Freedom
From Fear, Freedom From Want — Policy Agenda
Through years of service in the state capitol as Chief of Staff to a Madison-area legislator and as the Policy Director for the Assistant Minority Leader of the Democratic Assembly Caucus, Isaia has helped craft policies such as the Paid Family and Medical Leave Law, the Birth Equity Act, and the First Time Homebuyers Act among many others.
Here is his plan for the 76th Assembly District:
We need to build quality, affordable housing not just in Madison, but across the state. As a policy professional in Assembly Democratic Leadership, I was a part of developing the Bipartisan Housing Package which created $500 million in revolving loan funds to support new developments. Every Wisconsinite deserves the freedom to live in dignified housing, and no one in Wisconsin should fear rising housing costs or face homelessness.
We need to pass the expansion to the Homestead Tax Credit and relieve the property tax burden on working Wisconsinites
We need to incentivize municipalities to develop new housing, and empower local officials to consider affordability in their approvals.
We need to expand WHEDA’s role, and allow them to build housing that has the primary goal of affordability, not profitability.
We need to fund Housing First programs that guarantees safe, dignified housing for all individuals in need.
Accessible & Affordable Housing
Innovative Transportation Systems
Transportation is about more than roads and highways, it is about interconnecting communities through diverse infrastructure. Building public transit that goes beyond the city/county limits will alleviate housing costs, and promote more sustainable forms of transportation. No Wisconsinite should fear isolation, and every Wisconsinite should have the freedom to enjoy every corner of our state
We need to create regional transit authorities, ones that will take you to and from Madison to anywhere in Dane County, and anywhere across the state.
We need to ensure that every new transportation project supports a prevailing wage for the workers, and utilizes union labor to guarantee quality work.
We need to invest in Complete Streets to ensure our roads are accessible and safe for everyone in our community.
Healthcare For All
For a decade, Republican leadership has rejected legislation that would support affordable access to healthcare in Wisconsin. From expanding Badgercare, to extending coverage to postpartum mothers, to covering preventative screenings for breast cancer, every family deserves the freedom to receive healthcare without fear of financial strain.
We need to make Badgercare more accessible by accepting Badgercare Expansion as soon as possible.
We need to work towards creating a universal healthcare system that will cover every single Wisconsin resident.
We need to ensure our nurses and other healthcare professionals are able to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions.
We need to cap prescription healthcare costs to ensure no one in our community has to choose between life saving medicine and putting food on their table.
We need to keep private equity interests from profiting off of the healthcare of Wisconsin families.
Strong Public Universities
Wisconsin ranks 44th in state funding for higher education. Years of Republican attacks on our university system have eroded our capabilities as a top research hub, stagnated the wages of our staff, and have forced talented young professionals to leave our state for better opportunities. Wisconsin should be a place where every resident has the freedom to continue their academic career without enduring the ramifications of partisan attacks on higher education.
We need to heavily invest in the Universities of Wisconsin and support growth that does not rely on private interests.
We need to promote diversity, equity and inclusion and ensure that every student knows that they belong in our academic institutions.
We must support the workers who make our university system great. All university employees deserve a wage that allows them to live in the cities where they work.
Strong Public Schools
Public schools are accountable to the public and are charged with educating every child in a community. As such, they must be fully funded, staffed by quality professionals, and given the resources they need to keep up with rising costs budget after budget. Instead, the Republican legislative majority has stolen millions of dollars from our public school system and siphoned them into unaccountable private school vouchers. This has raised property taxes, harmed the quality of public education in Wisconsin, and negatively impacted our teacher workforce. Every child deserves to learn and succeed in our public education system.
We must work to reinstate collective bargaining rights for teachers and ensure our valuable educational professionals have the ability to negotiate for better pay and working conditions.
We must put an end to the separate private voucher system and invest in all students across Wisconsin.
We must implement Healthy School Meals for All so that no child is forced to learn while hungry.
We must increase special education reimbursements to at least 90%, so that our public schools are able to support every student in need of accomodation.
Tenant Rights
The rights of tenants have consistently taken a back seat to the rights of landlords in our state. In order to ensure every person is able to live in Wisconsin without fear, we must ensure that every tenant is protected.
We must pass a tenants bill of rights that enshrines the right to representation in eviction proceedings and the right to habitable living conditions.
We must allow municipalities to restrict exploitative rent increases that kick working people out of their communities.
We need to fund rental inspections that will find and remove lead, asbestos and other health hazards that impact the habitability of an apartment.
Workers First Economy
For years, the Republican majority has attacked workers rights, kept wages low, and created an economy that benefits the wealthy few. Wisconsinites deserve to live free from the fear of poverty wages and dangerous working conditions.
We must repeal Act 10, and constitutionally protect the rights of working Wisconsinites to negotiate for safer work places.
We need to promote unionization across economic sectors, including the service industry, to ensure that all workers are organized.
We must prioritize the use of union labor in state projects and support our public sector unions with adequate pay raises that are guaranteed quickly instead of being held up by the legislative process.
Reproductive Rights
Every person in Wisconsin deserves access to quality and affordable reproductive care. After the disastrous decision to overturn Roe v Wade, it is imperative that our state government supports a person’s right to make their own healthcare decisions. No person should fear that their healthcare decisions are being made for them by politicians instead of doctors.
We must guarantee the right to an abortion in our state constitution.
We need to mandate the coverage of abortion services under all insurance plans in our state, including and especially Badgercare.
We need to support organizations that provide reproductive health education and resources across communities.
Protect Immigrant Communities
The Trump Administration’s attack on immigrant communities is an attack on the fabric of America. As a nation of immigrants, our multicultural communities not only define our history, but are deeply essential to our strength and success as a country. We cannot allow our immigrant neighbors to live in fear of an oppressive federal government.
We must stand up ICE and ensure that every community in Wisconsin is safe from their harassment.
We must keep our communities safe by allowing immigrants to receive drivers licenses and access healthcare.
We must stand firm against all legislation that would allow for the racial profiling of individuals under the guise of immigration enforcement..
Members of the LGBTQ+ community deserve equity not only in our laws, but also in our society. No one should fear discrimination or prejudice because of how they identify or who they love. Everyone deserves the freedom to live in community, no matter who they are.
We need to prohibit discrimination based on gender presentation or identity. From our classrooms to the workplace, we cannot allow bigotry to stand.
We need to support our trans neighbors in fully living their lives as themselves. This includes allowing trans and non-binary individuals to more easily change their gender on government documents, including passports and drivers licenses.
We must enshrine marriage equality into our state constitution and preemptively protect the rights of LGBTQ+ individuals from the federal government.
Protect LGBTQ+ Communities
Rebuild Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Racial inequities are apparent across our community. From disparities in employment & wages to higher rates of infant & maternal mortality, we need to address the inequities that impact BIPOC communities.
We must create an office of equity and inclusion that is directly tasked with finding policy solutions that will promote diversity, equity and inclusion in our state government.
We must reform our criminal justice system so that we stop over policing Black and Brown communities and instead invest in restorative justice and community intervention programs.
We must pass the Birth Equity Act and proactively address the maternal and child health disparities that impact mothers of color.