What are your top three priorities for the next legislative session?
1. A smart and lean state government, 2. returning healthcare sovereignty to individuals and parents of young ones, and 3. local county concerns for my district, including road maintenance and water management.
The chamber may see split Democrat-Republican control next year. On what issues do you see common ground with the opposite party?
1. Elevating Emergency Management Services (ambulances) as essential for all communities, 2. Addressing the shortfall replacement cost coverage in homeowners insurance and 3. Funding broadband as infrastructure for rural Colorado.
What perspective or background would you bring to the chamber that is currently missing?
Reverence for the U.S. and Colorado Constitutions and for our oath of office to uphold them.
What more can the state legislature do to ease housing costs across Colorado?
Reduce regulations. I have been told that as much as 25% of the cost of a new house can be attributed to government regulations.
Do you support the current law on fentanyl possession and resources for treatment?
Colorado’s new law makes it a mere Level 1 Drug Misdemeanor to carry 500 lethal doses (1 gram) of fentanyl. Rather than trying to balance the plight of addicts with the cruel insensitivity of dealers, our state should sue the Biden Administration to stop its cooperation with drug cartels and fulfill the federal government’s responsibility to control our borders.
What are your top three priorities for the next legislative session?
The environment, education, a woman’s right to bodily autonomy.
The chamber may see split Democrat-Republican control next year. On what issues do you see common ground with the opposite party?
Increasing available state funding without raising taxes.
What perspective or background would you bring to the chamber that is currently missing?
I have on-the-ground experience with fire and mitigation which are critical issues that threaten Colorado. My experience in science is also an asset when trying to maneuver the technological landscape of our society. It’s also a good defense against mistruth, nonsense, and fabrication.
What more can the state legislature do to ease housing costs across Colorado?
There are multiple directions this problem may be attacked from. Each would take more than 100 words to satisfactorily address. But examples would be: Through zoning and state code changes. Automatic affordable housing grants, that exist, but some counties aren’t applying for.
Do you support the current law on fentanyl possession and resources for treatment?
No and Yes. Unless a distribution suspect is a pharmo-chemist, with a pocket mass spectrometer, how are they supposed to know their “product” contains fentanyl, much less how much. Punishment must never replace treatment and compassion. So I agree with treatment options for all users (many of whom have been hooked by our medical system.)
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.
