat human trafficking, raise the personal needs allowance, lower penalties for small amount of drug possession, reform our grand jury, prohibit defendants with [intellectual or developmental disabilities] from receiving the death penalty and fund mental health research similar to [the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas].
3. What is the most pressing issue facing the nation’s health care system, and how do you plan to address it?
Texas should not be turning away federal dollars and instead expand Medicaid coverage so millions of uninsured Texans can obtain health coverage. We also need to make prescription drugs more affordable.
