Rochelle Nguyen

Rochelle Nguyen

Rochelle Nguyen


Democrat


for


AD 10


Campaign Contact Phone: 7259992669


Website: www.rochellefornevada.com


Facebook: www.facebook.com/rochellefornevada


Twitter: @rochellenguyen


2022 Questionnaire

Please share briefly what inspired you to run for this office and why you feel you’re qualified for the position.

 

As a mother, spouse, daughter and small business owner, I see the challenges that Nevadans face every day. As a legislator, I hope to continue to bring forward policies that more Nevada forward and that people will feel the impact of immediately. I live in a household with my husband, who is a prosecutor, my two children who are in public schools in my community, my 76 year old father, who is a Vietnamese refugee and speaks limited English, my father-in-law, who turns 85 in May, and our dog Neil. I am also a criminal defense attorney who practices predominately with indigent clients and runs my own law firm. This has taught me patience, but also gives me a broad prospective on many issues that are facing Nevadans.

Would you support allocating more state funds to help DACA recipients to help with higher education?

Yes.

How will the state fight the growing issue of homelessness that is increasing in our communities and use funds to expand on shelters for these community members?

 

We must do a better job of working together as a community by engaging those who are directly impacted by the loss of housing. Both the questions and a the solutions must start with those individuals. We often start with those who are indirectly impacted. While we should include those individuals at the solution table, we need to start with those individuals who do not have basic shelter. We can also do better coordinating efforts of city, county and state electeds in enacting policies that compliment each other and more us forward with solutions together.

Nevada has historically protected the right to abortion, including protecting the right in statute 30 years ago by a vote of the people. However, there remain barriers to access in the state. Do you support not only the right to abortion but policies that improve equitable access to abortion care?

 

Yes. Without equitable access, you don't have a true protected right to health care, including, but specifically abortion.

The state of Nevada is facing an unprecedented shortage of health care providers – a problem that impacts every area of medicine, including the provision of sexual and reproductive care. Do you support removing the physician-only requirement and allowing advanced practice clinicians (APCs) to provide this vital care to patients with training and certification?

 

I am open to policies that increase our work force and allow for safe access to healthcare.

It is well documented that patients of color face greater obstacles to obtaining sexual and reproductive health care than non-Hispanic white Americans – a pattern that results in worse health outcomes overall for BIPOC patients. Do you not only acknowledge systemic racism’s role in public health disparities but will you pursue policies that seek to rectify the historical harm of systemic racism and advance equitable access to health care?

 

We must have anti-racist policies in healthcare.

Knowing that the death penalty is exorbitantly expensive, racially discriminatory, and does not promote true healing for victims family members, do you support its abolition and do you think ending the death penalty is a crucial part of criminal justice reform?

 

Yes. I voted in favor or abolishing the death penalty in 2021 and gave a floor statement in support of abolishment. I will continue to fight for this reform.

True Colors United, a national organization that implements innovative solutions to youth homelessness that focus on the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ young people continues to rate Nevada as critically low, for its State Index on Youth Homelessness (in collaboration with the National Homelessness Law Center) that ranks and scores laws and policies related to preventing and addressing youth homelessness in the United States. Are you willing to support legislation that helps to fund and provide oversight regulations to youth homelessness services?

 

Yes

Anti-transgender bills are being introduced across the United States that attempt to prevent trans people from having access to health care, gender reassignment surgery, and access to sports in schools. Do you support transgender equality and access to healthcare and an athletic school experience?

 

Yes.

We have seen rental rates increasing at a very alarming rate, in some instances upwards of 30%. How do you see the Nevada Legislature taking action to keep Nevadans in their homes and not being priced out?

I will continue to support polices that protect housing affordability and availability. If there are policies that we need to pass to allow municipalities and counties to enact more aggressive reform locally, I am open to working together to protect Nevadans.

Nevada has one of the largest shares of federal public land of any state in the country, providing important wildlife habitat, places to hunt, camp, fish and hike, and acting as the foundation of a billion dollar outdoor industry. Even so, some lawmakers have promoted policies that seek wholesale transfer of federal ownership of our national lands to states. A) Would you support or oppose these land transfer policies? B) Would should the State of Nevada’s role be in the management and ownership of federal land?

I would have to look at the policy. I am generally hesitant for our state to accept management and also the financial responsibilities of the land transfer. I know that it can be expensive for the State to take over that ownership and management.

State investments in conservation provide resources for a wide range of public benefit, like the management of wildlife and state land, and the creation and maintenance of trails and other recreational facilities. In 2019, the Legislature approved $217 million of bonding authority for conservation purposes, including for the acquisition of land for new state parks. A) Do you support or oppose state investment in conservation? B) Has Nevada’s investment in land conservation been too little, too much, or about right, and how would you change it?

 

A) I support investment in conservation. B) There is always room for improvement and investment in land conservation. We must continue to find innovative ways to invest in land conservation.

 

Would you support addressing public health disparities in Nevada’s diverse Spanish speaking population by funding a “Promotores de Salud” program through the Nevada Office of New Americans that provides year round, culturally competent education and community engagement in Spanish on public health issues?

 

Yes.

 

What are you doing to center communities of color and low-income communities in your work, and how do you ensure that equity is part of every decision you make?

I am engaging communities of color and low-income communities to participate in the policies and solutions that they need. This engagement needs to happen through the legislative policy making process, not just during public comment, fundraising, or canvasing. I have in the past and will continue to make sure that these communities are at every table, not just those that we immediately think of when we think of equity.

The APIA community faces the largest unmet financial needs when it comes to higher education. Nevada has the highest student loan default rate in the country. In Nevada, there are 333,100 student loan borrowers, $11.5 Billion in student loan debt, and $34,700 in average debt per borrower. What policies can we implement to ensure students and families are protected from predatory lenders and undue financial burdens?

In addition to working with our federal delegation about reforms and cancellation of student debt. I am open and currently working on student loan repayment programs and policies in our state that will help with work force shortages particularly in the rural areas of Nevada.

Latinx communities are extremely concerned about the drought and ongoing water shortages. What would you do to ensure our families have a sustainable water supply, not just now but also future generations?

 

I will continue to support policies that protect our natural resources and promote conservation efforts.

 

One out of seven people in Clark County are food insecure. What policies would you propose to ensure people are not residing in food deserts and have access to healthy food and water sources?

 

Access and availability to healthy food is about healthcare. I will continue to support policies that encourage investments in our communities that are in food deserts.