Issues

For too many of us, our zip code decides whether or not we have good schools, well-paying jobs, and safe streets. 

Democrat Ayana Taylor is running for State Senate to fix that and build a more equitable future for our families. As a Vice President of the Windsor School Board, Ayana has worked to empower our students and ensure all of them receive the support they need to succeed. As a community leader, Ayana is independent, proactive, and engaged, and she’ll bring that same commitment to Hartford. 

In the State Senate, Ayana will break down barriers to strong schools, good healthcare, affordable housing, and safer communities so that all of us can thrive here.

Housing:

Housing is one of the greatest concerns for residents in our community. Rising costs for renters and homeowners; not enough housing; and predatory, out-of-state landlords and mortgage brokers are all barriers we face. As a housing advocate, Ayana knows the challenges our community is facing and will fight for solutions to:

  • Expand access to homeownership and generational wealth

  • Increase protections for renters and increase awareness of tenants’ rights

  • Increase incentives to developers to build truly affordable housing 

  • Advocate for zoning changes in her district to create more opportunities for residential construction

  • Reform the property tax system

Jobs and Small Businesses:

Our local economies depend on our small businesses and workers. We must do more to create jobs and offer training programs so our young people can thrive here. As a former union member, Ayana knows how critical unions are to protecting workers, and she will fight to advocate for workers’ rights. 

  • Invest in training programs and vocational opportunities in our schools 

  • Protect unions 

  • Invest in student job programming 

  • Empower small businesses 

  • Prioritize local hiring and MWBE economic opportunities

Safety:

Every member of our community deserves to feel safe in their schools, homes, and neighborhoods. As we face rising levels of gun violence, we must do more to engage our young people, get guns out of our communities, and address the root causes of violence. Ending gun violence will take a holistic approach. As our State Senator, Ayana will: 

  • Partner with community organizations to host youth events 

  • Sponsor gun storage safety workshops and gun lock giveaways 

  • Work with law enforcement to host gun buyback programs 

Choice and Gender Equity:

Gender equity, reproductive rights, and empowering women are focuses for Ayana, especially as we see many of the gains previous generations achieved attacked locally and in Washington. 

Ayana is 100% pro-choice and will always defend reproductive freedoms. As a young person, the first rally her mom brought her to was a pro-choice event. Ayana knows that no politician should be making health decisions - she firmly believes in protecting the right to an abortion, access to contraception, and safeguarding IVF. Additionally, she will seek to remove barriers to healthcare - for too many women, prohibitive costs limit access to lifesaving care.

As our state senator, Ayana will: 

  • Close the gender wage gap

  • Advocate for and empower survivors of sexual assault 

  • Expand opportunities in the trades and STEM fields

  • Stand up to any and all attacks on abortion

  • Protect access to contraception and IVF

  • Increase funding for women's healthcare resources and research 

  • Prevent maternal mortality by expanding access to resources and programs

Education:

The Charter School industry has long sought to expand in our community, and while Ayana believes in choice, she knows our public schools can’t pay the price for charters. As Vice President of the Windsor Board of Education and a proud public school parent, Ayana is a determined advocate for our students and teachers, and she knows how to keep our schools strong.

Ayana’s mom is a retired special education teacher, and Ayana knows firsthand how critical it is to:

  • Stand up for public school funding while ensuring charter schools are held to the same high standards

  • Invest in special education, college readiness, and job training programming

  • Empower our teachers and improve teacher retention

Climate:

Climate change is already proving to be a dangerous threat to our planet. Our communities are facing extreme temperatures and storms, and our leaders must take steps to improve our resiliency and reduce our impact on the environment. At the same time, we must center environmental justice in our approach in our battle with climate change. Communities of color face air and water pollution at higher rates, and transitions to alternative energy sources are too often cost-prohibitive to working families. As our State Senator, Ayana will work to protect our environment, prevent pollution, invest in green jobs and training programs, and fight for environmental justice.