2020 Colorado State Candidate Questionnaire Results
In the fall of 2020, we sent a non-partisan questionnaire to the candidates running for Colorado State House and Senate. We asked candidates about their stance on major issues like health care, the economy, and more.
You can access each candidate’s complete responses to Centennial State Prosperity’s 2020 non-partisan candidate questionnaire by clicking on the candidate’s photo below. Reading their full responses is important for context. However, we have also included a summary of their responses. You can also click on a specific question to see a candidate’s position on that question. If a candidate doesn’t have a response listed, they either did not respond to the questionnaire or that particular question. All candidates were sent the questionnaire and asked to return it. Centennial State Prosperity is a nonpartisan organization that doesn’t support any candidates or political parties.
The Questions
Colorado Workers & Economy
1This year, Colorado raised the state minimum wage to $12/per hour. However, no more than $3.02/per hour in tip income may be used to offset the minimum wage of tipped employees. Do you support or oppose action changing how tip income is treated for minimum wage purposes?
2A 2018 NPR/Marist poll revealed 20 percent of all American workers are contract workers hired to work on a specific project or for a fixed period of time. Do you support or oppose action that would provide gig economy workers access in Colorado to unemployment benefits, workers compensation, etc.?
3This summer, Governor Polis signed into law a bill that prevents an employer from discriminating, retaliating, or taking adverse action against any worker who raises a concern about workplace health and safety practices or hazards related to a public health emergency. Do you support or oppose enacting similar legislation to protect whistleblowers who sound the alarm about waste, fraud, abuse, corruption, or dangers to public health and safety from employer retaliation?
Revenue/Taxes
4The coronavirus pandemic has upended state budgets across the country, including Colorado’s. Do you support or oppose efforts to decouple state taxes from federal taxes and change how Colorado taxes corporations to responsibly raise revenue and why?
5The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) prohibits Colorado from raising taxes without voters’ consent. TABOR also prohibits Colorado from establishing a rainy day fund to weather tough economic times. Colorado’s spending on essential services like education and transportation has lagged behind the state’s economic and population growth. Colorado ranks 47th in the nation in per pupil spending. The state also currently lacks funds to enforce labor and other laws in any meaningful way. Do you support or oppose efforts to revise or get rid of TABOR and why?
Quality & Affordable Healthcare
6This year, lawmakers introduced legislation to create a public health insurance option for our state. Do you support or oppose creating a public option in Colorado and why?
7One 2018 survey of Colorado adults found that more than half (53%) reported being either “worried” or “very worried” about affording the cost of prescription drugs. Do you support or oppose policies that would make prescription drugs more affordable and why?
Keep Communities Safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic
8At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, some states and localities rushed to grant businesses immunity from civil lawsuits related to the coronavirus. Do you think businesses should be shielded from lawsuits related to COVID-19?
Voting Access and Constitutional Reform
9Do you think Colorado should take additional action to protect low-income and voters of color access to vote?
10In past years, legislators have introduced legislation calling for an Article V constitutional convention to address a number of reforms. Do you support or oppose legislation calling for an Article V constitutional convention?
11This year, lawmakers introduced legislation that would place for the first time campaign contribution limits on school board candidates. Do you support or oppose this legislation and why?
The Responses
Click a filter below to see which candidates would support any combination of policies, or click on an individual candidate profile to read more about that candidate’s responses or learn more about their campaign.
Show only candidates who support:
- Show all candidates
- nothing
- 1. Changing how tip income is treated for minimum wage workers
- 2. Providing gig economy workers access to unemployment benefits, workers compensation, and more
- 3. Protecting whistleblowers from employer retaliation
- 4. Decoupling state taxes from federal taxes and changing how Colorado taxes corporations
- 5. Efforts to revise or get rid of TABOR
- 6. Creating a public health insurance option
- 7. Policies that would make prescription drugs more affordable
- 8. Shielding business from lawsuits related to COVID-19
- 9. Colorado taking additional action to protect the right to vote of low-income and voters of color
- 10. Legislation calling for an Article V constitutional convention
- 11. Placing campaign contribution limits on school board candidates
Show only candidates running for:
Dean Titterington
Meg M Froelich
Steven Woodrow
Kenneth Stickney
Dr. Karen McCormick
Eric Davila
Tracey Bernett
Zechariah L Harris
David A Thompson
Andres Pico
John C Hjersman
Stephanie Vigil
Tony Exum
Nathan Foutch
Meg Fossinger
Liz Rosenbaum
Mary Bradfield
Michael Seebeck
Mary Parker
Chris Kennedy
Lisa Cutter
Brianna Titone
Amara Hildebrand
Lindsey Daugherty
Ryan Van Gundy
Kyle Mullica
Rob Stutz
Shannon Bird
Mike Weissman
David Ortiz
Bonnie Pyle
Robert Harrison
Robert L Andrews
Brianna Buentello
Mike Lynch
Mary Young
Cathy Kipp
AlliceMarie Slaven-Emond, APRN, MSN, FNP-C
Scott Beilfuss
Colin Wilhelm
Perry Will
Barbara McLachlan
Gen Schneider
Joe Johnson
E Dean Ormiston
Richard Holtorf
Steve Fenberg
Rachel Zenzinger
Dominick Moreno
Jeff Bridges
Chris Kolker
Janet Buckner
Karl Stecher
Michele Poague
Rhonda Fields
Chris Hansen
James Coleman
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