ON THE ISSUES
On Women’s Rights:
At this pivotal movement with reproductive rights so aggressively under assault, I will always fight for abortion access and the right to choose, access to affordable birth control, ending the gender wage gap, and the elimination of the pink tax.
What more can we do?
Providing women access to birth control should not be considered a luxury. Our state can be a safe haven for those traveling from other states that have wrongly restricted abortion access. We should pay for travel and medical expenses for those coming from those states. California can and must lead the way by enshrining the right to an abortion in our states constitution.
On Paid Family Leave:
It is tragic that the U.S. is the only developed nation that does not require paid family leave. No one should live in fear of what would happen if they were forced into a situation where they would have to take care of a loved one. I will fight for the millions of Californians who desperately need assistance in their time of need.
What more can we do?
We can actually pay those who stay home to take care of a loved one. Whether that is for paid family leave or for in-home caregiving; both should be protected.
On Gun Control:
The gun violence epidemic in this country is out of control, but as long as Washington continues to bow to the gun lobby, it can seem a bit powerless from what we can do about it on the state level. How can California make a difference when the federal government continues to fail to act?
What more can we do?
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Allow individuals to sue gun manufacturers for how they market and sell their products.
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Ban Gun Shows and any firearm sales on state property.
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Require documentation and “gun insurance” for anyone who owns firearms in the state of California. For more information of this proposal please check out this source and why it is important for curbing gun violence: City of San Jose Gun Harm Reduction
On Climate Change:
The climate crisis is the greatest threat to our state and country. The San Fernando Valley values the environment and deserves someone who will fight for our air and water. We must fight every step of the way to preserve our state for future generations.
What more can we do?
There are many ways California can actively meet its lofty climate goals and take action to prevent climate disasters.
As your legislator I will:
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Create the California Civilian Climate Corps. Similar to the conservation corps of the 1920s, we can put thousands to work actively combating the negative effects of climate change. They can actively work to green-ify neighborhoods, prevent forest fires and build the green grid we will require to meet our ambitious climate goals.
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Pass legislation that invests in updating California's power grid. Green-ifying everything will take time, patience and money but will be incredibly worth it. We must upgrade our transponders and grid so it can handle the influx of electric cars and infrastructure necessary.
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Work on legislation that would build green energy facilities and transition oil and gas industry working class jobs to green energy jobs to support these facilities once they’re built.
On Immigration:
Immigrants, both documented and undocumented, are a key part of California’s economy and our community here in the San Fernando Valley. We must continue to fight for comprehensive and compassionate immigration reform at the federal level and push for immigrant rights here in California.
What more can we do?
We can acknowledge that some of the hardest and most dangerous essential work during the pandemic was done by immigrants. We need to extend unemployment benefits to those workers. This includes passing more safeguards so workers are protected in the important work they do.
On Education:
I believe that education is the key to a thriving state. Funding for our teachers and schools should be one of our highest priorities. I believe in expanding and funding early childhood education in addition to tuition free college.
What more can we do?
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Expand access to early childhood education by investing in headstart and early start programs.
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Invest in programs to ensure every student can both see the board and hear the teacher by expanding access to eye tests and hearing tests.
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Change how we fund schools by looking at enrollment numbers instead of attendance numbers.
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Expand funding for arts programs in public schools which remain underfunded.
On LGBTQ Rights:
As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am aware the fight for our rights did not end at Marriage equality. I will continue to fight for employment, housing and healthcare for all members of the LGBTQ+ community.
What more can we do?
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Expand access to healthcare for those in the LGBTQIA+ community.
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Increase education in schools regarding LGBTQ+ individuals and education.
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Enforce existing California laws that target LGBTQ+ bullying.
On Housing:
California has a serious problem: working families are leaving the state because housing and other rising costs make the state just too unaffordable. As an overworked, underpaid millennial, I know the struggle and despair of never knowing if homeownership is attainable.
What more can we do?
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Expand access to home loans so we can have more owners and less renters, allowing more people to start the process of building equity and generational wealth.
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Create and expand social housing to start the process of building multi-income housing throughout California.
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Expand the practice of adaptive re-use so we can have more cities turn old office buildings, retail space and commercial space into mixed use housing.
On Mental Healthcare:
I believe that mental healthcare is just as important as physical healthcare, but our country’s lack of investment in it creates a chain reaction, compounding other problems.
What more can we do?
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Invest in mental healthcare professionals to work hand-in-hand with police because social workers and emergency medical technicians are trained to de-escalate situations with extreme mental distress.
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Link mental health care with physical healthcare as mental healthcare is still unaffordable for most households.
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Invest in training the next generation of mental healthcare workers and social workers by creating a pipeline for these jobs that will only continue to be instrumental.
On Healthcare:
Our current healthcare system in California is broken. I am a firm believer in supporting anything that is going to increase access to affordable healthcare for Californians and at the same time ultimately have the goal of a universal medicare for all style system.
What more can we do?
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Expand Medical to cover a broader range of people.
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Expand Medical into a public option that allows for the state to negotiate drug prices.
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Change laws to allow for more procedures to be covered under insurance.
On Small Business:
Working for small businesses for most of my career, I believe small and medium businesses have many positive opportunities in California, but there needs to be a continued effort to improve the business and jobs climate. Small businesses make up about 90% of all businesses within California and employ almost half of the state's workforce, making them a truly important part of the state’s economy.
What more can we do?
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Incentivize more businesses to open by providing first time tax breaks for small business entrepreneurs.
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Provide grants and loans for those who wish to start small business where additional support is needed most.
On Criminal Justice Reform:
Over the last decade, California voters have sent a clear and consistent message: we want meaningful criminal justice reform. It’s time leaders listen to voters and lead efforts to end over-incarceration and over criminalization in California.
What more can we do?
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While most police officers do their jobs well and diligently, we need to make sure that police officers who are responsible for misconduct are held accountable for their actions. This will help keep our communities safe and build trust between police and the communities they serve.
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Support reforms that will allow professionals trained to handle people with addiction and mental health issues to respond when an emergency situation requires their expertise.
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Invest in programs that safely reduce the state’s prison population and programs that will help reduce recidivism among newly freed prisoners.
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Start treating the opioid addiction crisis as a mental health issue and work to get people the help they need instead of incarcerating them as this only continues to fuel the cycle of incarceration.
