My Priorities |

iStock | Robert Canning

Vermont is a small state with a long tradition of enacting innovative solutions that help and empower people while leading the way for other states and for our country. I am passionate about listening, learning and building bipartisan programs that help hard-working Vermonters while investing in our future.

As your representative in Montpelier, my priorities include:

INVESTING IN NORTHSHIRE FAMILIES

Support Working Families: Hardworking Vermonters need — and deserve — livable wages, affordable housing in the “missing middle” price range, high-quality affordable childcare and paid family leave.
Invest in Education: All students should have access to outstanding public education for grades pre-K through 12. In our region, we’re lucky to have a diverse mix of public and independent schools that offer families a truly unique range of choices. That’s an educational and economic asset we must work hard to protect.
Support Postsecondary Education: Develop our workforce — and help keep young people here in Vermont — by making college more affordable. Promote high-demand career paths in skilled technical or occupational fields through apprenticeships, certifications and licensure.
Support our Rural Economy: Update Act 250 in a way that protects our environment while promoting “smart growth” in designated downtowns and neighborhoods. Invest in targeted sectors like tourism, outdoor recreation and clean energy.
Support Small Businesses: Provide entrepreneurs and business owners with state-funded technical assistance, counseling and resources to help them plan, pivot and compete in our changing economy.
Universal Broadband: Universal access to high-speed Internet is crucial for rural development, a thriving economy and effective education.
Affordable Healthcare: Affordable healthcare should be a right for every Vermonter, not a privilege dependent on how much you earn or an employer’s ability to provide it.
Addiction Services: To deal effectively with the opioid crisis, access to substance-abuse prevention, treatment and long-term recovery programs must be improved statewide.
Mental Health Services: Vermonters need expanded and improved mental health treatment facilities, services and programs.
Reproductive Liberty: Supporting reproductive autonomy for all Vermonters, including a woman’s right to choose.

FIGHTING CLIMATE CHANGE WHILE BUILDING A SUSTAINABLE ECONOMY

Protect our Environment: Defending and conserving our environment—water, land and air—will ensure health and prosperity not only today, but for future generations of Vermonters.
Combat Climate Change: A forward-looking green economy will create new jobs and economic opportunities while helping Vermont mitigate and adapt to climate change. Meanwhile, we must continue to help Vermonters — of all income levels — transition away from price-volatile fossil fuels to more affordable, more sustainable clean heating solutions for both heating and transportation.
Expand Vermont’s Workforce: Our future lies in promoting a dynamic, diverse “green” economy. Vermont can and should lead the nation in tackling climate change while building the economy of the future. We need workforce training and new business opportunities in climate adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy, clean transportation, food and agriculture, tourism and outdoor recreation, small business, high tech and the arts. If we are proactive and creative about dealing with climate change, we can create new jobs, attract new residents, and provide far better options for young people to stay in Vermont and build a life here.