Issues
Reducing the Cost of Living
Coloradans are struggling with inflationary pressures, economic uncertainty, and instability in energy prices, not to mention the housing affordability crisis that is pricing our children out of the state they were born and raised in. It is my highest priority to work towards bringing down the costs of living for Coloradans struggling to make ends meet, and that begins with ensuring that our state government is both allowing you to keep the maximum amount of money you earn alongside ensuring that the government stays out of your way.
Reducing Housing Costs
When supply is unable to meet demand, prices rise, and Colorado has seen some of the largest increases in the nation when it comes to home prices and rent. As your State Representative, the solution begins with allowing for supply to meet that demand, and that begins with eliminating burdensome regulations that restrict development. For example, Colorado has seen a 76% decline in condominium development between 2018 and 2022 (compared to 2002 to 2008). That decline, in large part due to construction liability litigation, can and should be addressed by our state legislature. I also believe it’s important that we do not leave renters behind, which is why during my time in the legislature, I wrote the bill to allow renters to write off their rent payments on their income taxes (HB22-1127).
Defending the Taxpayer Bill of Rights
Over the last decade, multiple attempts have been made to chip away at the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR), the amendment in the Colorado Constitution that gives you the right to vote on tax increases and returns tax dollars to you when the government grows too quickly. I have and will continue to be a staunch defender of TABOR because I believe that the money you earn is better spent and saved by you, not me. Additionally, I will strive to fight against the egregious use of “fees” to curtail TABOR, and support repealing the “Gas Tax Fee,” among others, that are making it more expensive for your family to thrive in Colorado.
Committing to Cleaner, Affordable Energy Sources
Politicians like to pretend that we can’t have both affordable and clean energy, but it’s simply not true. As your State Representative, I worked across the aisle to expand the usage of green hydrogen fuel (HB22-1140) and to allow Coloradans the right to use clean natural gas and propane (HB21-1034). Heating our homes and protecting our environment are not mutually exclusive.
Revitalizing Public Education
Colorado’s public education system is broken. The majority of students in our schools cannot read, write, or do math at grade level, despite the fact that we continually increased per-pupil spending every year for the last decade. I support fully funding our schools, and I also support reform measures that ensure accountability, alongside measures to give parents more of a say in the education of their children.
Paying Teachers More
Colorado teachers are underpaid, and even though the state legislature cannot set their pay, we can incentivize districts to pass on their increased funding to those that matter most. From 2007 to 2021, per-pupil spending increased 47%, while teacher salaries only increased 27%. I’ll work to fix that discrepancy.
Expanding School Choice
Our state has a rich, bipartisan history of expanding choice in education and providing multiple pathways for students to reach their fullest potential. Whether you decide to send your child to a district school, charter school, private school, or decide to homeschool them, I will be an advocate for you. Colorado’s charter schools, for example, have been a shining example of the potential of school choice. Stanford University found that Colorado’s charter schools had “learning gains in reading and math that were statistically significantly larger” than traditional public schools.
Increasing Transparency
As a parent, you deserve to know what happens in your child’s classroom. That’s why I support measures to require districts to publish their curriculums online.
Improving Public Safety
Murders. Arson. Assaults. Vehicle theft. All have increased over the last few years across Colorado. Crime in our state increased 28% between 2008 and 2022, and the cost to our citizens has topped $25 billion per year. Our state legislature can help stem the tide and restore order, all while rebuilding trust between police and our communities.
Hiring More Police Officers
The irresponsible “Defund the Police” movement had a devastating effect on the morale of our current police force and our departments’ ability to recruit new officers. Our state legislature needs to do all it can to put more officers on our streets, enforce the laws we have on the books, and protect our neighborhoods, businesses, and families.
Training Our Officers & Rebuilding Trust
Policing isn’t perfect, and while I believe the vast majority of police officers are dedicated public servants with a passion for doing right, there will always be bad actors. That’s why I support measures to ensure that police officers found guilty of misconduct are removed from their positions, expand transparency within our police and sheriff departments, and to deploy de-escalation teams and officer training to better equip our first responders when encountering those suffering from a mental health crisis.
School Safety
Protecting our students is an absolute must. In 2022, I was proud to vote yes on the School Security Disbursement Program (HB22-1120), which provided $5.9 million in grants to local districts to purchase security equipment, such as cameras and emergency notification equipment, to help ensure that our students are safe while learning. (St. Vrain Valley Schools received a $307,500 grant from this program). That program, which was created with overwhelming bipartisan support, should be expanded to ensure that we are providing every school and every district with the resources they need.