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: I do not support increasing the offset. The minimum wage should be the minimum wage, period. In that vein, if anything, I would support decreasing the offset, so that tipped workers would be earning closer to the full $12/hr.
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:
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: The public interest in efficient government, efficient use of tax dollars, and public health & safety is served when workers can raise good faith concerns about these matters without fear of losing their jobs & ability to pay their bills.
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: I would support decoupling to the extent that it leads to a less regressive / more progressive tax system, and I have worked on legislation (HB20-1420) to this end. I would not support decoupling changes that would have a net regressive effect.
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: I supported CC, the permanent "de-Bruce". Simply allowing elected state policymakers the discretion to allocate available revenues - including for savings / rainy day purposes - would put us on the level with every other 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 would have supported HB20-1349 if it had proceeded. Competition to help keep prices lower among privately offered plans is a reasonable start toward making healthcare more affordable for people.
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: Transparency about price drivers is a pretty obvious place to start. I also supported the 2019 insulin price cap law.
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: As long as businesses (or other entities) are exercising reasonable care, they should not experience any liability under existing law - that has been the law of negligence for over 100 years, and it should not be disturbed casually. Stated inversely, a business should not be immunized from negligent, reckless, or intentionally harmful behavior simply because we are in the midst of a pandemic.
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: I have supported access expansion efforts including HB19-1278. I supported efforts to expand multi-lingual access earlier this year (HB20-1081) before COVID derailed them.
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? Oppose
Comment: I am adamantly opposed to a "con-con" especially under present political circumstances at the national level.
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 supported HB20-1066 and was a House co-sponsor. It shouldn't be possible for big money to buy state races and it shouldn't be possible for big money to buy school district races either.
