Our economy has been working against low- and middle- income families for far too long, and the pandemic has only made matters worse. For decades, working families’ incomes have been at a standstill while the cost of basic needs like housing, education and childcare has skyrocketed. We’ve taken action to promote an equitable economic recovery and address pandemic and Russian -induced inflation to move Colorado forward, but as we continue our recovery efforts and address the systemic issues that have impacted working families for years, we must make it a priority to uplift every community and forge a new social and economic contract with Coloradans that invests in people and promotes shared prosperity.

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My proudest accomplishment this legislative session was sponsoring and passing the bill that created the Colorado Cashback program, which is delivering every Colorado taxpayer a $750 relief check; $1500 for couples who file jointly. For the average Pueblo family, this check is $422 more than they would have received under traditional TABOR refunds. I also sponsored legislation that cut taxes for small family-owned businesses by over $100 million, to help expedite their recovery from the pandemic.

 

I co-sponsored legislation that expanded access to a union to over 36,000 workers. Next year, I’ll introduce legislation to strengthen our Workforce Development programs, to better ensure that no Coloradan is left behind by industry transitions. We must continue the fight for equal pay for equal work, raise wages and expand workers’ rights, break down systemic barriers that keep working families from succeeding, and invest in building equity and mobility for people who have been left out and behind for generations. Together, we can create an economy that works for everyone.