Bonnie Jackson

Bonnie Jackson was born in California. She graduated from James Madison Memorial High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University in 1991 and a law degree from the South Texas College of Law in 1995. Her career experience includes working as an attorney.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I have been a practicing attorney for 30 years. My husband and I raised 3 children in Orange County. My family and I were active volunteers in our community through our church helping homeless families and feeding the hungry. I also served as a volunteer guardian ad litem for abused and neglected children. I received recognition from the Supreme Court of Florida, the Young Lawyers Division of the Florida Bar, the Florida Pro Bono Coordinators Association as well as the Pro Bono College for the State of Texas for my contributions. I have also been active for decades in educating and mobilizing women to become engaged in government and, more recently, to protect their right to fairly compete in athletics and to be safe in vulnerable spaces. All of my volunteer service has been aimed at helping my community and trying to be a positive role model for my children.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Families deserve safe neighborhoods, safe streets, and plenty of green space for outdoor activities. I intend to seek appropriations for Florida House District 42 communities to improve sidewalks, streets, and parks.Good jobs are key to the flourishing of families and communities. I intend to work hard to attract business investments and meaningful job opportunities in Florida House District 42.It is time for common sense leadership. The overwhelming majority of Americans want common sense solutions, not extreme policies that serve to pacify people on the fringe.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Public safety is the most important job of government. Public safety includes not only a strong infrastructure, such as well-maintained roadways and sidewalks, but also law enforcement agencies that are well-trained and equipped to help instill public confidence and ensure the equal application of the law.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Integrity, transparency and competency.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To evaluate all legislation, whether previously enacted or proposed, with the aim of limiting government intervention while serving the interests of American citizens residing in Florida House District 42.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The Vietnam war was ongoing when I was a young student in elementary school. At that time, we lived in Berkeley, California. I remember seeing images of war, helicopters, and protests on the news.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I had lots of weekly chores around the house, but my first real job for somebody else was a paper route. I rode my bike and back then we lived up north, so I lasted one full winter and that was the end for me.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

The governor is the chief executive and elected leader of broad agenda proposals. While the legislature must engage with the Governor in the spirit of cooperation, it must remain the independent voice of people.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The state's greatest challenges will continue to be serving the needs of a growing population and maintaining the natural beauty of Florida.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

No.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. In order to foster a civil and productive dialogue among colleagues, legislators must build relationships.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

No.

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

No.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

There are many human stories that I have heard over the years from residents in my district that are impactful, including the lack of resources for teens who have been victims of rape and the difficulties in protecting children from exposure to harmful images, age inappropriate ideas, and addiction due to the proliferation of electronic devices used in schools and games aimed at young people.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

I have difficulty envisioning a scenario where the government should ever impose so-called emergency power that revokes the liberty of citizens.

Do you support or oppose changes to the current state ballot initiative process? If so, what kind of changes would you consider?

I support the changes to the state ballot initiative process, which were aimed at removing fraud and ensuring that such initiatives are truly citizen led.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

Bonnie earned a B.B.A. from Texas A&M University and a J.D. from South Texas College of Law. In law school, Bonnie served as a Director for the Board of Advocates, competing in state and national mock trial competitions and earning honors for her speaking and advocacy skills. After law school, Bonnie served as an Assistant District Attorney. She is the founder and President of Jackson Law International. Now in her 27th year practicing law, Bonnie is uniquely qualified to be a Florida legislator. Bonnie also has significant volunteer experience having served in the past as Chair of the Orlando Grievance Committee 9E of the Florida Bar, on the Board of Directors for UCP Child Development Centers, as a Guardian ad Litem for abused and abandoned children, and at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church in Winter Park, Florida in the Inter-faith Hospitality Network, the Pro-Life Ministry, and Sunday pre-school, as well as volunteering at St. Margaret Mary Catholic School. Bonnie was also a Den Leader for the Boy Scouts of America, Pack 31.

Bonnie resides in Winter Park, Florida with her husband of 26 years. They raised three amazing children in Orange County, Florida.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Parents have the right to demand a quality education for their children taught in a safe environment. Our public schools have been transformed into pods for community organizing with a social justice agenda, instead of incubators of learning, critical thinking, and rewarding academic achievement. Our children are being robbed of their potential, the country is being robbed of its future, and parents are being robbed of their most precious gift – the right to parent. It is time to allow the free marketplace to force positive change. I intend to work toward legislation that ensures parents have real choices by allowing government funding to follow the student.Floridians have the right to demand that immigration laws are being enforced. If an individual enters our country without regard to ports of entry or existing law, then they are illegal aliens not “undocumented immigrants.” They are not immigrants, because they are, by definition, here illegally. These are foreign citizens breaking our laws and Floridians can fight this invasion. I intend to work hard toward a system of mandatory E-verify for employers. Employers must be held accountable, including criminal penalties, if they do not use the E-verify system to ensure that a person being hired is not only here legally, but that they are legally able to work.Voters have lost confidence in our institutions of government, especially in the integrity of our elections. It is one of the primary benefits of citizenship, if not the primary benefit. A single illegal vote erases the legal vote cast by a citizen. I will make it a priority to pass legislation that removes voter drop boxes. We need to make it easy to vote, and hard to cheat. Voter drop boxes make it easy to cheat.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am passionate about defending basic scientific truths about male and female. For example, we cannot communicate effectively if pronouns have no meaning. We cannot provide for basic healthcare or calculate the cost of healthcare without identifying the sex of a patient or an insured. We cannot protect our own national security if human beings can be merely non-binary. We cannot protect the achievements of women if men can compete against them. We cannot protect the privacy or even the bodily autonomy of women and girls if men can enter their vulnerable spaces. We cannot even understand history if the English language is distorted. The current cultural trend toward treating gender as fluid threatens the collective physical, mental and economic health of our nation. We must take a clear stand on the side of science.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I could not begin to list all of the people who I admire in this world. Those who are especially deserving of my admiration include Mother Teresa, George Washington, Harriet Tubman, and my own parents who worked hard to lift themselves up out of poverty. The world is full of people to admire, some famous and some anonymous.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I would never develop a political philosophy from a single book or film.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, life experience, and higher education.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, hard work, respect for the rule of law, respect for individual freedom, and fluency in Spanish.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

To carry out the promises made when running for office.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I can recall was watching helicopters on our black and white television during the Vietnam war and seeing lots of hippies gathering in the parks.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My first job was working as a babysitter for parents in our neighborhood.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Trying to balance work and family has been a struggle. The feminist movement demeaned the value of motherhood and fed us the lie that women can have it all. It is true that women can have it all, but not at the same time.

What do you believe is the ideal relationship between the governor and state legislature?

Separate but equal branches of government is the proper role.

What do you perceive to be your state's greatest challenges over the next decade?

The growing encroachment of government into the lives and privacy of citizens, and the refusal of the federal government to enforce the law.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of a unicameral state legislature, in your opinion?

The benefits are simpler elections, less expenditure of taxpayer dollars, and a shorter deliberative process to passing legislation. The drawbacks are fewer opportunities to force dialogue and compromise, and an increase in the amount of legislation.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for state legislators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Government - no. Politics - yes.

Do you believe it’s beneficial to build relationships with other legislators? Please explain your answer.

Yes. Relationships help gain an understanding of the other person's perspectives and objectives.

If you are not a current legislator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Judiciary Committee, and the Public Integrity and Elections Committee.

If you are a current legislator, what appealed to you about your current committees?

Not applicable.

Is there a particular legislator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Ron DeSantis

Are you interested in running for a different political office (for example, the U.S. Congress or governor) in the future?

I have not thought about any other office after the House of Representatives.

Both sitting legislators and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

Yes. A story from a mother whose high school age daughter was asked to draw a self portrait. The teacher required them to draw the portrait with their masks on. The mother showed me the portrait and described the sadness in her daughter's eyes and her inability to see the beauty of her daughter's face covered by the mask.

Should the legislature oversee or grant the use of emergency powers?

Yes. This power is much too awesome to be vested in the hands of any single person.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

I will never compromise when it comes to integrity, morality, authenticity, or principles. There are some policy issues where compromise serves a valuable purpose, so the answer depends upon the issue presented.