Improving Affordability

I am focused on solutions to the economic challenges hurting Wisconsinites. Prices continue to rise, the costs to find and keep a home are going up, property taxes and insurance premiums are growing, and workers need more flexibility to balance their responsibilities at home and on the job.

Democrats have a plan to improve affordability and job opportunities for Wisconsinites, but Republicans who control our state legislature have prevented our ideas from advancing. Below are the ideas I support to help turn our state’s economic outlook around by addressing cost-of-living challenges.

Housing

The cost to obtain and maintain housing is a major source of stress on the minds of our neighbors. Communities that struggle to provide affordable housing are seeing declines in population and workforce. That’s why I support

•    AB 916, which would provide grants to homeowners up to $25,000 to make necessary repairs to their homes like lead pipe removal, or upgrading units to be accessible to people with disabilities.
•    SB 208, which would prevent corporations and hedge funds from competing with Wisconsinites in the housing market, offering real people more opportunity to buy a home. 
•    SB 769, which would nearly triple the available funds to replace lead service lines to ensure our homes are lead-free.

Healthcare

I am working to end the current economic reality that one major injury can lead families to bankruptcy. There are too many strings attached to healthcare delivery by insurance companies, which is why I support policies that empower doctors and patients to lead healthcare decision making, not insurance companies or politicians.

•    SB 50 would fix many problems with healthcare delivery at once. It would create a review board to negotiate prices of prescription drugs, eliminate co-pays for prescriptions under BadgerCare, cap out-of-pocket costs for a 30-day supply of insulin at $35, and empower pharmacists to help their patients find the best value options. 
•    AB 1153 would create a public option to purchase BadgerCare as a health insurance plan. This would give families and small businesses an affordable insurance option that is not run by for-profit corporations.
•    SB 1032 would exempt over-the-counter drugs from sales tax.

Job Flexibility

Wisconsin’s economy is suffering from a shrinking workforce, a category where we are ranked 39th in the nation. There are currently over 130,000 job openings in our state, and only about 90,000 Wisconsinites looking to fill them. This is a major challenge for businesses and leads to negative impacts on our state’s productivity and household incomes. Businesses have brought issues like housing and childcare availability to my attention as factors making hiring more difficult. Which is why I support the following bills to improve the health of our job market:

•    SB 1001 would expand the number of workers who are guaranteed family medical leave and create a paid family medical leave program to help cover a worker’s lost wages when they take leave to care for a loved one through a program similar to unemployment insurance.
•    SB 322 would make a significant investment in grants to childcare facilities to help them cover costs and expand availability of this critical service which helps working families keep steady employment and provide a quality start to their kids’ education.
•    AB 759 would allow the 5000 Wisconsinites with DACA legal status to obtain occupational licenses, allowing them to work as doctors, nurses, teachers, EMTs, trades workers, and other high demand jobs where our state faces workforce shortages.

Reducing the Tax Burden

Lowering taxes on Wisconsinites is part of Democrats’ strategy to improve affordability for our state’s residents. I support the following policies that provide tax relief to hardworking Wisconsinites to create a rising tide that lifts all boats.

•    AB 1176 would relieve one of the most significant burdens on property tax growth by increasing state support for Special Education costs in our schools. Special Education services are resource intensive, and school districts often need to go to referendum seeking property tax increases in order for our state to meet our constitutional obligation to provide an equal education to every student.
•    SB 1015 would expand the state earned income tax credit, providing tax relief to Wisconsinites with low to moderate incomes.
•    SB 60 would expand eligibility for the Homestead Tax Credit to help reduce the cost of housing.
•    SB 90 would create a year-round sales tax exemption for electricity and natural gas. This was accomplished in the 2025 state budget.  
•    Increasing tax relief for retirement income which was achieved in the 2025 state budget. Individuals who have reached the age of 67 can subtract $24,000 of retirement income when filing income taxes--$48,000 for married couples.