Priorities

Throughout her career, Jennifer has fought to ensure that the ladders to success are available to everyone – and that starts with equitable funding that ensures a quality education at every one of Illinois’ public schools.

Our state has historically underfunded public education at the state level, shifting the burden to local property taxpayers. This is an unsustainable system that hurts students and puts undue burden on homeowners.  Jennifer supports state funding of education in Illinois at constitutionally-mandated levels, which would bring more equity and higher-quality education to students and bring property tax relief to beleaguered homeowners. 

Strong schools make strong communities, and Jennifer understands that Illinois’ schools overreliance on property taxes is a critical issue that must be addressed in a way that is fair to property tax payers and students alike. 

Jennifer stands committed to directing our limited financial resources towards public education

Our state has an obligation to provide a healthy environment for all residents in Illinois and to protect our natural resources for future generations to come. Jennifer is committed to supporting environmental laws and policies that promote conservation, sustainability and environmental justice through renewable resource practices and a focus on strengthening Illinois’s renewable energy systems. 

A proud supporter of CEJA, which aims to move Illinois’ energy systems to 100% renewable by 2050, Jennifer believes that sound environmental policy is both necessary for our survival and beneficial for our economy. 

As environmental protections at the federal level increasingly come under attack, Jennifer is determined to keep our air, water, and wildlife safe. She is resolute in her commitment to fight back against any attempts to weaken or repeal environmental protections.

Jennifer’s work to expand protections under federal law for victims of gender-based persecution, including child sex trafficking and forced marriage, has instilled a unique perspective that she brings to Springfield.

Jennifer was a proud champion of the Reproductive Health Act, which protects the rights of Illinois women in post Roe v Wade America. Jennifer co-sponsored and passed groundbreaking legislation to combat sexual harassment in the workplace and foster a culture of respect. She also championed legislation removing salary history from job applications, which disproportionately hurts women and contributes to the gender pay gap.

Recently, she has crafted and passed legislation to safeguard women against emerging dangers and  new threats of exploitation created by rapid developments in artificial intelligence.

Jennifer’s experience as an attorney with a Masters in International Human Rights law has made her a thoughtful voice on complex immigration issues in the General Assembly.

As the granddaughter of Chinese immigrants who faced deportation under the Chinese Exclusion Acts, Jennifer understands the need to advocate for common sense policies that support the diversity and welcoming spirit that make our State a place where families choose to live, work and thrive together.