Currently holds the office of Colorado State Senate - District 35 until January 12, 2027.
Candidate for Colorado State Senate - District 35 in 2026 Colorado Primary Election.
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Get StartedMany things can affect production agriculture, but I think one of the biggest threats is over-regulation, which makes it difficult and costly to operate a farm or ranch. Especially in this time of low commodity prices, we need to do everything we can at the state level to promote our local ag products while insuring that all ag related businesses are profitable so that rural Colorado thrives and can share in the economic growth that the Front Range has been experiencing. Learn more
Being a third generation Cheyenne County farmer-rancher and having been involved in many ag related businesses throughout my career, I’m keenly aware that the people and communities in SD 35 are dependent on a strong and thriving agriculture community. As a legislator that is actively involved in production ag, I would not only bring firsthand experience and knowledge to the issues that come through the State Capitol, but I would also be there to help educate the urban legislators that don’t understand the unique challenges that affect agriculture and rural Colorado. Learn more
It’s important to make it financially feasible to develop and produce the natural resources that this state offers at the same time as we develop our renewable energy resources and make them competitive with traditional resources! Learn more
It’s implemented so many regulations that, in my opinion, it has made our state very unfriendly to business -- especially when it comes to energy production and production agriculture. It has also created a nightmare for local government agencies in many areas. One quick example -- at the county level it has become very expensive, and in some cases prohibitive, to operate our landfills. The CDPHE has tried to regulate our landfills with a “one size fits all” set of regulations. Wouldn’t it be better if they listened to the locals and worked on common sense solutions to everyday problems? How about for every new regulation the CDPHE implements we require they to take three existing ones off the books? Learn more
Over-regulation. Too many rules. Excessive laws. Serving as a County Commissioner, I’ve witnessed this firsthand over and over again! In Colorado, one of our most powerful (and dangerous) regulatory agencies is the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE). It is the state’s version of the EPA. As with the EPA, CDPHE has been given free rein by the governor to regulate without having to go through the legislature. In most cases it’s gone overboard -- catering to a “green” agenda and not doing what’s best for our state and its residents. Learn more
Common sense would tell you that an inanimate object such as a gun or a knife or a bomb or a car on its own can’t kill or harm anyone. People kill; objects don’t. With mental illness on the rise and so many people that have been raised with no respect for property or life (theirs or anyone else’s), it’s no wonder that violent mass shootings and killings are on the rise. Learn more
The moral compass of our country is so totally messed up that passing more restrictive gun laws would just make innocent law-abiding citizens criminals and do nothing to curb the violent crimes that are being committed. When I was in high school almost every pickup in the school parking lot had a gun rack with a gun or two hanging in the back window, and not a single gun got off the gun rack and walked in and shot anyone on its own. The second amendment was passed so the citizens of this country can protect ourselves from a tyrannical government. Who among us wants to live in a country where ONLY the government (and the criminals) has the right to possess guns? Not I! Learn more
What is one of the biggest employers and most vital parts of any rural community? Healthcare. Pure and simple. Without adequate healthcare facilities, not only does the rural economy suffer, but the very lives of the people are at risk. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more difficult to find and keep quality providers in our rural clinics and hospitals. There just aren’t any incentives for them. Because of the economy of scale, small health care facilities are at a disadvantage. How can we help? We should ensure that the reimbursement rates for small rural hospitals are higher. And what about some kind of an incentive for urban hospitals to partner with rural facilities? Learn more
They could rotate physicians and provide support in various other ways to help insure quality care in rural Colorado. We need to provide ways for our people to get healthcare in their home communities instead of having to go to a city, where they always incur more expense. Hospitals are vital to our communities in SD 35! If a rural hospital is forced to close, the entire community suffers: the population decreases because people have to move to find new employment, and for those who stay, the standard of living drops because the property values decrease significantly. Learn more
Improvement to our rural highways could benefit not only rural Colorado, but the entire state. If our rural highways were in better shape, it could keep a lot of heavy freight from traveling the interstate system and causing congestion along the Front Range when the only reason it is there is to avoid driving on our crappy rural highways. In many cases our rural highways are in dire need of basic safety upgrades and resurfacing. Having enough funding to address Colorado’s project backlog is an issue that needs serious attention. The legislature has tried to help direct some funding to CDOT to help, but with over 9 billion dollars in projects on the books, there needs to be a dedicated funding source that the legislature can’t hijack to address this. Learn more
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