I believe that women are entitled to the same rights, dignity, independence, and recognition as men. I am an advocate for the rights of women and girls, be that in the workforce, in the voting booth, in the doctor’s office, or in schools at all levels of education. Like the majority of Americans, I strongly support a woman’s right to make her own reproductive healthcare decisions. I support access to high-quality reproductive health care, including safe and legal abortion. While Democrats in Connecticut have codified a woman’s right to choose into law, continued abortion access in our state is now contingent upon our state’s elected leaders upholding that right. I pledge to continue to be a champion of women’s rights, including the right to choose, and I support family-friendly legislation that assists women in the workforce including: increased affordable child care services, extended maternity & paternity leave, and paid family & medical leave.
Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children under 17, and gun homicide rates increased 37% between 2019 and 2022. I pledge to stand up to the NRA in order to protect the health and safety of our communities. I fully support strengthening our “red flag” laws, closing loopholes in the background check system, promoting safe storage laws, and improving access to mental health screening and suicide prevention programs.
I believe that access to safe, affordable, and high-quality healthcare including mental healthcare should be a right, not a privilege for the few. I am proud to say that I partnered with groups that successfully advocated for the Mental Health Parity Act and the elimination of the pre-existing condition provisions in the Affordable Care Act. While these pieces of legislation were monumental strides forward, there is still much work to be done. I am troubled as I watch our seniors straining to afford their medications, families struggling to find mental health care for their children, or individuals grappling to cover costly insurance premiums for scant coverage. I am committed to continuing the fight to make sure all residents have access to healthcare for themselves and their families.
Of special note is the rise of mental health issues among our children. While COVID has adversely impacted everyone’s mental health, the pandemic has had an outsized impact on our children. I will work to improve mental health services for children by bringing an evidence-based approach to understanding the root causes of pediatric and adolescent mental health disorders, addressing the shortage of mental health providers for children, and making mental health care more affordable for families.
The best path forward in building a stronger post-pandemic Connecticut is to bolster our state’s economic growth and recovery while committing to long-term fiscal responsibility. We need to invest responsibly in our future. I will work tirelessly to fuel local and state-wide economic opportunities by giving our existing, vibrant, small businesses the solutions they need to be successful while attracting new businesses here to Fairfield County where our state’s growth is concentrated. We must attract cutting-edge, future-focused businesses in the clean energy, technology, and healthcare sectors, while also supporting new start-ups and fintech firms. This dual approach will help create the high-quality and high-paying jobs needed to attract and retain our well-educated workforce.
Excellent public-schools are not only essential for providing our children with high-quality education, research shows that laying a strong foundation for learning helps shape future success. Additionally, great school systems don’t only benefit kids and families, they also benefit our entire communities, as they are a major driver of real estate prices and state resources. I believe every child should have equal access to the high-quality public education they need to succeed. I will work to achieve that in our communities by advocating for schools that enjoy the benefits of clean air, adequate social & emotional supports for students, high-quality teachers & staff, and innovative learning opportunities that enhance 21st-century skills, all while remaining safe from gun violence.
I commit to residents that I will strive to keep Fairfield and Trumbull safe places to live, work, raise families, and retire. I believe that taking a multifaceted approach to safety is key, and includes strengthening Connecticut’s life-saving gun violence prevention legislation. I will also advocate for legislation that supports our first responders with the tools and resources they need to keep our neighborhoods safe while also increasing social service resources which complement the vital work of our police forces. I want to acknowledge the police and fire departments of Fairfield and Trumbull for their dedication and hard work in keeping our towns safe, especially during the course of the pandemic.
I pledge to protect our senior citizens, who are the backbone of our communities, with legislation that enhances their safety and improves their ability to retire comfortably in the towns they love. I will support efforts to increase availability of long-term in-home services for those seniors who wish to age in place, as well as proper funding for nursing & retirement homes that care for those unable remain at home. I will work to ensure our seniors are protected from elder abuse and financial exploitation such as predatory lending, fraud, and scams. I will support healthcare, pharmaceutical, and food assistance programs to help those who can’t otherwise afford their medications, patient care, or groceries.
Long before I became the proud mother of a transgendered child, I believed that LGBTQ+ rights are human rights. I will support programs and policies that combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity and will work to improve access to crucial gender-affirming healthcare services. I also pledge to be an ally to those in the LGBTQ+ community who face violence and assaults, or discrimination in employment, parenting, or housing based on their sexual identity or orientation. With LGBTQ+ rights under assault and federal protections now being pushed back to the states, electing legislators who are committed to protecting these rights at the state level is more important than ever. I promise to use evidence-based policy to advance and protect LGBTQ+ rights in our communities.