We are living in a time when economic challenges make going to the grocery store a stressful experience. We need an economy that prioritizes people, where one full-time job pays enough and offers benefits to support a family. Indiana’s workforce is looking for better opportunities, with thousands of people changing jobs as part of the record-breaking great resignation. We must attract businesses that pay living wages and benefits to their employees. We must retain companies like Eli Lilly, whose CEO is speaking out about how low taxes are not enough. We must provide reskilling and upskilling training so Hoosier workers can compete in today’s economy. We cannot stand by while workers earn low wages and few benefits and corporations make record profits. This is unsustainable, and We deserve better. 

Hoosier leaders must invest in attracting and retaining highly skilled jobs to Indiana so everyone can support their families.We must fight for an economy that uplifts workers and their families when things change.

We must change the trajectory of education in Indiana, so children from preschool through trade school or higher education have access to an excellent public education. We must have quality, accessible childcare and early childhood programs so every child can meet their potential, every parent can work to feed their families, and businesses can fill their open positions. 

Before the pandemic, Indiana offered 21 licensed childcare seats for every 100 children—meaning that 79 of every 100 young Hoosiers had no access to a licensed childcare facility. This abysmal access has only gotten worse since the COVID pandemic.

Our environment is in serious trouble, and our state leaders not only ignore the problem, last year state legislators removed wetlands protections. Wetlands help clean our water and prevent flooding, and are more important than ever, as more superstorms and extreme weather events occur every year. It’s no coincidence that these same state legislators, including Linda Rogers, have ties to the building industry that benefited from the removal of these environmental protections—even though Indiana has the most polluted waterways in the country! We must protect our environment and provide clean air and water now and for our children. We all deserve better.

Despite overwhelming support for essential reproductive freedom, access to essential reproductive healthcare is being restricted. With the overturning of constitutional protections in place for 50 years, now our state legislature will determine what kinds of healthcare we have access to, including the right to contraception. Regardless of one’s views on abortion, we can all agree on the importance of supporting pregnant people, children, and families.

There have been over 350 mass shootings in our country already this year, including in Indiana. We must be deliberate in our actions to prioritize and protect public safety in our communities by curbing gun violence. 90 percent of Hoosiers support requiring a background check on every gun sale, and Indiana law enforcement has spoken out against the permitless carry law passed by the Republican supermajority this year. Common-sense gun responsibility laws will save lives and improve public safety.

When you elect me to the Indiana State Senate, I will listen to the advice of law enforcement. I will partner with colleagues on both sides of the aisle to enact the will of Hoosiers to improve public safety in our state. We cannot bring back those we’ve lost to gun violence, but it is our responsibility to ensure we do everything we can to prevent further injuries and deaths.