Candidates for Fort Worth area Texas House District 99 on the Nov. 8 ballot
Charlie Geren
Political party: Republican
Did not respond
Mimi Coffey
Political party: Democrat
Age as of November 8, 2022: 54
Campaign website: https://mimicoffeyfordistrict99.com/
Occupation: attorney
Education: Baylor University, Texas Tech School of Law
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought)
yes (Texas House 99 2001)
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
love helping the WSISD Foundation Board, served on the advisory board of Cenikor, a nonprofit substance abuse facility
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
3 very good friends: Keith Freeman, Keith Johnson, myself
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?
the way we would vote, otherwise we are very similar- gregarious, friendly, love people
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
1. women’s reproductive rights
2. education
3. unfunded mandates (local services are suffering as the State, like with education, have reduced funding it otherwise used to be responsible for
Should property taxes be lowered? What can the state do to lower property taxes for Texans? Be specific.
Yes and not just in “name only”. We must reduced the education burden on the local property owner by reversing the trend to pass off education costs to local entities, we must fund a larger portion of education from the state budget as in years past. We must expand Medicaid so the unpaid county hospital bills are not completely shouldered by local property owners. We must address the appraisal district structure. It benefits by increasing property values. There needs to be a total revamp of the appraisal system. One’s property taxes never go down even in a recession. The appraisal system is badly messed up and feeds on itself.
What should the state do to address immigration at the Texas-Mexico border?
I agree that it is largely a federal responsibility and the federal government needs to step up to the plate and spend the dollars necessary. We need special guest worker programs to allow folks to legally work and return as we had in the past. Texas has a shortage of workers.
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. I also support red flag laws.
How should Texas continue its efforts to make schools safer?
Gun control legislation.
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?
Yes, we need to go back to what it was with Roe v. Wade.
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?
Teachers routinely tell me they can’t teach to the student because they are teaching to the test. We need to get rid of STAAR testing, increase teacher pay.
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?
Doctors and patients should be able to make informed choices, not legislators for them.
Do you support Medicaid expansion? What changes would you like to see in the healthcare system to make care more affordable and accessible?
Yes. We need to legislate financial incentives for businesses to provide health insurance that require 100% participation for all employees.
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?
There are many crisis spots now that need tourniquet attention: among them are underfunding with Texas CPS, jails, prison, mental health funding and education.
Should Texas loosen its marijuana laws? Would you support the legalization of marijuana for recreational and/or medical use?
Yes. 100%.
Should Texas legalize casino gambling? Should the state legalize sports betting? If so, what should be the framework and parameters?
Yes. Yes. Will need more research to answer framework and parameters.
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. We need to legislate limits on campaign contributions. This addresses the root cause of our problems. Then we can actually get something done.
