For the Love of Our American Dream

For centuries, the world has viewed the United States as a beacon of hope, opportunity and democracy. We have all grown up loving that promise and the dreams of opportunity that come with it.

Do you still feel it? Or do you sometimes feel like it is getting harder to stay where you are and even harder to get ahead? I have felt the frustration, I have lived it and I have tackled it.

Costs Rising

We know that costs are rising, and that’s making life less affordable for too many people. Whether that’s skyrocketing inflation and property taxes, unaffordable healthcare and expensive gas prices, increases in childcare costs, or lack of access to paid leave when you or a family member has a health crisis–any of these things can make life almost instantly unaffordable. And people deserve economic freedom. That is why I have introduced and supported legislation to make our lives more affordable, and I won’t stop fighting for life to be affordable for everyone.

Healthcare

I have fought to lower prescription drug prices, reduce premiums and expand medicaid, establish a BadgerCare Public Option, bring down the cost of mental health services, end the pink tax, and more.

Read more about my plans to make healthcare affordable here.

Housing

The cost of housing has gone through the roof and it is impacting everybody. I have heard from young people— concerned about being able to afford a place to live once they leave home, to senior citizens— being priced out of their home, and everyone in between. One way we can lower the price of housing is by lowering our property taxes.

As the legislature has failed to adequately fund public schools, school districts around Wisconsin are increasingly relying on referendums. In January 2024-April 2025, 96 of the 99 State Representatives serving in the State Assembly represented at least one school district that went to referendum. In other words, during an affordability crisis, the Republican majority is forcing Wisconsinites to choose to raise their own taxes in order to fund their schools. That’s unacceptable, and we must do better for Wisconsinites. The legislature has not adequately funded public schools and has left Wisconsin families to raise their own taxes to save their schools.

That is why I wrote the Save our Schools legislation to properly fund public schools using the state funds, halting the endless cycle of referendums that increase our property taxes.

Childcare

I introduced the “Cutting Costs for Childcare” package alongside my Democratic colleagues to lower the cost of childcare, increase access to childcare, and increase the number of childcare providers. These bills lower costs by raising the income limits for the Wisconsin Shares program, capping Wisconsin Shares copayments at 7% of a family’s income, and allowing Wisconsin Shares to include “like-kin” caregivers. In order to incentivize individuals to pursue a career in childcare, and keep childcare professionals in the industry, these bills cover the cost of required trainings for current and future early educators, fund training and technical assistance for Tribal childcare programs, and allow early childhood educators to get Wisconsin Shares childcare assistance for their own children regardless of income.

I supported a childcare tax credit expansion to reduce the tax burden for families who are struggling to afford the high cost of childcare. I have spoken to constituents who, with tears in their eyes, have told me how valuable this tax credit was to their family.

Read more about my plans to make childcare affordable here.