issues
We are living in a time of tremendous challenges. We are facing multiple, interconnected problems, and the solutions to these problems are not simple or easy. It will take hard work, political will, collaboration and a willingness to question the status quo. I will work hard to listen, collaborate and help find solutions that are fair, equitable, affordable and effective.
I will center affordability and outcomes in my work. This means that I will consider not just what to fund, but also how to fund it in a way that we can afford and what is the outcome we want (and how do we measure it).
We are a rural state with just 645,000 people and a limited economic base, so we must be creative and pragmatic in our outlook. And we must look for systemic and regional solutions.
Here are some of my key priorities:
Public Safety
People in our community should both be and feel safe. This is a core job of our government, and we must do a better job. Our community members and businesses are suffering. We must use all of the tools available to address the interconnected problems of addiction, homelessness, mental illness and crime. This means harm reduction, social services and accountability.
As a legislator I will:
● Work hard to pass common sense gun control legislation, including banning guns in bars and requiring safe storage.
● Help support and advocate for increasing penalties for certain crimes, such as repeat retail theft and using a gun in retail theft, and other key community priorities including those laid out recently by City Councilors.
● Address judicial backlog and recidivism by helping the courts have the resources needed to efficiently process cases.
● Support accountability for drug users who commit crimes that helps lead them to recovery, such as drug courts and prison recovery services.
● Support evidence-based harm reduction. Last June, as your State Representative, I helped override the veto to fund an overdose prevention site in Burlington.
Links to more information:
● Crime rate increase in Vermont
Affordability
Taxes, Housing, Health Care, Opportunity
The cost of living – including taxes, housing and healthcare – is too expensive in Burlington and Vermont and has outpaced our wages. If we don’t take action, our community will stagnate: families won’t move here; businesses won’t expand; our kids won’t stay here; and many of us won’t be able to stay here. In fact, a UNH poll found that 4/10 of Vermonters struggle to pay for basic needs. The Vermont Housing Needs Assessment states that “Half of all Vermont renters are cost-burdened, and one-in-four pay more than 50% of their income on housing costs, putting them at high risk of eviction.”
These issues are tightly connected. Lack of housing increases housing costs AND stymies economic development because businesses can’t expand. Property taxes are driven by education spending which is impacted by skyrocketing healthcare costs.
We are a small rural state, and the problems we have are going to be difficult and expensive to address. We have 252 towns/cities and little to no county government, yet we must find regional solutions. That means difficult conversations (and decisions). Our history and culture of local control and local government needs to be adapted for the future.
We need to prioritize policies that increase our housing supply and make rent and home ownership more affordable, expand our economic base and provide opportunities for all of our community members. Here are some priorities:
● Housing . The Act 250 reform bill (that I voted to override the veto) is a good start. But we need to do more to decrease regulations for building in town centers. We must find ways to help decrease the cost of building homes. We must also monitor and track the progress of the Act 250 reforms to see how effective they have been to address our affordable housing challenges, while still protecting the environment. We need to build more affordable housing units to help make rent more affordable for our low and moderate-income residents.
● Education Funding. We need a new system of education funding that is equitable. The current system is 27 years old and is not working anymore. Simultaneously, we must reform the structure of our education system so that our spending aligns with our students’ needs but does not grow at an unsustainable rate. I am going to be carefully reviewing the recommendations from the Commission On the Future of Public Education for ideas that help us move forward.
● Economic Development. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. We can do more to support their success and growth by focusing on the core roles of government. By improving infrastructure, developing our workforce and making it easier for workers to find (and afford) housing, we will help our businesses grow and thrive. I will also champion programs that help provide technical assistance and navigator programs to small businesses.
Links to more information:
● Vermont Housing Needs Assessment | Agency of Commerce and Community Development and 2025-Factsheet-1-ExecSum.pdf (vermont.gov)
Climate Change, Energy, and Environmental Protections
Our environment is critical to our way of life and our future. Vermont is seeing more frequent and extreme weather events (including floods) that are causing damage to homes and businesses, infrastructure and even causing loss of life.
As a legislator, I will:
● Continue to support renewable energy. I have already voted to override a veto and ensure that updates to our state’s Renewable Energy Standard would be implemented, putting Vermont on an affordable path to 100 percent renewable electricity.
● Advocate for programs to improve the health of Lake Champlain. There are over 2 miles of lake shoreline in my district and the lake is embedded in our lives.
● Support flood resiliency for our businesses, residents and infrastructure. I have direct experience with floods as the longtime owner of an Intervale farm.
● Support transportation investments including buses, EV charging, state EV rebate program and bike/walk programs.
● Support for low and moderate-income household solar, weatherization and energy efficiency rebates that help lower energy costs.
● Oversight of roll-out of several state programs to provide funds from the federal Inflation Reduction Act.
● Ensure Vermont takes full advantage of the Solar For All funding provided by Senator Sanders to help income-eligible Vermonters access solar energy.
Link to more information: