Education

Like many in our community, I graduated from high school and received additional training at WITC. I want to make sure that children in school today have the same opportunities I had. Everyone who works hard should have the opportunity to pursue  higher education, learn a skilled trade or get additional workplace training without taking on a lifetime of student loan debt.

In the senate, I’ll work to restore funding for our local schools, technical colleges and UW campuses and fight to maintain our state’s reputation as a national leader in education. As a member of the Somerset School Board, I’ve seen firsthand how our K-12 schools have struggled to maintain curriculum, services, and extracurricular opportunities for our kids, particularly in rural areas.

Student loan debt is a crisis that is affecting too many families across our state and preventing individuals from starting a family, launching a business or buying a home. I recognize that we can’t continue to pile mountains of debt on working families and I will fully support the effort to allow individuals to refinance their student loans at lower interest rates in Wisconsin – just like they can across the border in Minnesota.

Economy

I want to prioritize investment in jobs, businesses and entrepreneurs right here in western Wisconsin. For too long, politicians have failed to put our local schools, roads and communities first while special interests in other areas of the state have received large sums of taxpayer money.  Instead of giving foreign corporations and wealthy donors massive tax breaks and special exemptions from environmental protections, I will work to ensure that our communities receive our fair share of state investments. I will also fight to retain local control so that our communities can decide what is best for our growth, instead of letting out-of-state corporations damage our clean land, air, and water for their own profit.

In the Senate, I will fight for tax fairness and make sure that everyone who does business in Wisconsin plays by the same rules. Rather than picking winners and losers, I want our government to invest in good roads, quality schools and 21st century broadband infrastructure to help all communities compete in our global economy.

Healthcare

From rural communities to big cities, rising health care costs, limited treatment options and opioid overdoses are a growing concern. As the medical examiner for St. Croix County, I’ve seen the health care challenges firsthand. I’m proud of my record working with local officials and frontline responders to combat the abuse of prescription painkillers, expand access to care and make our community a safer place to live, work and raise a family.

In the Senate, I am committed to expanding BadgerCare, improving access to mental health care and reducing costs for state taxpayers. I’m not afraid to take on the special interests and hold drug manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. My unique experience in this area and ability to work across the aisle can help break through the partisan gridlock and deliver results for Wisconsin residents.

Environment

I believe one of the biggest conservation issues facing the 10th State
Senate district is the preservation of water quality. Water is one of
Wisconsin’s most precious natural resources, and communities in the
10th district have a proud history of environmental stewardship. If
elected to the Senate, I would work to ensure that our local
governments are empowered to protect access to clean water for future
generations. I would oppose efforts to roll back DNR permitting and
local shoreline zoning regulations.

Local communities should have a voice in protecting their
environmental health and natural resources, and the state should
provide the floor, not the ceiling, when it comes to protecting the
public’s health and environment. It is important to me that my
children and grandchildren will be able to enjoy the same
opportunities I have, so I will safeguard their access to clean water,
land and air and prevent special interests from taking unfair
advantage of our environment.