PRIORITIES

Money Out of Politics

As both an academic and activist, Rashida knows what makes a functional democracy: elected representatives voting for the interests of their constituents, not corporations.

As working-class Michiganders struggle to pay for groceries, exorbitant gas prices, and rising energy bills, the corporate entities responsible for these increasing costs continue to reap the benefits of generous tax breaks.

At the same time, corporations and Big Business buy influence across Michigan, writing laws and regulations that benefit them, and using dark money groups to spend more on swaying our elections without any accountability. Rashida is going to fight them by:

  1. Banning all Michigan utilities and state contractors from engaging in political spending. 

  2. Requiring full disclosure of dark money ads and exposing clearinghouse organizations that allow donors to give anonymously. 

  3. Prohibiting corporations with substantial state or local contracts exceeding $250,000 from making political campaign contributions.

  4. Opposing the expansion of corporate welfare in favor of prioritizing working Michiganders.

A Working Economy for Working People

As a long-time resident of the district, Rashida understands how the current economy is broken. The income needed to afford basic necessities such as housing, childcare, food, and transportation has never been higher, while wages have continued to stagnate for decades. In Ingham County alone, 44% of households sit below the ALICE threshold (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, and Employed). Rashida will deliver legislation to return the quality of life all working people in Michigan deserve. Rashida’s priorities are:

  1. Strengthening unions and protecting organized labor by expanding collective bargaining rights in Michigan. 

  2. Raising the minimum wage to ensure every worker gets a livable wage.

  3. Expanding opportunities for trade schools, apprenticeships, and re-skilling to build economic sustainability throughout Michigan.

  4. Lowering the cost of prescription drugs and ending pharmaceutical price gouging.

Protecting MICHIGAN FAMILIES

As a mom in the workforce, Rashida has seen firsthand how working families are under attack right now. If we are going to secure our rights, take back our economy, and build a better future for our children, we must stand strong together.

  1. Keeping undocumented families safe from harassment and discrimination from the federal government. 

  2. Stopping all ICE detention centers in the State of Michigan.

  3. Safeguarding reproductive freedom and bodily autonomy with an emphasis on maternal health; not just the right to choose, but the right to parent with dignity, with healthcare, with support structures that make choice meaningful rather than theoretical.

  4. Enacting a moratorium on all data center development, production, and expansion for the next two years until a full study can be commissioned by the state examining impacts on community health, safety, and economic well-being.

  5. Protecting our Great Lakes and natural resources.

  6. Prioritizing environmental justice and the clean energy transition.

  7. Defending Michigan farms and our environment from further harm and contamination from PFAS.

  8. Investing in K-12 education across the state to ensure fair pay for teachers, adequate staffing for school resource professionals, and providing support from start to finish for student success including universal breakfast and lunch.

  9. Improve broadband access, so our kids, farmers, and small businesses aren’t left behind.