Issues

Drowning remains the leading cause of death for young children—yet it's entirely preventable. After a Texas family lost their daughter Cati in a tragic drowning accident, Vikki worked directly with them to develop life-saving legislation that now protects children across the state.

Vikki’s accomplishment:

• Cati’s Act: Vikki successfully passed this law in June 2023, requiring child care providers to ensure children who can't swim wear life jackets at pools when parents have indicated their child needs protection.

Texas families are struggling with a childcare crisis that's keeping parents out of the workforce while centers close and costs soar. Vikki is tackling this crisis head-on with practical solutions that work for Texas families. She's fighting for sustainable funding streams for childcare, ensuring living wages for essential workers caring for our children, and removing barriers for providers.

• Creating New Revenue Sources (HB 4598): Vikki is championing legislation that establishes a modest employer contribution to fund childcare programs, creating a sustainable solution to address center closures and reduce waitlists.

• Expanding Access (HB 494): Vikki is working to expand Pre-K eligibility to include children of all public school employees, supporting our education workforce and creating pathways to affordable care.

Switching our clocks twice a year is a pain. Countless polls show that the vast majority of Texans support ditching this anachronistic policy. The difficulty is choosing which time standard to settle on. Vikki’s approach is to allow voters to have their say and select either Daylight Savings Time or Standard Time year-round.

As a small business owner herself, Vikki brings practical experience to Texas's economic challenges. She believes in an economy that works for everyone—from wage earners to entrepreneurs—while managing state resources responsibly. Despite having the nation's second-largest economy, Texas maintains a $7.25 minimum wage while facing critical decisions about budget priorities that will shape our future.

• Living Wages: Vikki champions increasing the minimum wage to $15 per hour and increasing the tipped-worker wage, recognizing that when working Texans thrive, our entire economy benefits.

• Small Business Support: Vikki is developing targeted reforms to help small businesses compete against large corporations while addressing the disproportionate impact of rising costs and insurance premiums.

• Strategic Investments: Vikki supports wise use of the state's surplus through initiatives like the Fair Rent Incentive Act while prioritizing teacher pay increases, childcare center tax exemptions, and infrastructure investments that create opportunities for all Texans.

While half the states in America empower their citizens with direct democracy through initiative processes, Texans don't have this powerful tool. Vikki believes decisions are too often made without adequate input from those affected, limiting our ability to participate in the legislative process that shapes our lives. Vikki is fighting for an electoral system that truly serves Texans by expanding voting options and modernizing registration.

• Empowering Texans Ballot Initiative Act (HJR 198): Vikki is championing this legislation to give Texans a direct voice in government, allowing citizens to propose statewide ballot initiatives by gathering signatures from registered voters.

• Online Voter Registration: Vikki is pushing Texas to join the majority of states with online registration and successfully implement secure online systems.

• Ranked Choice Voting: Allowing ranked choice voting - particularly in city and school board elections - would save money and result in a greater number of voters impacting the results of an election.

Vikki successfully passed legislation establishing the Texas Food System Security and Resiliency Planning Council. This groundbreaking initiative addresses critical vulnerabilities in the state's food supply chain, bringing together farmers, food banks, and experts to tackle food deserts that leave too many Texas communities without access to fresh, affordable food.

• Strengthening Food Systems: The Council will develop comprehensive strategies to improve food security and resilience across Texas communities.

Vikki is committed to protecting our communities through evidence-based policies while addressing the root causes of violence. Building on her successful passage of the Natalia Cox Act of 2023, which provides critical resources to domestic violence victims, Vikki continues to advance comprehensive safety solutions.

• Mental Health Support (HB 4863): Vikki is pushing for greater mental health resources for first responders.

• Survivor Protection (HB 2748): Vikki is working to expand the Natalia Cox Act by removing barriers for survivors seeking protection.

Texas faces significant – yet diverse - climate challenges across the state. Some regions face the highest wildfire risk zones in the nation stemming from persistent drought. Other parts are challenged with frequent flooding events. Vikki believes in taking bold action to protect all Texas communities through a comprehensive approach that balances environmental protection with economic growth while securing our water future.

• Environmental Stewardship: Vikki promotes responsible governance that ensures Texas lands are managed sustainably to reduce wildfire risks.

• Climate Resilience: Vikki supports comprehensive strategies to address extreme weather impacts and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, recognizing their contribution to increasing wildfire danger across Texas.