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: We need to transition away from a tip economy.
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: Colorado workers are the backbone of our economy. Workers with proper benefits lead a comfortable and happy life while being productive members of society.
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: We must protect whistleblowers at every level.
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: We need to think outside the box for ways to figure out our budget short fall.
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: The teacher pay in Colorado can be as low as $29,000.00 for a full-time teacher. When I get to Denver I will immediately begin to draft legislation raise teacher pay. My legislation will create a committee which will have 1 year to bring proposals that will disentangle teacher funding from its current web, and raise the minimum full-time teacher salary from its current level of $29,000.00 to $52,000.00. This committee will create a state fund to make up the district difference over a period of 10 years during which time each district will be charged with figuring out a plan to self-fund the new teacher pay standards or to work with the State on an individual district basis to fund their teacher salary standards moving forward.
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: The 2019 Health Care Cost Savings Act Created a panel to go out and find ways to save money on health care costs by the people in Colorado. This isn’t about the care received or the access to care it is about how we pay for that care. We need somebody who values people over health insurance corporations to be there to examine the evidence. I will always put the people first, and will stand up directly to the insurance companies who don't. While lowering costs on health Care is a major policy goal of mine, we also must dramatically improve access to health Care on the Western Slope. The best way to save money on health care is to provide easy access to preventative care, both mentally and physically. In particular Northwest Colorado is dramatically lacking in access to mental health care, this is something that I will tackle head on. By putting the people first… we will have better health care at a lower cost.
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: People need access to life saving medical treatment including prescription drugs.
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:
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? Oppose
Comment: The problem with an Article V constitution convention is that we do not know what guardrails we can having in place to prevent the train from rolling out of control.
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:
