Campaign Phone #
(920)210-9507
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Campaign Phone #
(608)977-0127
Campaign Phone
608-977-0127
Education
High School Diploma from Cashton High School; Bachelor's from Luther College in Psychology; Master's from Northwestern University
Personal Pronouns
she/her/hers
My biggest priority is addressing our mental health crisis here in Wisconsin, and I feel I am uniquely positioned to legislate on this issue, due to my 25 years of experience as a mental health counselor.
As your Senator, I will fight to pass legislation that strengthens our mental health care and substance abuse services. In addition, I believe we must address the social determinants driving the increase of mental health challenges. The negative social circumstances impacting mental health require policy improvement including addressing childhood poverty by expanding the child tax credit, improving our children’s sense of safety by advocating for common sense gun reform and enhancing healthcare access by expanding Medicaid in Wisconsin.
Mental health is inextricably linked to our basic needs being reliably met and my goal will be to advocate for policies that prioritize this!
When I am knocking doors in my district, I hear about the lack of affordable housing in every community and how it limits options for families and often demands more travel for work or an excessive portion of the budget for basic shelter.
Additionally, it’s a drag on our economy. Employers are desperate for workers, and families can't find housing where these jobs are located. This disconnect has been growing for years, and we have a lot of aging housing that needs updating before it will be suitable for families to live in. Our legislature is sitting on a $3 billion surplus, so we can do much more to support investment in housing across the state.
A good place to start would be fully funding the Governor’s Workforce Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program. While he proposed creating a $100 million program in his 2023-25 budget, Republicans cut that in half. Rehabbing homes isn't cheap, and it takes time, so holding up this funding only delayed our ability to tackle an immediate problem.
I believe we should codify Roe as the law of the land here in Wisconsin.
I also believe we must advance progressive policies and laws that expand access to reproductive health care. More specifically, I would like Wisconsin to expand the availability of medication abortion by permitting pharmacists to dispense the medication with a prescription, to protect and expand access to contraceptives by expanding the types of contraceptives that insurance plans will cover and increase prescription quantity limits, and limit religious exemptions in order to protect patient rights by requiring health care facilities ensure all patients have alternative options to care that are available on-site or by referral if their provider asserts a religious exemption from providing reproductive care. Finally, I believe we should expand Medicaid coverage in Wisconsin and expand access to reproductive health services through telemedicine (including allowing medication abortion by telemedicine).
I support a state budget that would enhance funding of our public schools. I believe our budget should reflect our values and if we espouse love for our children, we should fund their education more robustly. Additionally, I do not support our public tax dollars going towards the private school voucher program.
I also believe that we must raise the reimbursement rate for special education students. Right now, it stands at around 30 percent, down from 70 percent back in 1973. Raising the reimbursement rate will free up more funds for other school programs, allowing districts to focus on areas that will improve outcomes for all of its students. This affects high poverty districts most, draining the coffers for schools and forcing them to propose referendums.
I support the development of a redistricting process that removes partisanship and ensures we have fairly drawn legislative districts each decade, regardless of which party is in the majority. The district maps should reflect how the people in the state actually vote.
The process should create districts that adhere to the federal Voting Rights Act and have sensible parameters such as contiguity and compactness.
I believe there should be judicial oversight over the process, as that would be the best check on the legislature and executive branch if there is a disagreement between the political branches.
