Kesha Ram Hinsdale

Defense / Veterans

N the State Senate, I will fight to eliminate the Veterans Affairs (VA) benefit backlog and wait times at VA medical facilities so that veterans can immediately access the support services they need. This means more funding to hire doctors and nurses and staff to care for veterans, updating and retrofitting VA facilities, and fighting back against threats to privatize and profit off of VA medical facilities. We must additionally expand healthcare coverage to guarantee mental health care, suicide prevention services, dental care, long-term care, and improved support services for survivors of sexual assault in the military. I will also continue to be an outspoken advocate encouraging action on the issues of toxic exposure. Many of our veterans are developing rare forms of cancer and respiratory illness as a result of their exposure to airborne toxins from burn pits and other chemical exposures during their foreign deployments and on US soil. Currently, over 75 percent of veterans filing disability claims due to exposure are being denied their claim. Finally, we must support those caring for our veterans. That means investing in comprehensive care and the VA workforce, as well as expanding the VA’s comprehensive caregiver program. Our veterans deserve the compassionate care that allows them to remain at home and in the communities they fought to protect. Learn more

Drug Policy

In the Senate, I will support the decriminalization of all substances. However, while marijuana legalization is a necessary first step, it must be paired with structural changes. That includes the expungement of records, the pardoning of anyone incarcerated for marijuana offenses, and the active inclusion of those with prior marijuana-related offenses in the legal market. In addition, I support investing in public-health-based programs, ending mandatory minimums, and stopping programs that give local police stations military-grade weapons to be used in our communities. Learn more

Economy

I believe that support for small businesses must begin by expanding who has access to financial capital. We must expand loan programs through the Small Business Administration and lower interest rates on loans for small businesses owned and operated by communities that have historically been left out of investment, including people of color, women, and Indigenous populations. As a former advisory council member of Main Street Alliance of Vermont, the daughter of a small business owner, and a small business owner myself, I also know that supporting our small businesses means leveling the playing field for investments in their employees. Vermont deserves a federal partner who will continue the work of passing universal paid family leave and childcare programs, investing in workforce development, canceling student loan debt, and ensuring all workers are well-compensated for their labor. Learn more

Education

For students who choose to pursue higher education, the burden of student loan debt has grown dramatically. Today, 43 million people have more than 1.7 trillion in student debt. This is untenable. The first step we must take is to cancel this debt and remove this economic squeeze on folks who simply sought out education to keep up with today’s economy. Then, we must go further by fixing the system that created this debt in the first place. By making all public college tuition-free, by expanding existing programs like Pell Grants and Work-Study, and by reinvesting in our public higher-education system and trade schools, we can work towards guaranteeing debt-free higher education for all. Learn more

We must reinvest in public schools so that every school, teacher, and student has the resources they need to receive a quality education. In addition, we must fund universal Pre-K and other early childhood programs to give our children the support they need from an early age – including mental-health resources for students, more school counselors, and after-school programs. Learn more

Environment / Energy

In Vermont, I will work to ensure our transition to 100% clean renewable energy is achieved with as much local production as possible to generate local economic prosperity. This means making massive investments in renewable energy like solar, wind, and geothermal, energy storage systems, and clean energy jobs. These investments will not be successful without building a strong, resilient grid infrastructure that allows us to partner with neighboring states across New England to ensure we all have the energy needed to power our lives. Learn more

Guns

I stand with Vermonters in supporting common sense gun laws that will keep our communities and loved ones safe while respecting the rights of law-abiding, gun-owning Vermonters. Learn more

Healthcare

I believe in a Medicare for All that includes home and community based services and long term care for seniors, and I will work to ensure seniors have swift access to these services that allow them to live in dignity and in their communities. Learn more

Housing

Our public housing system desperately needs additional investment and modernization to revitalize infrastructure and decarbonize existing structures. In addition, I support repealing the Faircloth Amendment to allow for the construction of new public housing units, something the federal government has been prohibited from doing since 1999. We also have an opportunity to end homelessness by pursuing “housing first” models and providing permanent supportive housing to folks experiencing chronic homelessness. Finally, we need to strengthen the Fair Housing Act to prevent discriminatory barriers vulnerable populations face when seeking to rent or purchase housing. This includes updating the law to prevent discrimination based on gender identity or sexual orientation, or if the tenant or buyer is using a housing assistance program like a rental voucher. Learn more

Tenants also deserve protections from landlords who are not fulfilling their end of the bargain. Learn more

Immigration

In the State House, I’ll fight for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farmworkers, and other undocumented immigrants, while also increasing the number of refugees and asylum seekers admitted annually. We must provide temporary solutions for undocumented immigrants to be able to fully participate in our communities. Learn more

Finally, we must reform our immigration system to invest in robust refugee resettlement programs to support displaced individuals across the globe and at home in Vermont. As the war unfolds in Ukraine, genocide takes place in Tigray, and global unrest continues, we must ensure that our refugee resettlement systems are appropriately identifying and addressing the needs of the people they are set up to support. Learn more

Wages / Job Benefits

It is not enough for our goal to be the creation of jobs. We need strong advocates in Montpelier who will build partnerships with labor to ensure these are good, safe jobs that pay the kind of wages that can support a family. Every worker deserves a living wage, which is why I strongly support raising the federal minimum wage to at least 15 an hour, with automatic increases to keep pace with inflation, and closing loopholes that allow employers to pay subminimum wages. We must also protect and strengthen workers’ rights to have a voice on the job by making it easier to form a union and collectively bargain for better wages and working conditions. Learn more