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?
Support
Comment: In order for our state to do better, working class individuals and families need to have an income that is not keeping them in poverty. The way our inflation has increased for goods and housing our minimum wage should be at $22/ hour to keep pace.
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: Working class families need the same opportunities as all other workers in Colorado. Companies that make up the "gig" economy need to provide the same benefits as all other companies in our state.
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: If we the people cannot have a safe place to live and work free of contaminations and hazards, then those companies do not need to be here in 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:
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: We HAVE to eliminate TABOR in our state.
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: I am a health insurance broker. We also have to eliminate the unjust timing of the open enrollment window which limits the access to affordable healthcare for our working families. We also need to add in another category of SEP to include college students. Right now students are being charged 2-3x's the normal rate for a policy and the money is added to their college loans. We can't keep increase the debt of our young people either.
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: If we had Universal Healthcare then we could also have better pricing for our medications.
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? Support
Comment: This is a tough question. If a business has done everything in their power to follow the guidelines, like enforcing masks, proper distancing etc then they should not be held responsible for one careless person's actions in a store from a short or long visit. If a business is blatantly refusing to follow the current health safety guidelines, then other measures can be put into place to remove the license temporarily etc. If the business does the intentional "No mask party" and significantly spreads the illness then yes they should be allowed to be sued.
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: addition voter registration and drop off locations need to be made available to communities who rely on public transportations for at least a week before election day.
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: US Congressional and Senate seats should be term limited
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: There needs to be campaign spending limits on school board elections. It levels the playing field
