SAN LUIS VALLEY — On the November ballot, voters will be asked to weigh in on eight topics that range from school choice to a ban on hunting mountain lions.
In an effort to provide information to voters about how their votes will align or not align with the candidates, the Valley Courier presented these same questions to the two candidates running for the state legislature. Today will be the responses of the two candidates for the House of Representatives District 62 and on Saturday the responses of the two candidates for the Colorado Senate District 6.
The questions that appear under each candidate’s name are abbreviated versions of the actual question that will appear on the ballot. These are the questions in their entirety. Question no. 9 does not appear on the ballot and was posed by the Valley Courier.
bobcats and lynx?
sentence or even sooner if they’ve earned time off for their behavior while in prison. Should eligibility for parole when convicted of a violent crime be increased to 85% of sentence?
sales, impacting gun manufacturers, gun vendors and businesses that sell ammunition? Money from the tax collected would be used for behavioral health support for youth and veterans, school safety and gun prevention programs and services for victims of violence and domestic violence.
Carol Riggenbach, Republican candidate for Colorado House of Representatives District 62.
In cases where prosecutors have a strong case, should defendants charged with first degree murder be denied bail?
Yes.
Should the same-sex marriage ban be removed from the state constitution?
Candidate Riggenbach did not respond to this question.
Should access to legal abortion be enshrined in the state constitution?
"Why would a medical procedure be enshrined in the state constitution? Enshrining it in the constitution would also mean that taxpayers pay for the procedure. How does abortion span across all medical procedures as the one that makes it into the constitution?"
Should the right to school choice be included in the state constitution?
"Why are we having to consider putting school choice in the state constitution? Don’t parent’s already have rights to access any school of their choice? Shouldn’t the federal government get out of our schools so that our school boards can make decisions based on their local needs? I realize this question is being asked because it is on the ballot. Are you asking how I will vote? The level of governmental control in our lives has gone too far. If school boards had freedom to do what the people want, not what the teacher union wants, not what the federal government wants with threats to cut off funding, we could then operate our schools in such a way where children could excel. There is a concern with this ballot initiative that the language of the bill could give the government more control over every choice and upend parental authority- “all children have the right….”.
Should there be a ban on sport hunting of big cats, including mountain lions,
bobcats and lynx?
"This ban also prohibits commercial fur trapping. The Colorado Parks and Wildlife have hired experts to manage our parks and wildlife. Why are we managing wildlife by ballot initiatives?"
Should eligibility for parole when convicted of a violent crime be increased from 75% to 85% of sentence?
"Yes. We have a serious problem within our communities. Our police officers are more at risk than ever because of the control of our legislative leaders. The majority of those who sit in seats of authority have put us, the people of Colorado, at risk with their irresponsible decisions. Thus communities are more at risk which we are seeing every day. There is so much more that needs to be done to address the crime, drug issues, homelessness, and cost of living where these 4 items go hand in hand."
Should there be a new excise tax of 6.5% on the sale of guns and ammunition
sales, impacting gun manufacturers, gun vendors and businesses that sell ammunition?
"No. I testified against all the gun bills that came through the capital this last session. It is clear that the promise to have the money go to behavioral health support and school safety is an empty promise. Money could be given to those programs now. Why hasn’t our legislators listened to the people and made these programs a priority right now rather than giving hand over fist of monies to illegal immigrants that mean harm to our people?"
Do you believe elections in Colorado are safe and secure?
"No. I have done my homework. Any citizen of the State of Colorado who seriously wants to trust the electoral process needs to do a deep dive and look at the evidence and how we got here in the first place. A perfect place to start is “Rocky Mountain Heist” on YouTube. We, as the people of Colorado, need to wake up and take our state back."
If elected, what are your top two or three priorities?
"The number one issue facing the communities of Pueblo county which is in my district (East Side, Bessemer, South Side) is crime. The consequences for crime are nearly non-existent. When a woman found with enough fentanyl to kill my hometown can get bonded out with $400, we have a serious issue.
I also have all six counties in the San Luis Valley. The water needs to be protected. All efforts have been made to protect the water. Vigilance will be key. In Huerfano county, safety and the economy are also issues which need real solutions. Talk is cheap. Let’s get to work.
The cost of living is hurting our people all across Colorado. Our families are hurting to just put food on the table, pay for fuel to get to work, pay for housing, etc. How does a family do anything extra such as paying for school sports (shoes and uniforms), going out to eat and more. It is a travesty and so not necessary when Colorado has such abundance. The rampant government spending is out of control. The additional governmental offices created in the last several years are not helping the average citizen of Colorado.
Homelessness is a serious problem which is threatening our state at many levels. The homeless suffer in their ability to function at a state where they can feel good about themselves and their lives. The infiltration of drugs and crime in the homeless population is right down sad. There are those who choose to be homeless and then there are those who choose not to be homeless. It’s those that want to escape who need to be on our radar screens with real solutions."
