LEGALIZATION OF RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA: I absolutely support the legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois, as the illegality of it thus far has fed into the huge mass incarceration problem for Illinois and the U.S. as a whole. Besides just legalizing marijuana, I hope that Pritzker will take measures to decriminalize it, ensuring that any future crimes committed surrounding marijuana offenses are given shorter sentences. I also hope that Pritzker tries to hit the root of the marijuana/ mass incarceration problem by investing resources in communities affected by initiatives such as the war on drugs.

HIGHER EDUCATION: As a senior applying to college, the thought of higher education and affording it are on the minds of my family and many of my peers’ families. Pritzker has talked a lot about working to keep students in state for their higher education, and while I understand his reasoning behind this, I want him to first focus on ensuring that Illinois families are not crippled with higher education debt, by focusing on providing more financial aid as well as the issue of the rising cost of higher education.

HEALTH CARE: Pritzker said that much of his plans surrounding health care is to make health care more affordable for the poor. While I absolutely back this idea, I hope that Pritzker also focuses on the plans provided services that have been historically overlooked, particularly mental health treatments.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE: The plethora of problems surrounding the criminal justice system in Illinois are serious ones that won’t just go away overnight. I sincerely hope that Pritzker stands by his word to reform the criminal justice system in Illinois, hopefully by working to combat issues like gun violence and mass incarceration of black and brown people, two serious issues affecting Chicago particularly. Hopefully Pritzker will work at the root of the problems, such as looking at reforms within the police academy, community-based help, and changing the algorithms behind setting bail.