ISSUES
Tax Fairness
Simply put: Illinois’ tax system is unfair. We don’t collect enough revenue from billionaires and millionaires, and we take too much in taxes from working and middle-class families.
Ram will fight to lower your taxes.
Ram believes we need to reform our tax code, starting with lowering property taxes and instituting a graduated income tax. Ram supports a tax rate structure that gives 98% of us a tax cut and increases taxes on billionaires and millionaires.
Education
The students and families of our district and Illinois deserve the best education possible. This requires an equitable division of resources, allowing students to thrive in any school, regardless of zip code.
There are common sense solutions that will benefit students in our community. A strong start will come from Equitable Education Funding, an elected, representative school board for Chicago, and a moratorium on charter schools.
Safe Communities
Every resident of the 8th District deserves to feel safe and protected in their community. Ram understands this means taking a wide lens approach to community safety. He will work hard to listen to the concerns and experiences of community members, enact protective measures, and to build trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.
The Chicagoland area has a gun violence epidemic that directly or indirectly impacts all of us. As a member of the Gun Violence Prevention PAC Board, Ram has the track record and leadership experience that our community needs to enact real solutions, such as requiring gun dealers to be licensed, and a instituting a ban on "bump stocks" and assault weapons.
Minimum Wage
Ram believes the minimum wage absolutely needs to be a living wage and has been on the front lines in Springfield working to make that a reality for years.
Raising the minimum wage will lift up low-income workers, reduce poverty and inequality, help small businesses to grow, support our local economy, and rebuild our communities.
Healthcare
The Affordable Care Act was a transformative first step towards caring for all our citizens. Now, it’s time to protect our gains and push towards a long-term solutions to our nation’s health care woes: Universal Health care and adequate Long Term Care for seniors and people with disabilities.
Ram will fight for a healthcare system that makes high quality, affordable healthcare truly accessible to all regardless of age, income bracket, and/or preexisting conditions. Additionally, he believes we need to adequately fund and prioritize funding for people who live in nursing homes, seek care at safety net hospitals, and receive home care.
The Environment
As a state and as a nation we are at a crossroads.
We can choose to be good stewards of the environment or we can choose to let big-business regulate themselves at the expense of our clean air, our clean water, and our children’s futures.
Ram chooses to protect our earth.
That means investing in clean energy, stronger regulations, and a ban on fracking as well as other dangerous fuel extraction techniques.
LGBTQ+ Rights
Ram is committed to being an effective and outspoken champion for the LGBTQ+ community, and he has the experience to get it done.
As Outreach Director for U.S. Congressman Brad Schneider, Ram worked on legislation to protect and expand the rights of LGBTQ+ people. As an organizer for SEIU Healthcare, he supported LGBTQ+-affirming legislation on behalf of the union.
At this time of heightened fear and anxiety about our civil rights, the LGBTQ+ community needs elected officials to fight for them. Ram will be a leader who helps advance justice and equality for LGBTQ+ people.
Ram will be a champion for adequate and affirming healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals, as well as better protection of LGBTQ+ youth in schools and LGBTQ+ visibility and representation in public service.
Women's Rights
Ram has long been and will continue to be a strong advocate for Women’s Rights.
As an organizer for SEIU Healthcare, Ram fought to improve working conditions, protect healthcare, and increase wages for a largely female workforce of care providers.
Ram passionately believes in guaranteeing access to reproductive services and health screenings, ending gender discrimination, and equal pay for equal work. Ram will protect safe access to abortion, birth control, and emergency contraception.
Ram knows it is far past time we reform Springfield culture and the culture of workplaces in our community. Ram fully supports a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment. Women need to be believed, and men need to be held accountable.
College Affordability
Students should not have to rack up tens of thousands of dollars in debt in order to attend college. It’s bad for students and bad for our economy. It’s time for bold action.
Ram supports free public college for all. This starts with immediately providing community college for free to all Illinoisans, and creating a concrete, fiscally responsible plan to provide free tuition at four year universities.
Immigration
Ram’s parents immigrated to the United States from India in the 1970s with eight dollars in their pockets. Professionals in India, they both worked minimum wage jobs, and faced discrimination and unfair pay cuts while trying to support their family.
Ram will never forget his family’s struggle. Protecting and supporting immigrants is personal to him; it is a top priority.
Ram strongly supports the need for comprehensive immigration reform, the protection of DACA recipients, making Illinois a sanctuary state, calling out hate crimes for what they are, and fighting to end discrimination based on race and/or religion.
Anti-Hate
The 8th Senate district is home to one of the most diverse communities in the state of Illinois in terms of race, ethnicity, and religion. Though we may come from different backgrounds, our hopes and dreams—for safe neighborhoods & strong communities—are equally shared.
A large part of that is protecting against racism and discrimination. Ram stands firmly against all forms of bigotry and xenophobic, racist, misogynistic, homophobic speech and/or actions—including anti-Semitism and Islamophobia— enacted by anyone or taking place anywhere.
When he was an SEIU Organizer, he has stood up to the hateful rhetoric of Donald Trump and the dangerous policies of Bruce Rauner. Even though neither of those individuals holds office anymore, Ram will continue to stand up to hate.
As the former President of the Indo-American Democratic Organization, Ram has vigorously urged organizations such as the Republican Hindu Coalition to stop their support of President Trump due to his attacks on immigrant rights, specifically Muslim Americans.