Crystal Lett

Civil Rights

I pledge to support the Ohio Fairness Act to ensure that no Ohioan will be discriminated against for exercising their basic human rights. The law will include gender identity and sexual orientation protections to Ohio’s existing anti-discrimination laws, and prevent discrimination in employment, housing, and public. Learn more

In Ohio, members of the LGBTQ community have been under constant attack. From proposing a ban on gender affirming care, to banning books with LGBTQ characters/themes, to denying trans kids the opportunity to participate in sports – relentless attacks have plagued our Statehouse over the past few years. In fact, members of the LGBTQ community can still be discriminated against for their gender identity or sexual expression in Ohio. I pledge to support the Ohio Fairness Act to ensure that no Ohioan will be discriminated against for exercising their basic human rights. Learn more

Education

We MUST invest in our youth. We are seeing attacks on education in an attempt to dismiss racism, censor teachers, ban books, diminish the experiences of our diverse population, and more. Learn more

Access to high quality public education is the most important factor of economic security. Children are our best hope for a brighter future. Fully funded public education is the best step we can take to provide a better future for ourselves, and generations to come. When people are educated, societies thrive. Ideas flow. Inventions are created. Sectors of the economy are born. Dreams are realized. Communities are connected. The return on this investment is infinite. We MUST invest in our youth. We are seeing attacks on education in an attempt to dismiss racism, censor teachers, ban books, diminish the experiences of our diverse population, and more. Our children must be prepared to engage the world around them. They deserve the opportunity to receive an honest education that affirms, celebrates, and reflects the diversity of Ohio’s students. Learn more

Environment / Energy

Climate change is an opportunity for Ohio to address two issues at once. We have the opportunity to boost the economy by creating jobs in new industries. We can engage and retrain workers left behind by outsourcing, while developing best practices and leading our country in creating new jobs in the manufacturing sector – jobs that benefit Ohio. On top of that, we get an environment that is clean and healthy and worthy of passing on to future generations. Learn more

Guns

What we can do is pass Red Flag Laws – permitting law enforcement and family members to petition courts in order to have firearms removed if a person becomes a threat to themselves or others. We can hold gun owners accountable for what happens with their firearm by requiring gun owners to carry insurance and making them liable for any crime that is committed with their weapon. Learn more

One of the most frustrating parts of reducing gun violence is that there are so many good proposals on the table of how to do so – very few that have been enacted into law. In Ohio, there has been a push to increase gun presence in schools and even in daycare facilities. We know, the answer to decreasing gun violence is not in increasing the number of guns present in our state. Arming teachers and daycare workers would only provide increased opportunity for death and injury. What we can do is pass Red Flag Laws – permitting law enforcement and family members to petition courts in order to have firearms removed if a person becomes a threat to themselves or others. We can hold gun owners accountable for what happens with their firearm by requiring gun owners to carry insurance and making them liable for any crime that is committed with their weapon. We can better track when firearms fall into the hands of those who are not permitted to use them. Learn more

Healthcare

We must restructure the health insurance market to ensure that all Ohioans can afford the health insurance they deserve. Learn more

Although opportunities to experience better health abound, access and affordability is out of reach for many. Most Ohioans can barely afford to pay their monthly premiums, not to mention their deductibles and non-covered medical costs. If people cannot access the services available to us, they are useless. We must restructure the health insurance market to ensure that all Ohioans can afford the health insurance they deserve. While private insurance companies provide a large portion of the population with coverage, a growing number of people are unable to afford even a basic employer plan. In order to provide vulnerable Americans with accessible coverage we MUST fully fund and expand public programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

Like so many Americans, my family didn’t have the paid family leave we needed. The emotional, mental, and physical toll of taking care of family members with medical complexity is often overwhelming. Despite being a middle class family, we quickly realized we would not be able to manage. The lack of access to paid family leave led to a financial crisis for us. My family is not alone: Forty million Americans provide care for a family member, like my son, or an aging parent, and the failure to include caregiving leave in the paid family leave proposals is the failure to acknowledge that reality. Ohio has the opportunity to lead the nation in providing paid leave to parents and family members ensuring that our loved ones receive the best care in a way that leaves our community members gainfully employed and economically viable. Learn more