I will fight for issues in Montpelier that matter to the people in our district.

Promoting both quality and affordability in our schools by supporting locally-driven solutions.

I believe in the importance of education – education that ensures that each child has the resources he or she needs to be successful and reach their full potential. I’m proud of our local, graded schools that produce great students and I value our unique hybrid public/private high school system. Good schools attract young families eager to enjoy our rural lifestyle.

I also acknowledge the need to rein in unaffordable property taxes. We need to look at educational cost drivers such as health care costs, aging facilities, transportation, duplication, and special education. And we need to look at how we fund our education system.

Other states, including Maine, Wisconsin, and New Hampshire, have developed Cooperative Education Services Areas (CESAs) as a voluntary way to share services, lower costs, and also keep local governance intact while at the same time expanding educational opportunities. I believe we should implement the CESA model in Vermont.

Protecting the natural beauty of the Kingdom without choking off growth or taking away people’s property rights.

I’ve hiked and skied these woods and paddled our rivers and lakes. I’ve worked together with neighbors to tap our sugar woods and raise grass fed beef. I know how important our rural landscape is to our way of life. We must look for ways of protecting our natural resources without imposing harsh restrictions on landowners. We should support rolling back the Tier 3 and ‘road rule’ requirements from Act 181 and promote local input into the land use decision-making process.

Making sure our children and grandchildren can afford to live and raise their families here.

We need to address the spiraling cost of property taxes. Vermont has become more reliant on property taxes and less reliant on income-based taxes.

We need to support efforts to make it less expensive to build housing in our towns and villages by cutting back on excessive rules and regulations. I support providing incentives to renovate older homes, build more rental units and starter homes, and provide down payment assistance for first time homebuyers.

Broadband access provides opportunities for families to live in the Kingdom and pursue a wide range of careers. We should support the continued expansion of broadband throughout the Northeast Kingdom.

Providing social services and community support.

We need to provide a helping hand to our neighbors to ensure that necessary supports are there for Vermonters. In the face of Federal funding cuts, we need to continue to find ways to support statewide and community and grassroots efforts.

Controlling health care costs.

Health care insurance premiums are prohibitively expensive and increasing every year. Vermonters pay the highest premiums in the country. I’ve seen what happens when people can’t afford their medications or delay receiving necessary health care due to cost. People suffer unnecessary illnesses, preventable disabilities, and even early death. We should address cost drivers such as administrative costs and pharmaceutical company profits and recognize that health care is a public good.

We need to increase access to health care. Rural areas are especially vulnerable due to the shortage of health care providers. By building vibrant communities that include strong local schools, we can recruit doctors and other health care professionals.

Protecting our Constitutional Rights.

Our constitutional rights are fundamental to who we are as Vermonters. It is important that we all work to ensure that our rights and freedoms are protected — that each and every Vermonter has the right to choose their own path to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Legislation and policies that clarify and reinforce everyone’s right to free speech, due process of law, and that prohibit unlawful search and seizure should be supported.