Key Issues

ADVANCING LOUISIANA TOGETHER

As a State Representative, he plans to champion legislative policies that address complex, multi-faceted issues, such as public health, crime reduction, and access to equitable healthcare, with the goal of building a better Louisiana for all its residents. With Ed's passion, expertise, and commitment to serving his community, he is poised to bring positive change and progress to District 91 and beyond.

Crime Reduction

New Orleans has earned the reputation as one of the most violent cities in the nation with its murder per capita rates consistently ranking among the country’s highest. The drug trade is a clear leading contributor to the crime in the city; however, historically legal sanctions have focused solely on reducing the supply of drugs by punishing the drug seller and user, which has proven ineffective at best, and ignores the larger issue of rampant drug use and increasing demand. Worsened by the burgeoning opioid crisis and now greatly compounded by the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, our foe is no longer just simply a dealer or a gang, but a network of modern medicine that fosters addiction. A demand reduction model that links prevention providers, treatment services, the criminal justice system, and the community at large could effectively reduce the violent crime and recidivism rates in New Orleans. I believe I can create legislation that can reduce crime by 30% by taking this approach. To learn more about this topic and solutions that I think could bring about substantial change, access my white paper here.

Access to Healthcare

Louisiana’s health care service environment is among the worst in the nation. According to United Health Foundation’s American’s Health Ranking 2022 Annual Report, Louisiana ranks last at 50th in overall state rankings. Residents in Louisiana are historically underserved, and suffer from poorer health outcomes, health disparities and other inequalities. For healthcare to be accessible it must be affordable and convenient. Many people do not have access to adequate healthcare. Access to comprehensive, quality health care services is important for promoting and maintaining health, preventing and managing disease, reducing unnecessary disability and premature death, and achieving health equity for all. I’d like to focus on social determinants of health that contribute to disproportionately negative health outcomes and find potential solutions to improving access to healthcare for Louisiana citizens.

Addressing Poverty

Findings from the 2021 Census recorded Louisiana at an official poverty rate of 19.6%; this is the highest in the nation representing about 883,000 Louisianans. New Orleans has a poverty rate of 26.74%. This is a long-festering issue, compounded by a history of devaluing education, depressed wage rates and unequal distribution of wealth. I want to challenge common misconceptions about how people fall into (or remain in) poverty, these misconceptions often unintentionally spread harmful biases and are blame-focused, when we should be solution-focused by addressing systemic conditions that keep people in poverty, including lack of affordable housing, inequitable access to education, training and tools, and mental illness.

World Population Review - New Orleans
Louisiana: Poverty, Income, and Health Insurance

Strengthen Individual Rights

Freedom allows people to build lives of meaning and purpose, and is an essential component of human flourishing. In turn, the freedom to explore, create, and innovate are what drives human progress, creating prosperous communities and healthy societies. While it may sound simple, fundamentally I am a people person and I believe that the contributions of each individual make a whole community. I am a staunch supporter of women’s rights. I stand for equity and equality for the rights of the LQBTQIA+ community. I know Black Lives Matter and support political movements that fight racism. I also know that I can’t have all answers myself, so it is crucial to listen to our community, and that includes the disenfranchised and the marginalized. I believe there is a space for everyone’s voice and, as your representative, I want to ensure those voices are heard.

Increase Economic Opportunity

New Orleans is a vibrant city, full of promise, but has yet to reach its potential due to stagnant economic opportunity. As your representative, I would like to help create policy that takes down the barriers that get between our people and the realization of their economic potential. These include removing barriers to the labor market and mobility barriers associated with inequality. I aim to help create more labor demand where it is lacking through tax reforms and focusing on incentives for small businesses. I want to invest in
the long-term infrastructure of New Orleans, of investing in public goods to create a stronger city that prioritizes its local citizens
and businesses.