Jobs & the Economy: The legislature needs to spend more time focused on improving our economy and less time on ideological pursuits and divisive social issues. We need to encourage job growth and promote small businesses. I believe the smartest investments we can make are in improving our education system and our transportation infrastructure.
Education: As a mother of two elementary-school-age sons, I know we need to keep improving our public schools. I believe that education is an investment in our economic future, and we need to treat it that way. We can do that by increasing participation in early childhood education programs, so that all children will be better able to succeed in school. We should also invest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math curricula, because those fields will lead to the types of jobs and innovations that will move Virginia forward.
Women’s Health: We need to protect women’s rights to control our own healthcare and keep the government out of family planning decisions. I’m pro-choice, and will fight to repeal the mandatory ultrasound law and the TRAP regulations that target women’s health clinics.
Transportation: We must maintain and expand our transportation infrastructure in a way that helps families and businesses, not residential developers. I would work to end predatory tolling on the Dulles Greenway and fight for projects that ease congestion, rather than put more cars on our roads.
Environment: We need to be good stewards of the environment, and protect Virginia’s land, air and water for our children and future generations. To achieve our conservation goals, we should focus on creating long-term solutions for our energy use, transportation infrastructure and smart growth in land use. As communities grow, we must consider planning options that reduce our impact on the environment. We should encourage greater use of renewable energy, including more widespread use of solar panels by homeowners and businesses. I believe in science, and that climate change is real.
Gun Safety & Mental Health: I will support reasonable regulations that promote firearm safety and responsible gun ownership, including universal background checks. I will also fight to improve our mental health system here in the Commonwealth. We need to make it easier for people in our communities with mental illness to get help through treatment, not weapons to harm themselves or others.
Ethics Reform: Government should be transparent and accountable, and public officials should have public integrity. I will support ethics reform and will fight to ban unreasonable and unnecessary gifts to elected officials and their families.
Voter’s Rights: We need to make it easier to vote, not harder. I will work for early voting and no-excuse absentee voting, and will fight against discriminatory voter ID laws.