According to https://moschoolrankings.org/, too many schools aren’t making the grade. Students are being left behind in reading and math, and many are being set up to fail instead of succeed. Depending on the source, Missouri ranks in the bottom five for teacher pay. We can do better—we need to do better! Instead of pulling funding from failing schools, let’s reward schools that emphasize mastery in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Let’s fund programs to improve math instruction and revamp how Title 1 instructs struggling readers.

People shouldn’t be taxed out of their homes, yet that’s exactly what is happening to many Jackson County residents—especially our senior citizens. I will work at the state level to ensure that property taxes are capped for seniors who own their homes and to limit how much the county can raise property taxes year over year.

In the US Constitution, the Second Amendment states, "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Unfortunately, our federal government would like to severely limit our Constitutional right to own firearms and protect ourselves and our families. No one wants gun violence, but criminals don't follow laws—law-abiding citizens do. If you want to stop drunk drivers from harming people, do you take away alcohol and cars from everyone else? No, of course not! And you don't take away firearms from innocent people who have done nothing wrong and broken no laws. We protect our politicians with security guards. Why shouldn't we do the same to protect our children? I would like to see at least one armed resource officer in every public school building in Missouri. Perhaps with the huge surplus of funds from federal pandemic relief funds, we could make this happen.

Title IX has gone completely out the window over the past few years. Young women are losing out on college scholarships, opportunities, and awards because biological males are receiving them instead. This is just plain unfair. Additionally, as a mother with a daughter in high school sports, allowing biological males to play with or against young women is dangerous and puts female players at risk. This is not right, and I will work to protect the safety and efforts of young women in Missouri.

I've been working with Missouri Canvassers since November 2021. It's a group that is dedicated to cleaning up the state's voter rolls, uncovering election issues, and ensuring our votes count. I've knocked on many doors and spoken with many people, and we have serious problems that need to be addressed to make sure Missouri elections are fair and accurate. (I spoke with a man whose father died 10 years ago, but who voted in the 2020 election; I talked with a woman and her husband who voted, but the secretary of state shows no vote for them; and I talked with a woman who told me her neighbors got a bunch of mail-in ballots, sent them in, then voted on election day in-person!) I will work to pass legislation to ensure election integrity from local elections all the way to federal elections.