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Michele Edwards

D
Policy Positions

Michele's campaign website highlights the following issues:

Virginia's economy is growing but, we need to build an economy that includes all Virginians. Virginia's 20th District needs a Delegate that will focus on fully funded public education, affordable healthcare for everyone, better wages and more jobs for our community, protecting Virginia's environment and natural resources, and ensuring we have a government that works for you.

Michele is not a career politician and before this year Michele had never thought of running for elected office. Michele is a mother, a wife, and a former teacher. Michele is running for the House of Delegates because she is concerned about the future of America, our Commonwealth, and our communities.

Michele spent her adult life volunteering and building coalitions that make a difference in the lives of everyday people. Michele has served her community as a public-school teacher, foster parent, a CASA, and as a laywoman in her church.

"As your delegate for the 20th District, I will work every day to ensure that the Virginia taxpayer gets the government that they deserve" - Michele Edwards

Michele is running a strong campaign that will stand up for the needs of working families. Michele will be a new voice for the district and the Commonwealth.

Healthcare

Healthcare by the Numbers

34 - The number of States who have approved expanded Medicaid, some with Republican majorities in their general assembly or Republican governors.

16 - The number of states, including Virginia, with Republican majorities in their state house that have refused to approve Medicaid expansion.

235,000 - The number of our fellow Virginians who would have health care insurance if/when the Virginia legislature approves Medicaid expansion.

70% - The percent of Virginians who support Medicaid expansion according to a recent University of Maryland poll.

The Economics of Medicaid Expansion

Medicaid expansion means raising the income level for eligibility. Currently, a family of three must make less than $20,420 to be eligible for Medicaid. Under Medicaid expansion that rises to $27,159. An individual cannot make more than $12,060; under Medicaid expansion that rises to $16,040.

Medicaid coverage is not a handout. People who benefit from Medicaid expansion are hard-working individuals in low-wage jobs that do not offer health insurance - like waiters and waitresses, sales clerks, cooks, and home health aides. Medicaid also helps with the cost of nursing home treatment and health care for people with disabilities.

Under the Affordable Care Act, the Federal Government pays 90% of the cost of expanding Medicaid to low-income workers. Economic studies have demonstrated that Medicaid expansion not only saves Virginia money, it also generates revenues as workers take fewer days of sick leave. Here in Virginia, Medicaid expansion is projected to save the state budget $73 million and generate up to 30,000 new jobs.

Education

Schools in the 20th district need more resources to teach our children everything they need to know to be successful in the 21st Century economy. Beyond the funding problems, it is important to look at education in a new and fundamentally way.

The high schools in the 20th district were designed to meet the needs of another era when a high school diploma was often the end of formal education. In an increasingly complex society, our children’s success often rests on their ability to obtain more specialized and technical training. As a society, we need to make these opportunities available and affordable either while attending high school, at a trade school, a community college or a four-year university.

For that reason, Michele will...

  • Expand opportunities for high school students to take dual enrollment courses
  • Increase funding, access, and support for Virginia’s Community College System to maintain community college's affordability for all students and life-long learners
  • Promote the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (S.T.E.A.M) education; ensuring young people learn the skills necessary to participate in the 21st Century economy

Environment

Despite what others may say, the 20th district will not benefit financially in any significant way from the proposed pipeline. The aim must be to reduce reliance on fossil-based fuels, not encourage their further development which will be the result if this and other similar pipelines are supported. We need to be looking toward the future at renewable and clean forms of energy.

The 20th district is a magnet for tourists seeking quiet beauty, majestic mountains, a look at rural lifestyle, the opportunity to ski, hike, and camp, travel the hop and vine trail, and visit some of it's organic, visitor-friendly farms. We should be looking at capitalizing on this opportunity, rather than accepting money from energy giants who would destroy part of our natural heritage.

Michele has a vision in which Virginia is a leader in clean energy production, a trailblazer in agriculture-based and environment-based tourism, while protecting and maintaining the beauty, integrity, and history of it's natural heritage.

Non-Partisan Redistricting

Michele believes that a fair redistricting process is essential to maintaining the health of American's democracy. Michele supports the creation of a non-partisan redistricting committee that will comply with the requirements set forth by the Virginia Constitution and Voting Rights Act.

The practice of “Gerrymandering” or creating unfair, uncompetitive state and federal legislative districts. Gerrymandering has been used by both political parties and is a practice that deprives Virginia citizens a voice in our elections. Michele wants to ensure that every Virginian has their voice heard, and to do so we must instate a non-partisan redistricting process before the 2021 census.

Economic Development

Having an educated and equipped workforce will draw industry and quality jobs to rural and suburban Virginia. Information technology and skilled manufacturing companies can bring a significant number of jobs that pay at or above the median income to the 20th District and other economic disadvantaged parts of Virginia. We can create a technology and skilled manufacturing hotspot in our communities, keeping our youth and families from needing to move to higher cost regions like Northern Virginia for jobs.

IT skills are already being developed at our community colleges and our Virginia universities, Michele would support these programs and want to ensure they are available in our public school. Michele will work to make District 20 a place desirable for young people, families, and the college educated to live and work.

Michele will also work to explore ways of bringing the alternative and renewable forms of energy that are currently being explored by the existing power companies to our District. Partnerships between businesses and local universities and community colleges will ensure that there will be a talent pool, engineers, builders, machine operators, to draw from to run this industry.

Women's Rights and Healthcare

Women's personal health decisions should be made by a woman, her family, and her faith, with the counsel of her doctor. Michele will fight against any attempts to restrict access to quality, affordable reproductive health care. She will defend access to affordable contraception, preventive care, and safe and legal abortion—not just in principle, but in practice.