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Lincoln Day Dinner and Reelection Announcement!

Thank you for Bent County for putting on such a great Patriot Lincoln Day Dinner in Las Animas. We heard from several candidates and elected officials, along with a tribute to Charlie Kirk. The building was packed full of patriots that are ready to take this state back. Got me so excited that I announced my reelection! 

Special Session Op-Ed

Gov. Jared Polis called a special session to begin on Aug. 21, the day before the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo began. Talk about a slap in the face to agriculture and rural Colorado!

The first day of the fair features two beloved traditions: the State Fair Legislative BBQ and the Centennial Farms Recognition. During my seven years in the legislature, first in the House and now in the Senate, I have attended the Centennial Farms event every year – until this year. Colorado’s Centennial Farms & Ranches have been celebrated since 1986, honoring more than 700 farm and ranch families throughout the state that have farmed the same land for a century or longer. This year, they honored 18 Centennial families, but I couldn’t be there. I was stuck at the Capitol listening to Democrats blaming President Trump and the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights for Colorado’s financial problems, instead of admitting that their out-of-control spending sparked this disaster.

I was already upset about missing the Centennial event, but I really got hot when I opened Gov. Polis’ Facebook page and saw him pictured with the Centennial farm families. What hypocrisy! On one hand, Polis is doing things to destroy agriculture and rural communities, but he goes to Pueblo and makes the appearance of being a friend to the ag industry and rural Colorado. Was it a political stunt and a photo-op for a future run in another office, or more smoke and mirrors?

I’m referring to this “extraordinary special session “– which is neither extraordinary nor special – as summer school because for the last three years we’ve been called back in the summer to handle tax issues. In this special session, the Democrats aren’t cutting spending, but they are adding more money to Planned Parenthood and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) administration. They’re finding more revenue by eliminating tax refunds and deductions, especially for businesses, at a time when it’s already terribly expensive for businesses to operate in this state. In the regular session earlier this year Democrats passed a bill to tax overtime and tips, which the Big Beautiful Bill exempted, doubling down to make Colorado the only state to tax that income.

I’ve had to remind my Democratic colleagues many times when they are railing on President Trump and his Big Beautiful Bill that the reason we are back in summer school is Gov. Polis and their out-of-control spending over the last seven years. Republicans offered a number of bills during the special session that would have made meaningful cuts and helped fill the $700 million hole we’re in, but they all died in the first committee. We have been shut out of discussions on drafting meaningful legislation to give the people of Colorado the relief that they deserve. It seems like the Democrats think they’ve got all the right answers, but that’s in large part what got us here. This train that Engineer Polis is driving is going downhill in a hurry, and the Democrats don’t have the guts to make the necessary cuts that need to happen to keep the state from going over the cliff. 

Coloradans, hang on to your wallets because the Democrats are making it even harder, and more expensive, to live, work, or own a business in Colorado. Don’t be fooled by the smoke and mirrors from both the governor and the Democrats.

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