BETO FOR SENATE

U.S. Congressman Beto O’Rourke is a fourth generation Texan, husband, father
of three and proud Democrat running to represent all 28 million people in Texas. He’s fighting to ensure that our children have access to high quality education, that new families are ability to know the feeling of homeownership, that our workforce is strengthened, that young entrepreneurs have access to capital to build their business and not redlined out of the economy, because every Texan deserves an opportunity to live their version of the American dream with dignity and respect.

REFORMING THE JUSTICE SYSTEM TOGETHER
We need a criminal justice system Texans can trust. We can end mass incarceration by decriminalizing marijuana, ending mandatory minimums, and getting for-profit prisons out of our justice system. Let’s stop the school-to-prison pipeline that funnels our children into jails and not colleges, provide meaningful reentry and expungement opportunities for the formerly incarcerated, and reform the broken bail bond system that punishes the poor.

PREPARING OUR STUDENTS, EQUIPPING OUR TEACHERS
Every single child deserves access to a high-quality education from pre-K onward. We must keep public school funding with public schools, and empower our teachers so that they can teach to students and not a standardized test. We need to increase funding for Pell Grants, and invest in community colleges, Historically Black Colleges and Universities, and other job training programs.

INVESTING IN ALL COMMUNITIES, ALL PEOPLE
Our economy should work for everyone. We must ensure every Texan who wants a job can find one that pays above a living wage, and that small business owners can access capital to create those jobs. Let’s also support our families by expanding paid family and sick leave, affordable child care, and homeownership.

GUARANTEEING HEALTHCARE FOR ALL
Every Texan should be able to see a doctor, afford their prescriptions, and get the care they need. We must fight to reduce the high maternal mortality rate in Texas and ensure our new mothers are healthy. Let’s lower prescription drug costs, protect the Affordable Care Act against current attacks, finally expand Medicaid, and achieve guaranteed quality universal health care.

Criminal Justice Reform
● The United States incarcerates a larger proportion of its citizens than any other country in the world, most of whom are African American and Hispanic
● By the age of 14, 1 out of 4 African American children have experienced a parent being imprisoned.
● Texas operates America’s largest prison system
● African Americans and Hispanics account for 66% of Texas’ inmate population
● We have to address imbalances in our criminal justice system:
○ End War on Drugs
○ End mandatory minimums for minor drug offenses and decriminalize marijuana
○ End the current system of cash bail that that punishes the poor
○ Break the cycle of incarceration by providing an environment that welcomes
recently incarcerated individuals back into society
○ Improving community and law enforcement relations with more officers that
reflect the community they are serving and de-escalation trainings

Economic Empowerment
● White families have 10 times more wealth than African American families
● We must invest in African American communities. We do so by:
○ supporting African American small business owners
○ eliminating racial employment barriers (African Americans are 2 times more
unemployed than Whites in Texas)
○ growing workforce development programs
○ promoting affordable homeownership — a path to wealth for many families

High Quality Education
● A child’s zip code should not determine their academic future
● Every child deserves quality education, in student-centered environments that allow them to reach their God given potential
● For pre-K through 12th grade: Increase funding for public schools, and dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline
● For higher education: Increase funding for HBCUs and expand Pell grants which can help black students not leave saddled with debt

Affordable Health Care
● Healthcare is a life and death issue for our communities, especially communities of color.
● Access to quality care should not be based as a function of luck or privilege
● In Texas, pregnant black women are dying at 2 times rate of white women
● Affordable health care and access to quality, culturally competent care (need diversity