Issue Position: State Budget Priorities

Issue Position

We need to do a better job of equitably funding our education systems from pre-K through graduate school. We need to raise graduation rates for our minority youth, and one way to do that is to recruit more teachers from minority backgrounds. We also need to do more to support older than average college students. The economic effects of this pandemic will likely mean that people need to build new skills, and we need to give them the support they need to do that.

Another effect of the economic repercussions of the pandemic is that people are going to lose their health care when they lose their jobs. We need to separate employment from health care access. Losing a job shouldn't mean that you can't go to the doctor when you're sick.

We need to increase the minimum wage to $15 per hour, and we need to close the pay gap. Everyone, no matter their race, gender identity, physical ability, or socioeconomic background, deserves equal pay for equal work.

Source