WHY I WANT TO BE ELECTED TO THE TEXAS SENATE

I have spent a lot of time during the past year considering and researching what changes I want to make in Texas law. Some of these things I have wanted to do for years based on what I have seen presiding in court and while practicing law.
My legislative goals are outlined below.
I have looked at legislation proposed or passed in Congress and in states all over the country. I have researched past attempts to get some of these things passed in Texas. I have pulled ideas and drafts of bills.
One idea regarding LGBTQ youth came from research done after being stumped by an endorsement questionnaire from the LGBTQ Caucus. The question was what would I do to solve the problem of homeless LGBTQ youth. I had no idea but knew I wanted to figure it out. I found programs across the United States and Canada that provided ideas about programs. At the same time I became concerned about what to do to help young adults who have aged out of the foster system. The problems faced by both sets of young people are similar.
Some ideas came from clients. One lady was released from jail after being sentenced to probation. She asked me questions about the classes she was to take as conditions of probation. While she was ready to take them she asked why could she not have taken them online while she sat in jail for several months waiting for her case to be resolved. Now she would have to take off work from her job at a fast food restaurant. I had no good answer and was embarrassed at that.
My criminal justice reform list is actually much longer but some ideas are refinement of statutory problems I see in the Texas Penal Code and Texas Code of Criminal Procedure.
I must admit I did not expect some of these criminal justice reform ideas to come to the forefront of public discussion so soon. But that means there is a bigger window to make needed changes.
I want to go to the Texas Senate and turn these ideas into laws.
If you agree that these changes in law are what we need in Texas then please join this campaign.
To do that you can help spread the word about my campaign, sign up on our website, like our social media pages, volunteer or contribute money- or all of the above. But most importantly, if you live in Senate District 11 please vote for me. I am the Democratic candidate in this race.
SUSAN CRISS LEGISLATIVE PLAN
1.Serious Criminal Justice Reform
*End Qualified Immunity for police officers and prosecutors
*Stop hiding records of police misconduct
*Require Body Cameras
*End No Knock Warrants
*No Chokeholds or knee holds
*End militarization of police
*No mandatory minimum sentences
*No pre-conviction asset forfeiture
*Improve education and re-entry programs in jails and prisons
*Improve health and sanitation conditions of jails and prisons
*Independent crime labs with oversight
*Legalize marijuana
2. Serious Access to Justice and Equality
*Meaningful access to civil and criminal justice in court and in government
*Equality and Justice for All
3. Serious Support for Public Education
*Long term stable salary, health insurance and retirement increases for teachers
*Stop starving public education to favor private schools
*Stop neglecting special needs students
*Provide safe and healthy environment for teaching and learning
*End unnecessary testing
4. Serious Healthcare Reform
*Restore Medicaid funding to Texas
*Restore Planned Parenthood Funding
*Stop using reproductive healthcare as a political football. Protect the right of women to choose their reproductive healthcare.
*Remove obstacles to healthcare for the poor and middle class
*Cap drug prices
5. Serious Return to Open, Accessible and Uncorrupt Government
*Restore Open Records and Open Meeting protections
*Stop favoring corporations, banks, insurance companies and the super wealthy at the expense of everyone else.
*Restore checks and balances with oversight of government
*Restore voting rights and make those who suppress voting rights accountable
6. Privacy Protections
*Enact consumer privacy protection measures to stop data brokers from trading private data without disclosure and consent of consumers
*Stop unauthorized access to personal data through devices in our homes and vehicles
*Regulate and in some instances ban Facial Recognition privacy intrusions
7. Protection of the Coast and the People Who Live there
*Protect our natural resources and plan for natural disasters and the aftermath
*Long term planning for pandemics and other catastrophes
*Common sense gun laws
*Provide services for foster kids who age out of the system and homeless LGBT youth and young adults
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