Question 1

Cut Your Taxes

Accepted Answer

We must make the wealthiest 1% and most profitable corporations pay their fair share. Therefore, I support implementing a fair tax system that works for all Georgians, not just the wealthy, well-connected, or powerful big businesses. My plan also includes cutting taxes for middle-class households earning under $120,000 a year and small businesses with under $1,000,000 in revenue a year. For example, a teacher or a warehouse worker should not be paying the same tax rate as a billionaire. The most profitable corporations in Georgia should not be paying the same tax rate as our mom-and-pop shops. I will fight for a tax system that is common sense, not corrupt, nor senseless. The current Georgia Child Tax credit is $250 per child. I will fight to raise that amount to $1,000 per child because the cost of childcare should not be more than the cost of sending your kid to college. I will propose a state-level Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC). 31 other states have implemented a state EITC and seen dramatic declines in child poverty, with reductions as high as 10%. Georgia should not fall behind other states and instead lead the way in creating an environment where anyone can make a decent living.

Question 2

Raise Your Wages

Accepted Answer

I know that too many Georgians have been working longer hours, while being able to afford less and less. The last time Georgia raised the minimum wage was in 2001, to $5.15 an hour. Our legislature is moving too slowly to meet the escalating cost-of-living crisis, and Georgians are suffering because of it. That is why I am proud to support a $20/hour minimum wage by 2030 because that is the kind of raise so many in our community deserve.

Question 3

Protect Reproductive Freedoms

Accepted Answer

Everyone deserves the right to make a personal decision for their own bodies, however, that is not the reality here in Georgia. The anti-choice extremists made efforts to enforce a full abortion ban last session with HB 441. Such extreme legislation would have closed down IVF clinics, as we know is necessary for many making the choice to start a family. As a pro-choice candidate, I will fight to make sure Georgians have easier access to contraceptives, protect IVF, and the right to have safe abortions.

Question 4

Strengthen Workers' Rights

Accepted Answer

Right-to-work laws weaken collective bargaining efforts, depress workers' wages, and hamstring the labor movement. We must expand the right to unionize. I will also fight for 12 weeks of paid parental leave in the Gold Dome because when your newborn enters the world, that should be your main focus, and struggling to survive must not get in the way of that. Furthermore, I believe 21 days of required paid time off is necessary for our working class, because you should not have to choose between paying the bills and recovering from illness or going on a vacation.

Question 5

Make Healthcare Affordable

Accepted Answer

I believe that in the wealthiest nation in human history, healthcare ought to be a human right. Fully expanding Medicaid would empower hundreds of thousands of Georgians to be able to afford the care they deserve.

Question 6

Protect The Environment

Accepted Answer

I am committed to making Georgia a healthier state for our families to live in. This includes regulating data centers, investing in renewable energy projects, and ensuring that Georgia has the best drinking water supply in the nation. This starts with removing lead from the public water that our children drink from.

Question 7

Make Housing Affordable

Accepted Answer

Housing is a human right, and housing costs in Gwinnett County are out of control. I will fight to repeal outdated red tape that prevents our communities from continuing to afford to live in the neighborhoods they know as home. We must overturn statewide preemptions that prohibit rent caps, rent stabilization, and tenant protections.

Question 8

Invest in Public Schools

Accepted Answer

Every student deserves to harness their full potential, receive a world-class curriculum, and be prepared to enter the workforce. Therefore, I will fight for universal free school breakfast and lunch because a hungry child cannot be a focused student. We must ensure that teachers in every Georgia Public School are equipped with the raises and resources they deserve. That starts with fighting for a minimum teacher pay floor of $70,000/year. Georgia must attract the best educators for our students, and that means paying them what they are worth. I promise to confront the privatization efforts of our public school system and oppose school voucher scams that divert funds from public schools and drain our most vulnerable communities of the support they need.

Question 9

Protect LGBTQ Rights

Accepted Answer

Our LGBTQ+ neighbors deserve to be free from intimidation and persecution coming out of the Gold Dome. Republicans in the legislature have spent more time attacking our fellow Georgians who just want to freely express themselves than ensuring that the government delivers for you. That is why I will introduce a state-level version of the Equality Act to protect our family in the LGBTQ+ community across the state from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity in the areas of employment, housing, public education, credit, public transportation, and public accommodations. We must repeal the bans and restrictions on gender-affirming care for our transgender neighbors.

Question 10

Reduce Traffic Congestion

Accepted Answer

Traffic is out of control in Gwinnett County, and this is a policy failure because of MAGA Republicans's refusal to expand MARTA. I believe that we must expand MARTA into Gwinnett County to reduce congestion on I-85. This will also save commuters hundreds of dollars a year, and save the over 1 million Georgians who call Gwinnett home more time. Additionally, I believe in funding Georgia’s Department of Transportation(GDOT) to optimize traffic signals because you should not have to wait on an empty road for what feels like eternity. Furthermore, I believe that the County must partner with the State Government to expand bus routes throughout Gwinnett County because not having a car should not limit your ability to get around. We all deserve safe, walkable, and affordable transportation.

Question 11

Invest in Small Businesses

Accepted Answer

While politicians love to brag about Georgia being the #1 state to do business in, they are not talking about the small businesses that make Gwinnett great. 1 in 4 small businesses within our state fail within the first year, and it does not have to be this way. We can make our small businesses more competitive by giving them preferential tax rates. Currently, all businesses pay a flat 5.19% tax rate on their profits. I believe that if you are one of Georgia’s most profitable corporations, that you can pitch in a bit more, and that a struggling small business should pay much less if they are getting up off their feet. Furthermore, I will fight for state contracts to be directed to small businesses within House District 109 when we approve each year’s state budget.

Question 12

Immigrant Protections

Accepted Answer

Gwinnett County is the beating heart of immigrant Georgia, and we cannot ignore that. The Trump administration’s immigration policy is loaded with fearmongering, hate, and division. This cruelty is not making us safe. I believe that we must repeal the state preemption that prevents cities and localities from operating as sanctuaries for our immigrant neighbors. These policies improve public safety because when law enforcement is not asking folks for their immigration status, anyone can feel free to report crime going on in their neighborhood.

Question 13

Legalize Cannabis

Accepted Answer

I believe that it is past time to legalize, tax, and regulate cannabis. No one should go to jail for consuming a substance that is less dangerous than alcohol. Legalizing cannabis would bring in hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue annually that can be redirected into our education and healthcare systems to both prevent and treat addiction. Regulating cannabis is crucial for public health because currently there is legal uncertainty that prevents comprehensive quality controls and lab tests from being carried out that would ensure safe consumption.

Nico will fight to...