Legislative District 40

Protecting our communities and ensuring their safety is a top priority for our state. We must also ensure that we are allowing those who have made a mistake to reenter our society and succeed. I believe in protecting the most vulnerable and ensuring that everyone has the opportunity to work for a better life. This year, I was proud to support policies to increase protections for those affected by gun violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and harassment; provide more support for law enforcement; and support re-entry for those who have paid their debt to society.

In addition, I successfully passed legislation in the 2020 session that will help make our communities safer for us all. House Bill 2785 requires that two additional private citizens, at least one from a federally recognized tribe, serve on the Criminal Justice Training Commission, which develops and provides training for law enforcement. Communities have been working with law enforcement to improve interactions between police and the communities they serve, and this new law represents a commitment that the collaborative work will continue.

Finally, I look forward to working with our local governments to ensure our first responders have the communication equipment necessary to keep our communities safe during natural disasters and other emergencies. Currently, many of our local law enforcement agencies and fire departments have outdated technologies and upgrading or replacing equipment could cost millions. Cities and counties alone cannot afford this, yet we need to make these investments. I will continue to advocate for the state to take part in securing the emergency communication technologies our cities and counties need to keep us all safe.

We need to increase officer training and fund diversion programs to decrease the involvement law enforcement has with tasks, such as addressing homelessness and mentally ill people, and we need to make sure other agencies have the resources to address those so that police can continue to focus on protecting communities. In the 2019-2020 session, I was a co-sponsor for many bills that would have provided additional training opportunities for law enforcement officers, including HB 2538, 2539, and 2560. We must continue to have conversations across all levels of government with all stakeholders to create a system that works to protect everyone.

I look forward to working with our local governments to ensure our first responders have the communication equipment necessary to keep our communities safe during natural disasters and other emergencies. Currently, many of our local law enforcement agencies and fire departments have outdated technologies and upgrading or replacing equipment could cost millions. Cities and counties alone cannot afford this, yet we need to make these investments. I will continue to advocate for the state to take part in securing the emergency communication technologies our cities and counties need to keep us all safe. When we have efficient first responders, our communities are safer.