Every January, the opening day of the General Assembly marks the beginning of another opportunity to spend 120 days developing policies and fighting the big fights to make the biggest difference we can to make life better for the people of Colorado.

This year, the shadow of the pandemic looms large, as do the economic disruptions from the COVID hangover. While we’re all eager to get back to a more normal life, many are struggling to keep up with the high cost of living. There’s little we can do about the global factors that are driving prices of things like gas and groceries, but we’ve been working for years on solutions to bring down the costs of healthcare, housing, child care, and higher education. We will be continuing that work this session.

For the families struggling the most, our work last year to close tax loopholes on wealthy corporations and special interests has allowed us to increase funding for the earned-income tax credit and child tax credit. And I’m crossing my fingers that the US Senate gets it together to pass the Build Back Better plan that wil continue the federal child tax credit and do even more to help hard-working families get through this tough time. I know Senators Bennet and Hickenlooper are supporting that effort.

Our public schools are also struggling. On top of being chronically underfunded for decades, the pandemic has strained our educators and set back our students. That’s why we’ll be boosting funding for education this year to support those teachers and make sure every kid is given the educational opportunities they need to prepare for a successful life.

There are so many other ways we’ve made progress over the last few years on dozens of issues covering everything from climate change to transportation infrastructure to gun violence prevention, and I’m excited to continue that work while we also address the most immediate needs of the people of this beautiful state. 

For my part, I’m focusing my efforts on a few specific things:

• Utility Consumer Protections – When a customer is overdue, they may receive robocalls and letters that they’ll soon be disconnected, but it’s rare that someone actually talks to them and helps connect them to consumer assistance programs. And when a customer pays an overdue bill, there’s no guarantee their service will be reconnected the same day. We can do more to make sure consumers’ needs come first.
• Primary Care Payment Reform – We’ve been talking for years about the need to prioritize preventive care and move from fee-for-service to paying for quality outcomes, but progress has been limited. I want to pick up the pace and move closer to a system of universal primary care.
• Health-based Air Pollution Standards – We’ve made a lot of progress on climate change and monitoring air toxics around refineries, but what about other toxic chemicals released by a variety of industries that may cause cancer or other health effects? It’s time to beef up air quality monitoring across the state for all harmful chemicals and hold industry accountable for the health of their surrounding communities.
• Senior Housing Supports – Since my first year at the legislature, I’ve been working on finding ways to replace the broken senior homestead exemption with a better senior housing benefit that will give more support to lower-income seniors including renters and remove the ten-year residency requirement so that these seniors can downsize and take their tax credit with them. It’s the most complex policy I’ve ever worked on, and I’m getting closer to the right solution. Maybe this year will be the year.
• Protecting Voting Rights – As Chair of the State Affairs Committee, I hear all proposed legislation related to elections and voting. I will hold the line against “bie lie” conspiracy theorists and protect Colorado’s gold-standard election system from right-wing attacks. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue, and even the vast majority of Colorado’s County Clerks (most of which are Republicans) agree that our election systems are secure. But there are several GOP legislators who brought legislation last year to undermine our election system and chip away at voting rights in the name of increased security. They’re wrong, and I’ll fight them at every turn.

As I’ve said before, legislating is a team effort. None of us can be experts on everything, so we each specialize and work to build support among our colleagues. While I’m focused on the ideas above, I know my colleagues are digging into countless other ways to help Coloradans get through this tough time and make this beautiful state even better and more prosperous than it already is. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.

Follow our work at the legislature this session here and join our Zoom town hall on January 22nd.

And stay well. Hold your loved ones close. This too shall pass.

Chris

I hope this warm fall has been treating you well! I’ve loved the warmer days and beautiful colors, but it’s a reminder of how much more work we must do to prevent the most harmful effects of climate change. We will certainly be continuing that work next year, but for now, I have a few important updates to share.

Firstly, the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. Hospitalization rates are high, and there are many reports of breakthrough cases. The good news is that kids 5-11 are eligible for vaccines now, and every Colorado adult is now eligible for a booster shot. Learn how to get yours here.

Secondly, I’d like to introduce you all to my baby girl, Lennon! She was born on August 28^th, and Kyra and I have loved every minute of the last three months with her. It’s true what they say about the wholly different kind of love you experience with your child.

Thirdly, the independent redistricting commissions have completed their work and the Colorado Supreme Court has signed off on the final maps. The commissioners and staff had a monumental task in front of them—maybe an impossible one. I’ll admit I’m frustrated that they disregarded some of the public testimony about communities of interest, and I’m saddened that, as a result, some wonderful public servants will not be returning to the legislature after the 2022 election.

But another outcome is that the new maps are more competitive than they would be if either political party had full control of the process. While I might have chosen a map that was more reflective of our increasingly blue state, I don’t regret my support of Amendments Y & Z which were designed to take that choice out of my hands to prevent abuses of power from either side.

So what does this mean for Lakewood?

Well, it’s a pretty big shakeup. For the next year, I’ll continue to represent House District 23, which includes north Lakewood and the Green Mountain area, and Kerry Tipper will continue to represent House District 28, which includes south and east Lakewood.

But in the 2022 election, I’ll be running to represent the new House District 30, which is now drawn as the east/northeast Lakewood plus the city of Edgewater.

That means I’m losing about 2/3 of my current district as I’ll no longer be representing any of Lakewood west of Kipling. It’s a strange thing to spend so many years getting to know these communities and the ideas and concerns of the people who live there, only to find out that there’s a whole new community to get to know and represent for my final two years in the House.

Well, I’m always up for a new challenge, but I’ll truly miss serving the people of my current district. I can’t thank you enough for all of the support you’ve given me over my last three elections and last five years in the House. I hope to stay connected with you all, even when I’m no longer your Representative, and I hope you know that you can always reach out to me if you need anything or if you just want to share thoughts or ideas.

The good news is that you’ll all be in good hands with the legislators who will be running to represent you in 2022. And I’d like to take just a moment to sing their praises.

Currently representing House District 24 (Wheat Ridge, Golden, Edgewater) is Monica Duran. She’ll be running to represent the new House District 23, which picks up most of the territory I’m losing. Monica is most proud of her work to require safe storage of firearms, increase protections for victims of domestic violence, and reform construction retainage practices.

In south Lakewood, it’s a bit more complicated. Two amazing representatives, Kerry Tipper and Lisa Cutter, were drawn into the same district. They are still working through which will be running to represent the new House District 28, which includes the southernmost parts of Lakewood and much of unincorporated south Jeffco, in the House for the next two years.

Currently representing House District 28 (currently south and east Lakewood) is Kerry Tipper. Kerry is most proud of her work to expand health insurance coverage to include fertility treatment, funding of census outreach efforts to ensure an accurate count, and a significant increase of more than $400M in funding for early childhood education and child care programs.

Currently representing House District 25 (the Jeffco foothills & some unincorporated south Jeffco) is Lisa Cutter. Lisa is most proud of her work on improving enforcement of mental health parity laws, building out a better recycling infrastructure, phasing out single use plastics and styrofoam, and creating media literacy curriculum for kids.

Whichever of these three admirable leaders runs to represent you in 2022, you’ll be lucky to have such wonderful representation. But I’ll still miss you. And again, I’m so grateful for all of your support these last several years.

I’ll also take just a moment to talk about the State Senate and Congressional maps. Lakewood is currently split between two Senate districts, where Brittany Pettersen represents east Lakewood and Jessie Danielson represents west Lakewood. The new map essentially splits Lakewood north to south, and it will likely be the case in 2022 that Jessie Danielson runs to represent the northern part and Brittany Pettersen runs to represent the southern part.

Meanwhile, in Congress, we’re lucky that all of Lakewood is still in Congressional District 7 where we have the hardest working and most down-to-earth Representative in the whole US Congress, Ed Perlmutter.

Ok, I’m guessing only a small fraction of you have read this far, so I’d better wrap it up for today. Stay tuned for an announcement of a town hall in January, which will most likely be via Zoom unless pandemic conditions have dramatically improved. Until then, feel free to reply to this email with any thoughts, concerns, or ideas for the future!

Yours,
Chris Kennedy

By Chris Kennedy (July 15, 2021)

Friends and Neighbors,

Every legislative session brings its own challenges, and I’ve previously written about the work we did this session to prioritize pandemic-and-economic relief and recovery. Now that the dust has settled and bills have been signed into law by Governor Polis, I wanted to take a moment to tell you about the bills I spent the bulk of my time developing, stakeholding, and passing over the last several months.                   

In addition to maintaining my focus on reducing the high cost of healthcare and expanding prevention and treatment programs for substance use disorders, I dug in on democracy reforms, energy efficiency and utility assistance programs, rural broadband infrastructure, civil law, and health care services for people with severe disabilities. Read about my bills below, and click here to read the House Democrats’ comprehensive end-of-session report.

HB21-1047: County Commissioner Districts Gerrymandering                                              
In 2018, Colorado voters overwhelmingly chose to adopt Amendments Y and Z, which established guardrails to prevent gerrymandering for state legislative and congressional districts. My bill applies similar standards to county commissioner districts in counties that elect some or all of their commissioners by district (rather than countywide),  establishing clear criteria for fair and representative maps and requiring robust public participation.

HB21-1071: Ranked Choice Voting In Nonpartisan Elections                   
This bill seeks to encourage voter engagement and expand voter choice by making it easier for local governments to use a ranked-choice voting system. The bill allows municipalities to run ranked-choice elections through a county coordinated election, and directs the Secretary of State’s office to create statewide rules regarding voting systems and auditing practices for municipalities that opt into a ranked-choice voting system. Ranked-choice voting is secure, saves money, and empowers voters to rank candidates in order of their preference rather than being forced to select only one.

HB21-1105: Low-income Utility Payment Assistance Contributions
This bill creates a sustainable funding mechanism to support utility bill payment assistance, weatherization retrofits, and a cross-enrollment with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program to maximize the number of Coloradans who can access these programs. Not only will these expanded programs help families afford their utility bills, but the increased weatherization investments will reduce energy consumption in the first place and help protect our environment.

HB21-1188: Additional Liability Under Respondeat Superior
In 2017, the Colorado Supreme Court made it easier for employers to shift liability for negligent or harmful actions to an employee and thus protect themselves from additional liability (Ferrer v. Okbamicael). This bill holds corporations accountable by allowing a plaintiff to bring direct negligence claims against an employer who has already admitted vicarious liability for its employee’s negligence.

HB21-1276: Prevention Of Substance Use Disorders
In 2019, Colorado experienced an unprecedented 1,062 drug overdose deaths. This bill requires health insurance plans to reduce copays for safer alternatives to conventional opioids including physical therapy, acupuncture, and atypical opioids. The bill also continues the 7-day limit for opioid prescriptions and the requirement that prescribers check the prescription drug monitoring program before prescribing, establishes new guardrails on benzodiazepine prescriptions, forms a university collaborative to bring together experts to identify and implement the best evidence-based prevention programs, and funds expanded prescriber education programs.

HB21-1289: Funding For Broadband Deployment
The need for broadband access and reliability has burdened Colorado communities for years, and the COVID-19 pandemic made this need even more apparent. This bill provides $75 million to increase internet access and reliability across the state through the deployment of devices, and the development of middle and last-mile infrastructure to support essential services like telehealth and education. 

HB21-1321: Voter Transparency In Ballot Measures
Because of TABOR, the title for any ballot measure raising taxes must be in ALL CAPS and must begin with “SHALL TAXES BE INCREASED BY $###,###,###. However, there’s no requirement that a ballot measure reducing taxes show where the cuts will come from. This bill adds new requirements to ballot titles and blue books to make sure voters have all the information they need to make informed decisions about ballot measures that have such a profound impact on our state.

SB21-038: Expansion of Complementary And Alternative Medicine
Coloradans with long-term physical disabilities like spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, brain injuries, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, or cerebral palsy currently face difficulties accessing affordable integrative therapies. There is strong evidence that alternative treatments including massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic services dramatically improve the quality of life for people with disabilities and keep them off of opioids and out of the hospital, which saves money. For nearly a decade, Colorado has studies these impacts through a five-county pilot program for people with spinal cord injuries. Building on the success of the pilot, this bill expands the program to include persons with the aforementioned conditions in every county in Colorado.

SB21-137: Behavioral Health Recovery Act
For a long time, Colorado has underfunded mental health services and so Coloradans struggle to get the mental health care that they need. Last year, we were forced to cut funding even further for many behavioral health programs because of COVID-19. This bill invests $114 million in various behavioral health programs that address substance abuse, maternal and child health, and other behavioral health prevention and treatment programs around the state.  It also established a process that will take place this summer and fall to take a look at our behavioral health system and target investments from the American Rescue Plan to make transformative changes and create a true system so that every Coloradan can access behavioral health services when and how they need them.

SB21-175: Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board
Nearly one in three Coloradans across the state currently struggles to afford the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy. This bill will help reduce the high cost of prescription drugs by establishing the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board, which will research, review, and limit costs for up to 12 unaffordable prescription drugs each year.

For me, the best parts of this job are that I get to help people every day and that I get to learn new things every day. I’ve already started working on legislation for 2022, and I can’t wait to share with you what I have in store. Make sure to send me your ideas too!

Chris

P.S. Check out these news stories written about many of these pieces of legislation:

73rd General Assembly adjourns, with historic moves made on transportation, tax policy, mental health care

Colorado looks to lower high prescription drug costs by reviewing prices, setting ceilings

9 bills that will likely shape Colorado in years to come from the 73rd General Assembly

Colorado Has New Laws For Health Insurance And Drug Prices. What’s Next?

Polis signs Colorado Option bill into law, along with bill meant to reduce prescription drug prices

Polis signs bills on mental and behavioral health and substance abuse

Governor signs bills on elections, tribal nations and broadband expansion

Power provider plans to bring fiber-optic broadband service to rural parts of El Paso County

Polis signs bill to increase broadband access in rural Colorado

Polis signs substance use prevention bill but warns against future health insurance mandates

Colorado law boosts utility bill payment assistance for low-income households

By Yadira Caraveo and Chris Kennedy (May 26, 2021)

Nearly one in three Coloradans across the state currently struggles to afford the prescription drugs they need to stay healthy. The devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic have only exacerbated this struggle for too many, and prescription drugs don’t work if people can’t afford them. 

Pharmaceutical costs are the fastest-growing consumer health expense in the United States and account for over 20% of health insurance premiums. This is not a new issue and is in fact one that people have been asking lawmakers to address for years.  People can’t heal, go back to work, survive, or thrive without access to the medicine they rely upon.

This session, it’s time to stand with the people of Colorado and not with Big Pharma. We have introduced Senate Bill 175, to help reduce the astronomical costs of prescription drugs by creating a Prescription Drug Affordability Board (PDAB). This independent board, within the Division of Insurance, would be responsible for researching, reviewing, and limiting costs for the most unaffordable prescription drugs.  

The board would be made up of health-care and health-care financing experts, who would investigate exorbitant costs and price increases for the most expensive drugs. They will be limited to establishing more affordable costs for up to 12 drugs per year in their first three years, and the board is designed with a robust stakeholder and collaborative decision-making process that gives ample opportunity for everyone from consumers to manufacturers to weigh in. It’s estimated that this board could save Colorado up to 75% per year on the most unaffordable drugs. 

Unfortunately, every time we try to take steps to reduce the costs of prescription drugs for hard-working families, we hear the same empty threats from Big Pharma. It’s an old and tired playbook corporations rely on to scare voters and scare lawmakers into not doing their jobs. 

The truth is, there are many people around the world who already have access to drugs at lower costs — and Coloradans are footing the bill. In fact, Coloradans pay about 65% to 85% more for prescription drugs than people in other countries. Big Pharma is already giving different discounts to different customers, and 17 other states are already considering or have passed similar legislation. What the PDAB will do is ensure these costs are more transparent and affordable for everyone to improve access to medications for Coloradans. 

There are also consumer protection provisions in laws that would limit the ability of manufacturers to advertise in Colorado without the intent to sell, and the bill gives sufficient authority to the attorney general to protect Colorado consumers in this situation.  

Regardless of what scare tactics opponents are using, a bipartisan 75% of Coloradans support lawmakers taking action to create a prescription drug affordability board to reduce the costs of prescription drugs.   

That’s because we all know that one sure way to ensure people can’t access critical drugs is to make them unaffordable. Right now, we also know that this industry is profiting in the trillions of dollars selling medications that people rely upon to live. In recent years, pharmaceutical companies have spent almost twice as much on marketing as on research and development. In addition, over a third of research and development in the United States is funded through taxpayer dollars and philanthropic grants.  

Industry threats about innovation and access are unproven. It’s time to take bold steps to address the prescription drug affordability crisis, which is a well-established reality plaguing Coloradans. It’s time for us as lawmakers to stand up to industry and stand with Colorado families. The only thing more expensive than the current costs of prescription drugs is the cost of doing nothing. 

Yadira Caraveo, M.D., a practicing pediatrician and Thornton Democrat, represents House District 31 in the Colorado General Assembly. Chris Kennedy, a Lakewood Democrat, represents House District 23 in the Colorado General Assembly.

Read more on ColoradoPolitics.com.

By Representative Chris Kennedy (March 14, 2021)

In November 2018, Colorado voters passed two constitutional amendments to reform the redistricting process and ensure that neither political party could gerrymander districts in their favor. 

Amendments Y and Z were the product of years of conversations between party leaders

who came to the table because they knew that a fair set of rules was better than rolling the dice on which party would be in power when redistricting came around.

Amendment Y reformed the process for the drawing of federal congressional districts, and by extension, districts for the Colorado State Board of Education and University of Colorado regent candidates. Amendment Z reformed the process for drawing of state House and state Senate districts.

But there’s one other set of partisan elected offices in Colorado that wasn’t included: county commissioners.

To be fair, this isn’t a big problem in the vast majority of Colorado counties. Almost all counties have three commissioners who must live in their districts, but they’re elected by the voters of the whole county.

While there’s still the risk that the districts are drawn to exclude particular people from running for office, these counties can’t draw districts that give an electoral advantage to Democrats or Republicans, nor can they draw districts to limit the voting power of minority communities.

But there are three Colorado counties that elect some or all of their commissioners by individual districts, and in those counties, there’s nothing in the law requiring them to draw fair maps.

Arapahoe, El Paso and Weld counties will be redrawing their district maps this year, and we have a chance to hold them to the same high standards we’ve established for state and federal districts.

Fortunately, we don’t have to start from scratch because Amendments Y and Z have shown us the way. There was such strong support for the bipartisan compromise in these amendments that they both earned unanimous support from the state legislature, and each gained 71% support from the voters.

I am sponsoring House Bill 1047 in the Colorado legislature this year to apply the bulk of the provisions of Y and Z to counties that elect commissioners by district. These provisions include fair criteria for drawing of districts, maps drawn by nonpartisan staff, robust public participation, and judicial review. 

And while I acknowledge that requiring maps to be drawn by independent commissions would be ideal, I recognize that county budgets are tighter than the state budget. Thus, the bill encourages but does not require independent commissions.

As such, passing this bill is just the first step. Even more important will be the public participation that follows. Citizens in these counties will need to show up to hearings and talk about the diverse communities in their counties and what fair representation means to them.

While the bill primarily impacts three counties in the first year, it is my hope that a fair redistricting process will give other counties the reassurance they need to make the change from three commissioners elected at large to five commissioners elected by district. 

My home county, Jeffco, has more residents than the entire state of Wyoming, so when candidates have to run countywide, most voters never meet them face-to-face. Furthermore, it is the view of many voting rights advocates that at-large districts can be racially discriminatory. 

This is common sense. We all know there’s a long history of partisan gerrymandering in this country. Let’s root it out at every level. 

HB 1047 has already passed its first hurdle: an initial committee meeting on March 4. If you agree with the goals of this bill, email your county commissioners and your state legislators today and ask them to support it as it moves through the legislative process.

Read more at ColoradoSun.com.

Friends and Neighbors,

Today, we call to order the 73rd General Assembly of the State of Colorado.

Last year brought unprecedented challenges, and while we’re on the road to recovery, we’re not out of the woods just yet. The death toll from the COVID19 pandemic keeps growing, and many individuals and businesses are struggling to keep their heads above water financially.

While many of us are feeling optimistic about the new administration that will be sworn in on January 20th in Washington DC, we’re also seeing the lies and white supremacist ideas of the sitting president infect the minds of thousands–driving some to commit acts of violence in an attempt to undermine the results of an election that their guy lost, fair and square. 

It’s a troubling time, and these are the times in which we need real leaders the most. I continue to believe that a government of, by, and for the people offers the best chance at protecting the freedoms and enabling the prosperity of all of our people. As we return to the Capitol today, I will do my part to advance policies that put people first while also listening to alternative viewpoints, seeking common ground, and building relationships that help remind us that we’re all in this together.

We’re only going to be in session for three days to start, after which we’ll adjourn for about a month to allow some time for the post-holiday COVID19 spike to simmer down. During that time, many legislators and staff will also be getting vaccinated so that we can make the Capitol as safe as possible when we return. We can only be effective at our jobs when we welcome the voices of our constituents into the place where we do business, and as much as I value the opportunities we’ve created for remote participation, it just isn’t the same. I’m excited for a time when people from across our state again feel safe coming to testify in front of our committees to share their stories and ensure our policies work for them in real life.

When we resume the legislative session in February, we’ll be prioritizing pandemic and economic recovery, as well as restoration of the funding for K-12 and higher education that was cut last year. I’m excited that we’ll also be able to start looking past the crisis into the future again, and we still have much work to do to reduce the high cost of health care, expand access to high quality education for every kid, protect our environment for the next generation, and work towards equity in every policy area. 

I’ll be sponsoring legislation on several topics:

• County commissioner redistricting reform
• Ranked choice voting in nonpartisan elections
• Energy efficiency & assistance funding
• Holding corporations accountable for negligence
• Holding district attorneys accountable for hiding exculpatory evidence 
• Reducing the high cost of prescription drugs
• Expanding coverage for complementary and integrative health services
• Encouraging alternatives to opioids for pain patients

In addition, I’m doing research and considering possible legislation to help low-income seniors afford housing and to accelerate payment reform in primary care. I’m really excited about all of this work and I’ll look forward to hearing your feedback. Email me any thoughts you have, and stay tuned for our next Lakewood town hall meetings.

Until then, stay healthy, stay safe, and do everything you can to change the world.

Chris

November 4, 2020

Thank you for everyone who donated, volunteered, and/or voted for me! I am so grateful to the voters of House District 23 have again entrusted me to represent them for the next two years! This job has been the most challenging and rewarding of my life, and I will continue working hard every day to make life better for the people of Colorado.

Every election night includes a mix of celebration, sorrow, and uncertainty. While much remains unknown at the national level, I’m proud of Colorado voters and think we have a lot of reasons to be hopeful about the future.

I expect I will spend more time writing some reflections about the election in the days and weeks ahead, but for now, I will just say one more thing.

Stay true. The work continues.

Chris

October 7, 2020

It’s hard to believe that we’re finally approaching the end of the 2020 campaign season. I know that many of you are feeling ready to complete and return your ballot the moment you receive it, so I want to make sure you have all the info you need to vote this year.

Voting by mail in Colorado is secure. Every registered voter receives a ballot, which you can return by mail or take to a drop box.  You can also throw it away and go vote in person after October 19th. Our systems are audited and protected from fraud and foreign interference. In most counties, you can check online to find out whether your ballot has been received and counted (which is just another reason not to wait)! Find more information about voting this year here.

There are 11 statewide ballot measures and various local measures. For nonpartisan analysis of pros and cons, make sure to read your Blue Book (English Version | Spanish Version). There are also some great ballot guides out there from the Bell Policy Center and Progress Now Colorado, but I’m sure you’re unsurprised to learn that I have some strong opinions of my own:

Amdt B – Repeal Gallagher Amendment
I’m voting yes. This outdated property tax formula has led to a serious decline in local funding for our K-12 schools, which the state has tried but failed to adequately backfill. If we don’t pass Amdt B, our schools are going to take another big hit next year.

Amdt C – Bingo/Raffle Rules
While it’s silly that these rules are in the Constitution in the first place, Amdt C makes modest changes to help nonprofits fundraise using bingo and raffles. I’m voting yes.

Amdt 76 – Requirements to Vote
I’m voting no. There are no jurisdictions in Colorado considering allowing non-citizens to vote, so this is largely symbolic. However, we do currently grant 17-year-olds the right to vote in caucuses and primaries as long as they’ll be 18 by the November election, and Amdt 76 would take that right away.

Amdt 77 – Casino Bet Limits
Honestly, I’m a little torn on this one. Our community colleges certainly need more funding, and Amdt 77 could help. But I do worry the potential for higher betting limits to hurt people prone to gambling addiction.

Prop EE – Nicotine Tax
I’m voting yes. Increasing the price of nicotine products is the number one way to reduce teen use, which is very high in Colorado. While it’s true that nicotine taxes are regressive, I’d argue that the negative health impacts of nicotine use are even more regressive. 

Prop 113 – National Popular Vote
I’m voting yes. Once enough states join Colorado in this interstate compact, all will simultaneously switch from giving their electoral college votes to the winner of their own state’s popular vote and instead give them to the winner of the national popular vote. It’s unfortunate that Presidential candidates really only campaign in a dozen or so states. With a national popular vote system, these candidates will be incentivized to campaign in every state. It’s simple. One person, one vote.

Prop 114 – Gray Wolf Reintroduction
While I’m hardly an expert on wildlife issues, I’m voting yes because I believe it’s important to protect endangered species. I believe we’ll be able to adequately address the concerns from ranchers.

Prop 115 – Prohibit Abortions After 22 Weeks
I’m voting no. This is just another attempt to restrict access to women’s reproductive health, and I maintain that this is none of the government’s business.

Prop 116 – Income Tax Rate Cut
I’m voting no. This cut disproportionately benefits the wealthy while only giving back $37 a year to the average Coloradan. The lost revenue could mean slashing more than 2000 teacher jobs. I think the average Colorado family needs good teachers more than they need $37.

Prop 117 – Voter Approval of Enterprises
I’m voting no. TABOR already makes Colorado’s budget process the most convoluted in the country. Prop 117 would do even more to tie legislators’ hands behind our backs at a time when we need creative thinking to keep our state afloat.

Prop 118 – Paid Family Leave
I’m voting yes. Too many Colorado workers have to face the terrible choice between caring for a loved one and keeping their job. By establishing a social insurance program for family leave in Colorado, we can ensure everyone can take the time they need to take care of a new baby or an aging parent while also helping small businesses get by while their employee is on leave.

Lakewood Ballot Question 2B – Recreational Marijuana
I’m voting yes to allow Lakewood’s existing medical marijuana retailers to begin selling recreational marijuana. I continue to believe a regulated marijuana market does a better job preventing access for kids than the black market, and Lakewood will put the increased sales tax revenue to good use on parks, police, and transportation.

Whew! We got through all 11 statewide measures plus one local measure! If you’ve read this far, thanks for sticking with me! Just a couple more quick things before I let you go on with your day!

Remember to vote all the way down the ticket! Yes, there will be names you don’t recognize, but you know how to use Google. The people we elect to offices like county commissioner and district attorney have huge impacts on our communities, too.

Take a simple step to triple your vote. We all have friends and family who could use a reminder to vote. If everyone reading this commits to contact three people in their own network, it will go a really long way.

Thank you for participating in our democracy! As always, you can email me at chris@kennedy4co.com with your thoughts and questions.

Chris

Colorado’s current flat income tax isn’t quite as flat as it seems. The reality is that the highest income Coloradans pay a much lower share of their income than everybody else.

This year, we have an opportunity to ask the top 5% of Coloradans to pay their fair share while reducing income tax rates for the other 95% of us. Initiative #271 does just that, while also generating an estimated $2 billion in state revenue, with half going to raising pay for public school teachers and support staff and the other half going to addressing the impacts of our growing population on infrastructure and other state programs. 

In light of the impacts of the global pandemic on our state budget, this measure is needed now more than ever. And it’s only fair to ask those whose incomes were not affected by the pandemic to pitch in a little bit more. And for those of you who have been calling for TABOR reform, this is the best shot we’ve had in years to offset TABOR’s negative impacts on state priorities.

But before it gets onto the November ballot, we need to help the campaign gather the required number of signatures. Click here to find out where you can sign a petition in the weeks ahead. 

If you need more information, there’s a lot available. See the links below or visit FairTaxColorado.org to explore for yourself:

• Fact Sheet
• Tax Bracket Details
• Tax Calculator
• Find a petition to sign!
• Volunteer to carry a petition!

Thanks!
Chris