The public school system is the backbone of society. Our public education is not failing our state, our state is failing our public education system. Legislatures have failed to meet the annual increase of 3% or inflation, whichever is less, an increase that is required by law. This needs to change.

Every South Dakotan should have access to free or affordable healthcare. I am proud to say I am strong supporter of Medicare for All. While I know that isn't something I can get done at a state level, I mention it so that you don't have to guess where I stand on attempts to further strip away South Dakotan's access to Medicare and Medicaid.

For far too long South Dakotans have been working with limited worker protections and the threat of being fired without reason. Right-to-Work was created with the specific purpose of busting unions and ensuring a "Sword of Damocles" of being fired was always present over the head of workers who were thinking about organizing their workplaces.

South Dakota's current tax system does not help the average South Dakotan. South Dakota has the 6th most regressive tax system in the nation. A regressive tax is a tax that takes a larger percentage of income from low-income earners than from high-income earners. Its time we built a tax system that benefits South Dakotans and not the ultra-weathy using South Dakota as a tax haven.