Gun Violence Prevention

Gun-violence has reared its ugly head in Colorado far too many times in the last 2 decades. Mass-shootings have torn communities apart in an instant. Domestic violence has taken a huge toll on our families. Suicides in Colorado rarely grab headlines, but represent a huge number of gun-deaths in our state.

My work in the Capitol has been focused largely on gun-violence prevention. I have helped pass seven gun violence prevention bills and worked closely with Speaker Alec Garnett to pass the Extreme Risk Protection Order bill- or Red Flaw Law that helps law enforcement and families remove guns from people experiencing a mental health break. I’ve also helped pass a law requiring safe storage of firearms in households to prevent youth suicides and accidents, and a domestic violence bill to prevent abusers from possessing firearms.

In the last 4 years groups like the NRA and the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners have consistently opposed common sense gun laws. I will continue to fight the gun lobby and work for victims and their families.

Protecting our Environment

We all live in Colorado for a reason, and for so many of us it’s our incredible access to world-class hiking, skiing, rafting, fishing or any number of outdoor activities. I want to make sure that we not only protect the wonderful outdoor playground that makes Colorado so great, but that we prioritize action that will save lives and save communities.

Climate change leads to more wildfires, more floods, devastating impacts on our disadvantaged communities, worsening air quality and economic uncertainty. We can’t accept a world where seniors die every summer because of heat waves. I won’t accept that we have to doom a child with asthma to a lifetime of fear that walking outside might trigger an attack. We aren’t being good neighbors when we let houses wash away or burn up in a preventable disaster. I will make sure that Colorado is doing everything we can to protect our environment and mitigate the impact of climate change on our state.

Affordable Housing

Denver’s housing prices have skyrocketed. The desire to live here has caused a lack of housing affordability and makes it incredibly difficult for young people to enter the housing market. Increased rents threaten to force our young, innovative, and diverse populations elsewhere to find cheaper alternatives.

We need to ensure that renters are protected and that we have sufficient housing supply to accommodate the incredible demand that the past decade has brought on our city and our state.

I strongly believe that home ownership for those that want it is something that we need to strive for. Home ownership should not be an unobtainable dream, it should be an important and realistic goal for all Coloradans who want to put down roots, create financial stability, and build a stake in their community. Whether you rent or you own, I believe that we need to make sure that all Coloradans have access to affordable and safe housing.

Economic Opportunity

Colorado’s economy has changed drastically in the past decade. The growth and shift to jobs in emerging industries gives us huge opportunities to help our small-business owners and workers thrive.

I believe that small business owners need access to additional capital to make sure that they can continue to provide our community with our neighborhood businesses that we all treasure. When Covid-19 hit, I was amazed at how our community pulled together to help keep some of our favorite spots afloat. Whether it was eating a hamburger in 30 degree weather on a patio, buying Christmas presents from local businesses, pre-ordering gift cards as a show of faith to small business owners, our friends and neighbors showed that we cared about the businesses that we cherished.

We also need to provide opportunities for our workers. I believe in promoting career and technical education opportunities and apprenticeship programs to help develop the skills of our workforce. I support minimum wage increases to make sure that anyone working 40 hours a week can afford to live in Denver.

Labor Rights

Workers deserve to be safe and valued in the workplace. Coloradans get up and hustle everyday to put dinner on the table and that hard work must be protected. To do this, we must strengthen labor laws and ensure a safe workplace for all Coloradans. We cannot let workers be underpaid and overworked; it’s not the Colorado way.

Whether it’s organizing and walking the line with workers or legislating and passing bills to hold employers accountable, labor will be intersectional with all of the decisions I make as a State Rep. While at the Capitol I worked to fund pensions for unionized workers, fought for a prevailing wage in public construction, defended and expanded apprenticeship programs, and worked to protect whistleblowers during the pandemic.

I believe in promoting career and technical education opportunities and apprenticeship programs to help develop the skills of our workforce. I support minimum wage increases to make sure that anyone working 40 hours a week can afford to live in Denver.

To be endorsed by Pipefitters Local 208 means the world; the trust that these hard-working Coloradans have placed in me is something I’ll never forget when I’m in the Legislature.

Racial Justice

None of the issues on this page can be discussed without discussing the intersection of racial justice. Effects of the climate crisis, such as the poor air quality in Colorado, disproportionately affect zip codes where our black and brown neighbors live. Our inaccessible healthcare system hurts people of color the most. The maternal mortality rate for Black Women is far too high for the wealthiest nation in the world.

Our criminal justice system still does not treat all Coloradans equally. Our Black and Latino neighbors are still not treated with the respect that they deserve when it comes to their interactions with our legal system. We need meaningful reforms to make sure that police departments can do their jobs without violating the civil rights of residents. We can make sure that our corrections system focuses more on rehabilitation and re-entry into society rather than mass-incarceration. I will work to eliminate our reliance on private, for-profit prisons in Colorado. My door is always open to anyone who has ideas or lived experiences that can help me more fully address this critical issue.

Seniors

We need to foster a society that values and respects seniors and all of the joy and wisdom that they bring to our communities. As a historian I have always been in awe of the struggles that our parents and grandparents went through. Working with and talking to people who fought in the Civil Rights and Women’s Liberation Movements, or asking veterans about their experiences in Korea or Vietnam have always been some of my favorite aspects of exploring history.

I will fight to make sure that our seniors have affordable, at-home nursing and medical care so they can stay in their homes for as long as they want to. I will fight to make sure PERA stays solvent and provides the secure retirement that workers were promised. We need to expand the Senior Homestead Exemption and increase access for the seniors who need it most.

I cherish the time that I get to spend with my mother-in-law at Windsor Gardens. I love getting perspective and insight from those who have seen so many struggles and accomplishments over their lifetimes. I will always make sure that our seniors know they can count on me at the Capitol.

Education

As a former educator I know how critical it is to nurture a kid’s education so they can grow up to their full potential. Education is the best path toward a stable job and a good life: whether that is a traditional 4-year college, a STEM education, or a career or technical education.

I believe the path to student success starts with increased investment in early-childhood education, including full-day Pre-School for all Colorado students. This is proven to be one of the most successful investments that we can make in a child’s eventual educational and economic success.

I will always support our students and teachers by prioritizing educational funding and modernizing our classrooms so our students are prepared for modern jobs in whatever field they choose to enter.

Civil Rights

Colorado has come a long way since the passage of Amendment 2 that led to civil rights organizations calling us the “hate state.” Between marriage equality nationwide and Colorado laws to protect same-sex adoption, ban conversion therapy and support trans members of our community, we have made a lot of progress. But we still need to address inequality and intolerance that seeps into bills at the Capitol every year. I will always stand with the rights of our LGBTQ neighbors and fight to end discrimination and intolerance.

Our undocumented neighbors often live in fear of their future and what could happen to them and their families. Federally, I support a path to citizenship that would give certainty to the millions of immigrants who want to provide for their families, contribute to our society and who are often taken advantage of. In Colorado, I worked to pass a bill requiring inspections of all Colorado facilities that detain undocumented immigrants to require that they were being treated with the dignity and respect that they deserve. I will never abandon anyone because of their immigration status.

Healthcare

So many of us have stories about the struggles we have faced in the healthcare system. While we have some amazing hospitals, healthcare workers and medical options, it’s often too expensive, too inaccessible and too complicated.

I hurt my back while dancing at my sister’s wedding. I knew immediately that it was serious, as I recognized the debilitating pain that had first cropped up almost a decade prior. The only thing I could think about as I lay down crying when I should have been celebrating was how much this was going to cost and how long I would have to wait to get treatment. The red tape that the insurance company made me jump through in order to get the care that I needed was devastating. I was in constant agony and it seemed like a lifetime between when I got hurt and when I finally got approved for a surgery.

I am not alone in this experience. So many Coloradans either can’t afford health care or can’t navigate the restrictions and red tape around getting the care they need. I fully believe that health care is a human right. I will fight to expand the Obamacare marketplace and Colorado’s Public Option. It’s time we actually treat our frontline workers like the heroes they are by training, equipping and paying them like we should. Medical care should be accessible to all Coloradans no matter how much money they make and I will work to give Coloradans the peace of mind that if they need medical care, it can be simpler and better than it is now.

Voting Access

Colorado has led the country when it comes to easy, accessible voting. This is an unqualified success and has led to record-levels of voting in Colorado. A more engaged and informed electorate is the best way to make sure we have accountable representatives and an informed populace.

The attacks on voting since Donald Trump lost the 2020 election are unconscionable. Our voting system needs to be protected to ensure voters have faith in our system: which we should. I will always fight for more inclusive voting laws and will oppose any voter ID laws, restrictions of mail voting, or anything designed to minimize voices in our community.

Higher Education

The cost of higher education is both a barrier to students who want to pursue higher education, and a burden to those who graduate with a degree, preventing them from starting a family or buying a home until their debts are under control. Colorado needs to reallocate funding to colleges that was withdrawn during the Great Recession and work on innovative solutions to help ease student debts for those who have already graduated.

I also strongly believe in our community college and technical school system that can provide education and training for a fraction of the cost of a traditional 4-year college.