Julie Ann Pazina

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

I have had a passion for public service, politics and volunteerism my entire life. Working with Senator Woodhouse on SB315 in 2019 was truly lifechanging. It is one of my proudest accomplishments and I hope to continue making positive change for my community in the 2023 session.

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?

During the past legislative session, the legislature created a framework for consumption lounges. While I am not completely familiar with everything that is in the bill, I do believe that this is a good first step to allow tourists to legally consume marijuana products and, as a legislator, I will welcome recommendations to create better licensing.

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

I believe that all Nevadans have a right to debt free higher education. As a legislator, I will look for ways to ensure that nobody is left out when it comes to obtaining a higher education.

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?

Like everyone in Las Vegas and around the country, I am horrified by the murders and violence that took place on October 1. As a legislator, I will build upon the work already done by the Nevada legislature and work to enact common sense reforms around gun ownership, like banning domestic abusers, violent offenders and convicted stalkers from owning weapons.

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?

I am proud to say that I, like most Nevadans, am pro-choice. As a legislator, I plan to work with our partners to remove barriers for access to abortion care.

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?

There are many scenarios where it has been proven that advanced practice clinicians can provide care to those in need safely, while increasing access. In those situations, I generally support the care of patients with the proper training and certification.

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?

I believe that sex education programs should be comprehensive, medically accurate, and inclusive.

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?

I do acknowledge that communities of color and indigenous people face greater obstacles and have worse health care outcomes than white Americans. While I do have a level of privilege, I recognize the need to do better by these communities and as a legislator, I will work to pursue more equitable health care outcomes for all Nevadans, especially Nevadans of color.

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?

Candidate declined to answer.

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?

I believe that rooting out homelessness is critical to our development as a community. I also understand that the experiences of homeless LGBTQ+ youth is unique and requires additional resources and attention. I hope to work with our community partners and provide more resources and oversight to ending youth homelessness.

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?

I believe that these sorts of bills have been introduced as a way to divide Americans and move the conversation away from Republicans' record of underfunding our public schools. In the legislature, I will oppose any bill that is discriminatory and support legislation that increases access to health care.

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?

It is alarming how high rental rates have increased and I am deeply concerned about what this does to working families who are already on the edge of housing insecurity. Additionally, this poses an even greater threat to those who are already housing insecure. I am encouraged by Governor Sisolak’s recent announcement that the state will use $500 million from the American Rescue Plan funding to make housing more affordable. In the legislature, I hope to work with community partners to find ways to lower the cost of housing so no Nevadan pays more than 30% of their monthly income on housing.

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?

As a former board member of the Nevada Conservation League, I strongly support the state’s investment in conservation. Not only does conservation help battle the effects of climate change, it provides Nevadans an opportunity to enjoy public lands.

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 think the federal government should retain control of public lands because the state does not have the same access to resources as the federal government to properly manage and maintain our public lands.

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?

I am not a person of color and would never presume to speak for or know what is best for these communities, so I would first listen to those from these communities. In the legislature, I will follow the lead of and be an ally to those like Senator Spearman, Senator Harris, and Senator Donate when it comes to addressing the needs of communities of color, specifically around battling the ongoing crisis of COVID-19.

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?

If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is the importance of meeting people where they are at. I fully believe that funding public health programs in culturally competent ways is an excellent use of tax-payer dollars and would support such legislation.

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?

Ensuring women of color and working families have access to the care they need is part of the way we can build towards equity in our communities. As a legislator, my door will always be open to those with ideas on how we can make Nevada a place where everyone can access the resources they need. Much of the way we get there will be through prioritizing resources to support these efforts.

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?

Lifting up traditionally underrepresented communities is a cornerstone of why I am running for the State Senate. As a legislator, every decision I make needs to be through a lens that considers how legislation impacts different communities. Additionally, hearing and seeking out input from communities of color, low income communities and working Nevadans is something I plan to do as a legislator.

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

As a former Nevada Conservation League board member, I am all too familiar with the impacts air pollution has on Nevadans, and especially Nevadans of color. First let me state that climate change is real and we must act now. While many changes need to be made at the national and global level to truly impact the effects on our environment, we can act as a state to make meaningful changes in our communities. As a state, we must continue to pass legislation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and do so in a way that is deliberate in including communities of color.

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?

Water access, shortages, and drought are some of the largest environmental threats we face as a state. As we continue to move forward, we must look for ways to conserve water for generations to come. Continuing to pass legislation like AB356, which limits the use of nonfunctional turf, is one way we can make a lasting impact with conservation efforts.

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?

For too long, tribal voices have been excluded from the conversation. As a legislator, I welcome and encourage Nevada’s ingenious people and Tribes to join me in finding solutions to ensure their voices are heard when it comes to clean energy and sustainability in Nevada.

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?

While not much can be done at the state level to address the student loan debt crisis, I believe that the legislature should look for ways to make a higher education debt free for all students.

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?

I know that Senator Spearman has been extremely vocal and has introduced legislation to combat food insecurity and address food deserts, it is my hope to work with local governments and organizations to find innovative ways to ensure that no Nevadan goes hungry and that everyone, regardless of zip code, has access to nutritious food.