ON THE ISSUES
I believe that together we can build a future full of hope, equity, and opportunity for each and every Coloradan. Serving our community as the State Representative from House District 53 remains the privilege of a lifetime. In these uncertain times, the challenges before us can feel overwhelming and insurmountable. We must not lose faith in our ability to solve problems together. As Margaret Mead reminds us: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
Affordable Housing
The availability of affordable and attainable housing remains one of the top concerns across our state. Since joining the legislature in 2021 I have passed legislation that will increase and protect affordable housing in our community. I am proud to stand alongside mobile home park residents in our community and have worked to pass bills that will provide vital resident protections while protecting our state’s largest source of unsubsidized affordable housing.
I have also secured $35M in revolving loan fund dollars that can be used by residents to purchase their mobile home parks while working to ensure that water quality meets federal drinking water standards. If re-elected, I will continue to fight for affordable paths to homeownership while supporting renters and increasing workforce housing.
Gun Violence Prevention
Gun violence is not inevitable. Our children should not live in fear. The gun violence epidemic in the United States is a problem we can solve. In my time in the General Assembly, we have taken historic action to reduce gun violence in our communities. Last session, I passed legislation banning ghost guns in Colorado. Additionally, I am proud to have supported bills that:
-
Keep firearms out of the hands of those charged with domestic violence
-
Establish the Office of Gun Violence Prevention
-
Raise the age to purchase firearms in our state
-
Mandate safe storage for firearms
-
Require reporting lost or stolen firearms
-
Allow for Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO)
-
Remove Special Immunity for the Gun Industry
-
Create mandatory waiting periods
-
Close the Charleston Loophole
-
Allow for stricter local gun violence prevention laws
We have more work to do. I am committed to keeping our communities safe and working to prevent gun violence in our state.
Public Education
As a former public school teacher in a Title I school, and as a parent with three children in the Poudre School District, I am committed to fully funding our students and educators. We’ve made great progress over the last few years − including increasing per-pupil funding, providing free all-day kindergarten and free universal pre-k, and buying down the Budget Stabilization factor. These measures will improve our public schools while saving Colorado families thousands of dollars each year.
I am committed to sustainably increasing teacher pay while working to ensure that each and every student has the resources they need in order to succeed.
Older Adults
Older adults and retirees are an invaluable asset to our community, and deserve to age in place with grace and dignity.
I will work to lower prescription drug prices while protecting and expanding home-based medical services so that older adults can stay in their homes if they choose. I support affordable housing initiatives and will work to ensure that our older adults are both housing and food secure. I will also work to combat predatory lending practices and other financial schemes that specifically target older adults and retirees.
I support LGBTQ+ affirming retirement homes and medical services. I will work to address isolation and loneliness amongst older adults and retirees and am committed to expanding access to transportation services.
Elections
Colorado has the gold standard for elections and leads the way nationally when it comes to mail-in paper ballots, voter access, and holding fair and secure elections.
Since being elected in 2021 the Colorado General Assembly has taken decisive action to protect and secure our elections in Colorado. I am proud to have supported the Vote Without Fear Act in Colorado, which prohibits the open carry of firearms at voting locations. I have also voted in support of the Election Official Protection Act which protects election workers from doxxing.
In 2022 I supported the Colorado Election Security Act, which improves election security by, among other measures, prohibiting anyone from serving as an election official if they have been convicted of any election offense or any offense or conspiracy to commit sedition, insurrection, treason, or conspiracy to overthrow the government. This legislation also prohibits election officials or candidates from physically tampering with voting equipment, and from having access to or being present in a room with voting equipment without being accompanied by one or more persons with authorized access.
Transportation
Colorado’s economy and Colorado’s workers, students, visitors and retirees all depend on a modern, sustainable, multimodal transportation system. Transportation and infrastructure upgrades are a pressing issue for our state. Since joining the legislature I have passed bills that increase safety in roundabouts as well as bills that improve transportation safety in rural Colorado. I will continue to work with others in order to find a bipartisan solutions to the transportation challenges facing our state so that we can rebuild our roads and bridges, decrease commute times, implement multimodal and public transportation solutions, and increase accessibility to cities and rural areas throughout our state.
I support e-bike rebates, bike commuting initiatives, and bike share programs. I will work to ensure that affordable housing is built in areas where access to public transportation is made a priority. I have worked to ensure that bike trails (powerline trails) are considered whenever a transmission corridor is being sited or expanded.
I support Front Range Passenger Rail. Light-rail and other mass transit options must be a part of the conversation as we explore how to relieve congestion, improve air quality, and provide safe and accessible public transportation for residents in Northern Colorado. I also support building affordable housing close to public transit, reducing vehicle miles traveled and improving access to transit within our state.
Climate Change
Clean air, land, and water remains both a priority and challenge for us here in Fort Collins. In addition to passing legislation that will increase the number of recreational trails in our state, I have also championed legislation that will require a comprehensive audit of the oil and gas industry. In 2023 I sponsored legislation that will decrease the usage of fresh water in oil and gas operations while increasing the usage of recycled or reused water.
I am committed to transitioning to renewable energy sources while providing vital supports to communities and workers who are transitioning from an economy that has historically been reliant on carbon-based energy sources. We must ensure that our air is breathable, our water is drinkable, our rivers are protected, and our land is suitable for providing nourishing food and outdoor recreation.
Health Care
Health Care is a human right. Every Coloradan — regardless of age or income — should have access to affordable comprehensive health care, including primary care, prescriptions, hospitalizations, reproductive health, mental and behavioral health (including inpatient treatment) services, dental, and specialty care. No Coloradan should risk losing their home or their life savings if they get sick. I support expanding mental health and substance abuse treatment programs as well as ensuring that those who need mental health services and/or addiction treatment are not simply incarcerated instead.
I remain focused on reducing the cost of health care in our state and improving patient outcomes while exploring alternatives to our current health care delivery system. In addition to passing a bill that provides great transparency and affordability for patients by limiting hospital facility fees, I have passed legislation that provides $1M in funding to our health care providers so that they can provide culturally competent care to LGBTQ+ Coloradans along with other priority populations. I have also passed legislation that protects health care workers from doxxing.
I will continue to champion legislation that studies the implementation of a single-payer health care system in our state, noting that our current health care system still is inaccessible and unaffordable for too many Coloradans. We must continue to expand access to care, ask vital questions about health outcomes, and work to ensure that health care is available and affordable for each and every person in our state.
Abortion & Reproductive Health Care
Anticipating the overturning of Roe v. Wade, I stood alongside my Democratic colleagues and fought for 24-plus hours on the floor of the House of Representatives so that we could pass legislation to keep abortion safe and legal here in Colorado. Decisions regarding reproductive health care and abortion belong solely between an individual and their health care professional. I will always protect the right to choose here in Colorado.
Workforce & Economic Opportunity
Every Coloradan deserves access to a high quality education, a good paying job, and the economic opportunity that goes hand-in-hand with the American Dream. I support a living wage, the right of workers to organize, and the strengthening of collective bargaining rights. I supported the expansion of county employees' rights to collective bargaining as well as legislation adding labor protections for public workers. Each and every worker in Colorado deserves access to a good paying job and a safe workplace.
I support job training and retraining programs, the work of unions in advocating for economic justice, an increased focus on vocational education, and apprenticeship programs. I have joined striking workers on the picket line and will continue to advocate alongside workers in our community.
Civil Rights
Equal rights are not extra rights, and Colorado still has a long way to go in order to ensure that our great state is a welcoming, safe, and affirming place for LGBTQ+ people. I support Colorado’s ban on conversion therapy, inclusivity training for healthcare providers and insurance companies, and the right of transgender people to access public restrooms and gender segregated facilities that correspond with gender identity. I support suicide prevention initiatives and recognize the need for more LGBTQ+ affirming mental health resources.
I will continue to advocate for equity in pay for women, equal employment opportunities and wage negotiation skills for workers, protections for workers who advocate for equal pay, and family-friendly workplaces. I support the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Program (FAMLI).
Children with disabilities have the right to learn alongside their peers, engage in school activities, sports, and receive an education that is committed to equity, safety, and inclusion in the classroom. I support equal pay for equal work and am opposed to paying people with disabilities a subminimum wage. People with disabilities are an asset to the workforce, and I support engagement with the business community and other stakeholders around this important issue so that together we can create an equitable wage and workplace for workers with disabilities.
It is far past time to address the realities of systemic racism in our criminal justice system – including the racial disparities that are well-documented both in terms of sentencing and incarceration rates. I support diversion programs for non-violent, low-level offenders. Prison is not catch-all solution, and the for-profit prison industry continues to wreak devastation on those struggling with mental health issues and/or addiction while disproportionately preying upon minority communities. I support following the lead of Maine and Vermont in restoring voting rights for people who are incarcerated here in Colorado.