One of my favorite songs of the holiday is Bing Crosby's White Christmas. I first heard the song when I visited my grandmother in Denver (the big city!) for Christmas, and we watched the movie together on the classic movie channel. Then, when I was in 8th grade, my choir teacher taught us the words to the song in American Sign Language and we performed the holiday tune at our local nursing home. The residents were so touched by our performance, they gave us a standing ovation!

Even when I was driving home from college in a blinding snow storm, I still relished the song when it came on the radio. Nothing gets me into the holiday spirit quicker. As I got older, I came to realize how important the snow was to our economy in Colorado and the song took on a whole new meaning. Now, I'm hoping for a white Christmas because we really need the moisture!

No matter how the weather turns out this year, or how you choose to celebrate the holidays, here are some tips on how to celebrate safely. I am excited to kick off the new year and I'm looking forward to the upcoming legislative session. Make sure to mark your calendar for our Legislative Preview in January (see info below), and may you all have a safe, restful, and happy holiday season. And like Bing says, may your days be merry and bright!

All Pro Dad Gathering: I was pleased to be able to join constituent Brandon Marette and his kids at the All Pro Dad gathering. This is a monthly gathering at school (or in this case, a nearby park due to COVID) where dads/grandpas and kids engage in meaningful conversations and activities centered around a character-based curriculum. We discussed the topic of friendliness and I enjoyed hearing from the kids their ideas for bills.

League of Women Voters Night Out With Legislators: Every year, the Jefferson County League of Women Voters hosts the Jeffco Legislators for a legislative preview. This year's gathering was online, but we had a great discussion of bills that we plan to sponsor this year. If you'd like to view the "Night Out With Legislators," click HERE.

Standley Lake High School Honors Government Class: The Freshman Honors Government class invited me to their classroom to hear their pitch on a bill the class developed. They would like to see big companies, such as Amazon, stop using non-biodegradable inks on their packaging. We discussed their idea and how to channel their concerns into legislative action.

Meetings With College Presidents: Over the last month, I have had the pleasure of meeting with several university Presidents, including: Janine Davidson, Metro State University, John Marshall, Colorado Mesa University, Michele Haney, Red Rocks Community College, and Andy Feinstein, University of Northern Colorado. We discussed concerns about enrollment due to COVID, funding issues, and policy decisions that might come up this session impacting higher education.

Here are the latest press articles that touch on legislative issues from the past few weeks. You can view the full list on my website by clicking HERE.

Colorado Politics: Judge dismisses First Amendment challenge to new Colorado billboard law

Denver Post: Colorado Board of Education wants to resume state tests and ratings

KDVR: Colorado Educator Loan Forgiveness Program applications open

Chalkbeat Colorado: Colorado Board of Education wants to resume state tests and ratings

We were very sad to learn of Westminster legend Bob Briggs' passing. Due to a conflict with his memorial service, we are pushing our legislative town hall to the following weekend. Mark your calendar for Saturday, January 22 at 10:30 am for our first town hall of the 2022 session. For more information, click HERE.