What are your top three priorities for the next legislative session?
Tackling the rising cost of living – the development of new affordable housing and affordable senior housing projects, increasing the minimum wage, and establishing generous municipal paid family leave programs, all of which I have already accomplished on the city level during my time on Northglenn city council.
Protecting the environment – addressing the climate crisis, improving air quality, expanding our transportation system including electric vehicle infrastructure.
Supporting teachers and students – safe, healthy classrooms for kids, increased and stable funding for schools, and salary increases for our teachers and support staff
The chamber may see split Democrat-Republican control next year. On what issues do you see common ground with the opposite party?
I think we can all agree that the increase in cost of living is out of control. There are numerous policies that can address this issue and I look forward to a robust and rigorous conversation with my legislative colleagues on how best to make living in Colorado sustainable for all. I also believe everyone can come together on improving the standards of education in our state. I believe we can come together and fight for our children under the leadership of legislators of both parties that have already begun this great work in the legislature in recent years.
What perspective or background would you bring to the chamber that is currently missing?
I am a proud union member, having fought for workers rights for my entire adult life. I am proud to have been certified by the Political Workers’ Guild as well as endorsed by several unions. I am also a young mother with two small children. I know what it’s like to raise kids during a pandemic, a recession, and a climate crisis.
What more can the state legislature do to ease housing costs across Colorado?
We must shift the focus away from the most wealthy members of our society and onto workers. That means developing new affordable and transit-oriented housing across the state, taking care of our senior population, and putting more resources in the hands of hard-working Coloradans by raising the minimum wage, offering affordable child care, and establishing universal paid family leave.
Do you support the current law on fentanyl possession and resources for treatment?
I want to see how the new law impacts Colorado and the data that we will see in the next couple of years to see how effective it has been. I believe that we must do more to treat this issue as the medical and mental health crisis that it is, rather than increasing criminalization and incarceration for those who have an addiction. I strongly support increased prosecution of drug dealers who are bringing this scourge into our community and killing Coloradans.
What are your top three priorities for the next legislative session?
Educational choice, lowering crime and recidivism, and reducing the pain of inflation and the high cost of living in Colorado.
The chamber may see split Democrat-Republican control next year. On what issues do you see common ground with the opposite party?
Fire mitigation measures, water management, road repair and safety
What perspective or background would you bring to the chamber that is currently missing?
As an engineer, I know how to work with various stakeholders to accomplish goals and will use these skills to work towards solutions for all Coloradans.
What more can the state legislature do to ease housing costs across Colorado?
Reduce fees and cut red tape to encourage builders to increase supply. Provide a consistent framework of building codes to ensure developers can build across the state.
Do you support the current law on fentanyl possession and resources for treatment?
No, fentanyl must be recriminalized and we must do more to get it off our streets.
Rob Stutz has not returned the questionnaire.
How candidate order was determined: A lot drawing was held at the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office on Aug. 3 to determine the general election ballot order for major and minor party candidates. Colorado law (1-5-404, C.R.S.) requires that candidates are ordered on the ballot in three tiers: major party candidates followed by minor party candidates followed by unaffiliated candidates. Within each tier, the candidates are ordered by a lot drawing with the exception of the office of Governor and Lt. Governor, which are ordered by the last name of the gubernatorial candidate.
