I’m Gayle Jordan and I’m running for State Senate in TN’s 14th district.
What do I believe in? I believe in truth, freedom, and justice. I believe in justice so strongly that I made the decision to go to law school at age 50. I wanted to be in a position to help folks who can’t always access justice. I find joy in family, friends, hard work, good times, music, art, and love. I believe in a living wage, affordable housing, healthcare for all, and that NO ONE should have to choose between buying food and buying medication.
Optometrist Tonya Reynoldson, who owns a handful of private practices in rural Middle and West Tennessee communities, said even patients who are not struggling financially often wait until tax refund season for eye care, especially with copay, deductible and medication cost increases.
I believe that we are responsible for our brothers and sisters, and in a country of such abundance, it hurts my heart that so many suffer needlessly. It’s immoral.
Joy in hard work.
How do I live? A lot like everyone else in my district. I have a small farm in Rutherford County, and I raise longhorn cattle, donkeys, goats, and chickens. I work hard at taking care of my little slice of paradise. I plan my budget out each month, pay my bills, stop at the pharmacy, buy my groceries, and watch the sun go down on my back patio most nights. I call my parents everyday, just to see how they are doing. I call or text my kids to hear about their lives, their loves, their work, and their school. I’m involved in my local community, finding ways to improve the lives of my fellow Tennesseans.
What moves me? My community, the families and their suffering, their joy, and their happiness. My guiding principle is to increase joy and to decrease suffering in the lives of people. I am guided by empathy and understanding, and seek to find ways to help others. It gives my life meaning to help who I can, how I can, and when I can. It gives my life meaning to fight injustice wherever it is found. It gives my life meaning to make my community, state, and country a place where everyone can have an equal opportunity to participate in the American dream. Equal access to a good education, good jobs, affordable housing, good health care and affordable medication when needed.
Finally, how would I govern?
I would make sure we never need anything like this again.
I have a simple 3-question test that I would apply to any legislation that I would sponsor or vote for:
Is it rational?
Is it reasonable?
Is it right?
The first question, Is it rational, asks whether this legislation as written is the most effective way to address the identified state-wide issue.
The second question, Is it reasonable, is the budget question, and it asks if we can afford this legislation, and whether this is the most effective use of this tax dollar that can be made.
The final question, Is it right, asks whether this legislation does the most good for the most people, with the least negative impact on the least number of people.
If you put any legislation from the last few years through those tests, some don’t even pass the first question in the process. Some legislation, like the expansion of Medicaid, answers all three questions resoundingly. And notice how, by using these 3 questions as a guide, the religion and beliefs of ALL citizens is respected and honored.
US Constitution Article 6:
The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States.
I wholeheartedly support the First Amendment and Article 6 of the US Constitution. I believe it is the foundation of our government, and was at the heart of our founding fathers’ effort to keep religion separate from politics.
Our First Amendment is breathtaking in its simplicity and importance. What a privilege to live in a country that honors and respects ALL beliefs, and favors none.
Tennessee 2018 - Gayle Jordan