Every student, regardless of their ZIP code, deserves access to a quality education. That’s why Cathi is such a strong supporter of the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future. Now fully funded through 2027, it lifts students in marginalized communities, and ensures greater equity statewide. And it’s working: We’ve seen a 70% increase in 3- and 4-year-olds enrolling in pre-K; 4th graders have moved from 40th to 20th in the nation for reading proficiency; and 8th graders have moved from 25th to 21st. Cathi also championed the Built to Learn Act, which funds new school construction throughout Maryland — including Towson High.

Like most Marylanders, Cathi is alarmed by the recent actions of federal ICE officers. They’re snatching our neighbors off our streets without due process, and subjecting them to often inhumane conditions. Far from being the “worst of the worst,” most of these immigrants hold jobs and pay taxes, and have never been charged with a crime. In 2026, Cathi and her colleagues passed new laws that bar local law enforcement from cooperating with ICE, and forbid agents to enter sensitive areas like churches and schools. And Cathi has been front-and-center in local demonstrations, speaking out on behalf of her constituents.

Climate change is one of the most pressing issues we face today, as it threatens not just our economy but our very existence. That’s why Cathi is so proud of her 100% Lifetime Voting Record from the Maryland League of Conservation Voters. She supported new laws requiring the MTA to purchase zero-emission buses and has proposed the Green Building Restoration Act, which would require new schools and other public buildings to be constructed with the environment in mind. Cathi also supports Environmental Human Rights, to ensure every person the right to a healthful and sustainable environment.

Cathi is working to expand opportunity for Maryland’s workforce, while helping to protect the most vulnerable from recent cuts at the federal level. She has sponsored multiple new laws that strengthen Maryland’s cybersecurity training program. She voted to fund robust career and technical training at the high school level, as well as record funding for our community colleges. And in 2026, Cathi and her colleagues took decisive action to assist Marylanders affected by federal cuts to key safety net programs like SNAP and Medicaid, while boosting funding for the Maryland Children’s Health Program.

Cathi’s not just a legislator. She’s a ratepayer, like the rest of Maryland. She is well aware of how high monthly energy bills are today, and in 2026 took action. Along with her colleagues, they passed the Utility RELIEF Act, to provide immediate relief to ratepayers, while planning for more mid- and long-term relief. The act sets new limits on utility’s requests for rate increases, and forces data centers to pay a special tariff for their huge electricity demands. Additional legislation ensured that ratepayers do not have to pay for the bonus compensation of top executives at investor-owned gas and electric companies.

Since she first marched with NARAL in the 1980s, Cathi has been a strong proponent of women’s reproductive rights. She believes that decisions about a woman’s body should be made by the woman, in consultation with her doctor. That’s why she was proud to co-sponsor the 2022 Abortion Care Access Act, expanding the number of providers in Maryland. And a year later, she advocated for legislation that ultimately enshrined reproductive freedom in the Maryland constitution. She believes abortion bans disproportionately affect lower-income women.

As the White House continues to chip away at the Affordable Care Act, Cathi and her colleagues continue to take action at the state level to help Marylanders afford health care. In 2026, she voted in favor of record funding for Medicaid, which about a quarter of our state’s population relies on. She also supported a state-funded premium subsidy program for young adults, as well as a new subsidy to help all residents pay their monthly premiums even if federal help disappears. And she voted to add new protection for those with huge medical debt, and make telehealth a permanent option for patients and doctors.

Cathi is proud to have voted in favor of a package of police reform laws that help ensure all citizens across the state are treated fairly, equitably and humanely — regardless of their race. Heralded as among the strongest legislation in the nation, these laws include an independent review for all police-involved shootings; body cameras for all officers; a higher standard for no-knock warrants; better training, tuition assistance and mental health care access for every officer; and elimination of rules that protected officers who violate the law.

While other states are actively trying to limit voting rights, our state is expanding them. In 2026, Cathi enthusiastically supported Maryland’s Voting Rights Act, designed to empower historically disenfranchised voters, and ban discriminatory voting systems. She has also voted to make ballot drop boxes available across the state; supported a new law that establishes a permanent mail-in ballot list, so you don’t have to reapply every election; and voted in favor of more early voting centers, closer to public transportation and in the most densely populated areas.