Education

Our children need 21st century resources to prepare them for college and 21st century careers. And because children learn differently and have diverse abilities and interests, we must offer them multiple paths to success. I am committed to providing the resources needed to strengthen our schools, close gaps in school readiness and achievement, supporting our teachers, and finding creative solutions to the problem of rising costs that are discouraging too many of our best and brightest from pursuing higher education.

Jobs & Economy

When it comes to job creation, we should not limit ourselves to one course of action, but must aggressively pursue multiple strategies to grow the economy and address unemployment.

Leveraging Our Strengths — Maryland has established itself among the nation’s leaders and world-class competitors in the Healthcare, Higher Education, Technology, Security and Innovation sectors. We should explore ways to grow existing businesses and attract new businesses in these industries and Increase investment in clean energy and Green jobs across Maryland .

Bridging the Skills Gap — Across our district, many hard-working people are left outside of the economy, unable to find jobs that match their skills and training. Students are graduating from college with degrees, debt, and limited employment prospects. Meanwhile, many employers are frustrated by their inability to find local skilled workers to match available positions. We should encourage and support partnerships between our public school system, higher education and the community of employers to address this gap between jobs available and skills needed. I support investing in workforce retraining and job placement for mid-career workers impacted by layoffs and job eliminations, and for returning veterans.

Support for Small and Medium Size Businesses — As a small business owner for the last 23 years, I understand both the challenges faced by small and medium sized businesses and the lost opportunities for job creation when they fail. The needs of large and smaller businesses differ and a one-size fits all approach to economic development misses that point. I will advocate for fairness, simplicity and predictability in tax and regulatory policy to help businesses plan and grow. I would encourage greater public-private partnerships to increase access to capital for business start-up and expansion. and support for programs which encourage entrepreneurship and the establishment of businesses in underserved communities.

Public Safety

Every resident in every county in Maryland deserves to be safe in their community, on their job, and on our streets.I will support police, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency personnel to ensure they have resources to establish and maintain public safety and to respond to crises that arise.

As the type of crime changes, I want to be sure that they have the up-to-date tools and training to do their job effectively and without undue risk to themselves.  I will support directing greater efforts and resources to combat human trafficking, designer drug and heroin use, gang activity, and the threat of mass shootings.

We should also explore effective interventions to deter at-risk youth and adults from participating in criminal activity, and support ongoing efforts to fix what’s broken in our criminal justice and prison systems.

Healthcare

Our ability to enjoy good health and a state of overall wellness is central to our ability to enjoy and participate in every other thing that gives life value.  Every Marylander should have access to the resources that foster long-term health and wellbeing, and be part of a healthcare system that is affordable, accessible and provides good quality care.

Source: Friends of Terri Hill.Org