What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Senator that will benefit our state?

I’ve lived in southeast Colorado Springs for more than 60 years. After serving more than 35 years as a firefighter with the CSFD, rising to the rank of Battalion Chief, I retired in 2010. I then won election in 2012 to serve in the Colorado House of Representatives, as the representative from District 17 – covering Southeast Colorado Springs. I won election again in 2016, 2018, and 2020. I currently sit on the House’s Education committee and serve as Chair of the House’s Transportation and Local Government committee. I also serve on the Board of my church, the Solid Rock Christian Center, and I’m an umpire/referee for youth sports. All of this experience improves my work as an elected state legislator.

Your Vision: What is your vision for being a Colorado State Senator?

I’m running for the State Senate to continue representing and helping my constituents: students, low-income families, people of color, the elderly, military personnel, first responders, and everyone in Senate District 11. I’ve had people tell me they were worried about not being able to drink clean water, which is why I introduced and passed bills to reduce water contamination from toxic PFAS firefighting foams. I listen when people tell me they want safer schools, better education, environmental protections, police accountability, and improved elder care, among other things; and I work hard to support legislation addressing those issues. I believe my legislative record proves that. I’m running again to continue doing this good work.

Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? Should voters in Colorado be required to verify their identity and residential status in the respective counties in which they vote? Are you in favor of a single-day, in-person voting system consisting of all-paper ballots? Why or why not?

Colorado has one of the best election systems in the country. People must present a valid form of ID in order to register to vote, and you can register to vote even on election day itself, which is a good thing. Once you’re registered, the state mails your ballot to you weeks before election day, so you have time to research the candidates and issues before you vote. You can then return your ballot by mail, or by ballot drop boxes, or by going directly to the county clerk’s office. Or, if you don’t want to vote by mail, you can vote in person, weeks before the election or on election day itself. Our system is good, secure, and accurate.

As a Senator, how would you seek to protect the most vulnerable in our state, including the lives of the unborn, the trafficked, and the elderly?

I have always worked to protect vulnerable people from exploitation and abuse. And my legislative record shows it. Over the last 6 years, I’ve voted on nearly a dozen bills related to human trafficking: helping law enforcement identify and intercept human trafficking rings; increasing the penalties for convicted traffickers; and helping children and women get the services they need to adjust to life after trafficking, among other bills. And with elder care, I’ve supported bills to increase oversight in elder care facilities, to help prevent abuse; I’ve passed bills expanding the health and medical services available to elders; and expanded access to state services for the elderly, blind, and disabled. I will continue supporting vulnerable peoples in the State Senate.

What will you do as Colorado State Senator to protect our 1st Amendment rights to: the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, peaceably assembly, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, all of which are becoming more difficult to exercise in America (and around the world)?

As a man of faith, my religion is important to me and a prominent aspect of my life. In fact, it is because I am religious, and because I have faced discrimination because of the color of my skin, that I am against the idea of people using their religion as an excuse to be bigoted, disguising intolerance as religious freedom. I believe it is critical that we continue to fight to protect our first amendment rights, and I believe our community should be a safe, inclusive place for everyone.

Do you believe that gun ownership is a civil right, and what are your positions in regards to red flag laws, magazine capacity bans, legislation that regulates gun storage, and permitless “Constitutional carry”?

Some guns have a place in American life, for hunting, sport, and home defense. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that. When rights are abused, though, that’s a problem. I believe military-style weapons have no place in civilian hands or in our communities, and keeping deadly weapons out of the hands of dangerous people should always be our top priority. This is why I’ve supported bills to close background check loopholes, and why I’ve also supported bills requiring waiting periods, because “in the heat of the moment” is not when anyone should be given a gun. I’ve also supported legislation requiring the safe storage of firearms in houses with children in them, among other sensible measures.

Do you believe that the government has the legal power and authority to dictate what a person does with his or her body? If so, how?

There’s always a choice to be made between what a government can do and what it should do. A government can use its inherent police powers to protect public health by requiring certain vaccinations, as laws and courts have consistently upheld, but many people believe the government shouldn’t do that. A government can find ways to restrict abortion access or gun ownership, but again, many people believe the government shouldn’t do that. Every time the government has the legal power to do something, it also has a moral responsibility to decide whether or not to do that thing. How a government should act in any situation depends on the circumstances of that situation.

As a State Senator, what will you do to improve the education of our K – 12 students? What is your position on parental authority in education, including school choice?

This is not a question which can be answered in just 120 words, so let me say this: As a member of the House’s Education committee, I am very aware of the problems facing our public education system – from strained funding sources, to deteriorating buildings and vehicles, to teacher shortages, and curriculum controversies – and I have worked as a legislator to help address these problems, and I’ve run many bills myself to help solve some of them. If I am elected into the State Senate, as I hope I will be, I will continue working with teachers, students, parents, administrators, and elected officials to improve our whole education system, not just K-12 but also higher education too.

Do you believe that the Colorado legislature should make any adjustment to the level of taxes paid by residents in order to fund school district budgets? If so, how?

For decades in Colorado, school districts were funded mostly by local property taxes, with some money coming from the State. But for years now, school districts have been mostly funded by the State, with some money coming from local property taxes. These funding ratios have effectively reversed, and that’s been bad for public school funding. The State simply can’t afford to be the primary payer for all public education in Colorado. We need to find ways to better balance these funding dynamics – and fixing TABOR, Gallagher, and Amendment 23 are three very obvious and effective ways to begin improving the funding situation for public education.

What is your position on Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would effectively eliminate the electoral college’s role in presidential elections in favor of a national popular vote?

It’s public record that as a member of our state legislature in 2019 I supported and voted for the bill which joined Colorado to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact.

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Senator that will benefit our state?

Growing up on a farm and being self-employed taught me the value and rewards of putting in a good day’s work to take care of your family. As a County Commissioner I learned how to manage large budgets and provide essential government services during lean times as I was Chair of the Board through much of the great recession where we downsized county staff by over 10%. As a Senator for these past three years, it is clear to me that the best thing government can do for its citizens is focus on core government functions. Government needs to get out of the way of workers trying to live the American Dream and parents instilling their values in their children.

What is your vision for being a Colorado State Senator?

My vision for the next 4 years is to have Colorado return to COMMOM SENSE LEADERSHIP. With a Republican majority in the State Senate, we will be able to stop the many bills that have been coming forward imposing the will of a liberal majority on our education system, often contradicting the values we teach our children at home. To stop the imposition of taxes disguised as fees to fund an out- of-control state budget. To stop legislation that has caused homes, energy, and even food prices to rise, disproportionally affecting the poor and elderly.

Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? Should voters in Colorado be required to verify their identity and residential status in the respective counties in which they vote? Are you in favor of a single-day, in-person voting system consisting of all-paper ballots? Why or why not?

Even with Colorado having some of the strictest protocols, voting procedures and post-election random audits there is much room for improvement. Single day polling place elections with valid government issued photo ID is critical in making sure only eligible voters cast ballots. Paper ballots are the most verifiable and can be very accurate as long as they are counted and rechecked by separate teams of tellers. 100% hand counting, given the length of a Colorado ballot would be a several months wait for us to know the certified outcome of the election. Given the impracticality of that, secure voting machines with no possibility of internet connection and robust random independent audits will provide trustworthy election results.

As a Senator, how would you seek to protect the most vulnerable in our state, including the lives of the unborn, the trafficked, and the elderly?

As a Senator I have always cast my vote and fought to save the unborn. Including this past year when the terrible abortion rights bill passed. We also had an innocuous sounding bill offering prenatal health care that upon close inspection would have opened the door to testing of the fetus for conditions that have no treatment leading to the conclusion the only reason for the test would be to abort the baby.

I have been and will continue to be a staunch advocate for and show grace and mercy to the trafficked just as I will for the elderly and developmentally disabled.

What will you do as Colorado State Senator to protect our 1st Amendment rights to: the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, peaceably assembly, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, all of which are becoming more difficult to exercise in America (and around the world)?

As a sitting state senator, I have fought and voted against many individual bills that have abridged our 1st Amendment rights intruding into our family lives. I have spoken out against executive orders, where I have no vote, but where the power of one man has deliberately and knowingly ignored the rights guaranteed in the 1st Amendment. I have signed onto bills that would limit the ability of any one person to wield that kind of power in the future. A state senator’s sphere of authority stops at the state line, some influence may extend beyond that as other states may copy good ideas, but we have very little influence in a global sense.

Do you believe that gun ownership is a civil right, and what are your positions in regards to red flag laws, magazine capacity bans, legislation that regulates gun storage, and permitless “Constitutional carry”?

I have voted against every attempt to curtail our constitutional right to keep and bear arms that has come in front of the senate during my service, including the red flag law and storage bills that intrude inside your home. I would welcome the opportunity to implement Constitutional Carry in Colorado.

Do you believe that the government has the legal power and authority to dictate what a person does with his or her body? If so, how?

I do not believe the government has the legal power or authority to control what a person does with their own body. However, when what a person does with or to their own body threatens the life and wellbeing of another person, of any age, that is when the authority of the government is required to step in to provide protection to the innocent or the threatened.

As a State Senator, what will you do to improve the education of our K – 12 students? What is your position on parental authority in education, including school choice?

I am currently sponsoring HB22-1236 THE PARENTS BILL OF RIGHTS. This bill clearly states the parent is responsible for medical decisions of their child and the school cannot perform them without parental consent. Also, the parent has the right to direct the education of their child with the same moral values that are taught at home. Having utilized most of the school options available in Colorado with my own children, I care passionately about parents having choices. I will continue to support bills that put students first. I have supported several bills that would make money available to increase the pay of hard working high performing teachers.

Do you believe that the Colorado legislature should make any adjustment to the level of taxes paid by residents in order to fund school district budgets? If so, how?

Colorado is very much a local control state, and every local school district has a board that, through the ballot box – for at least the last 30 years – set the rate homeowners pay. Those school boards work hopefully for the students but can only be removed by the voters. So, the legislature has no authority in those matters. However, we can pass legislation that would allow the money parents pay to follow the student should the parent choose to not use public school. We will need to change the majority party to make that happen.

What is your position on Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would effectively eliminate the electoral college’s role in presidential elections in favor of a national popular vote?

I voted against joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact and spoke against it on the floor. Tongue-in-Cheek I offered an amendment to the bill that as a cost saving measure, we would eliminate the presidential election in Colorado since we were agreeing to support whichever candidate California supported. The amendment was voted down as it should have been, but the point is that National Popular Vote takes away the voice of rural states. Something the founding fathers acknowledged – at the insistence of a few southern states.

What experience (personal, professional, other) would you bring to your role as Senator that will benefit our state?

I have a BA in mathematics from the University of Colorado-Boulder and a MA in mathematics from University of Nebraska-Lincoln. I have a master plumbing license in Colorado. I have taught school, owned a business, served as a plumbing, mechanical inspector in Colorado Springs, was the State of Colorado plumbing inspector supervisor, and a charter school administrator. I have 2 children and one wife of 53 years. I am a student of history and philosophy. Presently, I teach a variety of classes for PILLAR Institute.

What is your vision for being a Colorado State Senator?

I plan to focus on emphasizing personal responsibility, education and limited government. We seem to have lost track of all three.

Do you believe that elections in Colorado should be conducted differently? Should voters in Colorado be required to verify their identity and residential status in the respective counties in which they vote? Are you in favor of a single-day, in-person voting system consisting of all-paper ballots? Why or why not?

Even with Colorado having some of the strictest protocols, voting procedures and post-election random audits there is much room for improvement. Single day polling place elections with valid government issued photo ID is critical in making sure only eligible voters cast ballots. Paper ballots are the most verifiable and can be very accurate as long as they are counted and rechecked by separate teams of tellers. 100% hand counting, given the length of a Colorado ballot would be a several months wait for us to know the certified outcome of the election. Given the impracticality of that, secure voting machines with no possibility of internet connection and robust random independent audits will provide trustworthy election results.

As a Senator, how would you seek to protect the most vulnerable in our state, including the lives of the unborn, the trafficked, and the elderly?

There is no constitutional mandate for welfare programs. They belong to the states or citizens. Social issues would be better left to individuals and their private social organizations. Who better to know the needs of their neighbor?. We have gotten soft and lazy by pushing off our responsibilities to the government. Our government was supposed to be limited. It cannot serve the infinite needs of our own let alone the world. Roe v. Wade was unconstitutional. An amendment defining when a being becomes a citizen with rights would be legally helpful. Until then, individual morals are the most we have.

What will you do as Colorado State Senator to protect our 1st Amendment rights to: the free exercise of religion, freedom of speech, peaceably assembly, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances, all of which are becoming more difficult to exercise in America (and around the world)?

I support the Constitution of the United States and its amendments. The first amendment is the most important in some ways for without it the rest would be more easily taken away.

Do you believe that gun ownership is a civil right, and what are your positions in regards to red flag laws, magazine capacity bans, legislation that regulates gun storage, and permitless “Constitutional carry”?

I support the Constitution of the United States and its amendments. That includes protecting oneself. The right to bear arms should never be abridged or violated unless the abuser of this right is found guilty in a court of law. However we need some mechanism to protect citizens from those who choose to do harm. In part that means more one on one dialog with those who might be suspect. Still no rights should be taken from anyone without his/her day in court.

Do you believe that the government has the legal power and authority to dictate what a person does with his or her body? If so, how?

Outside of a court of law restricting my rights, no one can restrict them without my approval. The fate of my body is mine and mine alone.

As a State Senator, what will you do to improve the education of our K – 12 students? What is your position on parental authority in education, including school choice?

The present incursion into education by the federal government is unconstitutional. It belongs in the domain of states and citizens and primarily parents. I fear the universal indoctrination that the federal government is doing. I prefer state supplied vouchers and the freedom to use that money in whatever school the parent(s) choose. Yes, there will be a minority of “wierd” schools that parents might choose, but that is freedom. I trust the vast majority of parents will choose wisely.

Do you believe that the Colorado legislature should make any adjustment to the level of taxes paid by residents in order to fund school district budgets? If so, how?

The present method used to fund schools is outdated and unfair. I believe in getting rid of property tax to fund schools. To offset the loss of revenue, increase state taxes or better yet get rid of many unneeded programs in state government.

What is your position on Colorado joining the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would effectively eliminate the electoral college’s role in presidential elections in favor of a national popular vote?

The NPV is unconstitutional, violating at least two sections of the constitution. Furthermore there is no national popular vote. The fifty states each have their own way of voting and selecting their preferred candidate for President. The news people aggregate each state’s total and present that to the public. It really has no legal meaning. To have an NVP would require a whole new voting mechanism be built.