Equity, Equality and Inclusion
There is so much work that remains to be done to make sure every Virginian is treated fairly under the law.
Here’s my record of what I’ve done and my plans for what I’ll continue to do as your state delegate:
Creating a Fairer Tax System
When the majority caucus this year proposed disproportionately extending federal tax cuts to people making more than $50,000 a year while providing barely anything for those who earned less, I fought for all of my constituents to be included until half of the tax cuts went to people making less than $50,000.
I’ll continue supporting a fair, equitable tax system that takes care of all of my constituents, including making the Earned Income Tax Credit fully refundable, without playing political games. That’s why I voted for conformity of the tax code this year and last year so my CPA constituents could do their work in a timely manner without the uncertainty of waiting for the Virginia General Assembly to do its job. I’ll continue legislating in a fiscally responsible manner to make sure Virginia pays its bills and maintains its AAA bond rating.
Ratifying the Equal Rights Amendment
On Feb. 21, 2019, a 50-50 vote in the House of Delegates ended our chance this year for Virginia to become the 38th and final state needed to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The ERA text states the following:
Section 1. Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.
Section 2. The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
Section 3: This amendment shall take effect two years after the date of ratification.
I wore my mother’s 43-year-old “Women’s Bicentennial” ERA medallion necklace almost daily during session in 2019. Ratification of the ERA has an 81 percent favorability rating in Virginia. Its support goes across party lines and ideologies. I’ll continue advocating for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment so we are all considered equal under the Constitution.
Championing Your Rights
“Liberty protects the person from unwarranted government intrusions into a dwelling or other private places. In our tradition the state is not omnipresent in the home. And there are other spheres of our lives and existence, outside the home, where the state should not be a dominant presence. Freedom extends beyond spatial bounds. Liberty presumes an autonomy of self that includes freedom of thought, belief, expression, and certain intimate conduct.”
The Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Bill Rights ensures your right to privacy so you can have the autonomy to make your own reproductive health care choices and marry the consenting adult you love. That’s why we need to update the Code of Virginia to remove discriminatory language and ensure equal rights of all Virginians.
My legislative record is solidly on the side of justice and inclusion so we provide equity and equality for women, people of color, LGBTQ people, immigrants, workers, the disabled, seniors, students, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of sexual assault and human trafficking and all of my constitutions who need a hand up.
I’m proud to stand up for my constituents no matter what they look like, where they come from, how they worship if they do or who they love because of who they are, not despite it.