Candidate for Tennessee House of Representatives - District 12 in 2024 Tennessee General Election.
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Get StartedExtreme Risk Protection Orders also are beneficial to keeping guns out of the hands of individuals with mental illness and preventing mass shootings. Leslie also supports using a National Domestic Violence Registry as a tool to keep violent abusers from owning a firearm. Learn more
Leslie believes that public funds should stay in public schools. Learn more
Leslie passionately advocates for programs in the middle and high schools to motivate and reward students. These initiatives aim to uplift at-risk youth, providing them with empowering experiences that reduce truancy rates and guide them towards defining their personal career paths. Learn more
By expanding the program and including more trade schools, we can empower more Tennesseans to pursue their chosen career paths. This inclusive approach will not only benefit individuals but also contribute to the overall growth and prosperity of the state, especially in rural communities. Together, let's unlock the potential of every citizen and create a brighter future for Tennessee. Learn more
Leslie also believes that increasing the hires of local school counselors and psychologists will lower truancy rates. Learn more
Teachers work incredible hours and are trusted with out most precious possessions, our children. Not only do teachers deserve and need a greater stipend for purchasing school supplies, but they need to bring home more pay for their dedication for their work. Learn more
I will support measures to preserve our precious park and the surrounding beauty. This is not going to be an overnight fix, but we need to take action to uphold the health and natural beauty of this unique area we live in. Learn more
Shelby County has had much success with a free trigger lock program. The Sevier County Sheriff's Department has a similar program. I support expanding that to the entire state. This would save lives and is money well spent to protect our youth from accidental shootings within their home. Learn more
Tennessee ranks 44th in overall Healthcare according to America's Health Rankings annual report in 2022 , which is the same ranking from 2019, so there has been no improvement. We can address this by expanding Medicaid. Learn more
Tennessee ranks higher than the national average in Drug abuse and overdose death rates. The national average is 33.4 per 100,000 individuals and Tennessee's statistics are 56.6 per 100,000 individuals. We need more rehabilitation accessibility and mental health aftercare to lower these numbers and heal our population. We can address this by expanding Medicaid. Learn more
Expanding Medicaid to keep rural hospitals open will provide prenatal care to women in need. Trusting women, and their doctors, with decisions regarding their own bodies is also proven to lower maternal death rates. Learn more
Businesses here are constantly looking for employees but there is no place for the workers to live. The county commission recently raised taxes on the Airbnb property owners which might discourage some from taking housing off the market and renting them short term, but that is only a partial solution. We need more quality middle and low income housing in our area. Even though this is something that can be achieved on the county level, I support giving tax breaks to builders who will commit to long term housing construction for these groups. I also support a two year cap on the long term rental prices. This will keep the available rental companies from gouging the citizens of Sevier County. Again, this can be done by the County Commission. Let's work together to make Sevier County affordable for permanent residents! Learn more
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