Nora O'NeillGainesville Sun
Amy Trask is a candidate for the Florida House District 22 seat and will face Democratic challenger David Arreola in the Aug. 20 primary election.
Q&A
Q: If you are elected, what are your main priorities for the state and District 22?Women’s rights, education, home rule, and equality (albeit, I’ll prioritize the housing and affordability crisis with the same level of urgency).A. With women’s rights, there are many areas of opportunity: the right to choose (a fundamental human right), data protection, equal pay, family leave, our Domestic Violence laws and protections, and the expansion of crucial programs (e.g., Medicaid, WIC, and ELC) that would allow women the resources to not just survive — but live and thrive, and protections in the workplace for pregnant and breastfeeding moms.B. Education would be my second priority, but to eliminate doubly-speaking on the subject, I’ll say home rule. I’m a firm advocate and believer in home rule; every county has unique needs and challenges. Having the ability to craft tailored laws and policies that fit the needs for one’s constituents just makes sense.C. Equality has also become a huge part of my platform because it strikes close to home. I have a gender-questioning child, a brother who is gay, and the most incredible sister who is transgender. Regardless of how we identify within ourselves, whether or not we agree with an idea or ideology or another human being’s choices, we do not —ever —have the right to legally devalue or dehumanize someone’s existence because it differs from our comfort levels. We don’t have the right to say who gets to take up space and pursue a future they dream of for themselves. Everyone deserves the right to write their own stories, to be who they are without fear of government erasure, and I will fight for it until we function“with liberty and justice for all."Q: What decisions made by Rep. Chuck Clemons do you most disagree with? Are there any you do agree with?
There are quite a few bills that I would have written differently, expanded upon, or allocated funding differently for, but appreciate:
- HM 71 urged Congress to recognize the startling rates of veteran suicide and to fully fund suicide prevention efforts by the US Department of Veteran Affairs.
- HB 751 supported small business by giving special license to mobile food dispensing vehicles to sell alcoholic beverages
- HB 1513/ HB 273 protected the dignity of children that have been killed with regard to their autopsy reports and online videos
- HB 1515 was a bill allowing funding and education resources for student inmates. I think this bill could’ve done more, but it’s a good starting point.
He's done a lot legislatively for agriculture, water and the environment; I would’ve approached some differently, but I appreciate the idea that we want to support our environment, ensure clean drinking water, and have effective wastewater management.
One of the bills that I just can’t support is HB 1645 that established the GRU Authority as the governing board of GRU. In Florida, we have a right to home rule. We had a lawful vote over the ownership of our utility and, despite the overwhelming number of people that voted to keep our utility, this bill was filed and signed into law. To me, that violates that sacred Florida right to home rule, and it violates the spirit of our democracy.
It sets a nasty precedent of harmful government interference whenever there’s personal disagreement or disapproval of an action. This was the first time in Florida history that a governor has erected a municipal utility board and it was done to spite a lawful vote. GRU has the cleanest energy in the state and, especially without any guarantee that it won’t be sold to the highest bidder, voters deserve to have a say in their utility.
Q: What makes you the best candidate for this position?
I have a background in civil discourse, de-escalation, and conflict resolution, where I gained national recognition for my work. We need, now more than ever, a Representative that will work to bring people over the lines and to our table so we can win this seat (and then be able to pass legislation), and I’m the only one in this primary with the tools, and proven track record, to do so.Additionally, I have the LIVED experience to talk about some of these big issues and to provide a perspective that cannot be duplicated without having experienced the obstacles firsthand: education, women’s rights, survival. As a teenager, I lived in a group home for homeless youth, before being shuffled around. I’m a woman (and a mom); it is my body that is impacted by abortion bans and denial of medical care. If I were to have a daughter, she’d have less rights than I did at her age. As a Domestic Violence survivor, I saw the lack of funding and resources in our Domestic violence shelters. I navigated EBT, WIC, Medicaid, and ELC for years as I juggled being a mom to two, a student, and holding three jobs, and I know what it’s like to look down the barrel of uncertainty: which bill can I afford to pay and which will have to wait? There were days where I couldn’t eat, so my kids could. I saw, firsthand, where we have been letting down our moms and women in our communities, and I want to fight to ensure there is more room for equity and opportunity for every person that has struggled with these issues.Q: In your opinion, what are the biggest issues facing the public education system and how do you plan to address them?
I am the only candidate in this primary to have education as a platformed issue, and it is one for me because I’ve seen the devastating consequences that the legislation being put forward has on my children.
When it comes to our education, there are so many issues to be addressed, but it all boils down to one thing: belonging. The attacks that we have seen have alienated our LGBTQ students, denied (and attempted to rewrite) history, denied AP African American history, erased (or at least greatly chilled) some free speech and expression, and removed parental choice whilst claiming to advocate for the same. The attacks have begun defunding of our public school system with the parental choice voucher system and with book ban challenge costs. We’re seeing book bans, restroom bans, insufficient teacher pay and benefits, insufficient teacher supports, and so much more.
I will write legislation that respects the incredible responsibility our teachers have as the holders and guardians of our future. I’ll write legislation that helps us lead in teacher pay, not remain almost dead-last, that allots funding for bonuses for continued and professional education, trainings, and more. I’ll write legislation that caps the student-teacher ratio, gives additional classroom support, and expands funding for EDEP and universal free meals for our K-12 students.I’ll write legislation that puts mental health counseling in our schools and gives de-escalation and conflict resolution training beginning in Early Ed. I’ll also work to reverse legislation that promotes book banning.I’ll work to address the voucher system funding, so we aren’t taking from kids without means, work to reverse legislation that teaches offensive ideas about racism and slavery, and I’ll address equality to ensure we promote policies that are inclusive and tolerant.
