Our workforce is impacted by retirement, lack of transportation, concerns over working conditions, and lack of childcare options. If we want a sustainable workforce, these issues must be addressed. Apprenticeships are also key because it will expand our workforce pipeline and diversify various industries in the process. Lastly, we need to promote innovation. An entrepreneur seeks their first investments from friends and family, but too often there is lack of capital access for black communities and communities of color. We need to ensure our startup ecosystem has the flexibility and resources to encourage economic development.

Every child deserves to have access to a quality education, but we know that is not our current reality. Achievement gaps are still present, and we are witnessing an exodus of teachers leaving the profession because they are not supported. Our children need to be literate and prepared and they need teachers that are supported in the classrooms. We need improve the literacy rates for children and establish incentives and increased pay for teachers.

When we collectively care about our communities, all of us are engaged to ensure the safety of each other. I am proud to be a cosponsor of Act 86, which creates a driver education grant program for our students and serves as one solution to address reckless driving. But smart public safety includes additional measures such as expanding victim protective services, funding crime preventive programs and pretrial services. Accountability is needed, but we need programs that address the root causes of crime.

According to CDC, more than 1 in 5 adults live with a mental illness. Over 1 in 5 youth, (between the ages 13-18) either currently or at some point during their life, had a seriously debilitating mental illness. Whether it is addressing the reimbursement rate for Medicaid patients or increasing funding geared towards mental health, the time is now to ensure everyone has access to a counselor or medical professional to get help.

Everyone deserves a chance at redemption. We should not be prosecuting 17-year old’s for adult crimes, nor should we make it difficult for people coming home from prison to find sustainable work and a home. Rehabilitation should be the goal for our justice system, not incarceration. Our priorities will reflect we value rehabilitation when we focus on treating justice-impacted individuals as members of our own communities.