I am passionate about restoring healthcare benefits to Missouri’s uninsured, our children, elderly, disabled the working poor.  I will work to reverse the state’s Medicaid cuts that resulted in over 180,000 Missourians losing access to healthcare, including over 70,000 children.  As an advocate and a member of the administrative team of a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), I know how the cuts have directly affected the budgets and services offered by local hospitals and health centers.

As a lifetime city resident and property owner, I know how important it is to maintain the historic qualities of our beautiful neighborhoods.  As a real estate agent, I have personally seen ‘diamonds in the rough’ restored back to their original beauty.  Therefore, I support tax credits for development and historic rehabilitation projects. Tax credits are what made restoration of the city possible.  Few developers would have tackled these projects without tax credits, which would otherwise make them too expensive.

All children should have access to quality education.  I support universal pre-school education to make sure children get a great start.  I also support longer school days, school years, and after school programs that expand learning opportunities.  The longer children are learning, the fewer opportunities for mischief. 

I have a proven track record that consists of experienced political, corporate, and community leadership.  I began a career in health administration as an analyst in 1998 and rose through the ranks to Director. I’ve also served in a leadership capacity in several organizations including the 3rd Congressional Democratic Committee, Urban League Young Professionals, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated.

As the representative for Downtown St. Louis and several historic neighborhoods, I truly understand how Missouri’s tax credit program has benefitted our great city.  However, Missouri is facing one of the most severe budget crises since the Great Depression and everything we fund has to be on the table.  While I support the Governor’s leadership on this issue, I do not support the way it was handled.  Tax credits are too important not to bring all of the stakeholders to the table to develop a solution that all sides can live with.  HB 2399 was delivered at the 11^th hour and the legislature needs more than the remaining few weeks of session to properly address this.  I am more than willing to work with the Governor’s office and the bill sponsor in the weeks to come to draft a solution that everyone can live with.