Legislative Priorities
Health and Wellness
Mental Health and Substance Use
It is time to rebuild a coordinated system for mental health care and substance use treatment in Vermont. I will use my experience navigating our system and working within it as well as my robust background working alongside leading experts in behavioral health systems change to shape policies that improve lives of the families and health care providers who are ready for innovation, sustainability and integration.
Health care is a human right and I commit to advocating for universal health care for Vermont. We all should have the care we need, when we need it-regardless our ability to pay.
Health Equity
Winooski can be held up as the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic and multi-racial gem of our state, but the people who make it such, live with worse health outcomes and higher health risks than people in any other district in the state. Even among our district’s diverse populations there are health disparities, which is why I will work with residents and my colleagues in the General Assembly to eliminate pre-existing social and health care policies, laws and practices that sustain inequity in our society.
To keep us advancing, I will monitor implementation of policies like Act 183 that offer financial assistance intended to reduce barriers to entering the healthcare workforce. I also support expanded licensing reciprocity to strengthen the diversity of our workforce.
My vision is that when our elders need care, they have coverage. They have local providers who look like them and understand them, who they feel safe with and trust. When a deaf person needs a therapist, they should easily find one who knows ASL and importantly, one who understands deaf culture in Vermont. Health equity must be embedded in all angles of our decision making, system design and evaluation.
I commit to advocating for universal health care for Vermont. We all deserve access to affordable, quality care, when we need it.
I support certified peer support specialists (trained professionals with lived experience of a mental health issue) bringing their expertise to the workforce.
I will advocate for harm reduction measures, innovative community-based care and person-centered treatment for people living with a mental health challenge and/or in recovery.
I will push for legislation to promote the state’s participation in the Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) so our providers can receive higher Medicaid reimbursement rates and practice improvement strategies to stabilize our system and our workforce— while bringing patients broader access to crisis response and same-day access to integrated care.
Housing
Housing is health care and I will advocate for legislation that invests in people getting well. That means emergency, temporary or permanent supportive housing. All residents in our state should be housed and have the option to connect with the great services and communities we have to help them achieve their best health, make meaningful contributions for Vermont and experience a sense of belonging and purpose.
I will support policies that increase safe, affordable housing and promote shared equity models like Butternut Grove that improve mobility, making it possible for people to build equity and break cycles of poverty.
Housing is a public Health Issue and it is one we can solve.
प्राथमिकता - Priorities
Winooski मा, हामी भाषा, संस्कृति, जाति र अन्य धेरै विविधतामा बलियो भएकोमा गर्व गर्छौं।
तर हाम्रो लोकतन्त्रमा पहुँच सुधार गर्नु सधैं मेरो महत्त्वपूर्ण लक्ष्य भएको छ। र भाषा पहुँच यसको लागि आधारभूत छ। धन्यबाद त्यो अहिले राज्यभरका उम्मेद्वारहरूको लागि सार्वजनिक फोरमहरूमा छलफल भइरहेको छ।
हामी सँगै बढ्दै जाँदा कृपया कुराकानीमा सामेल हुनुहोस्।
As a mom with two kids, both under five for the first year of the pandemic, I want nothing more than to know that every family has affordable, high-quality early education for their little ones while they are at work keeping our brave little state the great place that it is.
Building upon the legacy of advocacy by organizations like Let’s Grow Kids, I will be working with parents, guardians, early educators and legislators toward the goals outlined in Act 45 (2021) so that:
Vermont families spend no more than 10% of their income on child care.
Early childhood educators are fairly compensated.
Our child care system has the funding and resources necessary to ensure that all children 0-5 years old have access to programs that best meet their needs.
Child Care
CHILD CARE MUST BE AFFORDABLE. EDUCATORS MUST BE PAID MORE
We need to increase civics education to improve engagement with our government. I commit to working with the next generation of leaders. With youth voices and vision at the table, we can create a future that is more inclusive, equitable and innovative.
I support resident voting rights and access to linguistically appropriate election information. I will hold monthly meetings with Winooski residents to discuss legislative activity during the sessions.
Lets strengthen this democracy. First we need to improve Access and participation.
Access
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Climate Justice
I will advocate for clean air and water for all and to achieve fully net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. I also will be supporting free, high-quality public transportation.
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Social Justice
I oppose mass incarceration, and am an advocate for LGBTQ rights, disabled people, the elderly and immigrants. I support investing in communities of color that have been violently and disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs.
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Economic Justice
I will be advocating for paid family leave, universal health care and healthy, sustainably grown food for all. I also support high quality public education and do not support school privatization.