Occupation / Current Position
State Representative, District 41
Education
BA and MPT degrees, Physical Therapy, Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI)
Qualifications and Experience
Currently serving 3rd term State House; 27 yr practicing Physical Therapist; frm Kal County Commissioner; launched district's 1st Legislative Youth Advisory Council; Arts & Culture Caucus Co-chair .
As a product of public schools, I am a proud supporter of Michigan public pre-K to 12 schools and universities. Last term, I voted for record per-pupil funding increases for Michigan public schools, including mental health supports, and helped secure free breakfast and lunch for every child so they can be ready to learn. I support the work of statewide initiatives focused on early literacy and math instruction grounded in research and evidence-based instructional practices. We need to protect school aid funding for public schools and pass the budget in a timely manner so that schools can plan and budget accordingly.
The cost of everything has skyrocketed in the last year from gas, to groceries, to healthcare. Affordability is the top concern I hear about from residents. Last term, Democrats delivered with policies to lower costs, including repeal of the senior pension tax, Rx Kids (cash payments for pregnant families) and expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit. The cost of childcare is a significant barrier for families to earn a living wage. This year, I introduced bills to make childcare more affordable by codifying Tri-Share, a childcare benefit program where the state pays 1/3 of the cost, employers pay 1/3, and employees pay 1/3.
Climate change continues to be a major issue as volatile storms and flooding have increased. Last term, I voted for the MI Clean Energy bill package mandating utilities source 100% of their energy from clean, carbon-free, renewable sources by 2040. Preventing pollution before it occurs is the best environmental protection policy. Throughout my time as a State Rep., I have worked on lead poisoning prevention policies. Access to safe, affordable drinking water should be a basic human right. I introduced legislation to phase out the use of PERC in dry cleaning in Michigan to help stop pollution at its source.
The Supreme Court has found in Bridges v Wixon and other cases that our Bill of Rights protections apply to people, not only to citizens. People present in Michigan, including noncitizens, should be protected from arbitrary government intervention that deprives them of rights of speech and assembly, or subjects them to unreasonable search and seizure. The U.S. cannot fulfill its promise as a beacon of freedom in the world unless we extend these basic rights to all people within our borders.
Occupation / Current Position
I took a leave but I run a online liquidations flipping business
Education
Highschool
Right now test scores and down big time. My plan is to have meetings with school boards. The first meeting I will say let's leave politics out of the meeting and work for solutions. The second meeting bring a few teachers and the 3rd I bring parents 2 who agree and 2 who don't and come up with a plan. I want to make it so teachers get bonuses for the best scores and most improved and make that bonus tax free. Then also give students incentives like fun field trips, prizes, and other special things
I want to get rid of property taxes and I will audit the government and get rid of the fraud redirect that back to the budget to make up the difference.
The main thing is stopping Data centers from coming here
Everyone should have due process.
