Policy Positions
Positions as of June 6, 2026, extracted from source websites.
Climate(5)
Supports creating an Office of Environmental Justice under the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality to protect public health when issuing industrial permits.
"SB 788 Office of Environmental Justice - created under the Texas Commission for Environmental Quality to protect public health when issuing industrial permits"
Opposes tax supports for fossil fuels, arguing they slow the transition to carbon-neutral energy sources.
"Tax supports for fossil fuels are slowing our transition to carbon neutral energy sources; instead we need to be increasing that energy efficiency with programs and rebating property taxes for local solar energy production."
Supports expanding local solar energy production through property tax rebates and increasing energy efficiency programs.
"Instead we need to be increasing that energy efficiency with programs and rebating property taxes for local solar energy production."
Supports systemic reforms to achieve carbon-neutral energy and address climate change with urgency.
"With overwhelming evidence that Climate Change is real and human-driven, we must act fast and with systemic reforms to preserve our land, air and water."
Supports protecting regional air quality through collaborative coalitions.
"Senator Eckhardt works to protect the region's air quality as a member of the Clean Air Coalition and she works to build collaborative solutions to our sustainable water future by working with an alliance of our neighbors."
Criminal Justice(5)
Supports legalizing and regulating cannabis for personal use and allowing the public to vote on it, while noting racially disparate enforcement of drug laws.
"SJR 22 Legal Cannabis - allow public to vote on regulating the possession, cultivation and sale of cannabis."
Supports reducing public investment in policing, demilitarizing local police, and requiring independent investigation and prosecution of officers who commit crimes.
"Fixing this problem starts with easing public investments off of policing and increasing programs that provide opportunity in education, healthcare and jobs for everyone. Second, stop militarizing and federalizing what should be local community policing. And third, investigate and prosecute cops who commit crimes with independence, transparency and consequence."
Criticizes the current criminal justice system as ineffective, inefficient, and racially biased, particularly regarding drug-related arrests disproportionately targeting Black and brown people.
"Texas spends roughly $6B on law enforcement and corrections annually. This is an investment in problems rather than an investment in solutions... the demographic most often arrested in drug cases are black and brown people even though there is scant evidence that white people suffer addiction at lesser rates."
Supports ongoing criminal justice reform through data-driven analysis and accountability measures, including reforming the DNA lab and creating a Public Defender's Office.
"Senator Eckhardt believes that Justice for All requires continued and unflinching analysis of our criminal and civil justice numbers. Numbers tell an important story that will not change unless we listen."
Eckhardt serves on the Bail Bond Board, indicating involvement in bail policy at the county level.
"By statute, Senator Eckhardt serves on the Travis County Bail Bond Board"
Economy(5)
Opposes ineffective tax breaks for industries that don't serve core government missions, including tax rebates to attract corporate headquarters.
"Phase out ineffective tax breaks for industries that do not need encouragement, do not assist in a core mission of government, or slow our transition to climate resilience. Tax rebates to attract national and international headquarters are largely ineffective."
Supports converting the local homestead exemption to a flat dollar amount rather than a percentage to provide more equitable property tax relief to lower-income homeowners.
"By converting the local option homestead exemption to a flat rate rather than a percentage... If the local option Homestead Exemption were capped at a flat $100,000 in value, Richey Rich and Poor Paul would get equivalent tax relief in dollars."
Opposes no-bid government contracts, signaling support for competitive contracting processes.
"Stop no-bid contracts"
Supports workforce development initiatives aimed at helping low-income residents secure middle-skill jobs.
"Senator Eckhardt launched the Austin Metro Area Master Community Workforce Plan, with a focus on a middle-skills initiative objective of 10,000 residents currently living at or below 200 percent of poverty securing middle-skill jobs by 2021."
Supports relieving the property tax burden on vulnerable residents and increasing transparency and fairness in taxation.
"Senator Eckhardt seeks a level playing field for Travis County taxpayers and working families to help relieve the property tax burden on our most vulnerable neighbors. Senator Eckhardt's agenda includes collaboration with other taxing entities in Travis County, with the goal of increased transparency and fairness in taxation."
Education(4)
Supports increased state funding for public K-12 education and opposes efforts to defund public schools.
"We're seeing major efforts from a national agenda to attack and defund public education, despite the majority of Texans wanting increased funding for our students and teachers."
Supports investing in higher education and workforce training to prepare Texans for 21st-century jobs.
"Working to ensure Texas is equipped to meet the workforce needs of the 21st century by investing in the education and training of our homegrown Texans across the state will allow current and future Texans to thrive."
Supports investment in teachers as part of a well-funded public education system.
"Strong education needs to be followed by well-developed higher education and work-force training."
Opposes school voucher programs, calling for an audit of what she terms the 'voucher scheme.'
"Audit the voucher scheme"
Guns(1)
Supports requiring National Instant Criminal Background Checks for private gun sales, facilitated by licensed firearm dealers.
"SB 370 National Instant Criminal Background Check - for private gun sales; check facilitated by a licensed firearm dealer."
Healthcare(5)
Supports expanding Medicaid in Texas to cover over a million additional uninsured Texans, and making enrollment in Medicaid, SNAP, and CHIP easier.
"Texas is one of the only states that has yet to expand Medicaid. If the legislature did expand Medicaid, more than a million additional Texans would qualify for health insurance."
Supports allowing Texans to vote on a constitutional amendment safeguarding the right to reproductive autonomy.
"SJR 21 Right to Reproductive Autonomy - allow public to vote on a constitutional amendment safeguarding the right."
Supports dramatically expanding healthcare access to address Texas's status as the state with the highest uninsured rate, including children.
"Texas is #1 in uninsured people in the US and has the worst rate of child health insurance coverage in the nation— 1 in 4 uninsured U.S. children live here in our state and Texans deserve more."
Supports reforming mental and behavioral health services in the community.
"She has led efforts to reform the DNA lab, reform mental and behavioral health services in our community and create Travis County's first Public Defender's Office."
Supports fighting to reduce healthcare costs for constituents.
"Fight healthcare costs"
Social Issues(3)
Supports addressing racial disparities in policing and drug enforcement, noting that Black and brown people are disproportionately arrested for drug offenses.
"The history of racism and over-policing in our country runs deep... the demographic most often arrested in drug cases are black and brown people even though there is scant evidence that white people suffer addiction at lesser rates."
Supports addressing racial disparities in policing and drug enforcement, noting Black and Brown people are disproportionately arrested for drug offenses.
"The demographic most often arrested in drug cases are black and brown people even though there is scant evidence that white people suffer addiction at lesser rates."
Supports putting the right to reproductive autonomy to a public vote via constitutional amendment, framing it as preventing government intrusion into the doctor/patient relationship.
"Put the power of healthcare information in the hands of the patients. Increasing individuals' access to healthcare and preventing government intrusion into the doctor/patient relationship saves lives, saves families and is good for our economy."