Karen grew up in a career Navy family with a father that served 30 years in the US Navy retiring as a Rear Admiral. Her two brothers, mother and dad, moved every year or two during her childhood exposing her to the vast diversity of communities that are essential to the strength of our country. Through this experience Karen learned the meaning of service, respect, integrity and dedication to American values. Karen attended college at the University of Florida obtaining a Bachelor’s in Agriculture and went on to earn a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. Practicing veterinary medicine for over 33 years has further strengthened her belief in the power of compassion. She ran her own successful small business here in Colorado serving the community with excellence in veterinary care for 16 years. She is a problem solver at heart.
It is urgent that we do all that we can to mitigate the effects of climate change and work to lower global warming emissions. There is so much we can do on a state level and do not have to wait for the slow gears of the federal government to act. I plan to continue the work at our state legislature to hold industries accountable for releasing dangerous compounds into our air and water. I will work hard to drive these emissions down until we are no longer part of the problem but instead can be a model for solutions.
As we continue to push for a health care system that covers everyone across our nation in a way that is affordable and sustainable, we here in Colorado can move to make pharmaceutical pricing more fair, to increase transparency in hospital and provider costs, and bring easier access to health care to more Coloradans.
Colorado has one of the top economies in the nation yet our education system still ranks toward the bottom of funding among states. We must keep working on ways to find the funding that is desperately needed for our students, our teachers and our schools. The education of our kids is our greatest investment in the future.
We have work to do to examine and root out the myriad of ways that we have racist policies and inequities built into the fabric of our nation. As James Baldwin said, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Our social structure, criminal justice system, housing and jobs access, healthcare system, education system, and access to building wealth are just some of the areas where there continues to be a need for serious reforms. I will remember to bring this lens with me when exploring policies to help Colorado families. We must do better. We must listen to our affected neighbors.
Human rights apply to all people. As a society we must stay vigilant and push to ensure equal treatment under the law for all citizens. As the mother of a trans child I know firsthand that we are not where we need to be to make sure that all are indeed treated equally.
No government should come between a woman and her doctor. Just as no government should come between a man and his doctor. Reproductive health care decisions are personal, private and protected under the law. Our voices need to stay loud and clear on this issue.
Everyone needs and deserves a place to call home. We can work on policies at the state level to increase affordable rental and ownership housing. Decision makers in government must carefully balance the growth in our state and the ability to afford to live where we work.
In the 21st Century higher priority must be placed on expanding our public transportation options - light rail, bus routes, bike and car sharing. Getting more people to use more fuel efficient forms of travel makes sense for our climate, our infrastructure, our wallets and our quality of life.
Our labor unions in Colorado need our support. Electrical workers, letter carriers, teachers, pipefitters, service workers, postal workers, construction workers and so many more of our neighbors, depend on their union memberships to ensure that their wages are fair, that their retirement benefits are secure, and that they have health care that they can depend on. Unions are the backbone of the growth of our country and to this day offer people of all ages an excellent opportunity to learn a trade through apprenticeship programs and have a great career earning a secure living. I will make sure union interests are taken into consideration at the state capital.
Americans support common sense legislation to keep guns out of the hands of those who pose a threat to our kids and families. It is critical to implement federally mandated universal background checks for all gun sales to keep guns out of the hands of convicted criminals and gun traffickers. The presence of a gun dangerously compounds the risk of impulsive acts of violence like spousal abuse or suicide, which is why it is important to implement waiting periods, or “cooling off” laws, which have been proven to decrease gun related violence by creating an important window of time for gun purchasers to reconsider their intentions which can lead to a change of heart and a life saved. Gun storage policies and raising the age for purchasing a firearm should also be considered to save lives.
As a life-long advocate for animal health and welfare I will continue to speak up to defend the voiceless of the animal world. We must protect wildlife, insects and their habitats. We have seen the effects of a global pandemic and with the likelihood that another pandemic will be presented to us in the near future, this is an area that will take forward thinking and planning with a focus on preserving the delicate balance among all inhabitants of planet earth.
We are in the midst of a serious global pandemic and it is critical that we approach the health and safety of every human being using science as our guide. This means that we need to continue to wear masks to protect others. We must continue to maintain space between us, especially indoors, wash our hands often and stay home if we feel sick. Antigen testing needs to be readily available with results as fast as possible to minimize potential for spread. When a vaccine becomes available, our state should have a detailed implementation plan for those who need to receive it first. We should continue to assist businesses and push for a more robust federal response. People will engage in economic activity when they can trust that what we are doing is working to slow the spread of this deadly virus. We must listen to educators on how best to approach teaching our kids while keeping everyone safe. And we must learn from this experience to better prepare for the next serious pandemic. As a person of medicine and science that is my mindset.