Committee
Simran Arora For State Assembly
Campaign Phone
608-620-5819
Education
MS in Psychology
My priorities put Wisconsinites first. Wisconsin's budget surplus belongs to the hardworking taxpayers who earned it, not bigger government. Every child deserves a high-quality education, and I'll advocate for parental rights, transparency in schools, and policies that keep classrooms focused on student success. My background includes a master's in psychology from UW–Madison and over 15 years providing mental health and substance use counseling through a solution-focused, data-driven approach. I also have 5+ years overseeing program development, budgets, contracts, expanding services, and filling care gaps, currently serving as program director committed to delivering the best care to those in need.
The most pressing housing issue is affordability home prices and rents have risen much faster than incomes, especially here in Dane County. We have a real shortage of workforce and middle-income housing, making it harder for young families, teachers, and seniors to stay in our communities. I support increasing housing supply by reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers and streamlining permitting while respecting local control. We should also make it easier for communities to add accessory dwelling units and missing-middle housing where it fits. At the same time, I’ll fight to lower property taxes and return surplus dollars to families because high property taxes are a major part of the affordability problem.
I believe redistricting must remain a constitutional responsibility of the elected legislature, as our founders intended, while ensuring the process is fair, transparent, and accountable to voters. Before the next census, I will prioritize keeping communities of interest together, respecting county and municipal boundaries, and creating compact, contiguous districts. Maps should be drawn openly, with public hearings and ample opportunity for citizen input, so Wisconsinites can trust the outcome. I'm cautious about giving this authority to unaccountable commissions. The legislature should commit to clear legal criteria, transparency, and respect for one person, one vote ensuring every Wisconsinite is fairly represented.
I will begin by conducting a thorough assessment of current school resources to identify gaps and ensure funds are allocated effectively through a transparent, data-driven process. Existing funding should prioritize school counseling services, including robust support for Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) to better serve students with disabilities. I also strongly advocate for apprenticeship and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) programs for high school students to bridge education with real-world career readiness. By managing resources responsibly and investing in student support and workforce pathways, we can help all students succeed academically, socially, and professionally.
I believe Wisconsin can support growth and innovation while protecting our environment, property values, and communities. Large projects like data centers and CAFOs can bring jobs and investment, but they must meet clear, predictable standards that respect local input. I support reasonable, science-based regulations that safeguard our water, air, and natural resources without burying job creators in excessive red tape. Most importantly, local communities and property owners deserve a real voice projects of this scale shouldn't be forced on neighborhoods without transparency and accountability. I favor strong local control, fair permitting, and practical safeguards ensuring these developments don't shift costs onto taxpayers or homeowners.
Committee
Lots of People Supporting Mike Bare
Campaign Phone
608-620-3001
Education
BA and MA from American University
We must give Wisconsinites a raise, fix our democracy, restore our rights, and make investments in our public schools and communities. Republicans have been in the majority in the State Legislature for 16 years, and they have allowed our state to languish. Donald Trump's economy is hurting Wisconsinites' ability to afford the basics, while big insurance and tech companies pocket record profits. I'm a progressive focused on making progress on our challenges, and a proven ability to work in a bipartisan way to get things done. I'll continue working hard for the people of the 80th Assembly District as I have done for two terms already, and as I did on the Verona City Council and the Dane County Board before that.
I meet many people living in apartments, duplexes, and small townhomes who want to live in neighborhoods with a yard and good schools. Unfortunately, Wisconsin does not have a large enough supply of housing to meet the demand. We have also gated communities by price. We must have policies that allow for a spectrum of housing by income and by age. A teacher or nurse or firefighter should be able to live comfortably in our communities. Local governments need tools and resources to meet the housing demand. That includes funding for zoning code updates, comprehensive planning, and transit system. Republicans in the Legislature have made it easier for developers and builders, but have not given local governments what they need to be successful.
I am unwilling to stand down when Donald Trump and his Republican allies gerrymander districts across America, and gut key components of the Voting Rights Act that ensure minority voters are represented. Democrats in the State Legislature must be willing to protect our democracy. Gerrymandering of Congressional districts requires a national solution that can guarantee fair representation. I have yet to see a proposal that solves gerrymandering of Wisconsin's legislative districts. Anything in state statute can be undone, and anything in the State Constitution is open to interpretation by the party controlling the State Supreme Court. Regardless, we must strive for fair representation and I'm committed to ending gerrymandering.
Our public schools are the bedrock of our community. The cycle of school referendums is unsustainable for districts and taxpayers. Over time, Republicans have succeeded at shifting the cost of schools from state income tax that is a more progressive tax to property tax where some cannot afford the increases. Wisconsin has been running a state budget surplus that should have been invested in our public schools and special education. We should end the voucher system that sends tax dollars to unaccountable private schools that discriminate against students and get worse outcomes, and reinvest those dollars into our public schools instead. We also need to invest more in UW-Madison and UW campuses and tech schools across Wisconsin.
We must protect Wisconsinites from large projects that are negotiated in secret, built in the shadows, operate in a way that harms our health and our environment, and raise our water and electric bills. I cosponsored a bill that would add transparency in the development process, require large utility customers to pay their fair share and use renewable energy, and protect construction workers while giving them work to do with appropriate tax incentives to the projects. CAFOs require stricter oversight and regulation that what we have today. Court cases have recently reaffirmed the state's role in regulating CAFOs. And I have supported legislation in the past to protect animals, and our health and environment from these dangerous operations.
