READY TO GET TO WORK

Real safety happens long before someone gets hurt. We see it when families have stable housing they can afford, good jobs that pay living wages, and kids have quality schools and after-school programs. Anyone who has worked in criminal and juvenile justice, like Jessica, knows that safe communities start with prevention, not just reaction. Every single person involved—from teachers to aides, case managers to therapists, nurses to first responders—deserves to be respected for the risks they take and the hard work they do each day. Everyone deserves to feel safe, whether they are at work, school, or a park. Jessica will demand that city, county, and state officials coordinate to support these safety workers and invest in the programs that actually prevent crime and keep our neighborhoods secure.

Too many people in our district are forced to choose between groceries and prescription drugs, or skip doctor visits and treatment because they fear the bill. Jessica has worked in ERs and in healthcare for decades and has seen how often people delay care because they didn’t have the money or they couldn’t afford to miss work. She will work hard to make sure that the people in our community can live with dignity. Jessica will fight to expand BadgerCare so your healthcare isn't tied to your job, negotiate prescription drug costs, and make sure mental health care is available and affordable. Healthcare shouldn't bankrupt anyone.

Young families can't afford to buy homes here, and seniors on fixed incomes are being priced out of neighborhoods they've lived in for decades. Generations of families are becoming increasingly unable to establish deep roots in a community. Milwaukee County’s rental market is extremely tight, resulting in skyrocketing rents. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but the state has tools we're not using. Jessica will push back against corporate investors driving up housing prices, ensure that the state empowers local leaders to respond quickly to natural disasters that impact our homes, and make aging in place possible by ensuring that the state acts with existing taxpayer funds to respond to inflation and rising costs. Different communities need different approaches, and Jessica will show up to listen to local leaders in order to find solutions that work for each neighborhood.

Across our districts, every resident, whether they have a child in school or not, experiences the increased property taxes related to referendum after referendum. Parents are also spending more each year—to send supplies to school, to fill up their gas tank to drive their children to a school well outside of their neighborhood—all while worrying about whether their child will have a future with a good-paying job. Teachers and aides, who are often raising their families at the same time, are spending their income on school-related costs while assuming the risks and responsibilities of a first responder. Jessica will fight for full state funding to end the endless cycle of school referendums, coordinate with school districts and school boards to ensure teachers and aides can focus on student learning, and invest in career training programs—from college prep to technical education, supported employment to apprenticeships—so every adult has a path to a good-paying job.