Occupation / Current Position
State Representative
Education
BS Community Development and Public Administration from Central Michigan University
Qualifications and Experience
This will be my third term as State Representative. Previously served on Hazel Park City Council.
Michigan has made historic investments in education, but our per-pupil funding still lags behind many other states. We need to increase funding, with additional support for economically disadvantaged students, English Language Learners, and special education. We also need a state-level, needs-based fund for school facility repairs so critical upgrades don't depend on a community's property tax base. Finally, we should measure success by student growth and CTE credentials alongside M-STEP scores to better reflect the many paths students take to succeed.
Michigan families deserve an economy that works for everyone, not just those at the top. Championing the path to a true living wage and protecting workers' rights to organize. Investing in affordable housing development, providing property tax relief, and revitalizing neighborhoods so no one is priced out of their community. Protecting Medicaid expansion, capping out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, and cracking down on predatory insurance practices to ensure health is a right, not a privilege.
We must hold utilities accountable for frequent outages and rising rates by tying corporate earnings to strict grid performance and clean energy milestones. We will lower bills by expanding wind, solar, and energy efficiency programs. I have signed a pledge to not accept campaign donations from utility companies. True accountability means regulators answer to the public, not special interests.
The First Amendment, Fourth Amendment, and due process belong to every single person living in Michigan, including our noncitizen neighbors. I support expanding access to legal counsel, strengthening oversight to prevent profiling, and ensuring everyone feels safe interacting with our
justice system.
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Occupation / Current Position
Retired Teacher
Education
BA Political Science, minor in Economics; MA Administration; MI Teaching certificate in social studies and economics
Qualifications and Experience
Lifelong activist in politics and the community. Teacher, business owner, medical adjustor, and more.
As an educator, I would spend more time on educating, not testing. 4 standardized tests a year take weeks away from the learning process. We must protect and increase funding for public education, as inflation and budget cuts have cut our ability to teach effectively. NO voucher system. Our schools have devolved into a peer-ranked, low-status state and need to be put back in the hands of educators, not politicians. Teachers are the key to improving education; they need to be able to teach in ways that meet students' needs and abilities, and students need to master basic skills in reading and math to improve their futures.
Some factors cannot be addressed at the state and local levels, but we need to ensure the impact of federal cuts is mitigated as much as possible. We could use schools as community centers for information and outreach for the local community. State-run assistance programs can be reviewed and enhanced to ensure no one is left behind and can receive all assistance available. Looking out for our neighbors is biblical and ethical for all of us; no one is worthless, just between successes! Create opportunities for those who have no job and need one, and for those who are underemployed. Daycare for children and elders should be commonplace.
Expanding access to renewable energy for individuals and community-based groups is essential. We need to foster more communal energy to help the grid, lower costs for people, and incentivize conservation efforts. Reliability must be treated as a high priority for all neighborhoods, not just the wealthy. We have to plan and orchestrate long-term infrastructure to accommodate inputs from both homes and traditional suppliers. Community projects working towards local power self-sufficiency should be promoted. CEO's of power companies should not enjoy multimillion-dollar salaries while customers suffer from frequent outages.
Unless you are 100% native American, you are descended, if not originally, from an immigrant. We need better assimilation to communities and assistance for all people here to be able to benefit from our society. While we revise the system, which is broken at the federal level, we must seek to welcome diversity and the contributions others can bring to our communities. ICE should not be cooperated with in any form until it is abolished, and Michigan should lead the path to better relations with immigration and our communities that need the input they have to offer. Legal immigration should be reformed and streamlined to welcome us.
