Supporting the most vulnerable, building infrastructure, expanding public transit, and being your voice
As your State Representative, my goal is to ensure that Colorado’s most vulnerable communities are protected. Nationally, we are facing an erosion of Medicaid and education funding. This wrongfully targets Colorado’s most vulnerable. My belief is that government is by the people and for the people.
Learn more about my Legislative bills at:
Housing Affordability
Housing and rent costs are becoming out of reach for too many families. As an elected official of Colorado, my goal and vision is to allow all Coloradans the ability to live and thrive in our community. Increasing affordable housing, allowing for more housing options, and reinvesting state dollars can help us bridge this gap. As a Broomfield City Council Member, I voted on numerous projects such as The Grove, a housing project that focused primarily on residents with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Another project I'm proud to have been part of is the Harvest Hill.
HB26-1001 Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties (HOME Act)
The HOME Act seeks to address affordable housing by allowing organizations with a history of building housing - such as nonprofits, universities, and housing authorities - to create more housing projects. Homeownership has become out of reach for too many, and rental prices continue to climb. While I am not a sponsor, The HOME act has nearly unanimous support from Democrats in both chambers. I was proud to vote in support alongside Broomfield’s Senator William Lindstedt and the majority of our caucus. We need smart, sustainable growth that helps create housing people can afford, while reining in unsustainable sprawl. Governor Polis signed this bill on March 25th.
HB26-1099 Protect Financial Condition of Homeowners Associations
I became a sponsor for this bill because as a new homeowner, I understand the important roles Homeowners Associations (HOAs) play but also the potential problems caused by management changes. This bill, signed into law in March, will create transparency and address HOA accountability. It also codifies that when an HOA changes management companies, the former company must provide the new HOA management company the property, records, and accounts and be held liable to the financial conditions of the HOA. This protects HOA members and holds management companies accountable for their transfers.
Protecting Workers’ Rights
Coloradans deserve a living wage. I support unions and fair practices with workers. I have been a proud union member of Colorado Wins and believe that collective bargaining is essential for wage growth, economic mobility, and a prosperous Colorado.
HB26-1005 Worker Protection Collective Bargaining
Colorado ranks in the bottom third of U.S. States for union representation and historically has had restrictive labor organizing laws. Labor unions are beneficial as they allow for collective bargaining with employers over wages, benefits, and working conditions, and allow for the protection of employees against unjust actions from employers. This bill promotes good-faith collective bargaining between employees and employers, and although it was vetoed by the Governor in May, I will continue fighting for worker protections here in Colorado.
Education
I believe that we must protect our education funding in Colorado, including free preschool and kindergarten programs. With TABOR, budget shortfalls, and the looming shadow of the Trump Administration funding cuts, we must do everything we can to invest in our schools and educational programs in the State of Colorado.
HB26-1318 Traffic Safety Near Schools
The safety of our streets near schools is especially important. I was proud to sponsor HB26-1318, which clarifies what is considered a school zone and makes traffic enforcement near schools easier to help protect our kids. The bill passed both chambers and is now named in honor of Liam Stewart, a 7th grader who tragically lost his life while biking to school. Governor Polis signed the bill into law on June 1st.
SB26-060 Mental Health Training in Concussion Education
Protecting the safety of children is a key concern of parents of student athletes. SB26-060 is a bipartisan act that requires coaches of youth athletic activities to complete a biennial mental health education course that includes topics of suicide prevention, substance abuse prevention, trauma, anxiety disorders and depression, and the important relationship between concussions and mental health.
Updating Codes & Laws
HB26-1187, which I sponsored with State Representative Rebecca Stewart and State Senators Tony Exum and Marc Snyder, is a bill that ensures fire protection safety by continuing the Fire Suppression Registration and Inspection Program in the Division of Fire Prevention and Control through 2037. This bill passed through both chambers of the state legislature and was signed by the Governor on June 3rd.
HB26-1095 was one of the bipartisan bills that I worked on with State Representative Larry Don Suckla as well as State Senators Rod Pelton and William Lindstedt. This bill, now law, will improve transparency by giving municipalities the discretion to publish legal notices online through newspaper websites, given that these notices are free to access.
Protecting our Environment
One of my primary goals as a State Representative is to reduce carbon emissions in Colorado and protect the pristine Rocky Mountain outdoors for generations to come. Colorado has made strides, but there are still more opportunities to invest in sustainability and work toward net-zero carbon emissions. Potential efforts include expanding electric vehicle charging stations and allowing for more wind and solar energy to power our state.
SB26-146 Restrict Single-Use Food Serviceware Distribution
An issue that affects Colorado's recycling and composting centers is the improper disposal of single-use plastic items such as condiment packages and utensils. Emissions and pollution associated with these items occur at all stages of the life cycle of plastic production and disposal with impacts contributing to persistent disparities in air quality, water contamination, and soil degradation in disproportionately impacted communities. SB26-146 was a bill I co-sponsored that would have required retail food establishments and third-party food delivery services to limit single-use serviceware unless requested by the customer. This bill sought to save restaurants money and reduce waste from single-use products.
HB26-1226 Manage Emissions from Electric Generating Units
Colorado ranks 12th in the nation for overall pollution and the Denver Metro Area is ranked 8th for ozone pollution. As a state, we need to push policies that limit harmful pollution. One of the bills that I co-sponsored this legislative session, HB26-1226, does just that. This bill requires the Air Quality Control Division in the Department of Public Health and Environment to propose a final rule for limiting the emission of nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxides by July 2029. This requirement mandates that coal-fired power plants in Colorado that operate on or after December 31st, 2034 install pollution control devices and meet emission limits. HB26-1226 was signed into law on June 2nd.
Building infrastructure and expanding public transit
Colorado ranks poorly on our public transportation, and our infrastructure greatly needs modernization to address the growing need for roads. As a State Representative, I am working with local, regional, and federal partners such as RTD and CDOT to find new ways to expand public transit in the North Metro area of the Front Range. Passenger Rail through the Northwest Corridor FastTracks was passed by voters in 2004 and despite over 20 years passing since then, the people of the Northwest Corridor have not been given their promised public transportation. As your State Representative, I promise to be a voice and advocate to bring passenger rail to the northwest corridor.
Healthcare
Everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, and I support the implementation of a universal healthcare plan in Colorado. With an estimated 377,000 Coloradans potentially losing their healthcare coverage due to Medicaid cuts, Colorado must step in to fill this void. A state healthcare plan should be offered and expanded upon.
HB26-1335 Abortion Medication Access on College Campuses
Across the country, reproductive rights and women’s access to healthcare are under attack. As one of the younger members of the legislature and a CU graduate, I was proud to sponsor this bill alongside two female legislators to ensure that college students can access reproductive health medications, ideally on campus when possible. HB26-1335 was signed into law in May.
Holding ICE Accountable
We need legislators who have a record of standing up to Trump and fighting to keep ICE out of our communities. As the son of refugees from Vietnam, I understand the immense value that diversity brings to Colorado and I will continue to be a voice for our immigrant neighbors.
My voting record supports the fact that I am adamantly opposed to the presence of ICE in our community. Less than three weeks into my term, I supported SJR26-006 which recognizes the value that immigrants bring to Colorado and calls upon our federal partners to uphold transparency, accountability, and humane enforcement practices so that every family, regardless of their immigration status, may fully participate in the communities they build and sustain.
HB26-1276, HB26-1283, and SB26-005 were bills I supported and that passed through the state legislature aimed at safeguarding constitutional rights for immigrants. HB26-1276 permits local health agencies and CDPHE to inspect facilities not operated directly by the federal government that house noncitizens detained for immigration purposes, while requiring new training standards related to peace officer compliance with civil immigrant detainers to be adopted and certified by July 1st, 2027. HB26-1283 prohibits an employer or their agent from demanding, confiscating, retaining, or otherwise requiring an individual to surrender their government-issued ID card for long periods of time and prohibits threats of sharing an individual's ID with federal authorities. SB26-005 allows for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated by those participating in civil immigration enforcement to be eligible for legal or equitable relief.
Another bill that wasn’t passed through the state legislature that I supported was SB26-176 which would have allowed for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated to sue federal, state, or local officials (including ICE agents) who violated said rights.
Diversity and Inclusion
Colorado should be a welcoming place for those of all races, genders, socioeconomic statuses, and sexual orientations. I believe that diversity is a strength. Being the son of immigrants and refugees, I know that many of us come to this nation to find opportunity and a safe refuge.
HB26-1320 Accessible Language Statutory Ballot Title Requirements
In Colorado, we cherish our right to direct democracy - we love ballot measures. Unfortunately, sometimes those initiatives are filled with language that can be challenging for voters to understand: double negatives, confusing tax language, and obscure terminology. This legislative session, I sponsored HB26-1320 to require ballot measures to provide a plain language version, including clear information about any tax implications. This will make ballots more accessible to voters, regardless of their educational background.
SB26-087 is a bill I was honored to support with State Senator Katie Wallace and State Representative Mandy Lindsay. Our Colorado Legislature should be representative of the people in our state, including representation of working class families. The goal of this bill is to allow for legislators to have unpaid leave while working as a lawmaker in the hopes of making it more attainable for people of all walks of life to run for state office.
Privacy
SB26-070 Ban Government Access Historical Location Information Database (PEEPs Act)
I was proud to be a sponsor of this bipartisan bill aimed at protecting the privacy of residents. This bill addresses License Plate Readers (LPRs), commonly known as FLOCK cameras because of the primary company involved. LPRs do not simply track license plates; they also record data on car make, vehicle colors, driver racial profiles, and geographic locations of vehicles. While this bill did not pass, it sought to place guardrails on data retention by private companies and would have required a judicial warrant by law enforcement agencies (including ICE) seeking LPR data.
Supporting Business
SB26-074 Clarify Excessive Public Construction Bond Claim Penalty
Coming from Broomfield City Council and as a former member of the Broomfield Chamber of Commerce, I understand the importance of the construction industry in both the public and private sectors. SB26-074 aligns the rules public and private construction projects, promotes consistency, and discourages abusive or inflated claims while preserving protections that contractors rely on. Construction workers shouldn’t be afraid of asserting their claims based on which type of construction project they work on. I was honored to be a prime sponsor on this bill which was signed into law in April.