Issue Positions

How is the economy working for the average person? For too many people, it feels like the answer is: not very well. Our young adults are struggling with the high cost of higher education, housing, and healthcare, but these pressures aren't limited to one generation. Families at every stage of life are feeling the squeeze while the gap between those who are doing very well and those who are simply trying to get by continues to grow. I've watched my own children and their peers struggle to find good jobs after college, while many families are working harder just to stay in place. The math doesn't work when wages aren't keeping up with the cost of housing, healthcare, education, and everyday necessities. And when more and more of the benefits of a growing economy go to those at the top, everyone pays a price. People have less money to spend in their communities, fewer opportunities to get ahead, and less faith that the system is working for them. We can do better. We can make housing more attainable by reducing barriers to building affordable and workforce housing, make higher education more affordable through stronger state support for colleges and workforce training, and work to bring down healthcare and prescription drug costs. We also need an economy where wages keep pace with the cost of living and where people who work hard can actually build financial security. Reasonable people can disagree about what the American Dream should look like, but I think we can agree on one thing: hard work should still give people a fair shot at a good life. When the gap between those at the top and everyone else becomes too wide, it doesn't just hurt struggling families—it weakens our communities, our economy, and ultimately our democracy. We owe it to every generation to build an economy that works for everyone, not just those who already have the most.

Democracy doesn't stop at the state line. When voting rights are threatened, checks and balances are weakened, or government institutions become politicized, we should not assume someone else will step in to protect the system. As a Colorado State Representative, I believe we have a responsibility to protect our elections, defend Colorado's authority to make decisions for Coloradans, and stand up for the rule of law. Colorado has a strong tradition of secure, accessible elections, and we should protect that tradition. That means making sure every eligible voter can participate, our election systems remain secure and transparent, and the people decide who represents them. It also means pushing back when Washington attempts to overreach into areas that belong to the states or undermine the checks and balances that keep any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. This isn't about protecting one party or another. Democracy works only when the rules apply to everyone, institutions are stronger than individuals, and voters have confidence that their voice matters. We may disagree passionately about policy, but we should never lose sight of the principles that allow us to have those disagreements in the first place. As a state, we can protect those principles and make sure Colorado remains a place where elections are fair, government is accountable, and power is never allowed to go unchecked.

As an avid skier, hiker, and lover of Colorado's outdoors, some might call me a tree-hugger. I'm proud of our state's natural beauty, but I'm also practical. Climate change is real, and we are seeing its impacts in more extreme weather, fires, floods, and drought. We need to take those challenges seriously while making sure the solutions work for the people who live here. That means moving toward cleaner sources of energy while maintaining a reliable system and keeping utility rates affordable for families and businesses. I support Colorado's efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and expand renewable energy, and I will defend the progress we've made. But we also need to be honest about the challenges of that transition. Energy must remain affordable and reliable, and workers and communities that have depended on traditional energy industries should not be left behind. We also need to protect one of Colorado's most precious resources: water. As our communities grow and new development, including energy-intensive data centersputs additional demands on our resources, we need responsible rules that make sure new development pays its own way. Data centers should be required to use closed-loop water systems so they don't put additional pressure on community water supplies. They should also be responsible for securing and paying for the electricity they need upfront, rather than shifting the cost of new generation and infrastructure onto existing ratepayers. Growth should strengthen Colorado and Colorado Springs without sacrificing the clean air, water, open spaces, and high quality of life that make this such a special place to live. Protecting our environment isn't about choosing between a healthy economy and a healthy environment. With practical policies, responsible planning, and a commitment to making new development bear its fair share of the costs, we can do both.

A sufficient supply of affordable housing for working class folks such as teachers, police, firefighters, and healthcare professionals is crucial for a healthy, robust economy. El Paso county currently has a severe shortage of such housing. Increasing the supply of affordable housing will require state, county and municipal governments to work together. I support a multi-pronged approach including financial incentives for developers, administrative process simplification, construction defects tort reform which properly balances consumer rights against the skyrocketing costs of construction insurance, and rental reform around short-term rentals and corporations that hold large inventories of single-family homes. Right now, the federal government has an unprecedented amount of funding available for housing and infrastructure. We must ensure Colorado and district 18 get their share of this funding and put it to good use.

Everyone deserves to have a home that is safe and consistent. Colorado Springs has seen an increase in homeless folks, especially in our district on the west side and downtown.. From speaking with voters in the district, I know that homelessness and the associated crime is top of mind for many. From listening to police officers and the firefighters on the homeless outreach teams, they are frustrated because the process frequently becomes a revolving door of citing homeless people, perhaps picking them up, perhaps putting them in jail and then they’re out the next day and the same scenario happens over and over. Progress is not being made to address the issue. We are lacking sufficient support services to help homeless folks address the issues that have made them homeless in the first place, be it simply needing a safe place to stay while they find work and get back on their feet or the more difficult issues of substance abuse or mental health. People can’t get off the street unless they get the help they need to be self-sufficient.

Roads and Public Transportation The Front Range and especially Colorado Springs is growing massively. Colorado Springs is predicted to become the largest city in Colorado by 2035. I applaud the good work of the federal, state and local governments for the passage and deployment of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. However, given our level of growth and the slow infrastructure progress in previous decades, there is still much work to be done in Colorado. Frankly, the roads in Colorado Springs are a mess and public transportation is grossly insufficient. Travel along the front range, between Colorado Springs, Denver and Pueblo, and within the city of Colorado Springs is inconvenient and inefficient. We can do better. Right now, the federal government has an unprecedented amount of funding available for housing and infrastructure. We must ensure Colorado and district 18 get their share of this funding and put it to good use. Internet We live in an increasingly connected, technical world. Access to reliable, high-speed internet is a basic infrastructure need for everyday life regardless of zip code.

Our district is located largely along the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), and as such, wildfires, like Waldo Canyon and the Black Forest fires, are the single biggest risk to our life, property and local economy. ​We must prevent fire as much as possible through mitigation and awareness education. However, should fire occur, we must detect and react quickly. Further, safe and timely evacuation routes must be planned and well communicated to at-risk neighborhoods.

Democracy requires an educated populace to function well. This is why we have public education in the United States. I believe that any education funded by tax payers must serve this need first and foremost. As such, any curriculum funded by tax payers MUST be built on the consensus of subject matter experts. As a public good, public education must serve all children regardless of economic, cultural, ethnic or intellectual differences. As the parent of two highly intelligent children, both with ADHD and one with dyslexia, I understand one size does not fit all. We must pay our teachers and treat them as the valuable professionals they are. Colorado teachers are currently paid below the national average. This will not allow us to retain qualified teachers in the profession and in Colorado. Further we make education a priority in the state budget every year. Now that we have the budget stabilization factor paid off (i.e. the borrowing that was done against the education budget for other programs in the past), we must ensure we don’t borrow against education again.

Medical decisions including those surrounding pregnancy must be made by the patient, in consultation with her doctor and any additional counseling or stakeholders she chooses. The government and insurance companies should not be making medical decisions for any patient. Attempts in other states at limiting abortion timeframe or circumstances have resulted in tragedy including the loss of fertility and death of the mother. This issue is far too complex for simple, across-the-board limitation. Let the woman choose. Only she knows all the factors in her specific cases. I fully support the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), the Safe Access to Protected Health Care Package of legislation and Amendment 79.