Cara on the Issues

Ohio’s public schools are being asked to do more with less. Ohio ranks 45th in the nation in the state share of public school funding, leaving local communities to make up the difference through property taxes and repeated levies.

At the same time, educators face more testing, unfunded mandates, and decisions made without their input. We can’t keep asking teachers and school leaders to do more with fewer resources and expect our schools to thrive.

Meanwhile, more taxpayer dollars are being diverted to private schools through vouchers, without the same financial oversight or obligation to serve every student. If we’re spending public dollars, taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability.

We need to fully fund our public schools through the state budget, reduce our reliance on local property taxes, and give every Ohio student the opportunity to succeed.

As a physician, I’ve seen firsthand how rising healthcare costs strain patients and families. No one should have to choose between filling a prescription, putting food on the table, or paying the rent.

Medicaid cuts, rising ACA premiums, and high deductibles are putting coverage out of reach for too many Ohioans. When people delay preventive care, they are more likely to need costly emergency care, putting additional strain on our healthcare system and the hospitals our communities depend on. We need to protect access to care, strengthen our healthcare workforce, and keep our hospitals and clinics open.

We also need to lower prescription costs by strengthening oversight of pharmacy benefit managers and making critical medications like insulin more affordable.

Healthcare should work for patients, not corporations. Coverage should be affordable, stable, and centered on people, not profits. I believe access to quality healthcare is a right, and Ohio should pursue patient-centered reforms while working toward universal healthcare.

Ohioans are facing unsustainable increases in property taxes. I support meaningful property tax reform that protects homeowners from being taxed out of their homes while ensuring that essential local services remain fully funded.

Two commonsense solutions I strongly support are implementing a property tax circuit breaker, which ties relief to a household’s ability to pay, and expanding the homestead exemption to give seniors and vulnerable Ohioans greater protection.

I will also fight to ensure our public schools and local services are appropriately funded through the state budget, reducing these institution’s overreliance on property taxes. By shifting funding responsibility back to the state, we can provide real property tax relief while safeguarding the stability of Ohio’s communities.

Working families across Ohio are being squeezed harder than ever. The costs of housing, groceries, utilities, and childcare keep climbing, while wages for many have remained stagnant. Too many Ohioans are working harder but falling further behind. 

I strongly support state legislation that expands access to affordable childcare, paid family leave and universal pre-K. No parent should have to choose between keeping their job and caring for their child. We must pass a living wage to ensure families can build stability and opportunity.

I also strongly support unions, which have long led the way in securing labor rights, fair wages, and safe working conditions. Protecting the right to organize is essential to rebuilding Ohio’s middle class.

Lastly, I believe homes should be for families, not Wall Street investors. Across Ohio, corporate buyers backed by private equity are scooping up thousands of homes, driving up prices and rents, and pushing families out of their communities. I support limiting these bulk purchases and keeping housing in community hands. Every Ohio family deserves the chance to put down roots, build stability, and create lasting wealth through homeownership.

I am committed to protecting voting rights and ensuring that every eligible Ohioan has a fair voice in our democracy. Unfortunately, politicians in Columbus continue to force voters to cast ballots under unconstitutional, gerrymandered maps designed to protect their own power. These maps silence communities across the political spectrum impacting Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike by creating districts where lawmakers face little accountability to the people they represent.

I will fight for fair, transparent maps that put voters first because in a true democracy, it is the people who choose their representatives, not the other way around. Ohioans already made the voices heard when they rejected attempts to make it harder to pass citizen-led ballot initiatives. That vote was a clear message: the power belongs with the people of Ohio, and I will work to ensure it stays that way.

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children ages 1–19 in Ohio, a heartbreaking reality that demands urgent action. Yet, instead of addressing this crisis, our statehouse continues to pass lax gun laws like permitless concealed carry and arming teachers with less than 24 hours of training. These radical policies only serve to make our communities less safe. These policies do not reflect the will of the people. Over 90% of Ohioans support common-sense gun safety measures but a gerrymandered legislature refuses to act, putting politics ahead of the safety of our kids and neighborhoods.

I believe Ohio can do better. We need data-driven, evidence-based policies to reduce gun violence. Protecting our children and our communities must be a top priority. I will fight for common sense reforms while still protecting the rights of responsible gun owners. The people of Ohio are demanding action, and it’s time our leaders listened.

Ohio families deserve clean air, safe water, and utility bills they can afford. We should be investing in a cleaner, more reliable energy system that protects our environment and lowers costs for Ohioans, instead of allowing companies to run up record profits on the backs of working families. By holding utility companies accountable, increasing transparency, modernizing our electric grid, and expanding affordable energy solutions that reduce pollution, we can build a healthier future for every Ohioan.

I will always fight for Ohioans to have bodily autonomy when it comes to their reproductive health. Patients and their doctors should make healthcare decisions, not politicians. In 2023, Ohioans made their voices heard loud and clear, voting overwhelmingly to enshrine protections for abortion, contraception, and IVF in our state constitution. That victory was a powerful statement that Ohioans believe in protecting reproductive freedom.

Despite this clear mandate, lawmakers keep introducing legislation designed to chip away at these rights. These ongoing attacks not only undermine our Constitution, but they also create fear and confusion for patients, families, and healthcare providers. 

I will fight any legislation that threatens access to reproductive healthcare in Ohio, and champion policies that expand access to contraception, protect fertility treatments like IVF. Protecting reproductive rights is about more than healthcare; it is about dignity, equality, and freedom. Ohioans have spoken, and I will make sure their voices are respected in our statehouse.

The rapid expansion of data centers is placing enormous demands on our electric grid, consuming vast amounts of energy and water, and driving up utility bills for families across the state. Ohioans should not be expected to subsidize projects for large corporations. We must ensure that companies are paying for the infrastructure they require and that costs are not being passed on to Ohioans.

We must also protect our natural resources and green spaces as well as the rights of homeowners who don’t want data centers in their backyards. That means restricting local officials from using non-disclosure agreements which serve to shut out citizens regarding decisions impacting their communities. Economic development should improve the lives of Ohioans not come at their expense.