Affordability

Minimum wage in Indiana hasn’t increased from $7.25 an hour since 2009. This only happened as a result of federal law. Tipped employees only have to be paid $2.13. There is also a provision that allows employees under the age of 20 to be paid $4.25 an hour for their first 90 days. This is abhorrent. All hard working Hoosiers deserve fair pay for their labor. We must raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour across the board for all employees, regardless of age, training status, or if they receive tips.

Minimum Wage By State Feb 21, 2025

Strong Public Education

Public schools are absolutely vital in giving every person equal opportunities for advancement in our society. We all benefit from a more educated society. This past legislative session, our lawmakers in Indiana chose to invest in charter schools and to offer private school vouchers with no income cap, meaning the wealthiest can now send their children to private schools on the taxpayers dime. We need to follow the examples of other states with better education outcomes and invest in our public schools.

Healthcare

Healthcare is a human right. The costs are too high. The outcomes are too poor. The accessibility is too low. We are losing OB/GYN providers to other states, creating healthcare deserts that result in higher maternal and fetal fatality rates. Access to preventative care and screenings not only lead to better outcomes by catching problems earlier, but they have been proven to save on healthcare costs down the road. It’s time to start investing in the health of Hoosiers. It’s time to lower drug costs and change peoples first thought when they get sick or injured from, “How am I going to afford this?” and let them focus on healing.

Protecting LGBTQIA+

There is a targeted attack on LGBTQIA+ communities by elected officials on every level of government. Data shows that queer individuals are particularly vulnerable to abuse and mental health challenges. The suicide rates among these communities create a ripple effect of trauma. Removing what little support and protections they have will only make things worse. We must protect our LGBTQIA+ neighbors— starting with our children, who are especially vulnerable— with policy changes.

Put Our Kids First!

Universal school meals: 1/5 kids in Indiana worry about where their next meal is going to come from. We could offer the highest quality education, but we can’t expect kids to focus on learning if they have to focus on where they're next meal will come from.

Universal childcare/preschool: Childcare costs are getting so far out of hand that Hoosiers are leaving the workforce and delaying having children. We must address this in a real way instead of passing band-aid bills that pretend to improve the issue rather than fix it.

Child Safety Campaign: One of the best actions my opponent has taken is to support the statewide Child Safety Campaign starting out of Michiana, a nonpartisan effort to make the safety and well-being of our children a top priority in our state legislature. I have supported this campaign in my private life since it’s launch and it will remain a priority when I am a State Legislator.

Labor Protections

In a society where you need employment to access healthcare, feed your family, apply to rent, remain housed, or secure loans, you should be entitled to basic rights to protect you from wrongful termination. All of us have heard at one time or another, “Well, Indiana is an ‘employment at will ’ state so there’s nothing you can do.”

It’s time to eliminate “right-to-work” laws and support labor unions. We need stronger protections against retaliation by employers for those choosing to unionize.

Cannabis

Legalizing cannabis would add millions of dollars in tax revenue to our budget. It would lessen the strain on our congested criminal justice system, allowing resources to be focused on removing violent offenders from the streets and the increased tax revenue could be used to strengthen social programs that have proven to reduce crime rates. We continue to lose millions of dollars each year to out of state purchases. Every year we wait to legalize is another year of lost potential.