Cyril Focht

Drug Policy

Tennessee is one of the highest ranked states when it comes to opioid abuse and overdose rates. Pharmaceutical companies have pushed doctors to increase opioid prescriptions for their patients, disregarding the long-term health and safety of those patients to make a profit. We need to increase support for people suffering from opioid addiction with rehabilitation programs and resources for healthcare providers. Learn more

Economy

A strong economy is one that serves the people making it run. If hard working Americans aren’t able to provide for their families, then we can’t say we have a strong economy. We need to invest in support for local businesses, strengthen worker’s rights, break up corporate monopolies, and give power back to labor unions that fight for safety and wellbeing in the workplace. Learn more

Education

Public education is one of the most important public resources that a government can provide, and yet the current state of our education system is in shambles. Our schools are struggling to retain qualified teachers amidst poor working conditions, abysmal pay, and arbitrary state mandates that make it harder for teachers to do their jobs. There is nothing more important for us to invest in than our children, and that starts with investing in our teachers so that we can attract high quality educators and retain them with good job security. Learn more

Environment / Energy

We are past the tipping point where natural disasters are going to continue getting worse year by year unless we make huge changes to our energy infrastructure. We used to be a country of innovation, but our reliance on fossil fuels is a relic of the last century and it’s time we move on to better, more efficient forms of energy. Modern advancements into solar, wind, hydroelectric, geothermal, and nuclear energy are far more sustainable and cost-effective modes of producing energy than coal, oil, or gas. Learn more

Government Reform

In the ever-evolving realm of technology, we must address key concerns. Artificial intelligence (AI) holds tremendous power, but without accountability, its decisions can go unchecked. Social media platforms have revolutionized communication but lack consistent content moderation and can harm mental health. Data privacy is paramount, as companies collect and utilize our information without transparency. The right to repair is a fundamental freedom, extending to personal devices and essential equipment. Lastly, bridging the digital divide through rural broadband is imperative, ensuring equal access to economic resources and treating all Americans as equals in the digital age. Together, we can navigate these tech policy challenges while fostering innovation and safeguarding individual rights. Learn more

Too many of our elected officials enter politics as a means of getting rich, rather than to serve the people they’re elected to represent. Our current system is designed to serve corporate interests more than its citizens, and we need to change that by putting term limits on elected offices, like congress, and put an end to financial contributions from corporate lobbyists. Learn more

Tennessee has continued to take a spotlight in national news for our hostility toward queer people in our communities. Between state and federal legislation and increasingly hostile attitudes toward them, Tennessee is no longer a safe place for queer people to live. We have to make sure transgender people have secure access to affirming care, and take measures to prevent the growing rate of violent crime toward queer adults and children alike. Learn more

Guns

We have an epidemic of gun violence in our country, and as much as we all want to end this mass violence, there are no simple solutions for this problem. In the face of violence, people need to have the ability to defend themselves, but a more densely armed society will ultimately result in more widespread violence. Outright firearm bans, on the other hand, won’t solve the problems that cause people to commit acts of violence. An ideal solution would address the motivations for violent crime, not the methods used to carry it out, but that requires time to investigate the root of a dire and immediate problem and there are actionable steps that we can take right now to at least lessen its severity. There are common-sense measures that we can begin taking now while working on long-term solutions. Learn more

Healthcare

Everyone has a right to a long, healthy life and, as a society, we should take care of each other when we’re sick and injured. That means doing everything we can to ensure that everyone has access to adequate healthcare. Nothing is free, of course, and doctors have to be paid for the critical, lifesaving work that they do, but the ballooning costs of healthcare continue to make access to lifesaving treatments more and more inaccessible to Americans who need it. Learn more

Private insurance companies do whatever they can get away with to avoid paying for the medical expenses of their clients, so hospitals have to invest more into administrators to work with insurance companies and advocate for their patients. This extra administrative load causes medical costs to rise, which in turn raises the cost of insurance. That combination makes the cost of medical care out of reach for most hard working Americans. Learn more