Nick Hinrichsen is an Army veteran who fought in the Iraq War and served with NATO peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and the Colorado National Guard. Nick is no stranger to hard work and knows what it takes to put food on the table in Pueblo, working years of long days and nights in Pueblo's logistics industry to build a better life for his family. While also helping to raise a child with developmental challenges, Nick put in the time to earn a Masters in Public Administration at CU Denver. Today, Nick serves as Pueblo Transit's Operations Supervisor, ensuring that the transportation lifelines that sustain Pueblo's economy, workforce mobility, and senior and family living are running on time and on budget.
Strengthen the Colorado Economic Opportunity Zone program, which incentivizes business investment in areas with high levels of poverty and unemployment.
Finish connecting Pueblo to the Southwest Chief and build a high speed front range passenger rail network from Pueblo to Greeley.​
Develop Pueblo Municipal Airport to support expansion of the Airport industrial complex.​
Secure highway funding to repair the aging bridges in our commercial corridor.
Every Colorado student deserves a quality education, but so many of our kids have fallen behind. Our students and teachers have faced immeasurable challenges over the last few years, with the pandemic forcing a transition to remote learning that has impacted students’ ability to learn and socialize with their classmates.
​
But even before the pandemic, our students’ ability to achieve a high-quality education that meets their needs has not been equitable across the board. That’s why we’ve made investments to support K-12 education and Coloradans interested in pursuing higher education, to ensure all our students are set up for success.
We’ve also taken action to get more teachers into our classrooms, and we passed landmark legislation to ensure every Colorado child can access early childhood education, free of charge, saving working families with young children an average of $4,300 and putting Colorado children on an early pathway to success. But we must continue our efforts to ensure that our kids can learn from the best, most highly-skilled teachers in Colorado as possible.
I will continue to push for legislation that improves the quality of public schools, reduces class sizes, and provides tuition assistance to low- and middle-income college students because our kids are our future and we need to provide them with every tool at our disposal to ensure they can excel . I will continue to support dual-enrollment programs, and skilled trade credentialing programs.
Every Coloradan deserves access to the health care they need to maintain their health and well-being. But even before the pandemic, folks were struggling to afford the cost of health care, forcing far too many people to make impossible choices between caring for their health and putting food on the table.
No one should ever have to make that kind of decision, which is why I will always advocate for measures to expand access to affordable and equitable healthcare for all, including mental healthcare.
This year, we made a historic $450 million investment to help transform our behavioral health care system to better meet the needs of Coloradans with mental health conditions and substance use disorders. We also took action to codify the right for all Coloradans to access abortion and reproductive health care, improve health care access in rural areas, ensure frontline health care workers have the support they need, and more.
I’m also committed to ensuring that Puebloans have access to specialty care, and that we have a sufficient number of qualified health professionals to serve patients right here at home. That’s why I wrote a bill that eliminates licensure fees for nurses.
There will always be more work for us to do to improve health care access and affordability, and I won’t stop fighting until every Coloradan has access to the health care they need and deserve.
Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe in their community, but like the rest of the country, crime has been on the rise here in Colorado. It’s on us to ensure every family has a safe place to live, work and raise a family – and to do that we need to make smart public safety investments to address the root causes of crime so we can build safer communities across the board.​
​
That means advocating for data-driven measures that are proven to reduce crime, ensuring that our law enforcement has the resources necessary to do their jobs effectively, cracking down on the overdose crisis, reducing recidivism rates across the state, and helping local governments with their public safety initiatives. We’ve taken action in the legislature to build safer communities.
I’m proud to have sponsored legislation that made historic investments in school safety and student behavioral health, and created opportunities for participation in healthy adolescent activities for youth who are at risk of falling into the cycle of gang violence. I created a grant program that helps local law enforcement investigate and prevent violent extremist attacks, like the planned bombing of Pueblo’s Temple Emmanuel Synagogue. I helped create new tracking requirements for scrapyards that purchase catalytic converters- so that law enforcement can more easily investigate when the product is stolen.
Still, we must continue to work together and pass policies that will reduce crime rates even further. In the next legislative session, I will introduce policies to crack down on motor vehicle theft by prohibiting offenders from possessing a firearm- which we currently do for other felons. I will work to re-classify retail burglary as a felony. And I will fight to give judges more discretion in bail hearings for violent defendants. I am more committed than ever to ensuring that everyone in Pueblo feels safe and secure.
Our economy has been working against low- and middle- income families for far too long, and the pandemic has only made matters worse. For decades, working families’ incomes have been at a standstill while the cost of basic needs like housing, education and childcare has skyrocketed. We’ve taken action to promote an equitable economic recovery and address pandemic and Russian -induced inflation to move Colorado forward, but as we continue our recovery efforts and address the systemic issues that have impacted working families for years, we must make it a priority to uplift every community and forge a new social and economic contract with Coloradans that invests in people and promotes shared prosperity.
​​
My proudest accomplishment this legislative session was sponsoring and passing the bill that created the Colorado Cashback program, which is delivering every Colorado taxpayer a $750 relief check; $1500 for couples who file jointly. For the average Pueblo family, this check is $422 more than they would have received under traditional TABOR refunds. I also sponsored legislation that cut taxes for small family-owned businesses by over $100 million, to help expedite their recovery from the pandemic.
I co-sponsored legislation that expanded access to a union to over 36,000 workers. Next year, I’ll introduce legislation to strengthen our Workforce Development programs, to better ensure that no Coloradan is left behind by industry transitions. We must continue the fight for equal pay for equal work, raise wages and expand workers’ rights, break down systemic barriers that keep working families from succeeding, and invest in building equity and mobility for people who have been left out and behind for generations. Together, we can create an economy that works for everyone.
Finding safe, affordable housing in Colorado was already difficult before the pandemic hit, and things have only worsened over the last year and a half. Rents are out of control, mortgage rates and property taxes are unpredictable, and many of our neighbors have been forced out of their homes due to the economic consequences of COVID-19.
It’s up to us to develop innovative solutions to lower the high cost of housing, address homelessness, and ensure everyone has a safe, affordable place to call home. We’ve taken action to keep more Coloradans housed with a historic investment of $428 million in federal pandemic relief funds that will help us transform our housing infrastructure and save Coloradans money on housing.
Every Coloradan deserves access to shelter that is safe and affordable, and no family should be raising their children around black mold and water damage. This year I created a revolving loan program for mobile home owners that gives them the resources necessary to purchase the land that their home sits on; creating a shelter from skyrocketing lot rent increases.
I support policies that incentivize affordable housing development, especially in the form of condominiums and townhomes. I also passed a bill that restricts the amount that property taxes can increase in any given year for owner-occupied homes. I firmly believe that access to homeownership is a cornerstone of the middle-class, and I remain committed to supporting policies to make sure that every Coloradan has a safe place to live and raise a family.
We need a robust and modern transportation infrastructure to support a dynamic economy, improve our air quality, create more jobs, and ensure that Colorado is positioned to compete. Colorado Democrats have taken transformative action to fix our roads and bridges, improve transit options, meet Colorado’s climate goals, and future-proof the state’s transportation system but the work is far from over.
The Colorado State Fair is a state institution, and a critical driver of Pueblo’s economy. Senator Hinrichsen knows how important the state fair is to our community, which is why he championed a law (SB22-134) this year to invest $4 million to support the Colorado State Fair Authority Cash Fund and fund implementation of the 2021 Colorado State Fair Master Plan – which will help ensure the sustainability and longevity of this historic tradition in Pueblo.
Every Coloradan deserves to feel safe and secure in their community. Senator Hinrichsen’s Safer Streets Act (SB22-001) creates a $10 million grant program in the Colorado Department of Public Safety to help communities make critical improvements to cut down on crime and improve public safety through neighborhood upgrades, such as better lighting to increase visibility and improved design of shared community spaces, which are proven strategies for building safer communities.
Here in Pueblo and across the state, pandemic-induced inflation has caused Colorado families to spend more of their hard earned paychecks while getting far less for their money in return. To help ease the financial pinch, Senator Hinrichsen championed a bill that speeds up the timeline for refund checks to help families afford basic necessities like gas and groceries. All full-time residents of Colorado who filed their 2021 income tax returns by June 30th, 2022 will receive a check. Thanks to our healthy state budget, urgently-needed relief checks have increased, which means every Colorado taxpayer will receive at least $750 – $1,500 for joint filers – giving folks more financial freedom to fill up their gas tank, put food on the table, buy school supplies, and pay their bills.
Part of preventing crime and creating safer communities involves investing in effective intervention and prevention programs to help stop criminal activity from happening in the first place. A new law championed by Senator Hinrichsen (HB22-1003) creates a 2-year Delinquency Prevention and Young Offender Intervention Pilot Grant Program in the Colorado Department of Public Safety . The program will award grants to local governments and nonprofit organizations to fund community-based projects aimed at reducing crime among youth as well as involvement in the juvenile justice system.
Mobile home parks are Colorado’s closest thing to ‘naturally-occurring’ affordable housing, but mobile home park residents are feeling the pressure of skyrocketing housing costs. A law sponsored by Senator Hinrichsen (SB22-160) will create and invest $35 million into the Mobile Home Park Resident Empowerment Loan and Grant Program Fund, which will provide financing to eligible mobile home homeowners so they can purchase the land under their homes and convert into a resident-owned community. The law will provide critical protections for mobile home owners by putting an end to extreme rent hikes, and help mobile home residents access the tools and help they need to buy the land their homes sit on.
Too many kids don’t know where to turn when they are in a mental health crisis. Senator Hinrichsen’s law, HB22-1243, puts an additional $2 million in federal funds toward the behavioral health care professional matching grant program and $6 million in federal funds to extend the popular I-Matter program beyond its scheduled repeal in June 2022, paving the way to serve youth with free counseling sessions for another two years.
Our health care heroes have faced immeasurable challenges over the last two years, but regardless of these challenges, they have stepped up to the plate every day to care for Coloradans. Senator Hinrichsen’s law, HB22-1298, helps alleviate the pressure essential workers have faced by providing licensure and certification fee relief for nurses, nurse aides, and psychiatric technicians.
We need to ensure that the brave men and women who have served our country are set up for success and equipped with the tools necessary to transition back to civilian life. A law championed by Senator Hinrichsen, HB22-1407, requires an institution of higher education that has a program or policy that permits a person to audit a course offered by the institution for no credit to permit a veteran, as part of the institution's program or policy, to audit a course for a fee capped at $10 per course.
In 2020, the General Assembly passed a bill to allow qualifying retailers, including restaurant, bars, and mobile food services providers, to deduct up to $70,000 monthly from state net taxable sales for up to five sites for a four-month period. The legislature added another four-month period again in 2021, and with the passage of legislation (HB22-1406) sponsored by Senator Hinrichsen, extended it for another four-month period from July to September 2022 – helping our small businesses thrive and supporting our economy.
It’s no secret that Colorado is facing a dire air quality crisis – in fact, last summer Colorado had the worst air quality in the world. Senator Hinrichsen’s law, SB22-180, creates a grant program to provide $28 million to transit associations to provide free transit services during ozone season. This commonsense law will encourage transit ridership, reduce harmful emissions, and help us further our climate goals while ensuring Colorado families have cleaner, healthier air to breathe.
Coloradans who have stepped up to serve our country should never be denied access to housing due to their military status. Senator Hinrichsen’s law, HB22-1102, prohibits anyone selling or renting a house, apartment, or other dwelling from discriminating against an individual based on their veteran or military status.
Coloradans and folks around the world are feeling financial pressure due to pandemic-induced inflation, which is why Senator Hinrichsen continually supported critical policies this year to alleviate that pressure. These new laws will save the average homeowner $274 on their property taxes (SB22-238); provide advanced tax refunds this summer to every Colorado resident (SB22-233); help families and workers take advantage of tax reforms to save $180 million this year through the expanded earned income tax credit and child tax credit (SB22-182); and save homeowners money on wildfire mitigation (HB22-1007).
Senator Hinrichsen worked with his colleagues in the Senate this year to pass a wide variety of bills to save Coloradans money, including businesses. He cast his vote for legislation to provide $700 million in property tax relief over the next two years for businesses and homeowners (SB22-238); eliminate fees to start your own business (HB22-1001); allow restaurants to keep $40 million of the sales tax they collect (HB22-1406); make sales tax filing easier (SB22-006); and replenish the unemployment insurance trust fund to save businesses money and protect this important assistance for workers (SB22-234).
Catalytic converter theft has skyrocketed in Colorado and throughout the country. That’s why Senator Hinrichsen voted for legislation to cut down on crime and prevent theft from occurring in the future. SB22-009 cuts down on catalytic converter thefts by giving state regulators more oversight of aftermarket sales of catalytic converters and making it easier to prosecute those selling stolen ones. SB22-179 adds civil penalties for offenses related to catalytic converter theft, while HB22-1217 creates a grant program to increase public awareness around catalytic converter theft and provide financial assistance to victims.
Senator Hinrichsen knows how important Colorado’s students are for our collective future success. That’s why he enthusiastically voted for the 2022 School Finance Act, which increases funding for K-12 public schools by nearly $550 per student on average to put more resources directly into classrooms that school districts can use to increase teacher pay, reduce class sizes and ensure students have what they need to thrive.
Senator Hinrichsen knows that rising crime is a concern for folks in Pueblo and across Colorado. Research shows that crime prevention strategies that include collaboration between communities and local law enforcement are most effective. The Community Safety Investment Act (SB22-145) he voted for this session tasks the Colorado Department of Public Safety with implementing three new grant programs to improve community safety and law enforcement: the Multidisciplinary Crime Prevention and Intervention Grant Program ($15 million) gives grants to law enforcement, local government agencies, and community-based organizations to identify and implement prevention and intervention strategies in high-crime areas; the Law Enforcement Workforce Recruitment, Retention, and Tuition Grant Program ($7.5 million) gives grants to law enforcement agencies for training and staffing purposes; and the State's Mission for Assistance in Recruitment and Training Policing Grant Program ($7.5 million) is intended to increase the number of law enforcement officers that are representative of their communities.
Senator Hinrichsen has made it a priority to support policies that aim to improve public safety and crack down on the overdose crisis in Pueblo and beyond. This year, he cast his vote for HB22-1326, the Fentanyl Accountability and Prevention Act, a comprehensive approach to combat the fentanyl crisis. The bill deploys both proven public health-focused strategies and enhanced criminal penalties targeting dealers to keep fentanyl off Colorado streets and save lives. The new law strengthens criminal penalties on any individual distributing fentanyl, directs $29 million in federal pandemic relief funds to expand access to proven public health tools like the life-saving opioid antagonist Narcan as well as fentanyl test strips, and integrates mandatory substance use disorder assessments and treatment into the state’s sentencing process to get people into treatment and recovery services.
We need to ensure that Colorado’s workers are equipped with the tools necessary to advocate for themselves so we can build an even stronger workforce, help power our economy, and ensure folks can provide for their families. A new law supported by Senator Hinrichsen (SB22-230) builds upon the state workers bill from 2020 to extend collective bargaining rights to county workers. The law gives public service workers who choose to form a union a seat at the table to collectively bargain on issues like working conditions, job safety, pay and benefits, and to collaborate with management to address shared challenges like staff shortages, retention issues, and improving public services.