I’m a mom, a community organizer, a small business owner, and State Representative for House District 42. I grew up in Littleton, went to college in New Orleans to study political science, became a single mother at 23, and returned to Colorado where I eventually built a family with my husband, Kevin. We have raised four kids who are now in high school and college – while I’m still paying my own student loans. Over the last twenty years, we’ve experienced living paycheck to paycheck, faced the high cost of childcare, medical coverage (sometimes having insurance, sometimes not), and skyrocketing housing costs – plus, we’ve navigated the public education system, with four very different children.
Every person in HD42 should have a safe and warm place to sleep at night. Whether that be in a home purchased by a family at a reasonable price that builds generational wealth, in a rental where tenants’ rights are protected against price gouging by predatory landlords, or temporary housing solutions that are readily available to the most vulnerable among us.
Healthcare is a human right that should not be for-profit. Every one of us should have access to quality and affordable healthcare that stays with us no matter where we live, or what job we have. Behavioral health is also an essential part of healthcare and we need to give people facing mental health challenges the same urgency and support for treatment as we would a patient with a broken arm.
All children deserve a top rate education close to their home. Colorado ranks 40th iin education spending and we must repeal TABOR and then reimagine how we allocate resources, so that all students benefit from equitable funding. Teachers deserve pay and support that matches the crucial role they play in our society.
People should earn a living wage with 40 hours of work. The American Dream should be available to all through higher wages, benefits, and an increased quality of life. We cannot sit idly by while the middle class disintegrates and the wealthy become wealthier while the rest of us face insurmountable struggle.
We owe it to our children and grandchildren, and all who come after them, to be responsible stewards of our planet, and hand it over in better shape than we found it. It is long past time to take our impact on the environment seriously and remedy the damage we’ve done.
We have taken for granted the right for people to decide if, when, and how they become parents. We face Roe v. Wade being overturned by the Supreme Court this month and the issue being returned to the states. Colorado must continue to bolster our citizens’ rights and stand out as a beacon for reproductive freedom in the region.
Every single person has the right to live their life with love, dignity, and respect – and be recognized and valued just the way they are.