A PLATFORM FOR ALL OF US.

We can do more than just show up and vote ‘no’ on bad Republican bills. We can be the drivers of good legislation.

Our platform reflects months of listening to residents, union leaders, and community organizers from every corner of our district. If you have thoughts, please share them. We are always open to considering and applying your feedback.

ROOTED IN COMMUNITY. READY FOR THE FIGHT.

OUR TOP PRIORITIES

1. Lower Rent & Property Taxes.

Rent and property taxes are pricing people out of Madison. Juliana will lower rent costs by legalizing rent control and passing a Tenant Bill of Rights. She will lower property taxes and fund our schools by passing the 17 Cent Millionaire Tax.

2. Fund Our Schools.

Every kid deserves to win. Juliana won’t compromise on our schools. Alongside the 17 Cent Millionaire Tax, she will increase special education reimbursement to 90%, end the voucher scam, and give teachers the pay and benefits they deserve.

3. Raise Our Wages

$7.25 is criminal. Juliana will raise the minimum wage to $23/hour and tie it to cost of living increases. The $23/hr number is based on the MIT living wage calculator.

OUR FULL PLATFORM

HOUSING

  • We all want good public schools. We should be able to do that without being priced out of Wisconsin. That’s why, Juliana is leading on the 17 Cent Millionaire Tax.

    Currently, our schools are funded through property taxes and state aid. The 17 Cent Millionaire tax fundamentally changes the equation by taking 17 cents on your millionth and first dollar and putting it into our public schools. This will both fund our schools and lower property taxes by 44% statewide, according to the Legislative Fiscal Bureau in the bill introduced by Rep. Hong.

  • Juliana is a renter. She knows what it’s like to get evicted, pay way too much for a crummy apartment, and move across town to find a place she can afford. She fought against this as a Madison alder, by passing some of the strongest rent abatement policies in the state. She’s ready to shift Wisconsin from a pro-landlord state to a pro-tenant state.

    Juliana will stabilize rents by legalizing rent control and banning algorithmic collusion on rents. She will also enshrine the right to a fair lease (that doesn’t force you to re-signing a year before the next term), a habitable home, and safeguards against retaliation and eviction by passing a Tenant Bill Rights. Additionally, she will pass the Right to Counsel, because we deserve to be represented in situations with long-term impacts to our rental history.

  • Isn’t it ridiculous that it costs so much to buy a house in Madison?! $500,000 for a 1,000 sqft 2-bedroom home; are you kidding?!

    Madison home prices are out of control for two reasons: (1) there aren’t enough homes to buy and (2) billionaires are buying up homes to jack up the rent or turn them into luxury high rises. 

    Juliana will tackle both of these problems. She will take the $2 billion we’re currently forking over to megacorporations like Microsoft to build data centers and reinvest it into building 200,000 *actually* affordable homes for working Wisconsinites. Juliana will also ban predatory private equity firms from owning single-family homes and place a vacancy tax on corporate-owned vacant property. 

  • Our district is home to a prominent mobile home park (manufactured housing community) in Dane County. Juliana is outraged that our neighbors are grappling with $750+ water bills following the hail storm, constant rent hikes, and lack of support from those elected to serve them. This is an unfortunate reality for many manufactured housing communities across the state.

    Juliana has a plan to address the unique needs of Wisconsinites living in manufactured housing communities. She will pass a Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA), giving residents the first right-of-refusal. She will also provide state aid to incentivize Residentially-Owned Communities, which would support manufactured housing communities in becoming democratically run cooperatives. Most importantly, Juliana will show up. Juliana recognizes the power in simply showing up to listen. She will take extra care to listen to communities that need it the most.

  • State and federal law makes building a condo or starting a co-op incredibly challenging.

    Juliana will cut the red tape that disincentivizes building condos. She will also work with our congressional delegation to remove financial barriers to condo development.

    Additionally, Juliana will provide low-interest loans to people interested in co-ops and co-housing opportunities. She will also pass a state law in response to the Madison Community Cooperative (MCC) lawsuit against the city, allowing housing cooperatives to receive tax exempt status.

HOMELESSNESS

  • We should take it as a warning, not a nuisance, when unhoused people are setting up camps on East Washington, State Street, and our local parks. Our neighbors without homes simply have nowhere to go. Forcing them to move or putting them behind bars for the crime of being unhoused is not a solution. It is a failure and it is abysmal. Juliana will repeal state laws that lock people up for being unhoused.

  • Dane County spends more on homeless services than the State of Wisconsin spends for the entire state. That’s one of the reasons why the Men’s Homeless Shelter will be at full capacity on day 1. It’s also why police officers spend hours driving unhoused people from more rural areas of the state to cities like Madison. Our services are stretched thin, but in other areas, they are non-existent. We need to give our crisis of homelessness the resources and attention that it deserves.

    Juliana will empower the people that work daily with the unhoused community by providing them with state aid. She will also provide resources to build and operate temporary housing facilities, including shelters, legalized encampments, and tiny home villages. She will ensure that resources to provide mental health, job training, and individual-specific support is central to these operations.

  • People at risk of losing their home need to be supported. We shouldn’t have to do things like take out a payday loan to pay rent on time.

    Juliana will restart the Wisconsin Emergency Rental Assistance Program. She will also create good-paying union jobs for caseworkers who support those at risk of becoming unhoused.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS & CHILDCARE

  • Wisconsin is failing our kids. To parents, guardians, and teachers with kids at MMSD schools, particularly the schools where over half of the kids live in households below the poverty line (ie. Hawthorne, Gompers, Lindberg, Mendota, Black Hawk, East High, and LaFollette), we see you. Our kids should not be going to school hungry. Our classrooms should not be running out of paper. Our teachers should be supported.

    Juliana will work tirelessly to fully fund our public schools. Period.

  • Special education is personally important to Juliana. She is the aunt to three kids on the Autism spectrum. She’s seen her sister struggle with navigating the public school system as the parent, caregiver, and advocate to her kids.

    Special education is more than just a cost. It is an essential need to care for all of our kids.

    There’s some things we can’t compromise on and funding special education at a 90% reimbursement rate is one of them.

  • Spending public dollars on private schools does not make sense.

    Juliana will fight for a responsible transition away from subsidizing private and charter schools to properly fund public education.

  • Juliana was one of those kids that went to school hungry and came home with a pocket full of snacks from her teachers. She firmly believes that no kid should be hungry at school.

    Juliana will pass Healthy School Meals for All to ensure every kid is fed and ready to learn.

  • Wisconsin’s public schools have some of the worst racial disparities in the nation. Juliana has seen this firsthand as a Black kid from MMSD. We can start to close the gap by taking extra care to show up for our kids that need it the most.

    Juliana will invest in early literacy and after school programs. She will also ensure every student has access to wrap-around services so that every kid is supported both inside and outside of the classroom.

  • Childcare costs are insane. Childcare costing the same amount as rent is ridiculous. We shouldn’t have to make tough choices between giving up our jobs, losing our insurance, moving back with our parents, or not starting a family due to childcare costs.

    Juliana will work with our next governor to pass universal childcare that includes funding for care facilities and paying providers a living wage.

  • Our leaders have abandoned the Wisconsin Idea.

    Instead of supporting those pursuing higher education, Republicans have waged a divisive, anti-intellectualism crusade that is robbing us of the teachers, nurses, engineers, social workers, and other hard working individuals we need to power our state. As a UW alum and student activist, Juliana is committed to making higher education a door to opportunity, not a lifetime of debt.

    Juliana will fully fund the UW system, invest in affordable student housing, repeal the GOP’s anti-DEI mandate, and restore students' right to shared governance.

WORKERS

  • $7.25/hour is a flipping insult.

    Juliana will raise our wages to $23/hour and tie it to cost of living. Our campaign is advocating for a $23 minimum wage, because even $20/hour does not cover costs in Wisconsin, according to the MIT living wage calculator.

    Additionally, Juliana will eliminate the tipped minimum wage, because $2.33/hour for service workers is disgusting.

  • We should be able to retire at a reasonable age and with a decent pension. That reality is becoming increasingly out-of-reach for many Wisconsinites, as federal legislators continue talks on cutting Social Security and raising the retirement age.
    Juliana will fight to give everyone a dignified retirement by opening the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) to all employers.

  • As the daughter of an ailing parent, Juliana knows what it’s like to forgo pay to care for a sick family member. No one should have to make that choice.

    Juliana will guarantee paid leave for all Wisconsin workers, including those that are self-employed.

  • Act 10 is an embarrassment. Juliana will repeal it.

    This includes:

    • Repeal right to work

    • Repeal the ban on project labor agreements

    • Restore prevailing wage

    • Restore the right to collectively bargain

    Additionally, Juliana will stop union busting, by prohibiting captive audience meetings and mandating majority sign up.

  • Once we have a Democratic trifecta, we will undo Act 10. That’s a day one priority. But undoing Act 10 won’t solve all labor issues, it will just bring us back to 2010 Wisconsin. Juliana is working with labor leaders to build our Day 2 priorities that reflect our needs of today. Some of these priorities include overtime protections, increasing unemployment, eliminating the LTE scam, and mandating just cause employment.

    Overtime
    Large employers like Epic regularly cheat workers out of their overtime pay. They do this by misclassifying workers and taking advantage of legal loopholes that exempt salaried workers making more than $36,000.

    Juliana will raise the salary exemption to $50,000 and go after employers that try to cheat people out of their overtime.

    Increase Unemployment Insurance Benefits
    Wisconsin’s current maximum weekly benefit rate is $370. For many Wisconsin families that’s barely enough for gas and groceries.

    Juliana will set the benefit rate to at least $500 per week and work with the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development to set a fair rate.

    Stop the LTE Scam
    Many state employees are misclassified as limited term employees (LTEs). This rips people off from receiving full-time benefits for full-time work. Juliana will crack down on the misuse of the LTE classification.

    Mandate Just Cause Employment Statewide
    Currently, all employment in Wisconsin is considered “at-will”. That means your employer can fire you at any time for any reason. “Just cause” employment creates job security, by requiring employers to have a valid, proven reason before terminating employment. Juliana will mandate just cause employment statewide.

  • Megacorporations like Uber and Lyft rip off their employees. While working at the state capitol, Juliana was disgusted to see corporate lobbyists buy off our elected leaders to pass legislation that allows these companies to shirk their responsibilities to their employees. Juliana will stand up to these lobbyists and protect gig workers.

HEALTHCARE

  • We will expand Medicaid.

    But in the age of Trump and fascism, this is not enough. We have 63,000 Wisconsinites that are at high risk of losing their health insurance at the start of next year. We have Wisconsinites that are currently on BadgerCare who receive a significantly lower quality of care, including long wait periods and lack of access to basic necessities (ie. dental and vision).

    Healthcare for all means that everyone has access to the same level of high quality care.

    To do that, Juliana with expand BadgerCare and increase reimbursement rates. Additionally, she will create a Wisconsin Public Option to allow anyone to buy into a state-administered health plan. Lastly, she is prepared to use our budget surplus to provide emergency health benefits to anyone that loses coverage at the start of 2027.

  • No one should go into debt for visiting the hospital. But this is the reality for too many Wisconsinites.

    Our state has 4th highest hospital costs in the nation. This is the result of underfunding Medicaid and Medicare and it is due to the unchecked monopoly pricing power of big hospital mergers over the past two decades.

    Juliana will bring down our hospital bills by going after their monopoly. She will prohibit 60-70% of hospitals that are noncompliant with federal price transparency laws from pursuing debt collection. Also, she will cap the rates hospitals can charge for services.

  • Everyone should be able to afford their medication. Juliana will stop prescription drug price gouging by pooling our resources within our state and with our neighbors to give us more power at the negotiating table.

  • Juliana’s mom was a VA nurse. Watching her mom’s dedication, care, and tireless work ethic has given Juliana a deep sense of admiration for the important work of healthcare providers. We must give back by listening to their demands for higher wages, decent benefits, and reasonable patient-to-staff ratios. Juliana is committed to fulfilling these demands in her capacity as a state legislator.

  • Everyone has the right to bodily autonomy. Juliana will stop our government from infringing upon that right. She will repeal the 1849 abortion ban, pass a bill protecting the right to choose, and expand reproductive healthcare access for all Wisconsinites.

  • Wisconsin ranks 49th in the nation for public health funding. At the same time, Wisconsin has some of the highest Black infant mortality rates in the nation. These two facts are undeniably linked.

    Juliana will public health funding not only to decrease black infant mortality rates, but also to support a other forms of preventative care, including suicide prevention, addiction treatment, and Alzheimers detection.

DATA CENTERS

  • Juliana is a firm ‘yes’ on passing a data center moratorium of at least one year. We need time to pass comprehensive data center regulation before building more data centers that could have long-lasting and harmful impacts to our communities.

  • We should be outraged that we are giving megacorporations, like Microsoft, more than $2 billion in tax breaks.

    Juliana will put an immediate end to that by taking that $2 billion we’re giving to data centers and using it to build the 200,000 affordable homes Wisconsin needs.

    Additionally, she will pass comprehensive data center regulation based on Rep. Hong’s Control-Alt-Delete framework. This policy will include protecting ratepayers from hikes on their utility bills and mandating strict environmental protections.

ENVIRONMMENT

  • As the Chief of Staff to Rep. Angelito Tenorio, a climate activist, Juliana drafted the 100% Clean Energy Bill. This bill will help us meet our climate goal and create good union-paying and green jobs. In the assembly, Juliana will keep organizing across the state to get 100% Clean Energy across the finish line.

  • Our lakes are one of our greatest natural resources. We should treat them as such. Juliana will support 100% PFAS removal, protecting and restoring fish and wildlife habitats, and minimizing stormwater runoff.

  • Our pollinators are threatened and it’s our job to protect them for the benefit of our ecosystems and agriculture. Juliana will pass the Pollinator Protection Package to protect our 400+ local pollinator species.

  • How do corporations have rights, but our natural resources do not? In the legislature, Juliana worked with the coalition that introduced the rights of nature package. This package includes fines for harming Devil’s Lake State Park and restoring restrictions on mining.

THE OLIGARCHY v. SMALL BUSINESS

  • From buying up family farms to driving out local businesses and raising prices for working families, monopolies are squeezing Wisconsin from every direction.

    Juliana will expand the Attorney General’s capacity to go after and break up monopolies in Wisconsin.

  • It should be easy, not hard, to get a loan as a small business owner. It certainly shouldn’t be hard when we are giving Big Agriculture a half-billion-dollar tax break.

    Juliana will end corporate tax breaks and use the excess revenue as seed money for a Wisconsin Public Bank. This bank will give entrepreneurs the loans they need to start and grow small businesses.

  • Corporate usage of AI poses a unique threat to small businesses. Corporations are using AI to artificially set prices and steal Intellectual Property.

    Juliana will ban AI-enabled price setting and pass a Small Business AI & IP Bill of Rights to protect small businesses.

TRANSPORTATION

  • Wisconsin used to have a robust transportation system. But, we swapped the trains out for cars and then Scott Walker happened.

    The good news is that train from Madison to Milwaukee is almost a reality. Juliana will do everything within her power to make sure we get that train. Additionally, she will provide state funding to expand passenger rail in Wisconsin.

  • As a former Transportation Commissioner in Madison, Juliana is proud to have passed our Complete Green Streets initiative to increase safe and sustainable transportation access to pedestrians, bicyclists, and bus users. However, she recognizes that this was an improvement, not a solution.

    We have neighborhoods in Madison’s North and East sides still have a lack of available bus routes and bike lanes. We still have neighbors that are struggling to cover bus fare. And we still have an unacceptable amount of car-related fatalities. The state needs to step up to make sure everyone can get around our cities.

    Juliana will increase state aid to municipalities to build bus-, bike-, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure in high need neighborhoods. She will repeal the ban on Regional Transit Authorities so that we can coordinate more effectively with areas surrounding Madison. And Juliana will direct the Wisconsin Department of Transportation to follow through on local demands for highway safety to reduce fatalities in areas like East Washington Ave.

CANNABIS

  • It’s ridiculous that we haven’t legalized weed yet in Wisconsin.

    Juliana will legalize it and allocate the tax revenue from cannabis sales to benefit our communities. She will also expunge those convicted of petty marijuana-related crimes.

CRIMINAL LEGAL REFORM

  • The go-to Republican resort to solve every problem is to lock more people up for more time for more crimes. That has led to our already inhumane prisons being overcrowded (at 130% of their capacity). Throwing people in prison without regard to how we can change and improve the conditions that led to incarceration hurts all of us.

    Juliana will reduce incarceration rates by putting an end to criminal penalties for simple rule violations (ie. borrowing money, missing an appointment, accepting employment without prior approval). She will provide clemency for cannabis convictions and expand expungement laws to give people a second chance.

  • Wisconsin’s prisons are inhumane and cruel.

    Incarcerated people forced to work as slaves. They are left in solitary confinement for days, weeks, or even months. They are denied consistent access to menstrual products and basic hygiene. Transgender and gender non-conforming people in particular are denied appropriate lodging, clothing, and healthcare. It is just plain wrong.

    Juliana will pass the Conditions of Confinement package which will end legalized slavery, provide access to hygiene products and bathing periods, install heating and air conditioning, and put strict limitations on solitary confinement.

  • One of the first successes Juliana had as an alder was creating and funding of the Madison CARES program. Alternative forms of policing and incarceration is essential to keeping our communities safe, while treating people with dignity.

    Juliana will provide state aid to municipalities interested in creating their own CARES programs. She will also invest in comprehensive prevention and re-entry programs.

GUN SAFETY

  • We should not have to send our kids to school worrying whether there will be a school shooting that day. We should not be losing our neighbors to school shootings and suicide.

    Juliana will pass common-sense gun regulation including:

    • Background check requirements;

    • Mandatory waiting periods; and

    • Red flag laws

CITIES, TOWNS, AND VILLAGES

  • Madison is getting a bad deal. For every $1 we send to the state, we only get $0.19 back. This is due to a bad Republican shared revenue deal, intentionally drafted to squeeze Madison. The unfortunate part of this deal was that our local leaders were largely absent from the conversation.

    Juliana will work with her Democratic colleagues and across the aisle to get a fair shake for Madison and all municipalities in Wisconsin. This deal will include removing Scott Walker era limits on municipal levy limits and allow counties and municipalities to create an income tax on higher earners and a sales tax targeting tourism. By doing so, Juliana will lower property taxes we send to the city.

  • We need an affordable grocery store on the Northside. Aside from Willy Street Co-op North and (maybe) Pick n’ Save, Northsiders don’t have affordable grocery options in their area.

    Juliana will work with the City of Madison, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC), and the Northside Planning Council to finally secure a publicly owned grocery store on the Northside.

  • Wisconsin ranks nearly last in the nation on public art funding. Yes, even Alabama spends more money on public art than we do.

    Public art is an important way of bringing communities together, while boosting the economy.

    Juliana will bring our investment up to at least the national average, by increasing per capita spending.

IMMIGRATION, PALESTINE, AND QUEER LIBERATION

  • We are proud of Madison for coming together to keep our communities safe from ICE. As your state representative, Juliana will not hold back from keeping our communities safe from ICE.

    Juliana will unmask ICE, prosecute lawbreaking agents, ban flock cameras, and ban 287(g) agreements (which allows local authorities to be deputized as ICE agents.

    Additionally, Juliana will stand up to any legislator, regardless of party affiliation, if they try to compromise our community.

  • As an elected official, Juliana put her body between the police and Palestinian protestors, despite getting physically assaulted for doing so. And she would do it again in a heart beat. We cannot claim to fight for Wisconsin if we are not fighting for all of Wisconsin, and that includes Palestinian Wisconsinites.

    This past legislative session our current governor signed into law the IHRA bill. This codified an overly broad definition of antisemitism that classifies criticizing the state of Israel as a hate crime. We can support Palestine, criticize Israel, and not be anti-semitic. Juliana will repeal IHRA and the anti-boycott law.

  • Queer liberation is not a corporate marketing term. It is a collective movement for LGBTQ+ rights.

    Our movement recognizes there is no queer liberation without trans liberation. We also recognize that there is no queer liberation without Black liberation.

    Juliana will bring the unique perspective of the first queer and Black woman elected to the Wisconsin state assembly. But she’s not running to be the first, she’s running to fight for liberation for all that includes:

    • Protecting gender-affirming healthcare for trans youth;

    • Passing comprehensive nondiscrimination laws;

    • Modernizing Wisconsin’s HIV laws; and

    • Creating economic equality through an anti-racist lens for our LGBTQIA+ family.

DEMOCRACY

  • In 2027, we have one clear shot to pass fair maps. We cannot miss it.

    The upcoming session is critical to establishing an independent redistricting council before the redistricting process starts in 2029. The stakes are even higher with Republicans dismantling our democracy through grossly illegal redistricting processes that are erasing entire communities, particularly Black communities down south.

    In 2021, Juliana fought for and won fair municipal maps. In 2027, Juliana will fight for and win fair statewide maps.

  • Wisconsin has some of the most strict voter ID laws in the nation. These laws disproportionately impact young people and people of color: the people that Republicans don’t want to vote.

    Juliana will increase voter participation by rolling back overly restrictive voter ID laws, including allowing students to vote with a student ID and repealing restrictions on acceptable forms of photo ID. She will also support automatic voter registration, to make it easier for eligible Wisconsinites to vote.

  • If we want different types of candidates, then we need to make it easier to run. Speaking from personal experience, Juliana had to give up her job, take out debt, and essentially go broke to run for this seat. Meanwhile, corporate politicians get to walk on easy street to find their way into the capitol. This is not right.

    Juliana will make sure regular people can become our representatives by creating a public financing system, establishing ranking choice voting, and fighting to end Citizens United.

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