I believe that we need a progressive tax code. Millions of Illinoisans are struggling to make ends meet, and this would ensure that those at the very top pay their fair share to help relieve the financial burden too often levied on the working class.

This kind of tax code is exactly what working Illinois residents needs to afford to pay their bills, buy their groceries and gas, and even be able to afford to take their families on the occasional (well deserved) vacation.

I believe in and support all levels of education. I firmly believe that too often our students are being pushed towards 4-year institutions and are not given opportunities to explore trade programs. I believe we should promote more trade classes in high schools across the district and state. During my time as a trustee for the SWIC board, I have seen the benefits that trade programs can have on young adults. Many of our students enroll in our trade programs and after two years are finding employment with pay scales beginning in the $50,000-$60,000 range.

Programs like these, which offer on-the-job training and don’t typically have the accompanying crippling debt that university programs tend to force, are exactly what will help stimulate our economy by building our working class up. More money in peoples’ pockets equals more money being spent in local stores, small businesses keeping their doors open longer, and more people being able to afford to buy a home, which makes every single community better.

In 2022, Illinoisans passed Amendment 1, commonly referred to as the Workers’ Rights Amendment. I want to see us expand on that, to include benefits such as paid maternity and paternity leave for all employees who become new parents. I want to see us expand benefits for working Illinoisans to include paid personal and vacation time offerings for anyone working 30 or more hours each week.

I am a proud member of AFSCME Local 799, and as such I will always support unions. Union jobs are the backbone of our state and national economies; we need to protect them from those who seek to strip them away. For generations, union jobs have provided individuals with the ability and opportunity to lift themselves out of poverty and provide a better life for their families.

We need to promote small businesses all across our district and state. Instead of seeing tax breaks for the Walmart’s of the world, we should offer tax incentives to encourage and help people start their own business.

Small businesses give so much back to the communities in which they operate and tend to take better care of their employees than major corporations because of the close and personal relationship(s) between employer(s) and employee(s).

I applaud Governor Pritzker for his decision to ban book banning. I am in favor of freedom of speech. I believe that it is fine for parents to want their children to only learn certain things, but do not agree with the concept of limiting the educational experience for other parents’ children. For all public institutions such as public schools or libraries which benefit from taxpayer dollars, speech should not be limited.

Illinois was the first state to ratify the 13th and 19th Amendments to the United States Constitution. Governor Pritzker’s decision and action has put Illinois in a position to lead the rest of the country on this important issue as well.

I will always work to protect and expand women’s rights, whether it be reproductive rights, funding for Planned Parenthood, or supporting equal pay for equal work, I will have your back.

Amnesty International has a quote associated with their organization which I feel best describes the importance of Women’s Rights: “Society gets better for everyone when women’s rights are upheld and taken seriously”.

I have, and always will, work to protect the rights of this country’s LGBTQ+ community. Illinois may be one of the leading states when it comes to ensuring LGBTQ+ rights, but sadly, we still have much more work to do. Everyone is entitled to be treated with dignity and equality - no matter whom they love, or how they identify. There is no place for homophobia, transphobia, or even dragphobia within Illinois. When the rights of any group or individual are under attack, it endangers our own freedom, and the freedom of people everywhere. All of us have a responsibility to speak out and stand up against hate and violence in any form.

Civil rights is fundamental here in the United States, and I vow to always pursue a comprehensive approach to advancing equity for all, including people of color and others who have been historically underserved, marginalized, and adversely affected by persistent poverty and inequality. There are many Illinoisans who still confront significant barriers to realizing the full promise of America. Advancing racial equity and advanced equal opportunity is a commitment that will require sustained leadership and partnership. It Is important that everyone in our society is given a chance to succeed, but for far too long, millions and millions of Black and brown Americans face overwhelming obstacles in pursuit of the American dream, be it lower wages than white Americans, tough voting laws, discriminatory housing laws, or any number of issues. It’s important to me that everyone has a chance to make a better life for themselves, and if I have the honor of serving as your state representative, I will always fight for your right to live in a society that is fair and equal.