Important Issues of Our Campaign

Michaelle has achieved significant healthcare wins, including eliminating copays on insulin to make life-saving medication more affordable and securing funding for local safety net hospitals to ensure essential services remain accessible to vulnerable communities. She championed new protections for pregnant employees, ensuring 20 hours of prenatal leave and 30-minute paid breaks to express breast milk. Additionally, she spearheaded the launch of the Community Doula Expansion Pilot Program, providing critical support to pregnant women in underserved areas. Michaelle believes that healthcare is a fundamental human right, not a luxury, and no one should be left behind. Rather than facing high copays and skyrocketing premiums, every New Yorker deserves the coverage they need.

Her commitment to common-sense legislation prioritizes patients’ rights over insurance companies, and she supports expanding mental health services, restoring school-based health centers, and strengthening early intervention programs. As a co-sponsor of the NY Health Act, Michaelle is working to create a universal healthcare system in New York State.

Michaelle, a proud product of the public school system, is a passionate advocate for high-quality public education, with a strong emphasis on Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) and expanded after-school programs. She believes that to prepare our children for success in the global economy, they must be equipped with the tools necessary to thrive in a rapidly changing world. Michaelle has supported efforts to expand TAP eligibility to part-time students, raised the maximum income threshold, and increased the minimum TAP award from $500 to $1,000.

Each budget cycle, Michaelle fights to secure millions more in education funding for Long Island school districts. In addition, she has personally allocated grants to enrich educational programming and is committed to ensuring that the needs of every school district and every student are met. She is also dedicated to improving teacher diversity, recognizing that a diverse teaching workforce plays a crucial role in student success by offering representation and perspectives that reflect the communities they serve.

Michaelle is committed to studying the Foundation Aid formula to determine how to offer more after-school programs to every school-aged child in New York. One of her long-term goals is to establish a truly universal pre-kindergarten program on Long Island, and she remains steadfast in her commitment to investing in our children’s future.

New York’s affordability crisis is putting seniors at risk. From property tax rebate checks, enhanced senior tax exemptions, to the Earned Income Tax Credit, Michaelle has made tax relief and cost savings a top priority.  Michaelle has also advocated for policy reforms, including expanding access to New York’s drug affordability programs, ending the pay-for-delay deals that drug manufacturers use to delay the introduction of lower-cost generic drugs to the marketplace and establishing a prescription drug importation program in New York. 

Moreover, Michaelle has introduced legislation that will require all health insurance providers to cover high-quality hearing aids that have been prescribed by a doctor. These common sense measures will lead to more positive outcomes for our senior citizens. Michaelle will continue to be a champion for our older New Yorkers.

As a lawmaker, I remain committed to closing the wage gap and safeguarding women’s rights. While New York has one of the lowest wage gaps in the nation, women still earn only 80 cents for every dollar a man earns. It is essential to have women in positions of power to enact legislation that strengthens the enforcement of fair pay laws. Following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in 2022, I was at the forefront of efforts in New York to protect reproductive rights, including passing the Equality Amendment, which prohibits discrimination related to pregnancy and its outcomes. My work in this area has earned me a 100 percent rating from Planned Parenthood Empire State for my commitment to women’s reproductive healthcare.

Supporting reproductive and maternal health is another priority I’ve championed. I led efforts to expand access to doula services, establishing the Community Doula Expansion Grant Program to fund community-based organizations, allowing the Health Commissioner to issue statewide orders for doula services for any pregnant, birthing, or postpartum individual. Additionally, I worked to include paid prenatal leave in the Enacted Budget, providing 20 hours of paid sick time for prenatal care visits. I also supported legislation to codify the Reproductive Freedom and Equity Grant Program to fund abortion providers and nonprofits, and to require paid breaks for breast milk expression in the workplace. These initiatives reflect my unwavering dedication to advancing reproductive rights and maternal health for women across New York.

The current federal administration has made efforts to enact policies that will grow New York’s green economy, and it’s essential to build on this momentum to safeguard the health and safety of everyday New Yorkers. As a strong advocate for environmental issues, I understand that our state must take the lead in protecting our environment. In 2019, I proudly co-sponsored and helped pass the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, setting ambitious goals for New York to expand green jobs and reverse decades of harmful environmental policies.

More recently, I helped pass legislation to establish a climate change adaptation cost recovery program, holding fossil fuel companies accountable for their significant contributions to greenhouse gas emissions. This groundbreaking bill requires companies that contributed over one billion tons of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions between 2000 and 2018 to fund critical infrastructure investments for climate resiliency. The $75 billion raised will go toward adapting our infrastructure to withstand the effects of climate change, ensuring that New York remains resilient in the face of future environmental challenges.

I have also been a strong advocate for investing in renewable energy and infrastructure that supports the generation of green energy. By prioritizing the renewable sector, we are not only protecting the environment but also creating sustainable jobs for New Yorkers. As a result of my ongoing efforts, I was honored to receive a 100% rating on the EPL/Environmental Advocates’ legislative scorecard. Together, we can continue to push forward ambitious policies that protect our environment and build a green future for New York.

Michaelle was the first person of Haitian descent to be elected to the New York State Legislature. She believes this nation was built by immigrants and their dream for a better life. People who immigrate to New York have inalienable human rights regardless of their race, creed, or color. As a consistent advocate for immigrant communities across the state, Michaelle has led efforts to lobby Congress to support Dreamers and Temporary Protected Status recipients living in New York. She has sponsored bills to ensure that beneficiaries of Temporary Protected Status continue to receive Medicaid benefits. Michaelle also passed the Protect Our Courts Act, a historic piece of legislation that denies Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents the right to make civil arrests in and around New York State courthouses without a judicial warrant or court order.

In 2022, she successfully fought for expanded healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants for one year following a pregnancy outcome, and secured Medicaid coverage for undocumented seniors aged 65 and older. Michaelle continues to push for further healthcare expansion to ensure that all residents, regardless of immigration status, have access to vital health coverage. While the current federal administration acknowledges that we are a nation of immigrants, this recognition alone is not enough to ensure the safety and well-being of those who have made the difficult choice to come here. Michaelle remains dedicated to pursuing legislation that provides a clear path to safety and stability for those who wish to make this country their home.

From fighting for a higher minimum wage – because an honest day’s work should always result in an honest day’s pay – to spearheading an expansion of the paid leave program, Michaelle knows that New York State is only as strong as its workers.

Raised in a union family, Michaelle knows that organized labor is vital to safeguarding New York’s working families. Unfortunately, we have seen attempts at union busting across our state.  Michaelle has a long-standing relationship with unions and remains a true friend of organized labor. In 2022, Michaelle proudly supported bills that will increase protections for warehouse workers and freelancers in our state. 

Michaelle also recently introduced a groundbreaking piece of legislation that will significantly expand temporary disability insurance. This bill will ensure that workers receive a living wage and get to keep their job and health insurance.

Michaelle has committed to bringing more accountability to Industrial Development Agencies (IDAs). The Town of Hempstead IDA awarded a $14 million payment in lieu of taxes (PILOT) to Macerich, owner of the Green Acres Mall, which led to an unfair property tax increase for Valley Stream residents.

Originally intended as a tool for local economic growth and job creation, IDAs have now become vehicles for corporate tax breaks with little benefit to residents. In response, Michaelle has introduced several bills to increase IDA oversight. She successfully passed laws requiring all IDA meetings to be livestreamed and recorded and mandating formal communication between IDAs and local taxing authorities like school districts.

Michaelle also introduced a bill to prohibit tax breaks for e-commerce companies, enhancing transparency around the tax incentives IDAs grant. These efforts aim to prevent abuses and increase accountability for PILOT agreements. Additionally, a recent legislative accomplishment requires IDAs to include representatives from local labor organizations and school districts on their boards, ensuring they are more responsive to community needs.