LESLIE'S PRIORITIES

Growing Texas’s Economy Through Pro-Business Policymaking

I’m a sixth-generation Texas attorney who has spent my career representing business owners with commercial disputes of all varieties and sizes.  Sometimes my clients have had run-ins with the government.  Sometimes they have gotten cross-ways with each other.  But every time, my clients’ successes rely on knowing Texas law and understanding how it impacts their businesses.  From this experience, I know first-hand how much business relies on consistent, predictable public policy.  As your legislator, I will ensure that transparent state agencies and sensible Texas laws continue to make Texas a top destination for business to provide excellent jobs for our families.

 

Protecting Texas Families

From an early age, I was taught the importance of faith, family, and tradition.  The five generations of Texas lawyers who blazed the trail before me have inspired me to use my intellect to strengthen the most vulnerable and financially underprivileged families in our communities.  We do this by identifying broken systems within our local and state governments and working to fix those weaknesses on behalf of those who do not have the resources to do so.  For example, in my legal career, I have earned a place in the Texas Pro Bono College by devoting significant hours representing an indigent family devastated by a loophole in Texas law that has separated a father from his child for over a decade.  As your legislator, I will fight for an accountable  system of government that works for Texas families; not against them.

 

School Choice and Improving Texas Education

Our children are the future of Texas, and they deserve better than the status quo when it comes to planning for their future.  As a mother of three elementary school-aged children, I am concerned that the U.S. News and World Report ranks Texas as 35th amongst the 50 states for its education policies.  All Texans agree that we can do better for our children, and as your legislator, it will be my top priority to implement innovative solutions that revolutionize our education system, including Education Savings Accounts. School choice, building strong schools that offer both rigorous curriculum and options for professional growth, providing parents a bigger role in their children’s education, and giving parents the financial resources to choose the best school for their child are key ingredients to building a successful school system. I intend to fight for the kind of reforms we need to move Texas in the right direction for our most important resource: our children.

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Securing the Border

Immigration needs to be the top priority of both state and federal leaders alike, and I am proud of Texas for standing up and demanding solutions that will protect our citizens against the influx of human trafficking, terrorists and fentanyl.  Our leaders have not been able to agree on a global solution for illegal immigration, but certainly we can all agree on this:  the illegal flow of narcotics and undocumented criminals into our state is a national security threat and must stop.  As your legislator, I will fight to make our southern border safe, put a stop to illegal immigration and advocate for those who seek to legally pursue their American dream.

 

Accessing Effective Justice

As a commercial litigator, I know first-hand how difficult, expensive, and tolling it is to engage with Texas courts—even for clients with the resources to do so.  But this same challenged court system  serves all Texans— including those who cannot afford a lawyer.  As your legislator, I will help all Texans receive access to the representation they need and author reforms that make the Texas court system more accessible and affordable for individuals and businesses alike.

 

 

Strengthening Our Electrical Grid

When I first became a staffer at the Texas Capitol 25 years ago, I worked in the office that focused on regulating the Texas electricity market.  This experience taught me not only how unique and important the Texas Grid is to our state’s economy, but also how critical it is to keep it safe and reliable for all Texans.  As your legislator, I will work hard to ensure that Texas's electricity market operates efficiently and that the grid remains an integral and robust asset for the state. 

 

Advocating for Energy

Texas is now the eighth largest economy in the world, and the largest driver of our massive contribution to the GDP is our revolutionary oil, gas and energy industry.  I am proud that Texas leads the nation in both oil and natural gas production and wind energy transmission.  What a blessing it is that technology and innovation continue to introduce new energy sources into our portfolio of natural resources. Texas needs experienced leaders that can implement practical solutions that shepard in the energy transition–all the while respecting the continued importance of a diversified energy portfolio that improves upon our traditional energy sources.  Having spent a large portion of my career representing every conceivable sector of the energy industry on a broad swath of issues related to oil and gas, renewable energy, energy services, and landowner/royalty interest disputes, have the experience that Texas needs to support the largest driver of our state’s economy.

 

Reigning In Exorbitant Property Appraisals

I am proud to see that Texas has recently enacted the largest property tax cut in the nation’s history, but we still have much to do. Property evaluations are out of control and every year, Texas homeowners are seeing their tax bills increase exponentially.  But there is no recourse for this problem because appraisal districts enjoy little to no oversight. As your legislator, I will work tirelessly to rein in appraisal districts by implementing appropriate mechanisms to temper the exorbitant valuations and provide  the financial relief Texas homeowners desperately need.

 

Supporting Agriculture and Ranching

The recent, untimely death of my father has placed me in the drivers’ seat of managing our family’s century-old Texas ranch.  Because of this, I understand the perspectives of two of the oldest and most important industries in Texas: agriculture and cattle.  As your legislator, I can provide an experienced voice to these industries, which have built Texas into the power-player it is today.

 

Protecting All Life

As a Christian mother, I believe in the sanctity of human life from the moment of conception. I will be a voice for the voiceless in the Texas Legislature and will fight to ensure that the unborn will always be protected in the Lone Star State. Additionally, I will advocate to provide an easier pathway to alternatives to abortion and will work with my fellow Representatives to expand a mother’s access to contraceptives and family planning resources.

 

Providing a Voice for Veterans

One of my proudest accomplishments is being the wife of a former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer who proudly served our country for 11 years across multiple combat zones.  When you find yourself praying for the safe return of a deployed family member, you intimately understand  that freedom is not free, and every single day, many men and women sacrifice to protect America and the American way of life.  Our honorable veterans deserve a system that recognizes and repays them for their sacrifice.  As your legislator, it will be a top priority to oversee and implement collaborative partnerships across private and public sectors designed to provide the assistance our veterans deserve. 

 

Ending Communist Land Purchases

As the wife of a former U.S. Naval Intelligence officer, I am keenly aware of the threat posed by the foreign communist governments of China and North Korea buying up vast swaths of fertile Texas farm and ranch land.  The security of our state and country is at stake if we do not fix the loopholes that allow purchases from foreign infiltrators to occur without oversight or accountability.  As your legislator, it will be my job to preserve Texas land for Texans, not foreign entities with a  vested interest in tearing down Texan and American values.