As the mother of two daughters and the founder of a women-owned business, Lori is committed to standing up for the hard-fought rights, economic independence, and health and safety of all women. Lori understands that even today, women face unnecessary barriers to advancing in the workforce and making decisions regarding their own bodies.

When women succeed, the world is simply a better place.

• Pass and promote paid family and gender-neutral leave. Lori understands that we need to apply family leave programs to all genders. Each parent should enjoy an equal opportunity to bond with their child, care for their parent, or recover from illness. Removing gendered language from policies will abolish the stereotype that women are more likely to use services and reduce the number of women passed over for employment.
• Work to close the pay gap. It’s no secret; women earn less than men across our economy—especially women of color. By placing an emphasis on pay transparency and preventing employers from asking prospective hires about their salary histories, we can help ensure that women are compensated equally for their work.
• Increase the minimum wage. In our economy, women claim a disproportionate amount of the minimum wage jobs in America. Raising the minimum wage will give women a fairer shot at using the resources and advantages this economy offers.
• Promote staffing equity. It’s critical that workplace culture provides a space for women to elevate to leadership roles. A staff with a diverse selection of experiences and perspectives can create policy and promote a safer workplace environment.
• Confront violence against women. Lori believes that we have a moral imperative to ensure that victims of domestic violence and assault have equitable access to the channels they need to seek justice and heal. One in five women in America is sexually assaulted while in college and twenty-two percent of women experience violence by a partner during their lifetime. Lori will help close loopholes that allow domestic abusers, both physically and emotionally, to buy a gun and also break down the barriers that exist to seek legal remedy in sexual assault and domestic violence cases.
• Increase Funding for Support Programs: Too often, humanity gets lost in the discussion around sexual assault. Perpetrators should absolutely be dismissed, and managers held accountable for any harassment that happens under their supervision. These steps, while necessary, do not help victims recover from the psychological and physical trauma of assault.
• Fight for Title X: More than four million Americans rely on Title X’s affordable family planning services for contraception education and birth control. Title X also provides for healthcare services including breast and pelvic exams, cervical and breast cancer screenings, and STI/HIV screening and treatment services.
• Paycheck Fairness Act: Lori supports legislation, like that introduced by Senator Patty Murray of Washington, that would require greater transparency through data collection, close loopholes that encourage discriminatory practices, and, vitally, enable employees to freely discuss their pay.
• Protect Title IX: Under this statute, schools that receive federal funding are legally required to remedy hostile education environments. Due process is absolutely an unimpeachable right, but the facts do not lie: people who are inclined to rape will do so again and again, and we have a moral imperative to ensure that victims have access to the systems they need to begin to heal. If victims have access to a trained campus advisor, they are more likely to complete their education. We have to build up systems of trust in academia and provide educators with the tools they need to advocate for their students.