Top Political Issues

Mental Health Care

As a practicing psychologist, I see up close how decisions made by our state legislators affect my clients’ everyday lives. I know we need more health practitioners making and influencing those decisions in Lansing, and I pledge to continue bringing my professional mental health experience to the bargaining table every day.

We know mental healthcare is an essential component of holistic health and wellness. That’s why I’ve been a vocal advocate in Lansing to ensure equitable, affordable access to mental healthcare for all. I’m proud to have championed and passed legislation that banned conversation therapy for minors, implemented mental health screeners for juveniles to help us get our kids’ lives on a better path, and reformed coverage to allow for telehealth visits to be reimbursed at the same rate as office visits. But there is more to do. Some of my priorities include:

• Build mental health care into a culture of overall wellness. I was proud to sponsor and pass the PSYPACT, a bill that will increase access to mental health care providers by allowing telepsychology from participating states to practice in Michigan.
• Improve access to care by requiring insurance companies to cover out-of-network care when no in-network provider is available.
• Require insurance companies to use clinical standards of practice when determining which services patients can have access to.
• Ensure access for more low-income clients by preventing the privatization of services and supporting fair reimbursement for providers on the frontlines.​

Equity

Too many outcomes – from education quality to salary to life expectancy – are disparate for our Black and Brown Michiganders. That’s why, as County Commissioner, I worked with community leaders to create Washtenaw County’s first Equity Policy, administered by a Racial Equity Officer. When we examine the effectiveness of policy, we need to consider its implications on those most marginalized. Moving forward, we need to:

• Eliminate disparities in maternal health and child mortality rate
• Support Black and Brown entrepreneurs to create local small businesses
• Reform criminal justice to ensure minorities are not disproportionately targeted

Promoting equity has always been central to my mission in service. That’s why I worked last cycle to champion legislation in support of rehabilitation and smooth re-entry for returning citizens. I supported the “momnibus” bill package designed to promote maternal health, and worked to require insurance reimbursements for midwives, who are especially used by Black and Brown mothers. I was proud to secure 27 million in permanent supportive housing, because every Michigander deserves a roof over their head.

Gun Violence Prevention

Rampant gun violence is a uniquely American problem, and it’s time to put our kids’ lives ahead of politics. As the Chair of the Gun Violence Prevention Caucus, I was proud to serve as an integral role in Lansing for common sense gun reform, including:

• Mandatory background checks
• Safe storage laws
• Red flag laws
• Destroying confiscated weapons by Michigan State Police

We also need to prevent against ghost guns, ensuring that gun ownership is properly tracked and that owners undergo background checks. We can also revise PLACA (the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act) to better hold gun dealers accountable for who they sell their firearms to. These are common sense measures that respect the 2nd amendment while keeping our kids and our communities safer.

Criminal Justice Reform

Criminal justice reform has been a priority of mine since my time in public office, and I’m proud to have worked with leaders in this area to make our justice system more fair. I’ve proudly sponsored and supported bills that assist with reentry after incarceration, such as a bill to require state IDs to be provided to individuals upon release from jail and another to provide training to law enforcement to better identify and assist individuals with mental illness.

​We need to:

• Raise the Age to ensure that minors are not tried as adults in a court of law.
• Work to remove the school-to-prison pipeline by offering more mentorship and job training in our high schools.
• Focus on rehabilitation, and reexamine sentences for those who were convicted as juveniles.

Our juvenile and adult justice system disproportionately impacts black and brown families, and Michigan holds more young people for status offenses than almost every other state. The package of 19 bills aimed at juvenile justice reform in 2023 is an important start, but we have a long road ahead.

LGBTQ Rights

Last cycle, we successfully expanded the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act (ELCRA) to protect our LGBTQ+ community from discrimination in housing, education, employment, and public accommodations. This was a huge step towards justice for Michiganders, and I will work to ensure the strength of the ELCRA. Moving forward, we can:

• Ensure our children have age-appropriate comprehensive sexual education, including information about sexuality
• Diminish disparate eviction rates for our LGBTQ community members
• Support our LGBTQ members to combat suicide rates

I was proud to end conversion therapy for minors and support a bill easing name changes for those seeking gender affirmation. I also supported the anti-hate crimes bill to ensure our LGBTQ members are protected by the law.

Environment

In the midst of a climate crisis, Michigan is poised to set a national example for a green, clean economy, building on our successes of the last legislative cycle. Environmental concerns threaten our public health, hurt our housing stock, and pose immediate threats to our Michigander way of life. We can do more.

​We need to:

• Ban tar sealants which seep into our drainage systems and contaminate our water.
• Replace lead pipes across the state, and ensure clean drinking water for everyone.
• Promote clean energy and job training to prepare our workforce for a greener economy.
• Contain and reduce the impact of PFAS and 1,4 Dioxane.

As the Great Lake State, we have a duty to take care of our natural resources and ensure Michiganders can enjoy our state’s beauty for generations to come. Smart investments towards a greener economy can help diversify the industry and cut down on energy costs in the long run.

Education

We need to prioritize our children- the future of our state- and think creatively about what a 21st-century education can look like. By reinvesting in various educational and career paths, we will encourage the next generation to stay in Michigan, increasing economic stability on state and local levels. To support our students, I’ve sponsored bills requiring schools to maintain 1 counselor per 250 students, consider a student’s living situation before suspension or expulsion, and appoint an independent decision-maker regarding disciplinary actions. ​

​We need to:

• Support a variety of post-secondary pathways including both career and technical training.
• Make college more affordable and create incentives for young people to stay in Michigan after graduation.
• Focus on teacher retention and attraction so that every Michigan classroom has a year-round teacher.
• Reevaluate our funding structure for equity across individual school districts and the state to distribute resources to the schools and communities that need them most.

We made history last cycle by instituting free breakfast and lunch for all public school children, all without raising taxes. This was a huge leap forward in providing a conducive learning environment for our students–but we still have work to do to ensure classrooms are well-equipped to prepare students for the 21st-century economy.

Cost of Living

While our economy works well for some of our neighbors, we need to work for an economy that truly makes it possible for everyone to support themselves and their families. I believe that work toward economic justice is not siloed from the environment, education, or healthcare, but rather allows us to work holistically to improve all of our communities and how government serves us.

​To work toward economic justice we need to:

• Ensure fair pay for direct care workers. This includes mental health professionals, but also long-term and senior care workers, home health aides, and other domestic workers.
• Support small businesses in achieving minimum-wage increases and staying in the communities they make so robust.​
• Work toward achieving a light rail line and increased options for public transportation that support economic stability, viability, and diversity in our cities and neighborhoods, and help businesses and educational institutions attract and keep talent.

In 2023, we passed a historic expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit for working families, giving hard-earned money back to hundreds of thousands of Michiganders. I’m proud to bolster our working and middle class to ensure all can thrive here.