Candidates for Fort Worth area Texas House District 93 on November 8 ballot
Nate Schatzline
Political party: Republican
Age as of November 8, 2022: 30
Campaign website: https://www.natefortexas.com/
Occupation: Director of operations - The Justice Reform
Education: Bachelor’s Degree - SAGU Master’s Degree - Liberty University
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought)
No
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Director of Operations for a non-profit that restores women rescued out of human trafficking. Pastor - 10 years
Public School Mentor - 9 years
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
X
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?
I am a Christian and conservative who will fight for our families, freedoms, and values. My opponent is a Democrat.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
Removing Indoctrination from Schools
Securing the Border
Standing for our freedoms
Should property taxes be lowered? What can the state do to lower property taxes for Texans? Be specific.
Yes property taxes should be lowered until they are completely abolished. The state can cut wasteful spending and reallocate tax responsibilities to make up the difference.
What should the state do to address immigration at the Texas-Mexico border?
Close the border and send more law enforcement officers to the border to crack down on illegal immigration. There is a drug and human trafficking crisis at the border and it must be addressed.
Do you support changes to Texas gun laws? If so, what changes? Would you support raising the age to buy AK-style rifles from 18 to 21?
Gun laws in Texas should be less restrictive. I would not support raising the age limit for that.
How should Texas continue its efforts to make schools safer?
Arm and train certain staff members and appoint SRO’s at every school in Texas.
Should Texas change its abortion law to make exceptions for rape and/or incest? At what point in a pregnancy should abortion be barred, if at all?
Abortion should be and will be illegal in Texas. The only time abortion should be permitted is if the life of the mother is at stake.
What can the state do to help students who are lagging behind grade level in subjects like math and reading? What specific policies do you support to improve achievement in Texas schools?
Teach them actual math and reading. School districts are so focused on indoctrinating students with CRT and sexual perversion that they neglect actual education.
Should there be a statewide ban or limit on gender-affirming health care treatments for transgender Texans younger than 18? Which medical procedures or treatments and why? How should such a ban/limit be enforced?
Absolutely. Chemical castration of minors should be illegal and doctors who perform it should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Do you support Medicaid expansion? What changes would you like to see in the healthcare system to make care more affordable and accessible?
Big pharma and medical insurance companies need to be held accountable.
Texas is expected to have a huge budget surplus in the coming legislative session. How should those dollars be spent and what priorities should be addressed with those dollars?
The budget should be cut and taxes should be cut to match the reduced budget. Texas should take as little money from the taxpayers as they can while still being able to function.
Should Texas loosen its marijuana laws? Would you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medical use?
No
Should Texas legalize casino gambling? Should the state legalize sports betting? If so, what should be the framework and parameters?
No
Has the state done enough to fix the power grid? What should be done going forward to ensure its successful operation, particularly in times of extreme weather?
No it has not. It should be addressed.
KC Chowdhury
Political party: Democratic Party
Age as of November 8, 2022: 57 Yrs
Campaign website: kcfortexas.com
Occupation: Business
Education: 1 Year College & 2 Years of Airlines Tech Course
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought)
No. While I have always been an active voter and have assisted other candidates in their endeavors, this is the first time I have personally sought election to public office.
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
Have been actively working with many non profits in our areas to improve the life of our neighbors and families for last 20 years. Have worked tremendously to help various communities during COVID-19. I have been a member of TWU for 18 years. I have been served in advisory board and a member of BANT. Have served UBAC as the their founding president. Have been a member of FOBANA for last 10 years.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
I am proud to be running a grassroots campaign based on small contributions while accepting no PAC donations. The largest contributors to my campaign are myself and other family members with the balance coming from small businesses and individual donors.
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?
I believe that the purpose of our state government is to engender cooperation and common cause for the benefit of all Texans. I believe that our focus should be fixed here in Texas to solve local issues that have a direct impact on the daily lives of all Texans rather than on divisive national cultural disagreements that serve no purpose other than to prevent progress and equity among all Texans. Texas needs leaders with vision, principals and a healthy work ethic to lead is in this new century, not culture warriors who are still fighting the battles of the past.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
Texas currently faces a multitude of challenges and recent polling by the University of Texas show a majority of Texans believe that Texas is on the wrong track.Among the top three issues troubling Texans are the economy and public education. While the employment rate in Texas remains favorable, wages have not kept pace with the cost of living. Fifty-six percent (56%) of Texans believe that rising prices are having a major impact on their household finances. The third largest issue is ensuring the health and safety of all Texans. Texas, sadly, has thelargest number of uninsured citizens in the nation, the highest rate of maternal mortality, thehighest number of rural hospital closures and lags the nation in the provision of mental health care.
Should property taxes be lowered? What can the state do to lower property taxes for Texans? Be specific.
Yes. Property taxes for homeowners should be lowered. By reducing the State’s contribution to public education to 38% the State Legislature has forced local ISD’s to raise taxes to keep up with a burgeoning population. The state of Texas should fully fund public education instead of simply building an embarrassingly large surplus of unused funds and diverting taxpayer dollars to the for-profit private school industry. Another big step the State should take is to expand Medicaid and reduce the number of uninsured people in Texas.Currently, uninsured people are forced to turn to hospital emergency rooms for basic healthcare and the costs associated with this are borne by County taxpayers.
What should the state do to address immigration at the Texas-Mexico border?
Texas, like the United States, was founded and built by immigrants. Our State is much richer by the many cultures aggregated here. Rather than fighting with the Federal Government by engaging in political gamesmanship, Texas should work with our Federal Agencies to provide meaningful, fair solutions to the issue. We gain nothing by ignoring the underlying poverty and violence that combine to force people to leave their home county to keep their families from harm. And, we are doing serious damage to our National Guard personnel and their families by keeping the guard at the border for extended periods of time. To date, ten (10) members of the Texas National Guard have died as a result of their border security mission, the most recent being a suicide.
Do you support changes to Texas gun laws? If so, what changes? Would you support raising the age to buy AK-style rifles from 18 to 21?
Yes. The State of Texas should move to immediately close the “gunshow loophole” that allows the sale of guns without a background check. The State should also end its current policy of allowing the purchase and carrying of firearms with no permit, raise the age to purchase all firearms to 21, enact red flag laws and secure storage laws.
How should Texas continue its efforts to make schools safer?
The leading cause of death in children and teens in the State of Texas is gun violence.Additionally, Texas leads the country in the number of mass shootings at school. No parent should ever have to fear sending their kids to school. All the gun law changes mentioned in the response to the previous question would make our schools safer places. The re-thinking of how schools are designed, constructed and accessed is also critical. Nobody should be able to simply walk inside unchallenged.
Should Texas change its abortion law to make exceptions for rape and/or incest? At what point in a pregnancy should abortion be barred, if at all?
The short answer is yes.It is unconscionable to force a woman, or a girl, to bear the child of her rapist. How is this even a question? Women are capable of and have the right to make their own decisions about their health and their future. This is a decision best left to women and their families, not the State Legislature. Abortions should be safe, legal and the sole business of the mother and her doctor.
What can the state do to help students who are lagging behind grade level in subjects like math and reading? What specific policies do you support to improve achievement in Texas schools?
Whether discussing opportunity or performance, Texas has historically ranked among the lowest in the nation relative to public education. Our public education system has been underfunded for decades and this has left students unprepared to move up into higher education and/or the workforce. Teachers and staff are starved of resources, frequently having to purchase educational materials out of their own pockets while, at the same time being seriously and embarrassingly underpaid. All of this must be addressed to build and sustain a safe and healthy school environment. Texas must pay teachers appropriately, fund opportunities for social emotional learning, provide on-campus mental health providers, and provide balanced nourishing meals, including breakfast for those who need it, in school cafeterias.
Should there be a statewide ban or limit on gender-affirming health care treatments for transgender Texans younger than 18? Which medical procedures or treatments and why? How should such a ban/limit be enforced?
No, there should not, and we all need to be honest about what that term means. Gender affirming care simply means allowing children to wear clothing and hairstyles and choose names that suit their self-identity. The only true medical process involved is the prescription of puberty blockers on a temporary basis until a child can make their own mind up about who they are. Surgery is not part of gender affirming care. These children, like all children need support and affirmation from society at-large, including their medical providers. Trans kids are already more likely to attempt suicide than other children their age. Texas needs policies to mitigate the dangers these children face rather than marginalize them.
Do you support Medicaid expansion? What changes would you like to see in the healthcare system to make care more affordable and accessible?
I strongly support Medicaid expansion. By insuring our huge uninsured population, Texas would reduce medical premiums and end the forced supplementation of medical costs for uninsured patients. Additionally, rural Texans would be able to reopen closed hospitals and end the need to drive hundreds of miles to receive needed hospital care. Texans deserve the medical security necessary for their families to maintain employment and create new jobs.
Texas is expected to have a huge budget surplus in the coming legislative session. How should those dollars be spent and what priorities should be addressed with those dollars?
Given that the purpose of our State Government is to serve our needs. What purpose is served by having the State Legislature hold taxpayer dollars in reserve while our schools are underfunded, and our teachers underpaid, our veterans and seniors are under insured or struggling with the rising burdens of property taxes. Texas needs to be improving school infrastructure, funding pay raises and adequate retirement plans for our teachers. Unless we invest in our public education system Texas education will continue to trail the rest of the country.
Should Texas loosen its marijuana laws? Would you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medical use?
A better question is, why shouldn’t Texas implement reasonable policies on the growing, sale and use of cannabis and cannabis products for both medical and recreational use. The health and economic benefits to States that have legalized cannabis are overwhelming and undeniable. I support fully legalizing marijuana, regulating its use and taxing its sale.
Should Texas legalize casino gambling? Should the state legalize sports betting? If so, what should be the framework and parameters?
Not unless the 73% of current lottery proceeds that are being diverted by the State Legislature for non-educational use are legally dedicated to the purpose for which it was originally intended. Lottery proceeds were promised to be used to benefit our public education system, but the State legislature has not kept its promises in that regard.
Has the state done enough to fix the power grid? What should be done going forward to ensure its successful operation, particularly in times of extreme weather?
The State hasn’t done anything to upgrade the power grid. The State Legislature and Governor failed to hold the oil and gas producers responsible for their negligence and, in fact, rewarded them in exchange for large campaign contributions. We have benefitted from relatively mild weather since the death and destruction of that winter storm but, we have not made use of that time to improve the reliability of the grid. Deregulation has failed to control prices and failed to protect Texans.Impending climate change requires that we upgrade infrastructure, diversify power sources and promote a more sustainable approach to energy.
