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Editor's note: The Daily Record sent questionnaires to both candidates running for Texas House District 45, which encompasses Hays and Blanco counties. To read more about other candidates on the November ballot see the our Voter's Guide at sanmarcosrecord.com
Carrie Isaac
Q. What policies would you prioritize to aid residents and businesses affected by the pandemic and what would you support to prevent future spread of the disease and economic damage?
Isaac: At the onset of the pandemic I organized a group of volunteers to get desperately needed PPE, hand sanitizer, cleaning supplies, and more to nursing homes throughout Hays and Blanco counties, as well as PPE to 10 local schools so they could serve meals to hungry students. Meanwhile, as I’ve been actively working to help our community, my opponent can’t even be bothered to visit with voters from six feet apart wearing a mask. You don’t hide out in your home like my opponent — you get to work, and that’s exactly what I’ve done. This is how you prevent the spread.
We should take the threat of COVID-19 seriously, but too many families across Texas and the nation are struggling on the brink of financial ruin. I believe it is imperative we continue to fully open the Texas economy. There’s a reason I’m endorsed by the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB). Those organizations and their members know I will work to cut taxes and reduce the regulatory burden on our local business to help them and their employees as they reopen. Businesses and tax-paying citizens that get to keep more of their hard earned money will help us recover from this pandemic faster than any government-run program. We need a real taxpayer champion representing House District 45. I’m that person!
Q. What issue(s) most inspired you to run for this office and what legislative policies would you prioritize to address them?
What inspired me to run was the same issues I’m hearing from voters in the district. I’ve personally knocked on over 5,500 doors and the number one issues I hear from voters throughout Blanco and Hays counties the most are property taxes and keeping our communities safe. People are struggling to pay their property taxes and are tired of feeling like they’re renting their home from the government. My opponent voted nine times to raise taxes and fees. She even voted against reducing property taxes. She supports a state income tax and voted against the Texas Taxpayer Transparency Act to silence homeowners when their property tax rates are raised.
My opponent also wants to defund border security, voted against efforts to protect girls and boys from human trafficking, and even voted against a school safety bill that would protect our kids in the classroom. She also opposed legislation that would punish ANTIFA-style looters and rioters from protesting on your private property.
I’m not surprised she’s refusing to knock on the doors of the people she’s supposed to serve. If I had a record that bad I probably wouldn’t knock doors either.
I’m committed to actually cutting taxes and I have a plan. And, I support the rule of law. I’m committed to fully funding local law enforcement, instituting mandatory jail time for human and sex trafficking, and increasing border security technology to keep drugs, cartels, and international gangs out of our schools and community. I will fight to keep Texas the shining star on the hill, the beacon for the rest of the country. I would be honored to have your vote to serve you in the legislature. Vote Carrie Isaac for State Representative.
Erin Zwiener
Q. What policies would you prioritize to aid residents and businesses affected by the pandemic and what would you support to prevent future spread of the disease and economic damage?
Zwiener: First things first. We must control the spread of COVID-19. As long as members of our community are (rightfully) worried about the virus, we will struggle to find any real normalcy. Next session, I will work to strengthen our state agencies involved with COVID response including the Department of State Health Services, Health and Human Services Commission, Department of Emergency Management, and Texas Workforce Commission. DSHS, in particular, has not had the personnel and resources it needs for accurate data tracking and to conduct widespread community and business outreach regarding COVID-19, and TWC has struggled to keep up with the needs of folks out of work.
During this pandemic, my office has assisted Texans with unemployment claims, housing assistance, and food assistance, secured 10,000 free tests for House District 45, distributed 12,000 masks, served as a reliable information source, and helped correct both local and state data.
COVID-19 has resulted in more Texans losing health insurance. I will fight to expand Medicaid, which will give another 1.5 million Texans coverage, bring $10 billion of our federal taxes back to our state, and drive down health care costs for all Texans.
I also support creating a microloan revolving fund to help small businesses stay afloat, and I’ll keep a close watch on the disbursement of federal dollars for economic relief to ensure that people of Texas are getting the benefits, not a few corporations.
I will continue my work on internet connectivity, so that our students don’t lose out on education opportunities because of the digital divide. I will also fight to make sure our schools have the resources and flexibility they need to provide a great education to our kids without endangering students, educators, or staff.
Q. What issue(s) most inspired you to run for this office and what legislative policies would you prioritize to address them?
Zwiener: I stepped up to run because I was sick of the Texas House only making the news for targeting vulnerable Texans with legislation like the Bathroom Bill and SB4, the Show Me Your Papers Bill. I want a Texas that works on issues that matter to everyday Texans like making sure every child has access to a great education, no Texan has to choose between paying for medicine and paying for rent, and protecting the beautiful Hill Country we call home. Last session, I helped pass legislation to invest almost $12 billion in public education, which increased state funding for each student, raised our educators’ pay, funded full-day pre-K for qualified students, and slowed the rise in property taxes. Next session, I will defend this investment during tough budget negotiations and work to expand it.
I also am passionate about protecting the environment. I’m the only member of the Texas House with a professional background in conservation. I will file legislation to hold polluters of our air and water accountable and to get Texas on track to both fight and prepare for climate change. I will also file legislation to create a fair routing process for oil and natural gas pipelines, so that instead of a corporation drawing a line on a map in a boardroom, communities can be heard and environmental and safety concerns can be weighed.
