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Democratic 2022 Colorado House of Representative

Andrew Boesenecker

I was born in Holland, MI, I grew up just a stone’s throw away from the shores of Lake Michigan. I was raised in a family that included public school employees, teachers, veterans and law enforcement officers. I am also proud of a family heritage that includes generations of farmers – people who know the importance of growing healthy food for their neighbors and community.I spent my childhood and teenage years sailing on Lake Michigan, exploring parks and forests, and riding my bike anywhere it would take me. One of those kids who couldn’t stop beating on pots and pans, I received my Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance from Western Michigan University in 2001. I love playing drums and the marimba (and also the pots and pans) with my three children to this day.

Criminal Justice Reform

It is far past time to reform our criminal justice system in the United States.

Much can be done here in Colorado and we should lead the way when it comes to providing justice for all. I come from a family of law enforcement officers (LEO), and am grateful for the work first responders and LEO’s do on behalf of communities across Colorado. I am opposed to the private prison industry – Colorado should restore faith in our justice system and close our for-profit prisons. No one should profit from the incarceration of another person. 

I am opposed to the militarization of police departments, stop and frisk, and the disproportionate and unethical use of excessive and often lethal force in minority communities. I support cash bail reform initiatives, including the banning of cash bail for low-level and/or non-violent crimes. I testified in support repealing the death penalty in Colorado, and was pleased to see it be repealed. I support overturning convictions for marijuana possession. I support efforts to protect the public from fentanyl and to hold those who traffic this deadly drug accountable. 

I support expanding mental health and substance abuse treatment programs as well as ensuring that those who need mental health services and/or addiction treatment are not simply incarcerated instead. I support diversion programs for non-violent, low-level offenders. Prison is not catch-all solution, and the for-profit prison industry continues to wreak devastation on those struggling with mental health issues and/or addiction while disproportionately preying upon minority communities. It is far past time to address the realities of systemic racism in our criminal justice system – including the racial disparities that are well-documented both in terms of sentencing and incarceration rates. I support following the lead of Maine and Vermont in restoring voting rights for people who are incarcerated here in Colorado.