Julie Brixie

Candidate Name: Julie Brixie

Age: 56

Candidate for State Representative, District 73

Candidate Website: juliebrixie.com

Candidate Contact for Public: (517) 648-0204

Are you registered with any party? If so, please share your party affiliation: Democratic Party 

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1. What motivated you to run for the position you are seeking election to?

After 18 years in local government, I ran for state representative to help try and fix some of the serious problems we have in MI. Eight years of Republican control had created severe problems with revenue sharing to local governments, underfunding of education at all levels and disastrous disinvestment in our infrastructure.   

1. What is your vision for the public body you want to serve on? 

We need to have our elected officials work together to help Michigan finish recovering from the pandemic. I’m committed to common sense governing. I want to make sure people are not left behind.  

1. How does your vision differ from that of your opponents?

To start with, I believe that people have a right to vote and to choose their elected officials.  Party hacks shouldn’t be able to overturn elections just because their party is in control at the moment. Elections have consequences. 

1. Funding for schools has been a consistent concern for nearly three decades. Proposal 1, passed in the 90s was supposed to level the playing field in funding assuring that districts with distressed property values would receive comparable per pupil funding. That has not been the case. If elected, how will you address the under funding of schools?

We need tax reform. I’m proud of the record breaking investment we’ve made into education every year I’ve been in the legislature, but we need to examine the underlying problems associated with using property tax to fund education.

Although schools may receive similar per pupil funding, suburban schools use all that per pupil funding for education and none for facilities. They pass bond measures to pay for their building and facilities, pumping billions more into the suburban schools. Meanwhile rural and inner urban schools with low property values are left incapable of raising that revenue from property taxes because their property values are so low.

For example a few years ago, East Lansing passed a bond to rebuild their 5 elementary schools. The average home value is $200,000. The bond was 7 mils and raised $94 million. If you go over to Flint, they may also need 5 new buildings, which would cost the same amount to build. However in Flint, the average home value is only $20,000. So in order to raise that same $98 million, Flint would need a tax 10 times higher (70 mils) than East Lansing on people who can least afford it.  As a result, the communities with lower property values must use their per pupil funds on their aging building’s maintenance and repair, leaving less for actual education purposes. 

1. Has school choice, which allows students and parents to apply for and attend a different school district than the one they live in, been a success? Why or why not?

I don’t think so. It takes even more money away from the inner city schools and sends it elsewhere. Having said that, I don’t think it should be eliminated.

1. Proposals in Michigan have long sought to use public dollars to pay for private school tuition and costs. Do you support vouchers for private schools? Why or why not?

No, absolutely not. I am not a fan of the DeVos agenda of privatizing our public education system. Public school can be the great equalizer. Every child should have access to a quality affordable education. 

1. If vouchers are approved, public schools may see a decline in enrollment. How would you close the funding gap by a reduction in per pupil funding?

  By not approving vouchers. 

1. Educators have been under scrutiny over LGBT youth support, LGBT history, the American history of communities of color and more. In addition, school libraries are pulling books off of shelves in public school libraries and public libraries. 

1. Please share your perspective as you pertains to providing safe schools and education for LGBT youth. 

Like every young person, LGBTQ+ youth are learning about themselves and who they are. They deserve to see themselves represented in media and have resources available to them. Due to mistreatment and stigmatization, LGBTQ+ youth have also been found to have increased suicide risk, making it all the more important they have support and resources in their schools and libraries. 

1. Please share your perspective about integrating the history of communities of color into curriculums in the public schools.

 Our students deserve a well-rounded education and that includes learning the history of communities of color. 

iii. Do you support the removal of books some find objectionable from public school shelves and public libraries? Why or why not?

No. Our public spaces should reflect the needs, interests and experiences of every one to encourage freedom of thought and allow readers to explore ideas in a safe way. 

1. If you support such removals, at what point does the purge of objectionable books stop? When it is the Quran? When it is the Torah? The Nag Hamadi? The Bible? What policies will you put in place to monitor and assess removal of books?

I do not support the removals. 

1. If you do not support the removal of objectionable books, what policies will you support to stop the removal of books from public school libraries?

Funding public schools and libraries so that these spaces can continue to provide a variety of inclusive books and resources.

1. There has been a split on how COVID was responded to by schools, and other government bodies. Please answer the following questions:

Did you support the shut down of schools during the COVID-19 crisis? Why or why not?

Yes. Schools tend to be highly susceptible to infectious outbreaks and we had no way of knowing at the start of the pandemic how to reduce transmission and death rates of COVID-19. It was necessary to ensure the safety of children, teachers and their families.

There has been a marked loss of educational gain as a result of the shut down. How will you address this problem?

The state of Michigan is sitting on billions of federal aid aimed at helping us recover from the pandemic. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to invest in our state’s future, which rests on our students and children. I support using those funds to invest in our public schools so that we can recruit and retain high-quality teachers, reduce classroom sizes and ensure we have adequate resources for every student so that they can get any one-on-one support they need. 

Did you support face masks? Why or why not?

Yes, proper face masks slow the spread of Covid-19. Before we had vaccines widely available, face masks allowed our state to start opening back up so that our economy and the livelihoods of families could stay afloat. 

Do you support the COVID-19 vaccine? Why or why not?

Yes. The COVID-19 vaccine makes everyone safer by slowing the spread of COVID-19. It was developed using trusted science and significantly reduces the risk of people getting seriously ill or dying from the virus. 

Do you support vaccination for all students in public schools? Why or why not?

Certain vaccinations have always been required for children to attend public school, and I am supportive of these requirements when it is necessary to ensure every student can safely access an education. 

There has been a growing mental health crisis among our youth. It was present before the pandemic, but experts warn it has gotten worse since the pandemic. If elected, how will you address the mental health needs of our students?

Our state should be increasing access to mental health services overall by expanding mental health providers, especially in rural areas, and by funding our mental health providers so that they can provide more resources and staff to patients. In schools specifically, we must provide more funding for mental health professionals to ensure that they are able to provide one-on-one support for students in need. 

1. There have been a number of school shootings, with deeply tragic consequences for students, teachers and administrators alike – as well as communities. If elected, what will you do to address the school violence crisis, including school shootings?

Gun violence is a serious health crisis facing our communities and we desperately need common sense gun reforms enacted in our state to address this crisis. I support enacting Extreme Risk Protection Orders to create a pathway for removing firearms from the possession of someone who is shown to be at risk to themselves or others, Safe Storage laws to keep guns out of the hands of children, universal background checks, prohibiting guns in schools, daycares and state-owned buildings, prohibiting domestic abusers from purchasing firearms, and banning large-capacity magazines, assault weapons, and bump stocks. 

1. Elections have become a serious concern for some voters. Please answer the following questions:

If you lose your election, will you accept the results? Why or why not?

YES. That is how a democracy works. 

If your election is close and you chose to pay for a recount, will you accept the result of a recount? Why or why not?

YES, we live in the United State of America

Much has been made about the 2020 election. Do you believe Donald Trump won the election? Why or why not?

1. He lost fair and square. Fewer people voted for him than Biden.

Do you believe there was widespread election fraud? Why or why not?

1. Having worked elections before, I understand how safe and secure our elections are. IT’s your next door neighbor, your aunt your grandma and brother in law who are running these elections. Regular people with no agenda other than public service and civic duty and the desire to earn a little bit of extra money. 

Do you believe leaders in Washington are involved in a secret pedophilia ring? Why or why not?

No that is nonsense.

Do you believe the Jan. 6 Capitol incident was appropriate in light of the election? Why or why not? 

Absolutely not. It was a terrible attack of domestic terrorism on our country and our law enforcement members. 

1. Are you a member, or have you ever been a member or donated to any of the following organizations:

Socialist party NO

Rock the Vote NO

The Democratic Party YES

Any Democratic Candidate for Office YES

The Republican Party NO

Any Republican Candidate for Office YES at the local level.

The American Taxpayers Party NO

Any American Taxpayer Party Candidate for Office NO

The Heritage Foundation NO

People for the American Way NO

III Percenters NO

Proud Boys NO

1. Please share with readers and voters your qualifications for the position you seek. 

I am a responsible, effective leader with more than two decades of public service under my belt. I got my start as a soil scientist investigating and cleaning up contaminated sites across Michigan. Eventually, I was encouraged by my neighbors to get involved with public service in Meridian Township. One thing led to another - before I knew it, I had served 8 years as Trustee, 10 years as Treasurer and 2 terms as State Representative. 

I got my start in Meridian working with Republicans and Democrats to make life better for residents. As Treasurer, I guided Meridian through the Great Recession and helped our community emerge in strong financial health - an experience that prepared me to steer Michigan through the pandemic. I’ve got a record of making smart fiscal decisions that help our economy thrive. 

Throughout my time in the legislature, I’ve been focused on the kitchen-table issues impacting Michigan families. I believe we should be investing in our roads and bridges, lowering the cost of childcare, supporting our public schools, and protecting our drinking water and natural resources to help Michigan families prosper. Our state still has billions of pandemic relief available to us, and I’m prepared to invest it responsibly to supercharge our economy and ensure Michigan remains a great place to live, visit and work.