Troy Talk
Voting Rights Under Assault
Intense and often highly partisan battles over the right to vote have gripped our nation. It is critically important to safeguard the integrity of our electoral process. However, in the fervor to achieve that goal, we must not intentionally or otherwise undermine access to the ballot box. Some in our country have tried to make exaggerated claims of voter fraud as a mask to subvert the ability of all Americans to have a say in our sacred democracy. This should chill all of us regardless of our political stripe. The price that was paid by so many for the right to vote in our country demands that we speak in a unified voice against those who seek to deny this constitutional right.
Continuing The Search For Equality
June is LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer) Pride Month. It is not an “official” holiday, but the cause for celebration is in what it represents: that equality matters and it's important for everyone to stand together to allow our neighbors to love whomever they choose.
Connecting The Pieces Of The Health Care Puzzle
The first step in solving the health care puzzle in the United States is to recognize that there is no single idea or a one-size-fits-all legislation that makes the problem go away. It is too broad and too complex. However, by creatively examining each piece of the puzzle, we can design an interlocking package of health care solutions. This is what I have attempted to do on the state level along with other well-intentioned legislators, to offer an encompassing umbrella that covers a broad segment of health care issues.
Repeating The Insanity Of The War On Drugs
Few clichés have entered the lexicon with such persistence as the one that maintains that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. Unfortunately, this cliché survives and it aptly describes United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ proposed sentencing guidelines applied to convicted drug users.
Human Trafficking: Closing Down The Traffickers
In the war against human trafficking, a first-of-a-kind lawsuit against a Philadelphia motel signals a new and important crime prevention tool. In Pennsylvania, this new law allows victims of sex trafficking to sue the hotel or motel where the abuse occurs.
Scrapping "Essential Benefits" May Be Biggest Health Care Change
The conversation surrounding health care in our country can be oftentimes complicated and difficult to grapple with. Trying to decipher the impact of block grants and state waivers, Medicaid and Medicare, and how it affects your financial and physical well being can be overwhelming. Compounding this debate is that health care is a very emotional issue because we rarely think about until we or our loved ones absolutely need it.