Edgar Flores

Edgar Flores

Edgar Flores

Democrat

for

State Senate, District 2

Campaign Contact Phone: 7023080483


Website: EdgarFlores.com


Facebook: @EdgarFloresNV


Twitter: @EdgarFloresNV


2022 Questionnaire

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

 

I believe the community should inspire people to run. It is when the people around you say you should run that you do it. I found myself in that situation and agreed to do it. I do not come from a family of politicians. I believe in having a sincere community led based approach to proposing legislation. I will continue to do this as long as the community allows me. Further, I believe I have an obligation to use this position to ensure we elect future like minded folk. I have focused on creating a bench. The life span of an elected official is relatively small, hence I am committed to using this space and time to bridge and empower.

Given the success of the marijuana industry, should Nevada create a better licensing framework for consumption lounges which would allow tourists an opportunity to legally consume marijuana products?

Yes and and all should have access to engage in that space. Our country has spent generations incarcerating folk for marijuana possession, we must now demand that the very communities that had their liberty excluded not be excluded from this business opportunity.

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

 

Expand the Nevada DREAM Act. YES. Last session I started this conversation. I will build on it.

As Las Vegas lives in the wake of the worst mass shooting in modern history, what do you think it will take to end the gun violence epidemic and violence in our communities?

 

Accepting the violence is a health crisis. Real vetting before you can own a weapon.

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.

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?

 

Yes.

Comprehensive, age and developmentally appropriate, medically-accurate, inclusive sex education has been proven to improve students’ long-term health outcomes, yet it is not required that students be provided with this information in their sex-ed programs. Do you believe that public school sex-ed programs should be comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive?

 

Yes.

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?

 

Yes.

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.

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 trans prevent 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?

 

Every level of government and the respective stakeholders must engage in the conversation. No one has the luxury of opting out of this obligation. I do not know the perfect solution, but we cannot go back into session without coming out without some meaningful reforms to address our housing crisis.

 

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?

 

Support investment. We need to ensure we have state and federal investment. The state alone cannot hold nor afford the financial obligation as suggested by some of my colleagues on the other side of the isle. We need to continue to support investment in preservation and resist the urge of a build to the bottom campaign that may have immediate monetary benefits, but grave long-term realities.

 

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?

 

No. The state cannot carry that financial responsibility by itself. I echo my response in the above question.

What legislative action would you take to address the ongoing COVID crisis in communities of color due to mistrust, targeted disinformation, and lack of culturally competent messaging that includes language accessibility?

 

All agencies need a deliberate and dedicated team for this issue. The only way to do meaningful outreach is to have deliberate and meaningful investment.

 

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

 

How do you envision working within your state to pass care legislation (i.e. child care, elder care, paid leave, paid sick leave, and disability care) that will ensure that women of color and working families can easily access the care they need?

 

We have an opportunity presently to use federal funds for this. We need to continue to work with all our elected leaders to ensure this is on everyone's priority list of how to bridge the many gaps in this space. Afterwards you follow it up with continued state funding. Now with the legislatures commitment to grants we must focus on fulfilling matching grants where 1 state dollar often translates to 2 or 3 federal matching dollars.

 

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?

 

My door is always open to you. I do not make a single decision how this will impact the most marginalized communities.

 

Communities of color are most impacted by air pollution; what would you do to ensure that our communities can breathe cleaner air?

Continue to support legislation focused on constant and measurable changes to those industries that most impact the environment.

 

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?

 

Support and promote conservation.

 

Will you practice a just transition approach to Nevada’s clean energy & sustainability plans while holding accountable those who must consult and collaborate with Nevada’s Tribal Nations on decisions which may negatively impact their indigenous lifeways?

 

Yes

 

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?

 

The more affordable our schools are the less we have to worry about predatory lending. My focus is on ensuring students are not taking unnecessary classes, they are graduating, and they are being supported with wrap around services.

 

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?

 

We need to incentivize industry to bring healthy options to our communities through low interest loans, tax abatements, and other similar programs.