In this country, we have made health care a privilege, but it should be a basic human right. This practice costs us all money, because those people don’t have the privilege of health care coverage still use health care services. When they can’t pay, the burden is shifted to those who can. By making health care available to everyone, we will make it possible for the people of Wisconsin to take care of themselves across the span of their lifetime, rather than waiting until they are chronically ill to seek treatment. We don't have to spend more money on health care – in fact, we can spend less money on health care than we do right now. We just have to change the way in which we spend it.

As the wife of a small business owner, I know firsthand the struggles of starting and sustaining a business. Making payroll and trying to provide health insurance present significant hurdles which stifles creativity and damages our economy by making it too hard to start a business. In the State Senate, I will promote policies that support small business owners, so they can provide good jobs that will strengthen our economy in Western Wisconsin.

Like so many families in Wisconsin, my family has a strong tradition of coming together many times a year to hike, hunt and fish as a family. And just like many other families, these traditions depend on access to public land and waterways. Our heritage as hunters and fishermen is being threatened by attempts to sell of Wisconsin's public land. As your senator, I will strongly oppose these efforts, so that our way of life is protected for generations to come.

As a homeowner, I know how badly we need property tax relief. Big corporations in Wisconsin aren’t taking responsibility for their fair share of the tax burden and regular citizens like us are picking up the slack. By closing loopholes in our tax system and asking big businesses to pay what they owe, we can provide property tax relief to homeowners without slashing funding for our schools, local governments, police departments, crime labs and other invaluable community services.

Wisconsin seniors have sacrificed so much to make this a great state and we should be repaying them for their efforts. Senior citizens shouldn’t have to worry about being taxed out of their homes, or about how they are going to pay their health care bills. I will fight to protect retirement benefits for seniors and to ensure that no matter where seniors live – in their own houses or in retirement homes – they are well taken care of.