Occupation / Current Position
State Representative
Education
Michigan State University, B.A.
Qualifications and Experience
8 years professional experience in property and liability insurance industry; former Wyoming City Council member and current 2 term State Representative, current House Democratic Floor Leader.
Not long ago, Michigan was a leader in public education, and I am committed to getting us back in that position. Recent policy changes are being phased in, such as phonics-based learning and early dyslexia screenings, and data from other states suggest these will make significant improvements in Michigan classrooms. Our teachers need more support: weighted funding that supports each child's individual needs, dignified pay and benefits, and workforce attraction to reduce teacher-student ratios. With these improvements, I am confident test scores will rise, chronic absenteeism will be reduced, and Michigan students will ultimately succeed.
Michigan should focus our economic strategy on attracting jobs that pay above a living wage, one that sustains families. Inflationary forces are national and global, but we can control things that help attract jobs and support robust collective bargaining that propels wages and benefits forward. My constituents have asked me to double down on career and technical education and higher education, while addressing some of the biggest expenses working families face, particularly childcare and housing. Ultimately, affordability is about both sides of the family budget: helping people earn more while bringing down the cost of things they depend on.
Michiganders are struggling with the rising cost of everyday goods and services, and energy bills are no exception. More frequent and severe weather highlights the need for a more resilient and reliable grid. Public policy must balance modernizing our utilities with stabilizing rates so everyone can afford service. Clean energy produced here in Michigan, like wind and solar, is also critical to meeting our long-term environmental goals. We should aggressively pursue renewable energy and grid resiliency to improve reliability, protect our environment, and make life in Michigan more affordable.
The right to due process and the protections provided by the First and Fourth Amendments are not negotiable. History is watching us right now and seeing these rights, and others, being trampled on in pursuit of goals that ultimately prove unworthy of the damage it does to our judicial system and civil rights. I will use my authority to rein in unconstitutional actions, and to the extent the State of Michigan must act as a shield for residents whose constitutional rights are threatened, regardless of immigration status, I wholeheartedly support that effort.
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