Issues
Relieving the Financial Strain on Californians
The cost of food, utilities, housing, child care, and pretty much everything has increased. Unfortunately, wages haven't kept up and families are making choices they shouldn't have to make.
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Health Care: Funding the ACA has become a political bargaining chip, leaving voters perpetually worried about the cost of staying healthy. And those worries are justified. The cost of health care is just growing, with no end in sight. I support Medicare for all.
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Utilities: Utility rates have increased significantly in the last year alone. And providers, like PG&E, just keep asking for more...and getting it! I support legislation that ensures accountability and transparency to the CPUC's process, and I will fight for public ownership of our utilities, giving people and local communities - not big, for-profit corporations, control over their own power needs.
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Small Business and Entrepreneurs: My husband and I owned a small business for many years, so I know firsthand how hard it is for mom-and-pop shops to survive year after year. Fees, taxes, rising rents, utilities, and other costs constantly ate into our profits. As more people turn to entrepreneurship out of necessity in today's gig economy, we need to support new business owners early on, so they aren't nickel-and-dimed out of business before they can even get off the ground.​​​​​​
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Child Care: California provides some support to help offset the costs of child care. However, even though they need it, most families in AD 5 don't qualify. I support Universal Free Child Care.
Our Environment and the Insurance Crisis
Insurance and utility costs are skyrocketing! Wildfires, exacerbated by climate change, poor forest management, and negligence by utility providers like PG&E, have led insurance and utility companies to raise rates. And insurance companies are canceling policies and leaving the state. To address this crisis, we must tackle the root causes if we ever hope to stop it for good. In the short term, I support providing incentives to increase the number of firefighters in rural areas to reduce response times and will work to ensure greater transparency and regional input in the rate increase process. Long-term, I advocate for responsible strategies to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, promote energy efficiency, and advance solar and wind technologies.
Education
A healthy democracy depends on well-educated citizens. We owe it to our future as a nation and to our children to ensure they all have access to a safe education free from violence and bullying. Additionally, all parents should feel secure that their children are receiving a quality education that will prepare them for the future. I will challenge any effort that threatens a child’s access to education, jeopardizes a student’s safety, or that compromises education quality.
Substance Use Disorder and Treatment Reform
The drug crisis in America has reached new heights, fueled by the historic overprescription of opioids and the widespread introduction of fentanyl into the drug supply. These factors are leading to deeper addictions and an alarming rise in deaths from fentanyl poisoning. While law enforcement is a critical part of the response, addressing this crisis requires a collaborative effort involving healthcare providers, policymakers, community organizations, and law enforcement. Substance Use Disorder is a disease that profoundly impacts individuals, families, and entire communities. I am committed to reducing stigma, improving regulatory standards for treatment centers, combating insurance fraud, and expanding support for those in recovery. Additionally, I will advocate for prevention initiatives, such as education on drug misuse and promoting access to non-addictive pain management options, to address the crisis at its core.
Women's Health Care
There is widespread support throughout Assembly District 5 for women’s reproductive freedom, including the right to safe and legal abortion. Abortion and abortion medication are essential medical treatments, particularly for miscarriage management, non-viable pregnancies, and to protect a woman’s life and reproductive future. Despite this, there remains significant efforts to eliminate abortion as a healthcare option. I am committed to safeguarding a woman’s access to quality, life-saving healthcare, including abortion and abortion medication.
Help for Seniors
In California, Seniors are losing their homes at a faster rate than any other demographic. Costs of housing coupled with the cost of health care, utilities, and insurance are forcing seniors, especially those on fixed incomes, into impossible decisions between housing and their health. There are resources out there, but they are difficult to access, even with help. I will urge Congress to eliminate the Social Security cap, and work towards more access to services for seniors and caregivers, including improved transportation options, expanding services to rural and newly developed areas, and building outdoor spaces that accommodate all ages and abilities with more benches and safe walkways.
Democracy and My Commitment to Healthy Collaboration
The last several years have seen a shift into a toxic partisanship that demonizes whole groups of people to score political points. And there is now a whole generation of leaders who believe this is an acceptable pathway to power. But this chips away trust in the process and trust in democracy. It is vital that we move past this partisan distraction because it is our diverse perspectives that will create balanced and sustainable solutions for our communities. I will continue my career-long commitment to bi-partisanship and work towards shifting toxic partisanship to healthy collaboration.