Advancing Equity and Building Community
Homelessness
People experiencing homelessness need support and resources so they can thrive in Dane County. As a community, we need to stop criminalizing homelessness and instead focus on reducing homelessness.
Since 2021, I have served on the City County Homeless Issues Committee, a partnership between the County and the City of Madison. I am proud to have cosponsored several Resolutions to address the needs identified and supported by that committee. In particular, I worked with Supervisor Heidi Wegleitner to push forward a substitute to 2021 RES-011 based on the feedback we received in that committee. Other Resolutions include:
2020 RES-232: FUNDS TO SUPPORT OCCUPY MADISON'S TINY HOUSE PROJECT TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF UNSHELTERED PERSONS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS
2021 RES-156: PURSUING TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS AND AUTHORIZING FUNDING
2021 RES-140: AWARDING A CONTRACT TO FOCUS COUNSELING FOR CONTINUATION OF HOTELS TO HOUSING CASE MANAGEMENT - DCDHS - HAA DIVISION
2021 RES-115:PROVIDING LEGAL COUNSEL FOR RESIDENTS FACING EVICTION
2021 RES-108: ACCEPTING STATE OF WISCONSIN EMERGENCY RENTAL ASSISTANCE FUNDS DCDHS - HAA DIVISION
2021 RES-087: AUTHORIZING NEW HOUSING HUD ALTERNATIVE PROJECT POSITION DCDHS - HAA DIVISION
2021 RES-011 Substitute: AUTHORIZING A HOUSING INITIATIVE AND A CONTRACT FOR CATHOLIC CHARITIES HOUSING NAVIGATION DCDHS - HAA DIVISION
Criminal Justice & mental health
In my first two years on the Board, I have cosponsored and supported a number of Resolutions and Ordinance Amendments to reform the criminal justice system in Dane County. These include:
2021 OA-052: AMENDING CHAPTER 35 OF THE DANE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, ELIMINATING HUBER FEES
2021 OA-051: AMENDING CHAPTER 62 OF THE DANE COUNTY CODE OF ORDINANCES, ELIMINATING CERTAIN FEES FOR TIER I FAMILIES
2020 RES-303: DECREASING THE NUMBER OF BEDS IN THE CONSOLIDATED JAIL WHILE REFORMING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
2020 RES-215:IN OPPOSITION TO NO KNOCK SEARCH WARRANTS
2020 RES-180: ENDORSING CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM AND DEVELOPING BOTH A TRIAGE AND RESTORATION CENTER AND A COMMUNITY JUSTICE CENTER
Previous County budgets created a grant program to fund community programs to address mental health issues and substance abuse. Programs like these to support mental health deserve sustained funding that will provide long-term programming through community centers and other area partners to support the mental health of our neighbors. I also support the creation of a Mental Health Court to increase diversions to treatment rather than incarceration.
I oppose efforts to borrow an additional $24 million to the Jail Consolidation Project. We have the opportunity to incarcerate fewer people while keeping the costs of this project within the original budget. Dane County has shown throughout the pandemic that it is possible to create opportunities for diversion that keep the population of the County Jail lower than it had been. We do not have to return to how things have always been done and we should not maintain the status quo. We have the opportunity to make a change without expanding the cost of the jail project and increasing potential incarceration.
Standing with Working Families
I have stood in solidarity with working families and unions for decades. As a County Board Supervisor, I am committed to continuing that solidarity and my voting record proves that commitment. For example, I was one of 11 Supervisors that voted against RES-286 which expands a contract for privatized staffing at the Alliant Energy Center. I have also cosponsored resolutions like: