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?
Did not answer
Comment: I need to learn more about this issue before committing to a position. I understand that the tipped wage credit is a difficult issue, not least of all because it's difficult to enforce. On principle, I believe that everybody should earn at least the minimum wage, including tipped employees, and we need to ensure that workers earning the tipped wage are ultimately receiving compensation that is at least equal to the minimum wage. I am interested in exploring thoughtful plans that ensure that all workers are making at least $12/hr, without further compromising the financial stability of Colorado’s restaurants.
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? Did not answer
Comment: This is a topic that the Coronavirus crisis really illuminated. We see “gig economy”, large companies like Uber asking Congress to view their contract laborers as full employees, for the sake of receiving government bailout funds, while simultaneously going to great lengths to avoid acknowledging their contractors as full employees when it comes to wages and benefits. While I do not believe that there is a one-size-fits-all solution to this concern, as companies vary in size, and dependence upon the workers that they hire, it is also true that our economy is changing, and we need thoughtful policy to ensure that workers are treated fairly.
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? Did not answer
Comment: I believe that employees who raise concerns about laws being broken, or about employers who violate the public trust should be protected against adverse action from their employers.
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?Did not answer
Comment: I believe that Colorado voters through their state elected officials should determine what constitutes taxable income for purposes of Colorado state income taxes. Each state, for itself, should determine its own tax policy.
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? Did not answer
Comment: I believe that State legislators should continue to work on this question with voters and help them to more fully understand all that TABOR means and its full impact on our State. Every year, we should be having this conversation with voters and as often as possible, be referring measures for citizens to consider changing or repealing TABOR, as it has been incredibly harmful to our State and has set us upon an unsustainable fiscal path. Importantly, as voters and elected officials, we all have the critical task of helping to educate voters and build their trust in their elected officials. Without that trust, voters are not likely to ever vote to change TABOR.
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? Did not answer
Comment: I know that this policy was being discussed for possible introduction during the last legislative session, but I never read the draft legislation. I generally support the idea that we need to expand access to quality, affordable healthcare in our State. I understand this to be a broadly shared goal among hospitals, healthcare providers, health insurers, and pharma. That said, there are many ways to achieve this goal. I want the opportunity to read whatever is ultimately proposed and decide my position based upon that specific legislation. I want to support policy that expands access to quality, affordable healthcare, but that does not have the unintended consequence of damaging our healthcare system, its ability to innovate, and to respond to the rapidly changing needs of our State population. As has been demonstrated by the COVID 19 pandemic, a strong and resilient healthcare system is necessary for public health. We need to be thoughtful that we do not jeopardize a system that has in many ways, served us quite well.
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? Did not answer
Comment: The cost for many prescription drugs is too high for too many of the people who depend upon them. I am fully supportive of taking responsible steps to bring down the cost of prescription drugs in a way that ensures continued, safe innovation and development of new 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? Did not answer
Comment: I also do not want to shield bad actors from taking irresponsible risks with the lives of their customers and employees. That said, however, in a time of great economic peril, I am also concerned about further encumbering businesses with new costs. Workers need both safety and the opportunity for stable employment. Policymakers must be thoughtful as we pass laws to protect the workforce, and at the same time, stabilizing the Colorado businesses.
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: Since the rollback of the Voting Rights Act in 2013, it is particularly important to stay vigilant about disenfranchisement. Thankfully, Colorado's mail ballot system does a lot to prevent suppression, but we can always do more.
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 oppose the calls for an Article V constitutional convention. I believe that these efforts are being led by individuals who seek to reverse civil rights, voting rights, and other protections for ordinary citizens in our federal constitution.
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: Limiting campaign contribution amounts ensures that candidates must seek a broad base of support to finance their campaigns and that the candidate will not be beholden to single, large donors.
