"What is unpronounced tends to nonexistence."  -Czeslaw Milosz

Some of these policy goals are immediately achievable. Some are not. Either way, it’s important to me that you know where I stand.

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DEMOCRACY

We’re losing it. Even before the rise of MAGA authoritarianism, North Carolina had been ground zero for voter suppression, map-rigging, and for attacks on American democracy generally.  The North Carolina Democratic Party is working to flip that script and lead America’s democratic revival. Going forward, if we’re going to restore functional democracy and rule of law in North Carolina and in the U.S., we need to:

• Defeat MAGA at the ballot box, in the field, and in the courtroom.

• Free our NC boards of election from hyper-partisan MAGA control.

• End gerrymandering to ensure meaningful political representation for every community.

• Make Election Day a federal holiday.

• Allow for same-day voter registration through Election Day.

• Guaranty two weeks of early voting, including Sunday voting.

• Provide for universal mail-in voting (everyone gets a ballot by mail they can use or not).

• End lifetime tenure for federal judges.

• Place new limits on Article II Presidential power, including the power to authorize military force without congressional approval or oversight.

• Create a blue ribbon commission to propose Constitutional reforms to strengthen American democracy.

• End 287-g co-option of local law enforcement by ICE.

• Abolish ICE and form a new federal immigration agency we can trust.

• Abolish the filibuster.

• End Citizens United and take big $$$ out of our politics.

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HEALTHCARE

ALL OF US SHOULD HAVE FREE, HIGH-QUALITY HEALTH CARE AS A RIGHT. Congress should pass Medicare for All (or something better). Until it does, here in North Carolina, we need to:

• Fight to keep Medicaid Expansion for the hundreds of thousands of North Carolinians who cannot afford private health insurance, yet have been denied access to quality healthcare services by North Carolina’s GOP leadership for the past decade.

• Work to make healthcare more affordable for all our citizens by holding insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals, and providers accountable.

• Address existing inequities in our current healthcare system by supporting community-based healthcare programs designed to address social determinants of health.

• Increase funding for behavioral health care and addiction support programs.

• Increase funding for vaccine programs across the state.

 

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTHCARE/ABORTION RIGHTS

Reproductive healthcare is healthcare.  Healthcare is a right (see above).  Politicians have no business undermining that right.

As our state representative, Jonah will:​

• Work to defeat any legislation undermining the right to choose.

• Fight to guarantee the right to an abortion in our state constitution, and to repeal existing barriers to abortion enacted by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

• Support increased public funding for family planning and teen pregnancy services.

• Advocate for expanded access to menstrual health products for teens, people experiencing homelessness, and other vulnerable populations.

Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

 

PUBLIC EDUCATION

FUND IT FULLY. FREE PRE-K. FREE SCHOOL LUNCH. TEACH HISTORY. NO PHONES IN CLASS. Every North Carolinian has a constitutional right to high-quality education. We deserve great public schools that serve all students equitably and where teachers and staff are properly valued and empowered. Here in North Carolina, we need to:

• Work to dramatically increase per-pupil spending and early childhood education and literacy opportunities for children ages 0-5, to help improve equitable academic outcomes when students arrive at school.

• Fight for significant pay increases for public school teachers, teaching assistants and other school support staff, with restored pay scales rewarding teachers with advanced degrees and experience.

• Develop new state-funded programs to recruit and retain teachers of color.

• Oppose measures to censor teachers on issues pertaining to our country’s history of racism and discrimination.