Watch this short video to learn more about public banks.

We need more creative solutions to generate revenue for the state to counter the financial restrictions of TABOR.

Colorado deposits a large amount of public tax dollars in large private banks every year. Instead of those funds only generating profits for Wall Street, we should explore ways to keep more of that money working here in Colorado.

One promising model to keep more tax dollars is a public bank, similar to the Bank of North Dakota, which has successfully supported their local economy for more than a century.

What is a Public Bank?

A public bank is a bank owned by a government, such as the state, city, or county.  It would be operated as a self-sustaining TABOR enterprise, and thus exempt from TABOR restrictions on income and investment. Public taxes and revenue are held by the bank and used to support loans and public investments.  Local political subdivisions, such as the City of Denver, Denver Public Schools, or RTD could also leverage this system through deposits and loans.

Any interest and fees on loans would come back to the public bank rather than to the shareholders of a major Wall Street bank. This would produce a new source of income for the state without raising taxes.

Unlike most private banks whose primary obligation is shareholders, a public bank’s mission is to strengthen the local economy and support public priorities.

How a Public Bank Could Help Colorado’s Economy

A carefully designed Colorado Public Bank could:

• Support housing development, including “missing-middle” housing that helps teachers, workers, and families stay in our communities.

• Support community banks and credit unions by partnering with them to expand access to credit, guarantee their loans, help them in a crisis, and assist them in complying with regulations.

• Create good-paying jobs by supporting construction and infrastructure projects that can include prevailing wages, helping grow Colorado’s middle class.

• Provide financing for infrastructure such as schools, student loans, transportation, water systems, and clean energy projects at a lower cost.

• Expand lending for small and medium-sized businesses, helping local entrepreneurs grow and create jobs.

• Generate new revenue for the state, which could reduce reliance on taxes over the long-term.

Working With Local Banks. Not Competing With Them

A public bank would not replace banks or credit unions. Instead, it would partner with them, helping them make larger loans and provide lower-cost credit to Colorado businesses and residents.

This model strengthens the local financial ecosystem rather than concentrating power in large national banks, largely located out of state.

Responsible Governance and Transparency

Any public bank must operate with strong safeguards and professional management. Key principles should include:

• Strict conflict-of-interest rules to ensure it cannot be easily misused for political purposes

• Independent auditing and public transparency

• Structured in a way that complies with Colorado law and TABOR requirements

My Approach

Colorado is facing major challenges: housing shortages, infrastructure needs, and growing economic pressures on working families and small businesses.

As your representative, I will support thoughtful legislation to study and potentially establish a public banking model in Colorado that is transparent, financially responsible, and focused on public benefit.

Watch this short video to learn more.

Fairness, affordability, and an economy that works for working people

I believe working people deserve a fair shot, a real voice on the job, and an economy that rewards work, with a tax system that is fairer for working families.

TABOR is holding Colorado back

• I do not support TABOR (Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights) because it prevents Colorado from properly funding core services

• TABOR locks the state into outdated revenue limits, even as our population grows and costs rise

• As a result, schools, transportation, healthcare, and public safety are forced to do more with less

Graduate Income Tax – a fairer tax system

• Colorado’s current flat tax unfairly treats teachers and millionaires the same

• I support efforts to move Colorado to a graduated income tax

• I will oppose tax policies that increase the burden on low- and middle-income families

Tax relief for working families

• I support expanding refundable tax credits for working families

• The tax code should help people keep up with rising costs— not fall behind

• I will favor tax policies that put money back in the pockets of people who need it most

Small and local businesses

• Small businesses create local jobs and keep communities strong

• I support cutting unnecessary red tape that doesn’t improve safety or fairness

• Worker protections and a strong small-business economy go hand in hand

Healthcare should be about people, not profit. No one should avoid seeing a doctor because they are worried about the bill. I support moving toward a single-payer healthcare system that guarantees coverage for everyone.

And while we work toward that long-term goal, Colorado should take practical steps to improve access and lower costs for families.

Universal Primary Care

The most immediate step we can take is to ensure every Coloradan has access to free primary care. No co-pays, no deductibles, and fewer worries about costs.

Primary care includes regular visits with a doctor, pediatrician, or community clinic. It prevents illness, catches problems early, and reduces expensive emergency room visits that often leave families with significant medical debt.

I support policies that move Colorado toward universal primary care access, including:

• Making primary care visits free

• Expanding community health clinics and neighborhood care centers

• Investing in preventive care, screenings, chronic disease management, and access to contraception

Universal primary care can improve health outcomes while lowering longer-term healthcare costs for Colorado families, communities, and businesses.

Build Toward Universal Coverage

At the same time, we should continue working toward broader reforms and legislative measures when required that guarantee care for everyone, including:

• A public health care option to compete with the options offered by private insurers, and lower premiums

• Lower prescription drug costs through stronger purchasing power

• Expanding mental health care and substance use treatment

• Dental, vision, and reproductive healthcare

• Gender-affirming care

Preventive Care and Vaccinations

A strong healthcare system focuses on prevention. That’s why expanding access to primary preventive services should always be a priority. Vaccinations are among the most effective and proven preventive tools we have.

I support policies that:

• Ensure easy access to recommended vaccines through primary care clinics, schools, and community health centers

• Keep vaccination decisions guided by medical and public health experts

• Strengthen public health partnerships with providers like community clinics and local health departments

• Expand preventive care so families can stay healthy and avoid costly medical crises

Vaccines help keep entire communities safe and healthy.

A Practical Path Forward

Colorado families need relief from rising healthcare costs today. Expanding access to primary care and vaccinations is a practical step we can take now while continuing the work toward a system in which healthcare is guaranteed for everyone. Other states are taking similar paths, and there may be practical ways to work with other states to make appropriate, high-quality care that everyone can afford and access, more than a shared aspiration.

Yes to housing — and yes to connected, livable communities

Colorado’s housing shortage isn’t just about affordability—it’s about whether people can build a life here. Too many people are leaving the state because they’re forced to choose between housing that doesn’t fit their lives and housing they can’t afford.

Fixing the “missing middle”

• Today, many Coloradans face an impossible choice:

  • A mid-rise apartment that may be affordable, but isn’t conducive to their lifestyle

  • Or a single-family home that’s financially out of reach

• People looking to start a family are especially squeezed, with too few options that balance space, affordability, and location

• What’s missing is housing that fits real life—homes that allow people to put down roots, not just get by

Meeting demand for walkable, urban, accessible, and car-optional living

• There is a strong demand for connected neighborhoods where daily life doesn’t require a car

• People want to live near schools, transit, jobs, and services

• Multi-modal transportation reduces household costs, strengthens local businesses, and improves quality of life

Car-optional housing that lowers costs

• Housing should be connected to public transportation, so families aren’t forced to own multiple cars

• Car-optional living lowers household expenses and reduces congestion and emissions

• Transportation and housing must be planned together to truly address affordability

Updating zoning to allow more housing options

• Our zoning rules haven’t kept up with how people want and need to live

• I support updating zoning and codes to allow more missing middle housing, including duplexes, fourplexes, and bungalow courtyards

• These homes fit naturally into neighborhoods, support families, and expand housing options without changing community character

Housing shortages lead to school closures

• Too many people who want to start or raise a family can’t find housing that works, so they are leaving Colorado

• When families leave, school enrollment declines, forcing districts into painful decisions about program cuts and school closures

• Fewer families means fewer students, fewer workers, and long-term economic harm to communities across the state

Building community, not just units

• Good housing creates a strong sense of community, not isolation

• Neighborhood-scale housing supports connection, stability, and long-term residency

• When people can stay in their community, neighborhoods thrive

Strong Workers. Strong Middle Class.

When workers have a real voice on the job, wages rise, workplaces are safer, and communities are stronger. Collective bargaining is how working people balance power, build the middle class, and create real opportunity for the next generation.

The right to organize and bargain collectively

• Workers deserve a fair path to organize and bargain collectively

• Collective bargaining gives workers a real seat at the table on wages, benefits, and working conditions

• An economy that works for working people depends on workers having a voice

The Colorado Labor Peace Act

• The Colorado Labor Peace Act embodies the principle that workers deserve a fair and practical path to organize

• The legislature passed this bill in 2025, but it was vetoed by the Governor

• I support removing the second vote in the bargaining process outlined in House Bill 26-1005

Union security and fairness

• I support union security, which requires employees to pay union dues

• Unions negotiate wages, benefits, and protections that apply to all employees, not just union members

• It is only fair that everyone who benefits from collective bargaining helps support the work required to negotiate, represent employees, and enforce agreements

Partnerships that create real career pathways

• I strongly support partnerships between school districts and unions to give students real alternatives to traditional four-year college paths

• Schools should prepare students for a range of futures, not just college

• When educators and unions work together, students gain real-world skills and opportunity

Apprenticeships: a debt-free path to the middle class

• I support apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs where students learn technical skills while earning a paycheck

• These programs lead to good middle-class jobs with strong wages, benefits, and stability

• Apprenticeships offer a path to success without student debt, while meeting real workforce needs

Safe, affordable ways to get around — without being forced into a car

I bike to commute and regularly use RTD because it works for my daily life. Transportation policy should reflect how people actually get around—and give everyone safe, affordable choices, not force families into car dependence.

Safety first — for everyone

• Safety for pedestrians, people on bikes, and drivers must be a top priority

• Streets should be designed so kids can walk to school, seniors can cross safely, and people can bike without risking their lives

• Safe streets aren’t anti-car—they’re pro-people.

Transportation and housing are inseparable

• Where we build housing determines how people get around — and how much they spend

• Car-optional transportation supports walkable, connected communities, especially the “missing middle” housing that families need

• Housing near transit and safe bike routes lowers costs and strengthens neighborhoods

Making biking and e-bikes real alternatives

• I support expanding protected bike lanes so biking is safe and practical, not just for the brave

• E-bikes can replace many car trips — if people feel safe using them

• Investing in bike infrastructure makes e-bikes a real alternative to driving, not just a niche option

Lowering one of the biggest household expenses

• Transportation is often the second-largest expense for families, after housing

• When people are forced to own multiple cars, costs skyrocket

• Giving people real alternatives — transit, biking, and walking puts money back in people’s pockets

• Lower transportation costs are a direct pay raise for working families.

Transportation and the middle class

• Affordable transportation helps people access jobs, education, and opportunity

• It reduces the cost of living, making middle-class life more attainable

• Strong transportation systems support local businesses, stable communities, and long-term economic growth

Building the middle class means building systems that make everyday life affordable.

Helping kids arrive at school ready to learn

Academic success starts before the first bell rings. As a parent with two kids in public schools, I see the challenges clearly, and I’m not willing to accept distractions or absenteeism as “normal.”

Smaller class sizes

• Smaller class sizes are not a luxury, they’re a learning condition

• Teachers can’t do their best work in overcrowded classrooms

• I will support decisions that cut class sizes, especially in early grades and high-need schools

Classrooms without cell phone distractions

• Cell phones don’t belong in classrooms during the school day

• Clear, enforceable limits to cell phones in the classroom help students  focus, and teachers teach

• Research shows that when students can’t access their phones during school, they are more engaged socially and academically

Chronic absenteeism

• Chronic absenteeism is one of the biggest threats to student success

• Punitive approaches don’t always work, early support does

• I will support policies that remove barriers to attendance, including transportation, health, and housing instability

Kids’ mental health

• Social media companies should not be allowed to profit at the expense of kids’ mental health

• I support commonsense limits on social media for kids 16 and under

• Student well-being comes before corporate interests

Youth nicotine addiction

• Flavored tobacco and vaping products are designed to hook kids

• I support strong regulation that stop youth-targeted marketing

• This is a public health issue, and it should be treated like one

Healthier school start times

• School schedules should reflect science, not convenience

• Healthier start times improve learning and safety

• I will support evidence-based approaches that help students succeed

Protecting families, communities, and kids

I had first-hand experience with gun violence as a teenager. I worked at Chuck E. Cheese in Aurora, Colorado, in 1993, and worked alongside Nathan Dunlap, who later carried out the mass shooting that killed four co-workers and severely injured another. That experience stays with me, and it shapes how I think about gun safety, mental health, and the role of government. Preventing gun violence is a moral obligation.

Prevention comes first

• I align with the values and priorities of Moms Demand Action

• I support red flag laws, waiting periods, and safe gun storage because they prevent violence before it happens

• I support Moms Demand Action’s BE SMART program, which helps families keep firearms secured and out of the hands of children and people in crisis

Banning the most dangerous weapons

• I support banning assault weapons under the GOSAFE Act

• I support banning ghost guns, which are untraceable firearms designed to evade background checks

• Weapons and large-capacity magazines designed to fire many rounds quickly—and weapons that cannot be traced—do not belong in civilian settings

Gun buyback programs

• Gun buyback programs offer a practical way to reduce the number of firearms in circulation

• I observed a gun buyback event in Denver where firearms were purchased from civilians and repurposed by Rawtools, turning weapons into tools and art

• Buybacks are voluntary, community-based efforts focused on prevention and risk reduction

School safety without criminalizing kids

• The role of school resource officers—police officers assigned to schools—should be limited to safety, prevention, and community building

• Police officers in schools should not be involved in routine student discipline or classroom management

• Discipline belongs with educators — not law enforcement

Dignity, safety, and freedom to be who you are

Everyone deserves to live openly, safely, and with dignity without fear of discrimination or political attacks. LGBTQ+ rights are human rights, and that belief guides how I vote and how I serve.

Equality under the law

• LGBTQ+ people deserve the same rights, protections, and opportunities as everyone else

• Discrimination has no place in housing, employment, healthcare, or public life

• I supported Amendment J, which removed the ban on same-sex marriage from the Colorado Constitution

Protecting LGBTQ+ students

• Schools must be safe and welcoming for every student

• When I served on the Denver School Board, I supported a policy that required a gender-neutral bathroom in every school

Healthcare decisions belong to patients, families, and doctors

• I support gender-affirming care

• Medical decisions should be made by patients, families, and qualified healthcare professionals, not politicians

• Care should be evidence-based, compassionate, and centered on patient well-being

Responsible innovation that protects people and democracy

Artificial intelligence is already shaping our economy, our schools, media, and our daily lives. I believe AI can be a powerful tool, but only if it is governed responsibly.

Preventing algorithmic discrimination

• I support strong guardrails to ensure AI is not used in ways that discriminate against people

• I support SB 24-205, which requires developers to take steps to prevent algorithmic discrimination

• When AI is used in areas like hiring, housing, education, credit, or public services, fairness and accountability must come first

Common-sense rules for AI in schools

• School districts need clear guidance on what is acceptable and unacceptable use of AI

• AI should support learning, not undermine academic integrity or student development

• Decisions about AI in schools should be made with educators, parents, and students, not dictated by tech companies and profit

Protecting students comes first

• I support actions like those taken by Denver Public Schools to protect students from accessing adult content and group texting features through the use of ChatGPT

• Until strong safeguards and age-appropriate protections are in place, student safety should come before convenience

Transparency and accountability

• When AI systems affect people’s lives, there must be transparency about how decisions are made

• Developers and deployers should be held accountable for how their tools are used

Protecting our future while lowering costs today

Climate change is affecting our air quality, our health, and our cost of living. I believe climate action should focus on practical, science-based solutions that reduce pollution, lower household costs, and improve daily life.

Electrifying buildings and building smarter

• I support investing in electrifying homes and buildings to reduce reliance on fossil fuels

• Clean electric heating, cooling, and appliances improve indoor air quality and public health

• Earlier in my career, I was a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)–certified architect, and I support LEED standards in construction because efficient, well-designed buildings reduce emissions and lower long-term energy costs

Clean transportation that reduces emissions and costs

• I support investing in public transportation to cut pollution and lower household transportation costs

• I support expanding bike lanes to reduce our carbon footprint and make biking a safe, realistic option

• Expanded bike infrastructure also supports e-bike adoption, giving more people an affordable, low-carbon way to get around

Preparing students for a changing world

• I support incorporating climate science and climate solutions into school curriculum

• When I served on the Denver School Board, I co-authored the first climate action policy for Denver Public Schools

• Students deserve accurate and science-based education that prepares them for future careers and real-world challenges

Climate-smart communities

• Housing, transportation, and land-use decisions affect emissions and affordability

• Building near transit and investing in biking and walking reduces pollution and costs

• Smart planning helps communities adapt to climate impacts