OUR Values
Rep. Woodrow with Rep. Herod and Urban Peak members
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
Housing is a human right. In my three Sessions down at the Capitol I have consistently fought for affordable housing, solutions to address homelessness, and tenants' rights. I've sponsored legislation that has allocated over $650 million in federal relief dollars to the construction and conversion of affordable housing units, the preservation of existing affordable housing, and a $105 million grant program for local governments and nonprofits to tackle homelessness in their areas--including money for shelter space, transitional housing, permanent housing, mental and physical health services, training and employment centers, and outreach. I also served on the Affordable Housing Transformation Task Force and supported legislation creating a $35 million fund for Mobile Home residents to access when attempting to purchase their communities. I will continue to support renter protections, zoning reform, public financing/developer creation, and rent stabilization to make housing affordable across Colorado.
Rep. Woodrow pictured with Moms Demand Action Volunteers
GUN VIOLENCE PREVENTION
As a Nation, gun violence has been a horrific policy failure. Since coming into the legislature I have sponsored and helped pass multiple gun violence prevention bills including safe storage of firearms, reporting lost and stolen guns, the repeal of state-level preemption of local gun laws, the creation of the Office of Gun Violence Prevention, the closing of the so-called “Boyfriend Loophole” and my bill, which closed the “Charleston Loophole” and expanded Colorado’s background check system to include violent misdemeanors. And this past Session we fixed our possession of a weapon by a previous offender law and passed a law to ensure firearms aren’t present at polling locations–everyone has a right to vote free from intimidation.
We must do more. Given the Biden Administration’s ruling on Ghost Guns we are studying what more can be done at the State level on this emerging threat. We also need to get serious about limiting access to AR-15s and similar weapons. While I of course support an assault weapons ban (see the chart below and note that we allowed the federal AWB to expire in 2005) such a policy requires sustained and overwhelming Democratic majorities in the State House and Senate.
Rep. Woodrow pictured with his sons on one of Colorado’s beautiful trails
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND PROMOTING ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Man made climate change is real and represents a threat to our national security. Clean air, water, and soil are essential for our economic survival and the well-being of our communities. We need to expand community recycling and composting programs and work to develop appropriate end markets. We must also fight to conserve our natural resources and resist the auctioning off of our public lands to the highest bidder. We respect scientists and support efforts to promote renewable energy, energy conservation, and the transition to a green energy grid. Sustainable growth and modernizing transportation systems should be done with an eye on reducing our reliance on fossil fuels, increasing density, conserving limited water resources, honoring intersectionality, preserving our parks and open spaces, and ensuring a just transition for impacted workers and families.
In my first session, I was proud to help lead the fight against the “ban on bans”, Colorado’s state law that blocks local governments from taking action on single-use and other plastics. I also support increased severance taxes and taking steps to ensure that polluters are actually punished and fines actually collected. As we endure another gas crisis in Colorado, I want to make sure Colorado’s businesses and consumers are able to live a sustainable and successful life without impacting our environment or business environment. This past session I co-sponsored HB22-1355, a bill designed to make the producer of products responsible for their packaging along with addressing the Front Range’s “Brown Cloud” through SB22-193 and HB22-1244, which will tackle air-quality control for our most impacted communities.
FIGHT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND PUBLIC EDUCATORS
We recognize that strong public schools form the bedrock of our democracy and that a good education remains the best vehicle for upward mobility. We will fight for well-funded pre-K-12 public education that secures equity and the opportunity for all students to achieve their potential, compete in an increasingly global workforce, and participate in society as informed citizens. We support strong neighborhood schools and public-school teachers grounded in authentic community involvement and meaningful parent teacher engagement. We oppose vouchers, excessive testing, and the shuttering of schools to make room for charters. We will foster respect for teachers as professionals and expand their viability through better pay and benefits and a right to collectively bargain.
The costs of daycare (and healthcare and self-care) are all out of control. Fully funded pre-school is essential for ensuring all children have a strong start. In addition to curriculum enhancements designed to ensure that more graduates are ready for college, we also seek the immediate expansion of trades, vocational training, and apprenticeship programs paired with entrepreneurial courses. We seek increased funding for Colorado public colleges and universities on par with state flagship schools to broaden access to higher education across our state.
As Representative I’ve signed on to Co-Sponsor legislation such as HB20-1005 (Enhance Safe2Tell), HB20-1007 (Diverse Kindergarten Through 12th Grade Educator Workforce Report) and HB20-1336 The Holocaust And Genocide Studies In Public Schools Act, among others. This year, we were able to create the Department of Early Childhood along with funding the parameters for a variety of daycare options for Colorado Families.
REFORM OUR VOTING AND CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS
Campaign finance reform, including publicly financed elections, is more necessary than ever. Just as important is that we fight back against the attempts to undermine our electoral system through false accusations of widespread voter fraud and conspiracy theories. We must continue to push for measures that make voting easy. We encourage laws that promote government of, by, and for the people and support participation by all citizens in local elections. We will also push to expand and improve our mail-in ballot system.
As a Representative, I signed on as a Co-Sponsor to HB20-1066, which establishes contribution limits under the "Fair Campaign Practices Act '' for school boards candidates. This session, I was happy to support HB22-1060, a bill that limits school contributions to candidates for school board along with SB22-153, a bill that addresses the potential threat posed by unscrupulous insiders.
Fixing Our Broken Healthcare System
Affordable healthcare is a human right and indispensable to the realization of the American Dream. We support universal healthcare coverage, whether delivered through Medicare for All, a public option, or another universal system. We must also improve our access to mental healthcare services. No one should go bankrupt or forgo treatment in the United States due to medical debt. We support initiatives aimed at reducing costs, including administrative costs and the costs of prescription drugs, while expanding choice, increasing transparency, and encouraging innovation for better patient outcomes. We also support doctors and other healthcare providers as well as initiatives designed to alleviate the administrative and financial burdens of practicing medicine. We support the State’s effort to reduce healthcare costs and provide a public option for all Coloradans.
I’m proud to have been a part of advancing healthcare legislation, like HB20-1086 (Insurance Coverage Mental Health Wellness Exam) and HB20-1158 (Insurance Coverage for Infertility Diagnosis & Treatment). I also voted down a disastrous anti-vaccine bill that would have led to even lower rates than we have today.
Expanding Economic Opportunity and Access to the American Dream
We believe in the American Dream—the idea that if you work hard and play by the rules, you ought to be able to do better than your parents did. The current system is rigged. We believe in equality of opportunity and understand that economic justice requires a level playing field. We will fight for an economy that works for everyone and grows from the middle out, not just a system that repeatedly transfers wealth from workers to a privileged few. We understand that investing in our educational and healthcare systems and our energy and transportation infrastructure are integral to fueling a just economy.
We also understand the struggle of living paycheck to paycheck and therefore fight for workers, equal pay, balanced trade laws, paid family leave, fair taxation, and affordable housing. We support the idea of an honest day’s pay for an honest day’s work and understand that the best customer of American industry is the well-paid worker. Workers must have the right to organize, and we must repeal the Orwellian-named Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, the Gallagher Amendment, and other obstacles that prevent us from investing in Colorado’s future.
I’ve had the opportunity to co-sponsor HB20-1153, The Colorado Partnership for Quality Jobs and Services Act. I also voted down “right to work” for teachers and other workers. I also am a vocal proponent of Unionization for all employees, limiting wrongful classification of workers, and supporting bargaining tactics of employees including picketing and striking.
Photo by tumsasedgars/iStock / Getty Images
Fight for Consumers
Colorado consumers enjoy some of the weakest protections in the Nation. We need to fix the Colorado Consumer Protection Act so that it provides an actual avenue for relief for persons harmed by wrongful corporate conduct. We need to examine our procurement laws and process to ensure that entities looking to do business with the State of Colorado are not directly or indirectly promoting discrimination or anti-competitive conduct. We also need to repeal the penalty on filings, which requires that any consumer who loses a tort case on a motion to dismiss must pay the defendant’s legal fees.
In my first session, I was the prime sponsor in the House of SB20-080, which would have restored damages available under the Colorado Consumer Protection Act. Fast forward to 2022, we have passed HB22-1071 in both chambers and it has been signed by the Governor. We also passed HB22- 1089 a bill that closes a loophole that allowed Uber, Lyft, and other rideshares to deny coverage to passengers in the event of hit-and-run accidents.
Rep. Woodrow and Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez with the Colorado Freedom Fund
Fight for Criminal Justice Reform
Crime prevention, public policing, access to mental health and addiction services, fair penalties, and the rehabilitation of convicted persons are policies that best serve public safety. Restorative justice requires an end to racial profiling, mass incarceration, and the death penalty. Black lives matter, and additional resources should be made available for police to address cultural competency, improve the juvenile just system, and develop strategies to assist people with mental illness and other cognitive impairments, and end the school to prison pipeline.
While in the legislature I have been supportive of ending deceptive interrogation tactics, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of drugs, and reducing recidivism through investment, not punishment. Over the last two sessions, I have passed requirements of 48 hour bond felony (HB21-1280) and misdemeanor charges (HB22-1067) to eliminate unconstitutional detention without a prompt bond hearing and reduce harmful interactions with the legal system such as loss of wages, parental rights, and legal fees.
Rep. Woodrow supporting immigrants with a sign that states “Give me your tired, your poor…
Develop a Plan for Fair Immigration Reform
We call for comprehensive immigration reform that keeps families together and provides legal status and a path to citizenship. Immediate protections should be provided to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients. The State should protect sanctuary cities from Federal encroachment and refuse to allow State or municipal funds to be used to carry out the work of Immigration Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) officials.
I co-sponsored HB20-1294, which would have replaced the words “Illegal Immigrant” with “undocumented worker” in Colorado statutes. I’ve also pushed for multi-lingual ballots. We have also called for the end of non-farm workers and agricultural workers distinctions in wage law, working conditions, and workers compensation.
Rep. Woodrow officiating one of his sister’s weddings.
Promote and Protect Human & Civil Rights
We fight to ensure that everyone receives equal treatment under the law and due process regardless of age, disability, economic status, ethnicity, gender identity, national origin, religion or sexual orientation. We support legislation guaranteeing equal treatment and protecting all individuals from discrimination, including laws that require entities seeking to do business with the State of Colorado verify that they, in turn, are not directly or indirectly supporting discriminatory practices. We oppose legislation that targets our LGBTQ and non-binary neighbors and renounce hate in all its forms. We support policies to redress institutionalized racism and historic disenfranchisement. We also support the First Amendment and recognize the invaluable check against authoritarianism that a vibrant, independent press affords.