On The Issues
Colorado Workers and Economy
1
This 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 and why?
Oppose
Comment: Increasing the tip offset would decrease the take-home pay for some of our Coloradans who already earn the least and have been the hardest by COVID-19. That's just wrong.
2
A 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., and why? Support
Comment: Gig workers deserve the same rights and benefits as every other hard working Coloradan. I've been working on this issue for years. This last session I passed a requirement for CDLE to investigate options for creating an unemployment system for gig workers, which I hope to take action on during this coming session.
3
This 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? Support
Comment: Businesses who don't break the law or endanger the health and safety of Coloradans shouldn't have to worry about stronger protections for whistleblowers. And employees shouldn't have to worry about suffering unjust consequences from their employer when they do the right thing for Colorado.
Revenue/Taxes
4
The 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?Support
Comment: If we can cut taxes for 90% of Coloradans, improve our roads, and increase funding our schools, that's a win-win-win I support.
5
The 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? Support
Comment: There's far more to TABOR than simply voting on taxes, and most of it is designed to gum up the works. We absolutely need to increase funding for our schools and roads, and I support efforts to make that happen.
Quality and Affordable Healthcare
6
This 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? Support
Comment: Every Coloradan deserves to access to affordable healthcare, and no Coloradan should ever have to choose between buying groceries and seeing their doctor. I supported legislation to investigate the costs and benefits of a public option, and I sponsored and passed legislation to automatically enroll any Coloradan who qualifies into Medicaid—the more people who have healthcare the lower the costs for all of us.
7
One 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? Support
Comment: No one should have to decide between buying groceries or getting the medicine they need. I’ve cosponsored legislation to bring more transparency to prescription drug pricing, and will continue to work to make sure prescription drugs are accessible to all Coloradans.
Keep Communities Safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic
8
At 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? Oppose
Comment:
Voting Access and Constitutional Reform
9
Do you think Colorado should take additional action to protect low-income and voters of color access to vote? Support
Comment:
10
In 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? Support
Comment: While I am absolutely concerned that a convention could go well and truly off the rails, whatever results would in all likelihood require the approval of 38 states, which helps to ensure the reasonableness of any changes.
11
This 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? Support
Comment: I have sponsored the strongest campaign finance reform bills in the legislature, and will continue to support campaign finance reform.
