>> TODAY AND SEVEN MORE SUNDAYS UNTIL THE MIDTERM ELECTIONS. WE ARE TRYING TO BRING YOU AS
MANY RACES AS WE CAN.
TODAY A STATE HOUSE RACE THAT’S
THIS CLOSE.
ONE POINT APART, WHICH IS
ESSENTIALLY TIED.
DISTRICT 113, REDISTRICTED
COMPRISES MORE DENSE
NEIGHBORHOODS IN THE GABLES,
GROVE, BRICKLE, LITTLE HAVANA,
KEY BISQUAYNE.
VICKI LOPEZ, REPUBLICAN, PUBLIC
AFFAIRS CONSULTANT, ACTIVE IN
AND WELL VERSED IN STATE
POLITICS AND A.J. DOMICO,
DEMOCRAT, LAWYER, AND FIRST TIME
CANDIDATE THOUGH HE HAS WORKED
IN POLITICS WITH A FORMER SOUTH
SENATOR AND FORMER SOUTH FLORIDA
CONGRESSWOMAN.
WELCOME TO YOU BOTH FOR NOT SO
MUCH A DEBATE BUT A LIVELY
CONVERSATION.
GOOD TO HAVE YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AND I WANT YOU TO FEEL FREE
TO SPEAK TO EACH OTHER IF YOU
LIKE, AS WELL, BECAUSE WE ARE
ALL FAMILY HERE.
SO -- LET’S START OUT WITH,
THERE’S A LOT OF STATE ISSUES.
A LITTLE BIT OF TIME, TASTE OF
THE RACE TODAY.
BUT I WANT TO START OUT WITH A
SPECIFIC 113 ISSUE.
VICKI, WHY DON’T YOU START OFF.
WE WILL GO IN READING ORDER AND,
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE DISTRICTS
IN MIAMI-DADE AND SOUTH
FLORIDA’S BIGGEST ISSUES?
>> SO I THINK AFTER HAVING
KNOCKED ON AT LEAST 3,000 DOORS
FROM JUNE FORWARD, THE MOST
PRESSING ISSUE I AM HEARING IS
THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS WE
ARE IN.
AND THINK IT IS MORE PREDOMINANT
IN SEVERAL OF THE POCKETS IN THE
DISTRICT LIKE LITTLE HAVANA
WHERE THE ELDERLY ARE FINDING
THEMSELVES COMPLETELY OUT OF
THEIR ON -- THEY ARE ON FIXED
INCOMES.
SO FOR THEM AS RENTS GO UP AND
AS HOUSING BECOMES MUCH MORE
UNAFFORDABLE, THEY ARE HAVING TO
MAKE VERY DIFFICULT CHOICES AS
TO WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO EAT
THREE MEAL AS DAY, TWO MEALS A
DAY, OR ONE MEAL A DAY OR
WHETHER THEY ARE GOING TO BE
ABLE IT TAKE MEDICINE EVERY
DAY.
>> AND WHAT’S THE HEADLINE ON
THE STEPS TO START FIXING THAT?
BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN SOME
STEPS TAKEN.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN AND THINK
CLEARLY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAS
BEEN DOING WHAT IT NEEDS TO DO.
BUT I DO THINK THAT AT THE STATE
LEVEL, AS YOU CAN RECALL,
GLENNA, IN 1992 WHEN THEY FIRST
CREATED THE SODOWSKI HOUSING
TRUST FUND, WE HAVE TO GO BACK
TO FULLY FUNDING THAT FOR
AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
>> AND STOP RAIDING IT.
>> WELL THEY DID MAKE A PROMISE
LAST YEAR NOT TO RAID IT BUT
THEY ACTUALLY DID TAKE FUNDS OUT
FOR RESILIENCE PROJECTS.
I THINK WE NEED PHO FIND MONEY
FOR BOTH OF THE VERY IMPORTANT
ISSUES.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE
RESILIENCE PROJECTS.
I THINK CURRENTLY NOW THE
HOUSING PROJECT OBVIOUSLY IS A
CRISIS AND WE HAVE TO ADDRESS
IT.
>> A.J. DOMICO, WHAT IS YOUR
HEADLINE FOR BIGGEST ISSUES IN
113?
>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
I DON’T DISAGREE THAT HOUSING
AFFORDABILITY IS A CRITICAL
ISSUE FACING OUR STATE AND CITY,
ESPECIALLY WITH PROFESSIONALS
LIKE ME WHO ARE BORN AND RAISED
IN MIAMI-DADE AND WANT TO KEEP
THEIR ROOTS IN MIAMI BUT CAN’T
BECAUSE WE ARE PRICED OUT.
BUT I DO THINK AFTER ALSO
KNOCKING ON MANY DOORS THAT
WOMEN’S RIGHTS AND REAFFIRMING
AND RECOGNIZING A WOMAN’S RIGHT
TO CHOOSE HAS BEEN TOP OF
EVERYONE’S MIND SINCE THE DOBBS
DESUBMISSION JUNE AND WE NEED TO
ADDRESS WOMEN’S REPRODUCTIVE
RIGHTS AS A HUMAN DIGNITY MATTER
AS WELL AS ONE OF PUBLIC
HEALTH.
AS YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE
NO EXCEPTIONS FOR RAPE, INCEST
OR THE HEALTH OF THE MOTHER IN
THE STATE’S 15-WEEK ABORTION BAN
WHICH I WOULD VEHEMENTLY
OPPOSE.
>> LET’S TALK ABOUT THAT LITTLE
BIT.
OBVIOUSLY, A.J., YOU WOULD FIGHT
THAT.
BUT VICKI, YOUR G.O.P.
COLLEAGUES RIGHT NOW IN THE
STATE LEGISLATURE, THEY PASSED
15 WEEKS.
NOW THAT THERE ARE NO FEDERAL
PROTECTIONS ON ABORTION, THE
GOVERNOR AND SOME OF THE PEOPLE
IN THE STATE HOUSE HAVE
TELEGRAPHED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE
TO GO FURTHER.
WHERE DO YOU STAND ON THAT?
>> SO, I DO THINK THAT THEY HAVE
BEEN SOMEWHAT TELEGRAPHING THAT,
BUT I DON’T THINK THAT THERE’S
BEEN ANY DECISION ON IT.
THE WAY I STAND IS VERY CLEAR.
I MEAN I SUPPORT THE 15 WEEKS
BUT I WOULD HAVE SUPPORTED EVEN
MORE EXCEPTIONS.
I WOULD HAVE ADDED HUMAN
TRAFFICKING TO THAT.
SO I THINK THAT VICTIMS OF RAPE,
INCEST, HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND
CLEARLY THE HEALTH, YOU KNOW, OF
A MOTHER, ARE THE FOUR
EXCEPTIONS THAT I THINK ARE
CRITICALLY IMPORTANT AND I HAVE
SPENT A LIFETIME AS YOU KNOW
WORKING ON ISSUES THAT, YOU
KNOW, IMPACT WOMEN AND GIRLS AND
I THINK THAT THE 15 WEEKS WAS
NOT OUTRAGEOUS.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE BEEN
FOLLOWING SOMEONE’S PREGNANCY AS
I HAVE.
MY BEST FRIEND’S DAUGHTER IN LAW
IS NOW PREGNANT AND EVERY WEEK I
GET AN UPDATE ABOUT WHERE THE
BABY IS, WHAT IT’S DOING.
AND I THINK THE 15 WEEKS WAS A
REASONABLE MOVE ON THAT PART OF
THE LEGISLATURE.
I THINK WHAT WAS UNREASONABLE
WAS NOT INCURRING ANY
EXCEPTIONS.
>> A.J. DO YOU THINK 15 WEEKS IS
REASONABLE?
>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.
I THINK 15 WEEKS IS NOT INFORMED
BY MEDICAL DAY IT AND SCIENCE
AND ACTUALLY IGNORES A LOT OF
HEALTH COMPLICATIONS THAT WOMEN
MAY HAVE WHILE THEY ARE
PREGNANT.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT’S NOT
JUST A MATTER OF PRIVACY BUT
LIKE I SAID, IT’S A MATTER OF
HUMAN DIGNITY.
I CANNOT IMAGINE A MORE PERSONAL
AND LIFE-CHANGING DECISION FOR A
PERSON TO HAVE TO MAKE THAN TO
BRING A CHILD INTO THE WORLD
WHILE I AS A MAN WILL NEVER
EXPERIENCE THAT.
I CAN EMPATHIZE WITH MY SISTER,
MY MOM, MY FEMALE FRIENDS AND
FAMILY, FOR HAVING TO MAKE THAT
CHOICE AND I THINK THAT CHOICE
HAS TO BE IN A WOMAN’S HANDS.
BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IT’S HER
BODY.
AND THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT BE
INTRUDING ON THAT.
ESPECIALLY BEFORE THE POINT OF
VIABILITY.
>> YOU HAVE A LOT OF REPUBLICAN
WOMEN IN THE HOUSE THAT WOULD
DISAGREE WITH YOU THERE.
LET’S MOVE ON QUICKLY TO
HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE HEARD THE
PAST COUPLE OF SEGMENTS ABOUT
THE VENEZUELAN MIGRANTS BEING
RELOCATED TO MARTHA’S VINEYARD.
VICKI, YEA OR NAY ON THAT?
WOULD YOU CHANGE IT?
>> I WOULD CHANGE IT.
I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE THAT
THE GOVERNOR HAS PLACED -- THIS
IS AN ISSUE BECAUSE IT’S
IMPACTING FLORIDA MORE THAN
TEXAS OR ARIZONA.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN DISTRICT 113 AS IT
RELATES TO THIS.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
LITTLE HAVANA, RIVERSIDE AREAS,
THERE ARE AN EXTRAORDINARY
AMOUNT OF IMMIGRANTS BOTH
DOCUMENTED AND UNDOCUMENTED IN
NEED OF SERVICES.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HASN’T BEEN
ABLE TO COME DOWN AND VISIT, I
ENCOURAGE ANY FEDERAL
IMMIGRATION AGENT TO COME DOWN
TO 113 AND I WILL SHOW HIM THE
CONDITIONS THESE PEOPLE ARE
LIVING IN AND THEIR NEEDS AND
WHY, IF THEY ARE GOING TO
CONTINUE TO OPEN THE BORDER AND
KEEP IT OPEN, THEY ARE GOING TO
NEED TO PROVIDE ALL THE
RESOURCES WE NEED TO TREAT
THEM.
THIS IS THE DIVISIVE POLITICS I
AM SEEING.
I CANNOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE CAN’T
ALL SIT DOWN TOGETHER.
I KNOW IN A PREVIOUS SEGMENT,
YOU WERE TALKING WITH THEM AND
SAYING THERE’S BEEN BIPARTISAN
APPROACHS TO SOLVE IT AND THEY
HAVEN’T BEEN ABLE TO.
WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO SOLVE T
THINK SOMEONE NEEDS TO COME TO
DISTRICT 113 AND SEE THE IMPACTS
NOT ONLY ON THE COMMUNITY, ON
THE RESOURCES, BUT THE VERY
PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING.
>> OK, THANKS.
I APPRECIATE THAT.
I DON’T MEAN TO INTERRUPT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE FIT
IT ALL IN.
>> OF COURSE.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE
RELOCATION PLAN, AJ?
>> WELL THE GOVERNOR’S TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF VULNERABLE
OPPRESSED PEOPLE SEEKING LEGAL
ASYLUM IN THE UNITED STATES.
THEY ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE FLEEING SOCIAL
SUPPRESSION JUST LIKE MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE IN SOUTH FLORIDA
HAVE.
IN THOSE VIDEOS THAT I SAW ON
MARTHA’S VINEYARD I SAW THE
STORY OF MY FAMILY WHO FLED FROM
CUBA IN THE EARLY ’70s AND I
AM LEFT TO WONDER WHETHER I
WOULD BE HERE IF THE GOVERNOR AT
THE TIME DECIDED HE DIDN’T WANT
US AND THAT WE WOULD BE A
STRAIN.
THAT WE WERE LEGALLY TRYING TO
COME TO THE UNITED STATES INTO
MIAMI AND I THINK IT TURNS OUR
BACK ON THE VALUES THAT BUILT
THIS CITY AND BUILT OUR
COUNTRY.
AND I THINK THAT FLORIDA AND
AMERICA ARE BETTER THAN WHAT
TRANSPIRED LAST WEEK.
I AM EXCITED TO GET ELECTED TO
SHOW FLORIDA AND TO SHOW OUR
COMMUNITY THAT WE ARE BETTER.
THAT WE CAN HAVE EMPATHY AND
COMPASSION TOWARD PEOPLE FLEEING
THE SOCIALIST SUPPRESSION THAT
REPUBLICANS ALWAYS DECRY AND
GOOD AMERICANS LIKE ME ALWAYS
DECRY, AS WELL.
>> A.J., VICKI, WE ARE GOING TO
TAKE A QUICK BREAK AND WE WILL
BE BACK WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A
LIGHTNING ROUND IN A COUPLE OF
MINUTES.
STAY TUNED.
>> GREAT.
THANK YOU.
>> WE ARE BACK WITH THE CANDIDATES FOR DISTRICT 113. DEMOCRAT AJ DOMICO, REPUBLICAN
VICKI LOPEZ.
IN THE FOUR MINUTES THAT WE
HAVE, THERE ARE SO MANY ISSUES
FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND
RESILIENCY AND AFFORDABLE
HOUSING.
I WANT TO REALLY ZERO IN ON
SOMETHING THAT WAS SO
CONTENTIOUS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
THAT IS FEW LAWS THAT ARE VERY
SIZEABLE IN YOUR DISTRICT, LGBTQ
COMMUNITY FEELS LIKE AN ASSAULT
ON THEIR RIGHTS.
AJ, LET’S START WITH YOU.
DO YOU AGREE?
AND WHAT AS A DEMOCRAT RIGHT NOW
IN FLORIDA COULD YOU POSSIBLY DO
TO CHANGE THE KINDS OF LAWS THAT
ARE BEING PASSED IN
TALLAHASSEE?
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
AND YES, I BELIEVE LAWS THAT ARE
INTENDED TO DIVIDE US AGAINST
EACH OTHER ARE HAVING ITS
INTENDED EFFECT.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE DON’T SAY GAY
LAW, WHICH WAS THE PREMISE OF
THE SCHOOL BOARD DENYING LGBTQ
COMMEMORATION MONTH.
I BELIEVE IT’S HAVING THE
INTENDED EFFECT OF CHILLING FREE
SPEECH OF OUR TEACHERS AND
SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ALSO IT’S
UNCONSTITUTIONALLY VAGUE.
I BELIEVE THE BILL IS SMOKE AND
MIRRORS TO WAGE A CULTURE WAR
AND TO DISTRACT FROM THE FACT
THAT FLORIDA IS 48th OUT OF 50
IN TEACHER PAY.
44th OUT OF 50 IN POP-UPLE
STUDENT FUNDING AND THE
GOVERNOR’S ADMINISTRATION IN
TALLAHASSEE REPUBLICANS ARE
COMPLETELY FAILING HOUSE
DISTRICT 113 AND THE STATE OF
FLORIDA IN FUNDING OUR EDUCATION
SYSTEM WITH A 9,000 TEACHER
SHORTAGE.
AND, LAWS LIKE THIS DIRECTLY
CONTRIBUTE TO THAT.
BECAUSE WHO WOULD WANT TO BE A
TEACHER IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE
VILLANIZED FROM ALZHEIMER’S AND
STATE BOARDS OF EDUCATION FOR
FRYING TO DO A LABOR OF LOVEY N.
YOUR COMMUNITY.
AS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I
WOULD TALK TO PEOPLE AS HUMAN
BEINGS AND HAVE THEM EMPATHIZE
AND UNDERSTAND THE EXPERIENCES
OF WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A PUBLIC
SCHOOL TEACHER, WHAT IT’S LIKE
TO BE A GAY PERSON IN SCHOOL, A
GAY PERSON, AND THE
WEAPONNIZATION OF OUR POLITICS.
>> PARENTS RIGHTS IN EDUCATION,
VICKI, THOSE WHO PASSED THE LAW,
PASSED IT ON THE ARGUMENT THAT
THEY WANTED TO GET BACK TO
READING, WRITING AND ARITHMETIC
AND NOT SOCIAL ISSUES IN
SCHOOL.
YET, WE HAVE SEEN A CHILLING
EFFECT IT HAS HAD ALREADY.
WHAT’S YOUR TAKE?
>> SO IT’S UNFORTUNATE.
BECAUSE I AGREE THAT WE NEED TO
GET BACK TO THE BASICS.
WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, I DIDN’T
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE
STUDENTS’ PERSONAL LIVES.
I DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MY
TEACHERS’ PERSONAL LIVES.
THE BELL RANG, YOU SAT DOWN, YOU
DID THE CURRICULUM, THE BELL
RANG AND YOU GOT UP.
THINK WHAT’S HAPPENING IS THERE
WAS A NOTION TO PULL BACK ON THE
GENDER IDENTITY.
I WOULD HAVE BEEN -- I WOULD
HAVE TAKEN SENATOR JEFF BRANDIS’
AMENDMENT ON THE FLOOR WHICH IS
NO SEX.
I DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS WE ARE
DOING TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE
ISSUES WHEN IN FACT AS AJ
CORRECTLY POINTED OUT, WE HAVE
READING DEFICIENCIES IN THE
THIRD GRADE AND I DON’T AGREE
WITH HIM THAT THIS IS THE REASON
WHY WE HAVE A TEACHER SHORTAGE.
WE KNOW WHY WE HAVE A TEACHER
SHORTAGE.
VETERAN TEACHERS ARE LEAVING
BECAUSE IN 2005 WE GOT RID OF
THE STEPS PROGRAM.
WHEN A VETERAN TEACHER WHO HAS
HAD 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE IS NOW
MAKING THE SAME AS A FIRST-TIME
TEACHER, THERE’S NO DOUBT THAT
VETERAN TEACHERS WHO WE NEED TO
KEEP ARE GOING TO BE LEAVING
BECAUSE THEY CAN MAKE MORE MONEY
ELSEWHERE.
SO WE NEED TO FOCUS ON TEACH ARE
PAY FOR VETERANS.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON CURRICULUMS
THAT GO BACK TO THE BASICS AND I
DON’T KNOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THAT ALL OF THIS IS ABOUT, YOU
KNOW, TEACHING TOLERANCE.
I THINK THAT’S THE JOB OF A
PARENT.
I CERTAINLY RAISED MY SON TO BE
TOLERANT AND BE KIND AND
GENEROUS AND THOUGHTFUL WITH
EVERYONE.
AND WE DIDN’T BREAK PEOPLE UP
INTO SILOS ABOUT WHO THEY WERE
OR HOW THEY WERE.
IT WAS, PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE AND
YOU SHOULD LOVE THEM AND CARE
FOR THEM.
>> YOU KNOW, OUR LIGHTNING ROUND
HAS COME TO A TELEVISION
HARDENING.
I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE THAT
IN A VERY DIVIDED POLITICAL
STATE RIGHT NOW, YOU TWO ARE THE
MODERATES OF YOUR PARTY.
SO IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE
HOW THESE PLAY OUT.
SO GREAT TO HAVE YOU BOTH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> THANK YOU.