When I was a public school teacher, I struggled to make ends meet.

My coworkers drove Ubers at night and sold their blood plasma for extra money.

Today I filed a bill mandating a minimum salary of $70,000 for every teacher in Texas. #txlege
Our teachers have endured a global pandemic, an economic collapse, and a deadly winter storm.

They held our communities together through these historic crises.

Teachers had our backs. Now we must have theirs.
Last session, my colleagues and I passed House Bill 3, which gave almost every Texas teacher a long overdue raise. Unfortunately it was only a $3k bump on average.

This bill, HB 3580, can finish the job.
Nationally, teachers make 20% less than other college-educated workers with similar experience.

In Texas, teacher salaries are $5,700 behind the national average.
40% of teachers work another job during the school year according to @txstateteachers.

94% of teachers spend their own money on classroom supplies. These educators, on average, spend $497 annually on supplies according to @TexasAFT.
This is not just about fairness. It’s about recruiting and retaining the best talent in our classrooms.

We’re losing 45% of our teachers in the first five years. And that was before the pandemic.

I left the classroom because I knew I could never support a family on my salary.
This shouldn’t be an unfunded mandate.

Our state government can fund this pay raise with a combination of federal funds, new revenue, and cutting wasteful spending like the $800M we spend grandstanding on the Texas/Mexico border.
Why $70,000?

Research indicates a $70,000 - $75,000 salary is the baseline income needed for emotional well-being.

Just ask @DanPriceSeattle.
Why focus on teachers?

Teachers are THE most important profession. Without them, there would be no other profession.

Instead of just calling teachers “heroes,” let’s pay them like heroes.

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More from @jamestalarico

22 Feb
“Limited government” sounds great until you’re shivering in the dark and flushing your toilet with snow. #txlege
This disaster is rooted in one big lie.

A lie first uttered by Ronald Reagan in 1981: “Government is not the solution to our problem, government is the problem."
Session after session, we see a pattern.

When the economy is good, the #txlege cuts taxes for wealthy people.

When the economy is bad, the #txlege cuts services for working people.

When the economy recovers, the #txlege doesn’t replace the lost revenue or the lost services.
Read 6 tweets
19 Feb
In the span of two months, @tedcruz put his own self-interest over the interests of his country, his state, his daughters, and his poodle. (1/6)
@tedcruz and I are both Christians. In our faith tradition, we follow a barefoot rabbi who taught us that being a leader means being a servant. It means putting others before yourself. It means prioritizing “the least of these.” (2/6)
@tedcruz forgot those teachings when he boarded that plane.

But selfishness isn’t just a flaw in Ted Cruz; it’s a flaw in our system. (3/6)
Read 6 tweets
17 Feb
Texas is experiencing a humanitarian crisis.

People are burning furniture to heat their homes, melting snow to flush their toilets, risking carbon monoxide poisoning to protect their children.

If Texas was a country, we would call it a “failed state.” #txlege
ERCOT must be held accountable. But that’s not where the blame lies.

Politicians will try to throw ERCOT under the bus to deflect attention from our state’s failed polices of deregulation and privatization.

Texans must ask their *elected leaders* these 4 questions:
1. Why is our grid not winterized?

Texas fossil fuel plants aren’t equipped to withstand winter storms, and no one requires them to be.

It’ll cost extra, but other states have done it (see map).

This disaster is costing money and lives. We didn’t pay then, so we’re paying now.
Read 9 tweets
2 Feb
I’m proud to be the youngest member of the Texas Legislature.

But if we want truly representative government, we need *way* more young people in office at every level.

If you’re ready to run, DM me.
And of course we need way more women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ folks, and people with disabilities in office too!

The @TexasTribune breaks down the demographics of the Legislature here: apps.texastribune.org/features/2020/…
Older policy-makers at the local, state, & federal level bring invaluable experience and wisdom to the work.

We just want young folks at the table too. The biggest problems we face—from educational inequity to economic inequality to climate change—uniquely impact our generation.
Read 4 tweets
11 Nov 20
I’m going viral in Brazil right now...

Apparently “talarico” is Brazilian slang for “wife-stealer.” 😂

Olá, Brazil! 🇧🇷 I’m just making good public policy here in Texas — I promise I won’t steal your girl.
I’m also being compared to this Brazilian pop singer who has a reputation as a “talarico” 😬😬😬
Shout out to my new Brazilian friends who started this: @Felippe_Hermes @Pirulla25

Thank you for alarming my staff with thousands of @ mentions from Brazil. 😂
Read 4 tweets
12 Oct 20
THREAD

With 24 hours before voting starts, my opponent put up these signs at voting sites across our district.

This is what our politics has become under Donald Trump. Division, lies, and fear. The goal is to make us so afraid that we can’t see or hear each other.
After the murders of George Floyd and Javier Ambler, our campaign proudly donated to a well-respected civil rights organization in our community that champions educational equity, economic opportunity, and police reform.
We did it publicly, and asked our supporters to match our donation. Because we believe #BlackLivesMatter
Read 7 tweets

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