Wisconsin families are working harder than ever, but rising costs are making it harder to get ahead. Rep. Haywood is fighting to put money back in the pockets of working Milwaukeeans — expanding the homestead tax credit, capping prescription drug costs, and co-authoring a family and medical leave insurance program so no one has to choose between a paycheck and caring for a loved one. He also supported substantial investments to expand access to affordable child care. This increased access means parents can are more likely to find family-supporting jobs. He has also taken on corporate landlords directly, introducing legislation to ban hedge funds from buying up single-family homes in Wisconsin and driving up housing costs in our neighborhoods. In addition, Rep. Haywood has consistently supported increased aid for our public schools, which provides property tax relief to thousands of homeowners. Affordability isn’t just an economic issue — it’s a justice issue, and Rep. Haywood is committed to making Wisconsin work for everyone, not just those at the top.

Safe, stable, affordable housing is the foundation of everything — education, health, economic mobility, and community. As Ranking Member on the Assembly’s Housing and Real Estate Committee and a board member of the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, Rep. Haywood has spent seven years working to expand access to homeownership, protect renters, and invest in Milwaukee’s neighborhoods. He has championed first-time homebuyer assistance programs, home repair funds, lead service line replacement, and legislation to void the racially discriminatory housing covenants that still exist on property deeds across Wisconsin. Rep. Haywood knows that closing the racial wealth gap in Milwaukee starts with making sure every family has a fair shot at building equity in their community.

Rep. Haywood believes in a justice system that is fair, humane, and focused on building people up rather than pushing them down. He has fought to reform how Wisconsin treats young people in the legal system — raising the age of juvenile court jurisdiction, protecting youth who are victims of trafficking from being criminalized, and ensuring that incarcerated people have access to their rights and to programming that prepares them for reentry. He has also worked to end warrior-style police training, restore voting rights to returning citizens, and invest in the restorative justice approaches that he championed as Chair of the City of Milwaukee’s Restorative Justice Advisory Board. Rep. Haywood knows that real public safety means addressing the root causes of crime and treating every person with dignity.

Protecting the right to vote has been at the heart of Rep. Haywood’s work since before he was ever elected — because a democracy only works when every voice is counted. He has introduced legislation to register 18-year-olds to vote, ensure that public assistance recipients have access to voter registration, restore voting rights to citizens returning from incarceration, and ensure voters always know where and how to cast their ballots. Rep. Haywood understands that attacks on voting rights are not abstract — they are targeted, and they disproportionately fall on communities of color. He will keep fighting to make Wisconsin’s democracy more accessible, more equitable, and more representative of all its people.

Rep. Haywood believes that if you work hard in Wisconsin, you should be able to take care of your family — full stop. He has pushed for a statewide family and medical leave insurance program, expanded collective bargaining rights for workers at UW Hospitals, and legislation to study guaranteed employment as a tool for economic security. He has also fought to ensure that workers in Milwaukee are not left behind when the state makes decisions about wages, benefits, and labor protections. Rep. Haywood knows that a strong middle class is built from the ground up, and he will continue to stand with workers and families across the 16th District.

Rep. Haywood knows that the communities hit hardest by environmental neglect are the same communities that have faced decades of disinvestment — and that is not a coincidence. He has supported legislation to reduce carbon emissions, fund energy innovation, replace dangerous lead service lines in Milwaukee homes, and invest in transit and clean transportation infrastructure. Rep. Haywood believes that the transition to a clean energy economy should create good jobs and cleaner neighborhoods in Milwaukee, not leave working families behind. Protecting our environment is protecting our people, and Rep. Haywood is committed to building a greener, healthier Wisconsin for generations to come.

Rep. Haywood believes that education is the pathway to prosperity. Opportunity and equity are essential for our children. That is why Rep. Haywood has always supported adequately investing in our schools –  increasing general aids, raising revenue limits, raising the Special Education reimbursement, and investing in early childhood education. These investments can increase reading proficiency, which leads to better graduation rates. Improved graduation rates lead to decreases in poverty and crime. In addition, these investments can also provide community services to families in need. Rep. Haywood understands that hungry children cannot learn to their full potential. That is why he supported the “Healthy School Meals for All” initiative, which not only has been proven to increase student performance, but also provides economic relief for families. Rep. Haywood believes that by taking a well-rounded, holistic approach, we can nurture our future generations on a path to success.

As a member of the Assembly Democratic Caucus Leadership team and as the Assistant Minority Leader, Rep. Haywood has used his position and relationships to advocate and fight for the people of Milwaukee. For years, the GOP-led legislature has left Milwaukee with the short end of the stick. He was instrumental in working with local leaders to secure a deal that increased shared revenue for the City and County of Milwaukee. This ensured that more tax dollars would come back to provide more and better services to our residents. In addition, he helped create hundreds of family-supporting jobs and preserved a cultural cornerstone of Wisconsin by keeping the Brewers in Milwaukee until 2050. Rep. Haywood understands that as the primary economic driver of the state, when Milwaukee wins, Wisconsin wins. 

Rep. Haywood works everyday to ensure that everyone in Wisconsin has access to affordable healthcare. For several sessions, he has fought to expand Medicaid. This would expand healthcare access for thousands of working families across the state.

Rep. Haywood helped pass the expansion of post-partum Medicaid coverage and Gail’s law, which requires insurance companies to cover additional breast cancer screenings that can save lives. All of these issues disproportionately affect women and communities of color, and Rep. Haywood will always be on the front lines fighting to improve healthcare outcomes for our community. Healthy communities are essential for growth and prosperity 

For our communities to prosper, they must be safe. People should be able to live, work, and learn in their environment without fear or anxiety for their personal safety. Aside from working to improve socioeconomic conditions of communities, Rep. Haywood understands that public safety must also be addressed head-on. For several sessions, he has supported commonsense gun safety measures such as universal background checks and 48-hour waiting periods. In addition, he has supported initiatives to combat reckless driving in Milwaukee. 

Public safety and crime reduction are essential to growing our communities. If we invest in prevention, we can reduce the burden to taxpayers. When fewer resources are required to address these issues, those resources can be invested in enhancing opportunities for our people.