WHERE I STAND
I believe in an open, transparent, and responsive government and want you to know where I stand on issues that impact us in Jeffco and across Colorado.
While I work every day to address Colorado’s immediate, urgent concerns, I am also committed to innovating long-term solutions so that we can correct today’s problems and set our future generations up for success. A big part of this is recognizing the intersections between seemingly unrelated topics. For example, wildfire mitigation – one of my key issues – is connected to the economy, mental health and the environment. Small business success depends on quality education and equity for women and vulnerable groups. No single issue stands alone.
Scroll below to read more about my policy positions and review my record on the issues.
Affordability & Consumer Protection
The economy must work for everyone – families, workers and employers. Businesses need to succeed, and so do hard-working Coloradans. Anyone working full time should be able to afford a place to live and to feed, clothe and educate their children. This requires creating local responses to global economic events, safeguards against profiteering and price-gouging, and a tax structure that balances priorities. I have supported policies to help small businesses as well as provide relief for families.
As a small business owner, I’ve learned that balancing my company’s priorities with the needs of my employees doesn’t have to be a zero-sum proposition. Customers want to work with businesses that do the right thing, and governments should make doing that right thing simpler, especially as we navigate difficult economies. My work on projects as diverse as workforce development and shortening supply chains through recycling end markets will help small businesses do well by doing good for our communities.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB20-1422, HB22-1001, HB22-1413, SB23-291, HB25-1090
Here’s more work we did together to improve affordability in Colorado.
Saving People Money on Housing: Democrats have saved Coloradans money on housing by investing $428 million in pandemic relief funds to preserve and construct new affordable housing. This funding is going toward loans to leverage private and local dollars to construct affordable homes; direct grants to nonprofits and local governments to build affordable homes; investments in middle-income housing; and innovative housing solutions such as modular homes. Democrats also extended the Colorado Affordable Housing Tax Credit for an additional seven years, providing $420 million in additional tax credits over the next decade, fostered economic mobility among mobile home park residents (HB22-1287 & HB24-1249), and protected veterans and active military members from housing discrimination (HB22-1102).
HEALTH CARE
Quality health care shouldn’t be a luxury – access for all is a basic right. And no one should risk mortgaging their future when they’re in the middle of a crisis. We need price transparency, rational fees and controls on unwarranted markups. Over the past eight years I am proud to have sponsored legislation to increase access to health care for our younger and elder populations, protect care for queer and other marginalized groups, and work to understand and regulate emerging technologies like AI in the healthcare space. We’ve passed a public option that will cap premiums and make health care more accessible and affordable for Coloradans, and reduce the cost of prescription drugs by creating the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board. I am proud of my record on healthcare and the positive impact this legislation has had on Coloradans.
WOMEN & FAMILY PLANNING
When women prosper, families, businesses, and communities thrive. Yet women continue to face economic barriers, including unequal pay, lower workforce participation, and the disproportionate burden of caregiving. Policies that promote equal pay, educational opportunity, affordable childcare, healthcare access, and support for caregivers strengthen both women and our economy.
During my time in the legislature, I worked to ensure that women have the freedom to make decisions about their own bodies and healthcare. I fought to protect reproductive rights because these deeply personal medical decisions belong to patients, their families, and their doctors, not the government.
I was proud to co-found the Democratic Women’s Caucus and to help pass legislation protecting reproductive freedom, including the Reproductive Health Equity Act. When Roe v. Wade was overturned, it underscored the importance of safeguarding these rights, especially for those most vulnerable to barriers in healthcare access.
My commitment has never wavered. I will continue fighting for reproductive freedom, economic opportunity, and a future where every woman has the power to make decisions about her own life, health, and future.
Bills prime sponsored: SB23-189, SB25-129, HB25-1259
MENTAL HEALTH
Mental health is health. Period. Like any health challenge, mental illness impacts people at school and work, in families and communities. And we all bear the cost of poor outcomes. I’ve worked to bring insurance parity between mental and medical health treatment, to support the behavioral health workforce, to provide reliable resources for mental health in disasters, support mental health in schools and more.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB19-1269, SB21-154, SB22-181, HB23-1003, SB25-042
Here's more on the work my colleagues and I did to improve behavioral health care in Colorado.
Increasing Behavioral Health Care Access: Democrats passed legislation to expand access to behavioral health care and save people money on the treatment they need to support their health and well-being. This $450 million package utilized pandemic relief funds to expand access to critical services for adults, youth, and families; increase access to substance use disorder treatment; bolster the behavioral health workforce; and add desperately needed residential treatment beds. (HB22-1281, HB22-1303, HB22-1283, SB22-196, HB22-1302, SB22-147, SB22-148, SB22-181, SB22-177). I also voted for a landmark bill (HB22-1278) to streamline and improve access to Colorado’s behavioral health system.
VULNERABLE POPULATIONS
Everybody deserves to be cared for, but the fact is some groups are at higher risk than others just by virtue of race, age, disability or gender orientation. To be the society we aspire to be, I work and vote to support veterans, seniors, BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and disabled persons, all of whom are more vulnerable to poverty, hunger, bullying, discrimination, housing and food insecurity. I believe Colorado should not tolerate racism, bigotry or hatred in any form.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB20-1323, SB22-187, HB25-1309, HB25-1244, HB26-1322, HB26-1256
WILDFIRE & PUBLIC SAFETY
Through my work on the Wildfire Matters Interim Committee and Forest Health Advisory Council, I partnered with firefighters and forest health experts to secure long-term funding for wildfire mitigation. Legislation I passed will provide approximately $18 million statewide, giving local governments the flexibility to address their specific needs.
I have also supported firefighters by expanding access to mental health care, funding protective equipment, and reimbursing lost wages and expenses.
Public safety means supporting law enforcement, military personnel, firefighters, and first responders with the training, tools, and resources they need. It also means investing in effective responses to mental health, homelessness, and addiction rather than relying on the criminal justice system alone.
I understand that for some, safety includes responsible gun ownership. I stand with roughly three quarters of gun-owners who support commonsense gun safety measures that promote responsible ownership and help keep firearms out of the hands of criminals.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB22-1011, SB22-002, SB22-007, SB23-013, SB23-166, HB26-1433
Here's more on the work my colleagues and I did to make Colorado safer.
Community Safety Investment Act and Safer Streets Act: Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their community, which is why I voted for several bills that will prevent crime and improve public safety. The Community Safety Investment Act invests $30 million to implement proven public safety strategies like co-responder models, violence interrupter programs, and support for recruiting and training law enforcement who reflect the communities they serve. The Safer Streets Act helps communities make critical improvements to cut down on crime and improve public safety through neighborhood upgrades, such as better lighting to increase visibility and improved design of shared community spaces. HB22-1003 invests $2 million in projects that demonstrate an evidence and community-based response to reducing youth involvement in the juvenile justice system.
Supporting Victims and Preventing Identity-Based Violence: In an effort to support crime victims and prevent violence, I voted for the following: HB22-1234 creates a grant program to prevent and respond to identity-based violence; SB22-049 updates the Victim Rights Act to make it easier for victims to navigate the criminal justice system and bring perpetrators to justice; and HB22-1243 invests $14 million to improve school security and increase student access to behavioral health care in public schools.
ENVIRONMENT
I was born in Colorado and am deeply connected to its natural beauty. I know that most residents feel the same – it is part of our identity as Coloradans. Environmental stewardship and conservation should have no partisan boundaries. The water, air and land we all enjoy is bountiful, but ultimately finite and we must do everything in our power to protect these precious resources. Climate change is a real and significant threat to the future of our children, but Coloradans are smart and resourceful. I know we have the ability to help change this dangerous trajectory. I have passed landmark policy to keep dangerous chemicals out of our water, and led state efforts to increase recycling and move toward a zero-waste circular economy, which is an investment in our future. It conserves land, reduces climate-changing methane emissions and keeps literally millions of dollars of potential resources out of landfills.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB21-1162, HB22-1355, HB22-1159, HB23-1285, SB23-198, SB23-291, SB24-214, HB24-1449, SB24-230, SB25-163, SB26-003, HB26-1226
Here's more work we did together to protect our environment.
Historic Air Quality Investments: During the summer of 2021, Colorado had 65 days with ozone alerts, and in April 2022, the Northern Front Range was downgraded to a “severe” violator of federal ozone standards by the EPA. In response, I proudly voted for a comprehensive package of bills to clean up Colorado’s air and ensure future generations have healthier air to breathe. We made a record $111 million investment to improve Colorado’s air quality through immediate emission reduction strategies and air quality monitoring (HB22-1362), deploy clean transportation initiatives such as electric-powered school buses and e-bike sharing programs, and incentivize the reduction of emissions (SB22-193). We also established health-based air quality standards for hazardous air pollutants (HB22-1244) and directed $10 million to a program for communities to provide free transit rides during ozone season (SB22-180).
Education
Quality public education is a pillar of our democracy and a foundational responsibility of our government. From Pre-K to post secondary education, we need to provide our children with the tools they need at every stage to forge a productive and happy life. In Colorado, we are fortunate to offer free, full-day Kindergarten for all children because of our legislation in 2019, and up to 10 hours a month of Universal Preschool. I also worked on making public schools an even better investment in our future by addressing bullying, promoting media literacy and finding resources to improve students’ mental health. And I’m committed to working to make higher education more affordable.
Bills Prime Sponsored: HB19-1110, HB21-1221, HB23-1003, SB25-063
Here's more on the work my colleagues and I did to improve our education systems.
Child Care and Free Universal Preschool: I can’t think of anything more important than investing in Colorado’s most valuable asset: our kids! That’s why I supported legislation to help child care providers save money and stay open (HB22-1006, SB22-213) and create free universal preschool for every Colorado family that will help parents get back to work and save families thousands of dollars (HB22-1295).
