Lauren Ashley Simmons

What training, experience, and characteristics qualify you for this position?

I’ve spent my career collaborating with allies, stakeholders and elected officials to build strong pro-worker coalitions that center the needs of marginalized people. I have deep experience working to keep our public schools strong by supporting teachers, students, and parents; working to get health care for people who have to choose between paying for medicine or paying the rent; and fighting for issues critical to working people - living wages, paid family leave, and better working conditions.

Article 7 of the Texas Constitution states that “it shall be the duty of the Legislature of the State to establish and make suitable provision for the support and maintenance of an efficient system of public free schools.” What is your interpretation of what this clause requires of the legislature?

As a union organizer, HISD parent activist, and Texan, I will fight to hold the state accountable to our constitution and laws, which require the state to fully fund a free, public education that enables Texas children “to achieve their potential and fully participate now and in the future in the social, economic, and educational opportunities of our state and nation.” Public schools must serve all children, regardless of their needs, backgrounds, neighborhoods, or abilities.

How will you ensure that Texas remains a leader in the energy sector through innovation and reliability?

I will work to: provide responsible incentives to accelerate the energy transition to renewable energy; fully seek and leverage the billions of dollars from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act that could be used to provide hundreds of thousands of jobs for our regional economy; and require the state to connect the Texas electric grid to the surrounding national grids, improving reliability, saving money, and helping combat the climate crisis.

What do you believe is the appropriate role of the State of Texas in ensuring that Texans have access to reproductive healthcare, family planning, and pregnancy care and postpartum services?

The State of Texas must remove itself from the doctor-patient relationship. Health care decisions should be made by patients in consultation with their doctors without government interference. We must: repeal Texas’ abortion ban and remove all medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion access; accept Medicaid expansion and restore Medicaid insurance to the nearly 1.7 million Texans who lost it last year; and stop Greg Abbott’s war on Planned Parenthood and women’s health care.

What other issues are high priorities for the people of your district? Please give specific examples of measurable actions that you will take to address these issues.

In addition to funding and fixing public education and expanding access to health care, we must focus on economic security and justice for all working people. That means: increasing Texas’ minimum wage to $15/hour and indexing it for inflation; passing paid sick leave, family and medical leave for Texas workers; restoring local control over the regulation of workplace conditions; protecting public sector pension funds; and working to provide retirement security for all workers.