Issues
Addressing Climate Change
It is urgent that we do all that we can to mitigate the effects of climate change and work to lower global warming emissions. There is so much we can do on a state level and do not have to wait for the slow gears of the federal government to act. I will continue the work at the state legislature to hold industries accountable for releasing dangerous compounds into our air and water. We must keep driving these emissions down until we are no longer part of the problem but instead can be a model for solution for other states to follow.
The future of the Colorado River and access to one of our most critical resources, water, are often top of mind in conversations at the General Assembly. Making sure we are planning for a hotter, drier climate with less water available for a larger population takes thoughtful preparation and planning. I take this duty seriously, especially serving on the Water Committee.
Lowering Healthcare Costs
As we continue to push for a health care system that covers everyone across our nation in a way that is affordable and sustainable, we here in Colorado can move to make pharmaceutical pricing more fair, to increase transparency in hospital and provider costs, and bring easier access to health care to more Coloradans. I am proud to have been part of several pieces of legislation in my 3 terms that specifically address lowering the cost of prescriptions and premiums.
Education
Colorado has one of the top economies in the nation yet our education system still ranks toward the bottom of funding among states. We must keep working on ways to find the funding that is desperately needed for our students, our teachers and our schools. The education of our kids is our greatest investment in the future. I am glad that we were able to fund our state’s classrooms with additional needed funding this next year but we must keep up the work to keep funding at sustainable levels for all kids and educators across the state.
AFFORDABILITY
Supply chain issues triggered by the pandemic, increases in demand and now unnecessary and harmful tariffs have all contributed to rising costs on just about everything. At the state level we can help relieve the financial pressures on families by lowering childcare costs and providing universal free pre-kindergarten. We can continue to work to lower health care costs. We can provide tax relief to families and businesses by considering a much-needed update to our tax code. We can encourage and incentivize housing policies to expand the ability of the middle class to grow by having a bigger supply of first-time homeownership opportunities. I will continue to support policies to help families with the everyday cost of living.
Public Saftey
We must take a holistic look at the factors that lead to crime, homelessness, substance use disorder and access to mental health services. I support community based multidisciplinary approaches to crime prevention and crisis intervention strategies. Funding our co-responder programs, such as here in Longmont - C.O.R.E - Crisis Outreach Response and Engagement, where a specially trained police officer, a behavioral health clinician and a paramedic respond to 911 calls that indicate a mental health crisis. People in crisis need help. We are fortunate to have the Longmont Community Justice Partnership program and BRITE collaborative which both make positive differences in the lives of both offenders and victims and making an impact on reducing recidivism. Addressing crime at its core better serves our community and is more successful in the long term.
Gun Safety
Americans support common sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to kids, families, themselves and others. It is critical to implement federally mandated universal background checks for all gun sales to keep guns out of the hands of convicted persons and gun traffickers. The presence of a gun dangerously compounds the risk of impulsive acts of violence like spousal abuse or suicide, which is why it is important to implement waiting periods, or “cooling off” laws, which have been proven to decrease gun related violence by creating an important window of time for gun purchasers to reconsider their intentions which can lead to a change of heart and a life saved. Raising the age for purchasing a firearm is also important to save lives. I proudly and readily supported the laws we passed to close the boyfriend loophole, mandate safe storage of firearms, require reporting of lost or stolen firearms, create a state Office of Gun Violence Prevention and to raise the age to purchase a firearm. There is still more work to be done to save more lives.
LGBTQ Rights
Human rights apply to all people. As a society we must stay vigilant and push to ensure equal treatment under the law for all people. As the mother of a trans kid, I know firsthand that we are not where we need to be to make sure that all are treated equally and that access to needed care is equitable. I proudly have carried bills, signed into law, that make sure the LGBTQ members of our communities have protection of the rights that we all hold.
Public Transportation
In the 21st Century higher priority must be placed on expanding our public transportation options - light rail, bus routes, bike and car sharing. Getting more people to use more fuel efficient forms of travel makes sense for our climate, our infrastructure, our wallets and our quality of life.
Reproductive rights
No government should come between a woman and her doctor. Just as no government should come between a man or anybody else, and their doctor. Reproductive health care decisions are personal, private and protected under the law. Our voices need to stay loud and clear on this issue. I have proudly carried bills in the past few years to show that Coloradans stand strong on this issue, and we are here to protect patients, and all health care providers in this space.
Housing
Everyone needs and deserves a place to call home. We can work on policies at the state level to increase affordable rental and ownership housing. Decision makers in government must carefully balance the growth in our state and the ability to afford to live where we work. We have taken steps these past two legislative sessions to provide funding for local grant programs for affordable revolving loans, measures to allow mobile home park residents to purchase the property they live on and incentivize innovation in affordable, attainable housing options for Coloradans. Work must continue to give people the opportunity to live where they work and to hopefully invest in their own home and start to build generational wealth.
Addressing Systemic Racism and inequities
We have work to do to examine and root out the myriad of ways that we have racist policies and inequities built into the fabric of our nation. As James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Our social structure, criminal justice system, housing and jobs access, healthcare system, education system, and access to building wealth are just some of the areas where there continues to be a need for serious reforms. I will remember to bring this lens with me when exploring policies to help Colorado families. We must do better. We must listen to our affected neighbors.
Support for Unions
Labor unions in Colorado need our support. Electrical workers, letter carriers, teachers, pipefitters, service workers, postal workers, construction workers and so many more of our neighbors, depend on their union memberships to ensure that their wages are fair, that their retirement benefits are secure, and that they have health care that they can depend on. Unions are the backbone of the growth of our country and to this day offer people of all ages an excellent opportunity to learn a trade through apprenticeship programs and have a great career earning a secure living. I will make sure union interests are always taken into consideration at the state capital.
Protecting Animal Health and Ecosystems
As a life-long advocate for animal health and welfare I will continue to speak up to defend the animal world. We must protect wildlife, insects and their habitats. We have seen the effects of a global pandemic and with the likelihood that another pandemic will be presented to us in the near future, this is an area that will take forward thinking and planning with a focus on preserving the delicate balance among all inhabitants of planet earth.
