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< Back Rep. Lukens: Increasing affordability across Colorado Aug 7, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Craig Daily Press here . It is clear one of the most pressing issues for families across House District 26 and throughout Colorado is affordability. All of our community members deserve to live in our beautiful towns, but with the growing crisis of the high cost of living, many are struggling to make ends meet. From Eagle to Rio Blanco counties, I continue to hear your concerns about rising costs, and I am excited to share how we have turned those worries into action. This legislative session we focused on making Colorado more affordable. We are reducing the cost of housing, cutting taxes and making childcare, health care, transit and higher education more affordable. Housing Affordable housing is crucial for our Western Slope communities. This session, we passed two key bills to address this challenge. SB24-233, Reducing Property Taxes, is a bipartisan effort that will reduce over $1.3 billion in property taxes. This significant relief will help ease the financial burden on families throughout Colorado. We know Coloradans are searching for more affordable housing options, and recent legislation we passed will help us create more housing quicker. HB24-1036 boosts tax credits for modular, prefabricated homes which means more housing sooner in our community. Child Care Supporting Colorado families is a top priority of mine. I’m proud to have sponsored HB24-1237, Programs for the Development of Child Care Facilities. This law makes it easier to build and open child care facilities, addressing the critical shortage of affordable child care faced by the Western Slope. This will help parents access affordable child care while simultaneously supporting our local businesses and workforce. We also passed two tax credits to make it easier to raise children in Colorado. HB24-1134 expands the state Earned Income Tax Credit to help working families offset the increasing cost of raising children, and HB24-1311 will provide up to $3,200 per child to lower income Coloradans, offering significant financial relief to those who need it most. Additionally, HB24-1223 supports parents who may struggle to afford child care, making it easier for families to access this vital support. These combined efforts will make a real difference for families across House District 26, easing the financial pressure of raising children in our beautiful, but increasingly expensive, region. Higher Education Investing in education is an investment in our future. This year, we passed groundbreaking legislation to make higher education more accessible and affordable. HB24-1340 ensures that eligible students can now attend community college for free, and covers two years of a four-year degree at all public institutions in the state. This opens doors for countless students across House District 26. I sponsored HB24-1365, the Opportunity Now Grants & Tax Credit program, which will help students enter fast-growing industries. This initiative bridges the gap between education and our evolving job market, benefiting both our youth and our local economies. Another law I championed, HB24-1305, makes important changes for concurrent enrollment students. This will expand opportunities for high school students to earn college credit, easing the transition to higher education and potentially reducing the time and cost of earning a degree. These efforts collectively aim to make higher education more attainable for all Coloradans, regardless of their economic background or where they live in our diverse district. House District 26 From reducing property taxes to expanding educational opportunities, I am working hard to address the challenges faced by families across House District 26. As your representative, I am committed to continuing this work, ensuring that the Western Slope remains a place where people can afford to live, work, and thrive. Together, we can build a more affordable and prosperous future for our communities. Let’s keep in touch and keep making a difference in House District 26. You can contact me at repmeghanlukens@gmail.com , through social media or in person at one of my town hall meetings. I also send out more regular legislative updates through my newsletter, which you can join by emailing me. Onward! Rep. Meghan Lukens represents District 26, which includes Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Eagle counties, in the Colorado House. Previous Next

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< Back Cecelia Espenoza Rep. Cecelia Espenoza represents House District 4 in North/West Denver, a community she has Called home for over 30 years. Born to migrant farmworkers from Colorado, she was the first in her family to graduate from college and she went on to be the second Latina to pass the bar in Utah. She returned to Colorado as the first tenure-track Latina to teach law in Colorado. She was also the first Mexican-American to become an appellate judge on the highest immigration court in the country. She is focused on addressing the housing crisis, investing in our K-12 public schools, combating gun violence, and protecting reproductive rights while supporting the most vulnerable in our communities including: immigrants and refugees; and Colorado’s LGBTQ+ community. Rep. Espenoza serves on the Judiciary and State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs committees.

< Back Rep. McLachlan: ‘Long nights, in-depth debate, good legislation for Colorado’ Mar 1, 2024 See more This story was originally posted in the Durango Herald here . We are a third of the way through our time in the Legislature this year, and I anticipate the next two-thirds will consist of long nights, in-depth debate, dozens of meetings and some good legislation for Colorado. Several of the bills I am sponsoring are starting in the House, or have already passed through the Senate and headed my way. The flow is steadily increasing, as is the workload. In the House Business committee last week, I presented House Bill 24-1160 to continue a successful program, which increases the capacity building of small businesses. The Economic Development Organization Action Grant Program in the Office of Economic Development provides grants to Colorado-based economic development organizations that attract, retain, promote and expand local businesses. In the two years the initial program has been going, 55 organizations in 34 counties received money, helping businesses continue to support and guide local economic activity. The fund created 33 new businesses, and 612 businesses received assistance. Some 268 jobs were created and 19 more were sustained. The EDOs added 414 new members to their rosters, 669 relationships were maintained between EDOs and businesses, and 2,847 entrepreneurs started and maintained their businesses. We had compelling testimony from business leaders from around the state, and the bill passed unanimously. I am proud to not only promote the benefits of shopping locally, but am doing something about it. In the Education Committee next week, I am presenting a bill modeling the successful partnership between traditional and charter schools we have in Durango. The legislation, House Bill 24-1154, does not mandate, but opens the opportunity for other districts to run bonds with their Charter School Institute schools for capital construction, land or facility needs. As they do in Durango, the bond funds are split proportionately between the schools. As District 9-R discovered, asking voters for money for both charters and traditional schools helps all public school students. Rep. Ron Weinberg (R-Larimer) and I are getting an encouraging response as we head to our first public forum, and we’re hoping that continues. On March 14, I am running a bill to help address the recruitment and retention of Colorado teachers. It seemed the Colorado Department of Education website was too confusing if all a person wanted to know how to become a teacher, so we devised a one-stop-shopping model. The CDE and I have been working on a website for all potential teachers, whether they are in college, exploring options in high school, employed and ready to switch jobs or working at one school, looking at what is available at others. The website will be shared on all school district sites, who will be able to post their job openings for everyone, not just those in their geographical area. This makes finding relevant information a lot easier. Another bill I am running concerns principal and superintendent PERA retirees, who may want to fill an open position in a rural district. Two years after they retire, they can return to a school to work, without hurting their current PERA benefits. They will still pay into the system, as will the districts, so PERA will not lose money. When talking with district superintendents last fall, I heard about the necessity of this bill as rural schools, in particular, are affected most by the administrative shortage. I am happy to respond. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, is serving her fourth term in the Legislature, representing La Plata, Montezuma, Archuleta and San Juan counties. She has been a journalist and teacher. Previous Next

State-driven tax cuts have wildly different impacts on Colorado communities, so let’s leave it to local governments to make adjustments < Back Rep. deGruy Kennedy: After Colorado legislature’s latest special session is finished, we must restore local control over property taxes Aug 20, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Colorado Sun here . Over my eight years representing Jefferson County in the state House, I’ve learned that good policy is about thoughtful stakeholding, delicate balancing, and, ultimately, hard choices. As the state embarks on yet another special legislative session on property taxes, those shaping this round of policy solutions should keep in mind the lessons we’ve already learned. Those are: All voices — including those not in the room — need to be considered, not just those with the resources to make their voices the loudest. Despite posturing to the contrary, proponents of the extreme, badly crafted measures are seeing the writing on the wall and are eager for a deal. And, state-driven policy on issues that are inherently local is fraught with problems. It needs to stop. Let’s start with the consensus-driven process that created Senate Bill 233 , the bipartisan property tax legislation we passed this year that will lower property taxes by $1 billion. Even as I struggled with some of the sacrifices we had to make to maintain strong support from across the aisle, the bill provides meaningful property tax cuts and a cap on future growth without undermining K-12 funding, which is still well below the national average. And it delivers more property tax relief to regular folks and small businesses without giving exorbitant tax breaks to the wealthiest homeowners and largest corporations. Importantly, it was the result of countless hours of public discussion. Fairness and inclusion should continue to be the guideposts for any new policy emerging from the special session. Lawmakers should not feel as though they need to put the interests of everyday Coloradans on the back burner in order to kowtow to whomever is bankrolling Initiatives 50 and 108 , the chaotic conservative measures that would create a fiscal trainwreck at the state and local levels. While it’s understandable that many stakeholders are afraid of the possibility that these measures might pass in November, polling shows they are headed toward defeat. I think proponents of 50 and 108 know that too. Otherwise, why would they express an openness to relatively small cuts in exchange for pulling down their ballot measures? I’ve always thought that the classic negotiation strategy of staking out an extreme position and wiggling back toward a middle ground was silly. Shouldn’t grown-ups just be able to sit down, put their cards on table, discuss their differences, and let the democratically elected representatives cast their votes? But that’s never what happens, because that’s not what serves the special interests. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a corporate lobbyist bluff their way through a negotiation. They come in hot, suggesting they have the upper hand and convincing legislators that the only way to get the votes for a bill is to cut a deal. Are the proponents of 50 and 108 bluffing? I don’t know. Maybe they’re willing to bankrupt state and local governments to prove a point. But I think they very much want a deal so they can claim victory for cutting taxes without having to spend millions of dollars on a campaign that may or may not succeed. The third lesson we should take from the thoughtful deliberations that went into crafting Senate Bill 233 centers on local control. What we need is stable state policy, restoring true local control to our duly-elected city councilors, county commissioners and district board members. They have the tools to engage with their voters and balance the impact of taxes with the needs of public services. And these communities are all different. Some have more residential while some have more commercial properties. Many rural counties didn’t see significant home value growth, and the property tax cuts hurt their ability to provide services when their constituents did not experience the same property tax increases seen elsewhere. Many local governments had passed voter-approved revenue changes in previous years. But many other local governments had never passed revenue increases, meaning their constituents were paying lower taxes to begin with. The 2023 value increases finally caught them up with their neighbors and allowed for investments that had been deferred for years, if not decades. Additional state-driven property tax cuts will have wildly different impacts across our state, and they will be permanent. That means that economic downturns could have serious consequences in communities. Our local leaders, on the other hand, have the tools to temporarily lower their mill levies in times like these. And they have the ability to focus on the needs of their own communities, allowing them to find the sweet spot between additional tax relief and funding their unmet needs. So, if the state is going to have one last hurrah in property tax policy, then fine. We’re well positioned to get a good deal that prioritizes regular folks and carefully balances statewide priorities like K-12 and higher education funding. But this should be the very last time. After that, we must restore local control over property taxes. Chris deGruy Kennedy of Lakewood was one of the prime sponsors of Senate Bill 233 and outgoing Colorado House Speaker Pro Tem; he is now the president and CEO of the Bell Policy Center. Previous Next

< Back Lisa Feret Lisa Feret is an Air Force Veteran, Social Worker and Humanitarian. She brings her unique blend of experience and energy to every challenge. From her time as a military policewoman to her work in emergency management and housing advocacy, Lisa loves to tackle tough problems with creativity and heart. She’s a champion for innovative solutions—whether it’s piloting home-sharing programs, responding to natural disasters, or helping older adults remain in their lifelong home. As a mom, Lisa’s dedication to building a brighter future is personal, driving her focus on stronger healthcare systems, and safer neighborhoods. Lisa’s not just about policies—she’s about people. Her hands-on approach to local, national, and international issues shows her commitment to making a real difference. Lisa believes in rolling up her sleeves and working alongside her community to create a Colorado that works for everyone. Rep. Feret is a member of the State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs and the Health & Human Services committees.

< Back Rep. Katie Stewart: Federal cuts and frozen funds threaten Southwest Colorado schools, hospitals, individuals and families Jul 16, 2025 See more This story was originally published in the Journal here . To start off on a positive note, my family and I had a wonderful time celebrating our nation’s Independence Day. We enjoyed the Rotary pancake breakfast in Durango and fireworks in Mancos at Boyle Park. However, the 4th of July also marked the final passage of the budget bill in Congress. The bill includes heavy cuts to funding for health care and education that will hit rural communities hard. It’s projected that 140,000 to 230,000 Coloradans will lose their health care coverage. This doesn’t only mean people will be forced to delay care and go into medical debt. These cuts also mean that when those people get sick, hospitals won’t be able to get reimbursed for their care. Paired with more direct cuts to hospital funding, hospitals in rural Colorado will have to reduce services and some may even have to close their doors – including hospitals here in the Southwest. Colorado will also have to complete regular employment verification for more than 377,000 people enrolled in Medicaid, when strong data shows that the vast majority of Medicaid patients already work. This will force our counties to shoulder heavy administrative overheads that they don’t have the staffing or funds to handle. Confusion around paperwork and deadlines will also cut many people off from coverage, even though they work full time. Arkansas and Georgia both tried – and failed – to put Medicaid employment verification in place in recent years. Both states faced massive administrative costs and losses in coverage due to paperwork errors, with no increase in employment among Medicaid patients. Regarding our schools, the Department of Education has frozen funding for programs focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) initiatives, English language education, student mental health, and more. School districts across Southwest Colorado have been blocked from accessing hundreds of thousands of dollars that were promised to them, with the school year starting in less than six weeks. Our rural schools have already been struggling with two decades of underinvestment, and cannot afford delays, much less the cuts that are likely to come after the DOE finishes their ‘administrative review.’ These will directly harm our students' ability to prepare for their futures, and they threaten the jobs of local educators. Right now, Montezuma-Cortez School District stands to lose over $410,000, Archuleta $380,000, Silverton $230,000, Durango $220,000, Mancos $191,000, Ignacio $67,000, Bayfield $54,000, and Dolores $34,000. Unfortunately, as many of you know, Colorado is already in an ongoing budget crisis. We managed to avoid significant cuts to K-12 education and Medicaid at the state level this year by tightening our belt across the rest of the budget and making heavy cuts in areas like transportation and road maintenance. We fought to protect affordable health care and the education our kids need for their bright futures. However, this means that we do not have the funds to cushion federal cuts like some other states do. I have been in many meetings this week and last, both with my colleagues at the State House and local health and education providers, and we are working hard on what to do next. At this point, there is no clear way forward and this is going to be a very difficult road for us. Hope springs eternal though, and tomorrow is another day that I have a chance to fight for rural Colorado. Katie Stewart represents House District 59 in the Colorado State House, which encompasses Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties and most of Montezuma County. Reach her at katie.stewart.house@coleg.gov . Previous Next

< Back Karen McCormick Chair of the Ag., Water & Natural Res. Committee Representative Karen McCormick is the Chair of the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee, member of the House Health & Human Services and represents House District 11 which includes most of the city of Longmont. Rep. McCormick, a practicing veterinarian for over 34 years, advocates for families, health care, education, LGBTQ+ protections, reproductive rights, economic opportunity and the future of our planet. Rep. McCormick has championed important legislation to protect Colorado’s watersheds, preserve ecosystems, improve access to veterinary care, facilitate the move to renewable energy, expand access to health care and more. Her dog Pippin comes to the capitol to intern regularly!

< Back Katie Stewart Rep. Katie Stewart is a fourth-generation Durangoan who represents House District 59 in the Southwest corner of Colorado, including Archuleta, La Plata, San Juan counties, and most of Montezuma County. She is a member of the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources and the Health & Human Services committees. Her background as an emergency responder in Silverton and Durango and a member of the Durango 9-R Board of Education shapes her priorities in the Colorado Capitol - which are addressing the affordability crisis, strengthening the state’s education system, and advocating for rural Colorado. Rep. Stewart is ready to work across the aisle to be a strong voice for Southwest Colorado and its future.

< Back Matthew Martinez Majority Whip Representative Matthew Martinez is the Vice Chair of the House Education Committee and a member of the Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Martinez represents House District 62 which includes Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Huerfano Mineral, Pueblo, Rio Grande, and Saguache counties. Veteran and educator, Rep. Martinez is passionate about post-secondary education opportunities, workforce development, veterans’ issues, and supporting local communities. During the 2023 legislative session, Rep. Martinez sponsored bipartisan legislation to provide financial assistance to high school seniors to pursue career or education opportunities after graduation.

< Back Andrew Boesenecker Speaker Pro Tempore Andy was elected via a vacancy committee to represent House District 53 in April of 2021. He was re-elected in November of 2022 and 2024 and is serving in his third term as the State Representative from House District 53. In addition to serving as the Speaker Pro Tempore of the House, he also serves on the following committees: Transportation, Housing, and Local Government Committee Appropriations Committee Audit Committee Health Insurance Exchange Oversight Committee Wildfire Matters Review Committee In his time in the legislature, Andy has prioritized legislation that reflects the values and concerns of our community. He has championed bills that address affordable housing, climate change, gun violence prevention, healthcare, transportation, public education, and more. In 2023, Andy was recognized by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy as the Legislative Champion of Economic Justice and Equity. Voces Unidas honored Andy with their 2023 Community Ally award, and Health Care for All Colorado recognized him as the 2023 Legislator of the Year. Andy also received the Community Investment Alliance's 2023 Political Impact Award and was recently honored as a Legislative Champion by Young Invincibles. Andy earned a Bachelor of Music degree from Western Michigan University in 2001 and a Master of Divinity Degree from the Iliff School of Theology in 2013. A former public school teacher in a Title I school, Andy has also worked in the non-profit sector. He was previously ordained as a minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and worked to advance LGBTQ+ rights within the church. He lives in West Fort Collins with his spouse, Stacey, and their three children.

< Back Julie McCluskie Speaker of the House Representative Julie McCluskie is the first female from the Western Slope to serve as Speaker of the House and represents House District 13 which includes Chaffee, Grand, Jackson, Lake, Park, and Summit counties. Over her years as a State Representative, McCluskie has served on the Rural Affairs and Agriculture, Education, Appropriations, Wildfire Matters, Early Childhood and School Readiness Commission, and Water Resources and Agricultural Review committees, and as Chair of the Legislative Interim Committee on School Finance. Notably, she was appointed to the Joint Budget Committee in January 2020 and was appointed Chair of the JBC in November 2021. She was elected Speaker of the House for both the 74th and 75th General Assemblies. Speaker McCluskie’s legislative achievements include student success and workforce revitalization, healthcare affordability and accessibility, water and wildlife conservation, wildfire mitigation, and affordable housing initiatives. Additionally, she passed the first significant rewrite of the Colorado School Finance Act in 30 years, making it more equitable and increasing funding for every student in the state. Speaker McCluskie is dedicated to preserving the Colorado Way of Life for those living from the the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope and everywhere in between.