Issues

Affordable Child Care: Supporting Working Families, Strengthening Communities

According to a new report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, child care issues result in an estimated $2.88 billion annual loss for Michigan’s economy, significant strain and missed opportunities for working parents. Children deserve a safe, nurturing environment to learn and grow. Every parent deserves the opportunity to work or pursue education without being held back by the high cost or inaccessibility of quality child care.

The majority of Michigan’s 32nd State Senate District is classified as a childcare desert, which means there are more children in need of daycare than open spots available in daycares. Child care expenses can be higher than rent or mortgage payments for some families, making it difficult to afford.

My priorities include:

Expand child care subsidies and tax credits for low- and middle-income families.

Invest in building new child care centers in child care deserts.

Support home-based child care providers through grants, licensing assistance, and professional development.

Partner with schools, libraries, and community centers to expand part-time and drop-in care options.

Ensure child care workers earn a living wage with access to benefits.

Provide funding for credentialing and continuing education programs for child care workers.

Incentivize recruitment and retention in the early childhood workforce.

Establish dedicated, long-term public funding for early childhood education.

Incentivize employers to create on-site or co-op child care solutions.

Child care is infrastructure. When families can access affordable, quality child care, parents, especially mothers, can work, businesses can thrive, and children are better prepared for school and life. Investing in child care is investing in our future.

Protecting Our Outdoors: Hunting, Land, and Legacy in the 32nd District

In northern and mid-Michigan, the outdoors is more than scenery, it’s our heritage, our economy, and our way of life. As your State Senator, I will protect the land we love, the traditions we pass down, and the natural resources that sustain our communities.

Hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation are deeply rooted in our district. I strongly support the rights of hunters, anglers, and responsible firearm owners. I will fight to protect access to public lands, keep hunting seasons science-based, and ensure the DNR has the resources it needs to manage wildlife populations and preserve healthy ecosystems.

My priorities include:

Defending the rights of hunters and fishers and protecting public access to the land and water they rely on.

Stronger protections for Michigan’s rivers, wetlands, and lakes.

Funding for conservation programs that support habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and sustainable forestry.

Investments in rural parks, trails, and campgrounds, which boost local economies and help families stay active and connected to the land.

Clean energy development that respects rural communities, protects farmland, and creates local jobs, without compromising our natural beauty.

We must stand up to polluters, whether it’s corporate agriculture contaminating groundwater or developers threatening wetlands. And we must hold Lansing accountable when it tries to cut corners at the expense of our environment and outdoor access.

I believe we can honor tradition and protect our future by supporting hunting and recreation while being good stewards of the land we call home.

Health Care That Works, for Everyone

In Michigan’s 32nd District, access to health care is a growing crisis. Too many rural families are driving hours for basic services or going without care entirely. The status quo isn’t working. As your State Senator, I will fight for a progressive healthcare system that puts people over profits.

It’s simple: we can invest a little now, through fair taxation, to ensure every Michigander has access to care when and where they need it.

That means:

Expanding access to primary care, urgent care, and mental health services in our communities.
Supporting rural hospitals and clinics so they can stay open and staffed, especially in areas losing providers to urban systems.
Using state funds to strengthen Medicare and Medicaid delivery, making sure the people these programs were designed to protect can actually use them, without long waits or out-of-pocket surprises.

Addressing the opioid crisis and substance abuse by increasing access to treatment and recovery services in rural communities.

Improving maternal and infant health outcomes by expanding access to prenatal and postnatal care, and supporting birthing centers in rural areas.

I support innovative solutions like mobile health units, expanded telehealth, and state-level incentives for rural doctors and nurses, because every town deserves access to the same quality care as our cities.

Health care is a human right, not a privilege tied to where you live or how much you earn. We can choose a future where rural families are healthier, hospitals stay open, and no one skips care because of cost. We just have to stop pretending the broken system we have is good enough.

Let’s invest now, and build a healthier Michigan for all of us.

Affordable Housing for a Stronger Michigan

In Michigan’s 32nd Senate District, we’re seeing a clear problem: hardworking families, seniors on fixed incomes, and young people starting out can’t find housing they can afford, not in the communities they grew up in, and not near the jobs and schools they rely on.

This isn’t just a housing crisis. It’s an economic crisis.

As your State Senator, I’ll fight for affordable, accessible, and workforce-connected housing that helps our region grow stronger from the ground up.

My Affordable Housing Priorities:

Build and preserve affordable housing by expanding rural housing tax credits, state-local developer partnerships, and using vacant or underused properties for housing.
Reform zoning laws and support adaptive reuse to make it easier to convert old buildings, second-story downtowns, and surplus land into housing.
Invest in infrastructure, like water, sewer, and broadband to make new housing projects viable in rural towns.
Prioritize housing near schools, jobs, and healthcare, so we keep teachers, nurses, first responders, and young families living locally.
Protect renters and homeowners with fair housing laws, property tax relief for seniors, and support for first-time homebuyers.

Ensure veterans have a place to call home by expanding rural housing, protecting VA benefits, and increasing homebuyer support.

Help seniors age with dignity by expanding property tax relief, supporting senior-friendly housing, and keeping homes affordable in rural communities.

We can’t attract new talent, retain young families, or support growing businesses if our region doesn’t have housing people can afford. Affordable housing is the foundation of a thriving economy, strong public schools, and safe, vibrant neighborhoods.

Let’s revitalize our small towns, bring our young people home, and ensure every Michigander, no matter their income, has a place to call home.

Standing Strong for Michigan's Public Schools

Every child in Michigan deserves a world-class education, no matter their zip code, family income, or ability. As your State Senator for the 32nd District, I will fight to keep public education truly public. That means fully funding our neighborhood schools, not funneling taxpayer dollars into private and for-profit schools.

Republican leadership in the State House is actively pushing a school aid budget that undermines special education services and guts resources for rural districts. These cuts are devastating to rural families and students with special needs, stripping them of the tools they need to thrive. I oppose this dangerous direction and will work to restore and expand funding where it’s needed most.

My priorities are clear:

Fund teachers, not tax breaks. Ensure educators have the pay, tools, and classroom support they need to teach effectively.
Provide every child with what they need to succeed, including free school lunches so no student learns on an empty stomach.
Guarantee free, high-quality preschool for all Michigan children, laying the foundation for lifelong success.
Invest in rural school transportation, so every student, no matter how far they live from their school, can get to class safely and on time.

Let’s put our children first. Let’s keep public education public, and support all families working to give their children the best possible start.