In addition to working as a substitute teacher for Jeffco Public Schools, I have been busy this fall serving on several legislative interim committees, attending special events in the community, and touring various sites throughout the district. We are in the final stretch of the interim, which means the time to begin formulating our legislative agenda for the upcoming session is upon us.

While these tours and one-on-one conversations have been very helpful in formulating a legislative agenda, I am still gathering feedback on the needs and priorities of the district. To ensure I hear from as many constituents as possible, I have created an SD19 Legislative Priority Survey. Please take a moment to fill out the survey and let me know what you think. Our bill deadlines are right around the corner, so fill out the survey soon!

In addition to finalizing our bill agenda, we are also looking for talented interns and volunteers to assist my office down at the Capitol. If you have a strong interest in state politics, or if you are seeking firsthand experience of the legislative process, then please let me know and I will connect you with our hiring coordinator. I am very grateful to the many folks that have assisted my office in the past, and we look forward to assembling a fresh new crew to work on behalf of Senate District 19 this coming session.

One final note, due to the holidays, we will not be hosting a legislative town hall meeting in the months of November or December. Be on the lookout, however, for other opportunities to connect, or feel free to reach out any time.

Election Information: Yesterday (Monday) was the last day to safely mail in your Election ballot. After today you should plan to drop it off in person at a secure drop box location. Or, if you would rather vote in person, the in-person voter centers are now open. In-person Vote Centers include a variety of services including accessible voting equipment, voter registration or changes to existing registration, replacement ballots, and in-person voting. For a list of secure drop box locations, as well as the nearest voter center, click HERE.

Mission Arvada seeking food donations: Mission Arvada, a program through The Rising Church, provides breakfasts and lunches daily to the unhoused and marginalized people in our community, are in need of food donations for their various programs. You can drop off canned goods or other pantry items directly to Mission Arvada at 7500 W. 57th Ave, Arvada, CO 80002. For questions or to learn more about Mission Arvada programming, please feel free to contact Susan Shirley at susanfoxshirley@hotmail.com.

Redistricting process nearing finalization: The Independent Redistricting Commission voted on a final map that will reformulate the state legislative district boundaries. The legislative redistricting plan was filed with the Colorado Supreme Court and they heard oral arguments yesterday. We expect the Supreme Court to issue an opinion on the state legislative plans by November 15. To see what changes the Commission proposed for Senate District 19, click HERE.

"In the Arena" award from Colorado Concern: I was honored to receive recognition from Colorado Concern for my work on HB21-1230, a bill that increases government access and transparency. The award is called "In the Arena" and references a famous speech by President Theodore Roosevelt. In the speech, Roosevelt talks about how the pathway forward is not always easy--you win some, you lose some--but you achieve nothing if you aren't willing to get "in the arena" in the first place. To see the full quote, click HERE.

State health officials offer tips and tricks for Halloween: Celebrating Halloween during a global pandemic can be tricky (pun intended). Even though 72% of eligible Coloradans are fully vaccinated against the virus, the delta variant is now the most widespread strain of the virus, and it spreads more easily compared to other strains. Getting vaccinated is the best way to minimize contracting the virus and reducing the harmful effects of COVID-19. In addition to that, CDPHE has compiled a list of ideas on how to have fun safely this Halloween. You can find those tips and tricks HERE.

Long time readers of my newsletter may recall a section that I once included called "Tracking Your Senator." In this section I listed all the meetings and events that I participated in as your senator throughout the week. I wanted to be as open and transparent as possible with my constituents as to who I was meeting with and "who had my ear." I decided, however, that listing every meeting or event was not interesting or helpful to folks, so I discontinued the segment. I have decided to bring it back, but in a modified form. Rather than listing all the meetings and events, I will just highlight a few that were especially meaningful or interesting.

American Medical Response Tour: I had the pleasure of touring American Medical Response, a company headquartered in Arvada. They provide emergency and non-emergency medical transport services for the Denver, Colorado, metro area. AMR employs approximately 200 paramedics and EMTs and handles an average of 40,000 calls annually. We discussed the efficacy of the Nurse Navigation program established by SB21-156 and heard more about the "Earn While You Learn" program, which allows participants a training wage while attending the EMT Academy.

Arvada Chamber of Commerce Boot Camp: The Arvada Chamber offered elected officials and candidates an opportunity to learn more about how the business community has dealt with challenges as a result of COVID-19. We toured both small and large businesses in Arvada to understand how they are overcoming barriers, innovating, and thriving. The first business we toured was Odyssey Beerwerks. The biggest challenge facing the craft brewing industry has to do with supply chain shortages. We also toured Barber Nichols, a world-class supplier of electronics-enhanced turbomachines and turbomachined-based subsystems for the aerospace, defense, and other demanding markets. Their biggest concern had to do with workforce shortages in skilled labor.

"In the Arena" award from Colorado Concern: I was honored to receive recognition from Colorado Concern for my work on HB21-1230, a bill that increases government access and transparency. The award is called "In the Arena" and references a famous speech by President Theodore Roosevelt. In the speech, Roosevelt talks about how the pathway forward is not always easy--you win some, you lose some--but you achieve nothing if you aren't willing to get "in the arena" in the first place. To see the full quote, click HERE.

Cub Scout Pack 203: A top highlight for me this month was the opportunity to hang out with Cub Scout Pack 203. This cub den, under the guidance of Arrow of Light Den Leader Jaclyn Stevens, asked great questions about the role of a legislator and how a bill becomes a law. The kids were very respectful and highly engaged in learning about state government. It was a real treat spending time with these scouts, and I'm positive we will see a future Senator from this group!

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 Newsline: Colorado special education sees funding increase this year, but is it enough?

EIN News: Democratic Women Senators Statement on SCOTUS Refusal to Block TX Abortion Ban

Colorado Politics: Panel approves bills from youth committee on mental health, foster care access to higher education

News Nation USA: Minimum $40K rural teacher salary? A Colorado proposal would set that.

Chalkbeat Colorado: Minimum $40K teacher salary? A Colorado proposal would set that.

Colorado Politics: Duran, Soper and Zenzinger receive Laws for Paws awards

Thank you for attending our legislative town hall meetings this past year. Whether you attended online or in person, we very much appreciate your civic engagement. Due to the holidays, we will take the months of November and December off and return for our regular town hall series in January. For more information on upcoming events, click HERE.