| Having been raised by a single mother in poverty, I understand the struggles that working families experience because I've lived through it. I know how hard you have to work to get ahead because at a young age I quickly realized how stacked the system is against working people.
At 16, I started doing farm labor to help support my family. In high school I took college courses at night, graduated from college at 19, and got my Masters in Public Policy from Brown University at age 20. For many this would be the "American Dream" but I still struggle to pay my bills, much less, invest and save for a future.
Since being sworn in as our State Representative in 2021, I've been fighting for us, the working people and families of Providence. With the power of community support and organizing, I sponsored two bills that were signed into law- the strongest whistleblower worker protections in the country and requiring that the COVID Vaccine along with healthcare treatment be free of costs.
I also supported several bills signed into law that raised the minimum wage to $15, capped the monthly cost of Insulin to $40, strengthened staffing standards in nursing homes, expanded paid sick leave for caregivers, established an annual funding stream for affordable housing development, prohibited source of income and LGBTQ discrimination from housing, codified free community college for graduating seniors, and improved labor standards for school bus workers.
Across our neighborhood, I've also had the pleasure to host 12 Community Town Hall Meetings, 5 Neighborhood Cleanups, and several Community Office Hours sessions at Mt. Pleasant Library!
As always, I'm proud to not accept any donations from- Corporate PACs, Corporate Lobbyists, the Fossil Fuel Industry, and other special interests that have corrupted our government. Instead, I'm focused on empowering our working people and ensuring that we are the ones being represented at the State House. |