Tuesday, April 23, 2024
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Texas House of Representatives District 66

Matt Shaheen

Matt Shaheen is the current Representative for State House District 66, and the Republican Candidate. A former Collin County Commissioner and Technology Executive, Shaheen is a member of the Texas Legislature’s Freedom Caucus, and a father to three children. Shaheen’s top priorities are securing the Texas border, investing more state funds in education, limiting the size and scope of the Texas government and reducing wasteful spending.

Matt Shaheen Campaign Website

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

  • “As a father of three, human trafficking, and specifically sex trafficking, is something that I feel passionate about effectively combating.”
  • “In light of recent negativity directed toward law enforcement, we need now more than ever to show them that we recognize the difficult and selfless career they have chosen in service to us all. I fought to ensure our First Responders have the necessary tools, training, resources, and support they need.“

Education Funding & Teacher Pay

  • “Last session we made huge gains for education in a bipartisan fashion. Over 5.5 million school children will benefit from our increasing education funding to $94 billion, which includes teacher pay raises.”
  • “I’ve been fighting against the flawed and punitive “Robin Hood” scheme since entering the Texas Legislature, and although our work is far from over on that front, I'm pleased to report that I successfully fought to reduce Plano ISD’s Robin Hood payment by over $70 million and will continue to build on that success next session.”
  • “Teachers are key to our children’s success and can now make up to $32,000 more each year under the school finance reform legislation I fought for last session.“
  • “With the huge gains for education made this past legislative session, I have spent a large amount of time visiting schools and listening to teachers, principals, and parents about how to build on our legislative success.”

Texas Economy & Taxes

  • “I am working hard to keep our taxes low, regulations reasonable, and our civil justice system fair so that Texas can remain the strongest economic and job growth state in America.”
  • “Last session I co-authored legislation to ban a state income tax, as well as cap the growth of your property taxes at every source. Building on these successes, I will continue to fight efforts to increase your taxes by liberal Democrats and give away your hard-earned dollars.”
  • “I will continue to aggressively fight to advance legislation that protects your pocketbook, limits the size and scope of government, and reduces wasteful spending.”

Healthcare

  • “Your rising premiums and deductibles are resulting from failed government programs like Obamacare, and I am working hard to reverse this damage.”
  • “Healthcare is vital to every Texan’s well-being, and it is imperative that each citizen has access to quality healthcare at fair prices.”
  • “That is why I’m working with doctors on free market-based legislation that will increase access to healthcare, improve patient choice, reduce costs, and give you more control of your healthcare.”

Immigration

  • “I am fighting to secure our border and have always supported legislation that adds more protection and law enforcement along the border to protect our families from violent criminals and drug cartels.”

Reproductive Health

  • “As a devoted husband, father and Deacon at my church, I will always fight to protect life and our Texas families. As a board member and volunteer at a local pregnancy center, I will always be on the front lines in the fight for little pre-born babies. “
  • “I will ensure there is support and care for the women and families who find themselves facing unplanned pregnancies, to provide them with the healthcare they need.”

Infrastructure & Environment

  • Nothing listed on Campaign website for this issue

Social Services

  • Nothing listed on Campaign website for this issue

Sharon Hirsch

Sharon Hirsch is the Democratic Candidate. A former Plano ISD Administrative staff member, Hirsch has spent 12 years working for Plano area public schools and is a mother and grandmother to 4 children. Hirsch’s top priorities include increasing state funding for public schools, expanding access to healthcare coverage across the state, and lowering property taxes for Texas homeowners.

Sharon Hirsch Campaign Website

Criminal Justice & Public Safety

  • “Gun violence is a public health issue. On this deeply divisive topic, our legislature must find the sort of common ground that we find among ourselves. We must act to require background checks for all gun purchases, enact red flag and safe storage laws, fund gun violence research, and support fingerprint technology.”
  • “We need to rethink our response to minor offenses, and one of the first steps we can take is to legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana. Like alcohol, this can be well regulated and taxed to provide a new revenue source for our state.”

Education Funding & Teacher Pay

  • “For far too long, our representatives have underfunded, undermined, and attempted to privatize our public schools. I believe that public schools are the foundation of our neighborhoods, our communities, and our democracy, and that how we teach our children and how we treat our children is critical to our future.“
  • “I will defend and strengthen our public schools by working to provide staff, students, and parents the resources they need to be successful.”
  • “I will oppose vouchers or any other schemes, such as educational savings accounts and tax credit scholarships, that divert funding from public schools.”

Texas Economy & Taxes

  • “As our state population continues to grow, many communities will face challenges as they seek to support this growth and provide services for their new residents. In the 86th Legislative Session, the ability of cities and counties to self-govern was substantially curtailed with the passage of Senate Bill 2. Ultimately, it is up to citizens to determine the quality of services we want in our communities, and we must then find a way to cover the costs they entail.”
  • “Our heavy reliance on property taxes to fund the basic business of government has meant that we have few alternative sources of revenue when roads must be widened and critical services like police and fire provided throughout a growing region.”
  • “I believe that all Texans who are willing to work hard should have the economic opportunity and a fair shot at earning a living wage in a safe environment. With this in mind, I will work to establish a $15 per hour minimum wage for our state.”

Healthcare

  • “It is important to support and enact policies that enhance our health and well-being. Our most pressing task is to expand Medicaid eligibility under the Affordable Care Act, which has been shown to improve health outcomes, reduce uncompensated care costs, and drive economic growth in the 37 states which have done so.”
  • “Healthcare is essential; ignoring its challenges is catastrophic. Our goal should be to have healthy citizens able to live productive lives.”

Immigration

  • “Today, law enforcement faces many challenges, including new difficulties and responsibilities stemming from ill-conceived open carry and immigration legislation, as well as an erosion of the public trust driven by a lack of accountability, transparency, and equity in policing.”

Reproductive Health

  • “I respect and support Texans’ right to choice and privacy when making personal healthcare decisions and believe that government must not be used as a tool to intervene between patients and their family, friends, faith community, and physicians
  • “Texans should have affordable access to a full range of reproductive healthcare—including contraception, prenatal and postpartum care, childcare, and abortion—regardless of their income, ZIP code, gender identity, or immigration status.”

Infrastructure & Environment

  • “I support a comprehensive approach to our infrastructure needs. We cannot simply pave our way out of gridlock. Combining new lanes, improvements to existing infrastructure, ride-sharing opportunities, alternative worksite arrangements, public transportation, and new technology like driverless cars will serve to make mobility more efficient.”
  • “We cannot discount the value of clean air, clean water, and the natural beauty Texas has to offer its residents. As our population continues to grow, it is critical that we prioritize sustainability in our communities and work to protect our environment.“

Social Services

  • “I fully support equal rights for all women. I will work to ensure that women receive equal pay for equal work, in addition to the paid family leave that all hardworking Texans deserve.”
  • “Affordable childcare must also be a priority, as it is critical to the empowerment of women, who are too often asked to choose between providing care for their children and full participation in the workforce.”

Shawn Jones

Shawn Jones (Libertarian Party) is running for election to the Texas House of Representatives to represent District 66. He is on the ballot in the general election on November 3, 2020. He advanced from the Libertarian convention on March 21, 2020.

  • Currently, this candidate does not have a Campaign Website, or any “platform issues” or “priority issues” listed on his Facebook page.
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