When elected, I have the following legislative goals to accomplish in my first 2-year term. My obvious first objective is to unseat Jordan Teuscher. I plan to work with an expanded minority caucus and moderates in the House, and with a Democratic Governor.
TOP 2025 PRIORITIES
- Support redress following a court decision on LWV Utah and Mormon Women for Ethical Government (MWEG) v. Utah State Legislature
- Re-implement the independent redistricting commission
- Implement new district maps based on their recommendations, before the 2026 election cycle
- Address government overreach (citizen initiatives, defend constitutional checks and balances, private access to medical, first amendment)
- Address Prioritization of bills
- When infrastructure bills are seconded to who is allowed to use a bathroom, we have a problem.
- When books are banned in public schools, when phones are banned but guns aren’t, we have a problem
- When “good enough to get by” isn’t, we have a problem
- Support our public schools
- Support their funding, support the teachers, support the librarians to do their jobs.
- Improve cost and quality of living
- Cost of living (rent/affordable homes), clean air, public access, transit, services
- Infrastructure project funding and provisions
- Address wait lists for disability programs (DSPD, Medically Complex Children’s Waiver, Assistive Technology)
EDUCATION
- Utah State board of education positions should be non-partisan and subject to recall.
- Funds for Educators. Funds to increase number of Psychologists in district, and Counselors, Nurses at every school
- Fund specific counseling for in-custody foster children
- Halt book bans
- Support learning services thru post secondary certificate programs for intellectual disability
- Increase unified sports programming in elementary, middle and high schools
GOOD GOVERNMENT
- The state attorney general position should be subject to recall.
- Fix Republican gerrymandering by restoring the intent of Prop 4
- Address homeless population for mentally ill, domestic abuse, financial, LGBTQ+ youth
- Fund public school programs instructing on legislative processes in Utah
- Address immigration through refugee programs
- Constitutional amendment to allow lotteries
HEALTH
- Fund Medicaid expansion in the state. Ensure medicare/medicaid is accepted in public hospitals, dental offices
- Defend abortion access (Abortion is currently legal up to 18 weeks in Utah).
- Reinvest in Caregiver Compensation funds (Utah Medicaid Disability Caregiver Program is a part of the DSPD Medicaid waiver in the state of Utah)
ENVIRONMENT
- Introduce multi-year legislation for clean air working up to the 2034 winter olympics
- Introduce multi-year legislation for water use, redistribute water rights through revision of eminent domain in Utah code 78B-6-501
- Re-introduce safety testing for vehicle registrations
- Incentives for work-at-home/reduce the commute
DISABILITY
Work with the Legislative Coalition for People with Disabilities, Disability Law Center and Utah Developmental Disabilities Council to build and find sponsorship for the following:
Legislative Advocates: Rep. Marsha Judkins (R-61) (ret.), Jennifer Dailey-Provost (D-22), Rep. Steve Eliason (R-43), Rep. Raymond Ward (R-19), Rep. Anthony Loubet (R-27), Sen. Todd Weiler (R-8)
Blockers: Rep. Brady Brammer (R-54), Sen. Lincoln Fillmore (R-17)
- Fully fund Medicaid expansion in the state. For details on how the 2018 referendum for fully funded Medicaid warped into our current limited expansion, see From Ballot Initiative to Waivers: What is the Status of Medicaid Expansion in Utah? (KFF.ORG)
- Fund Services for People with Disabilities (DSPD) to resolve multi-year backlog
- Support walk & roll cities, not just walkable cities
- Work with UTA Committee on Accessible Transportation to add ramps for Blue Line Trax (requested from Madison House Autism Foundation) – this has been an ongoing issue for disabled travelers
- Improve public transportation and affordable housing
- Accessible transportation options (public transport, UTA services, DSPD)
- Clean air initiatives for transportation
- Disability tax credits for disabled children, adults at home
- Disparities of intervention services
- For persons diagnosed with Down Syndrome – apply Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy for diagnostics
- Expand the list of qualified diagnoses in order to receive services
- Transition to adulthood (services, housing, jobs)
- Address the government services or benefits “cliff” to not quality (when moving state to state, and when comparing Medicaid vs private insurance)
- Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) addendum to IEP. Fund education and LEAs on behavior plans for children with disabilities. Precision and Command technique.
- Address Homelessness and its root causes
- Expand low-income housing, family group homes, zoning laws/ADUs
- Accessibility of mental health, drug use for mental illness
- School funding for supports of mental health/SPED
- Improve options for disability jobs
- Work with the USU Institute for Disability Research, Policy & Practice
- Specialization and training for DWS counselors (physical accommodation, mental illness, IDD, multiple diagnoses) for supported employment, customized employment.
- Incorporate inclusive art programming to current ZAP tax in Utah code 59-12-607
- Inclusive playground equipment in public parks
- Community response in lieue of police
DEI
- Restore DEI at institutions of higher education, the state board, and governmental employers (repeal HB261)