Hello
I was recently elected to the Colorado State Senate representing District 18 (Boulder, Louisville, and Superior) and will serve in this role beginning with the 75th Colorado General Assembly in January, 2025.
I have served as the State Representative for Colorado House District 49 for the past four years. In this role, I have sponsored a strong slate of progressive and pragmatic bills, including measures to increase mental health resources, improve the criminal justice system, increase gun safety, and make communities more resilient in the face of wildfires fueled by the climate crisis.
I have a background in business. I co-founded, owned and for 25 years operated Product Architects, a Colorado business that manufactured the Polar Bottle brand of sport water bottles.
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My son developed a serious mental illness at the age 18. I was inspired to seek public office after experiencing our broken mental health care system firsthand. Managing a growing business, caring for up to 65 employees, and parenting three boys has informed every part of my life and work in the Colorado General Assembly.
My leadership roles in the House have included:
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Chair of the Business Affairs & Labor Committee
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Member of the House Appropriations Committee
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Member of the House Judiciary Committee
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Member of the Legislative Council
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Chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee: Colorado Jail Standards Commission
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Chair of the Legislative Oversight Committee: Treatment of Persons with Mental Health Disorders in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice System Committee
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Member of the Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force
Some key areas of focus during my time in the House include:
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Mental Health
I have focused on increasing access to mental health treatment for people with serious mental illness.
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Gun Safety
I was a lead legislator on four gun safety bills that expand the state’s red flag law, raise the minimum age to purchase all guns to 21, impose a three-day waiting period on firearm purchases and make it easier for people to sue the gun industry. I was a primary sponsor of a successful measure mandating a three-day waiting period for all gun purchases and transfers.
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Criminal Justice Reform
I have worked to address public safety with legislation that addresses the social determinants of crime, and policies to make our jails more humane and effective. ​
Climate Resilience
Understanding that climate change is fueling more destructive wildfires in our state, I have focused on the complex issue of insurance reform. Bills I've sponsored include a measure to make the claims process more fair and straightforward for families who have lost everything.
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Environmental Protection
I have sponsored measures to reduce carbon emissions, encourage a renewable energy economy, and create greater resiliency against immediate and future impacts caused by climate change.
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Reproductive Health Care
I co-sponsored an historic package of bills to ensure the right to legal abortions and gender-affirming health care in Colorado. I also worked to defeat dangerous far-right bills that would have criminalized abortion in Colorado and spread harmful disinformation.
