Brown, a health policy expert, grew up in Louisville. He earned a doctorate in genetics from Harvard and then worked as a health policy analyst for the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, and former Gov. John Hickenlooper. He served as a member of the Louisville City Council during the Dec. 30, 2021, Marshall Fire. The disaster prompted several of his policy priorities, including a 2024 bill to study the effects of smoke damage on homes. In January 2023, he was elected to represent House District 12 by the House District 12 Vacancy Committee.
Brown is running unopposed in the Democratic primary.
Why are you running for the state legislature?
I am running for re-election to the state legislature to take climate action, make housing and health care more affordable, and ensure that every kid and family can thrive. Since joining the legislature in 2023, I have passed 34 bills regarding issues as diverse as climate change, affordable housing and health care, and Marshall Fire recovery. Legislation I have led is helping to make it easier for families to add rooftop solar, while modernizing our electrical grid to accommodate the distributed sources of energy we need to fight climate change. I passed legislation to strengthen the state’s public option program and provide more funding for transitional housing and nutrition services for low income, working Coloradans. In response to the Marshall Fire, I have passed eight different bills, bringing $13 million in financial relief to folks who lost their homes and were underinsured.
The issue of homelessness played a central role in Boulder’s municipal election in 2023. Yet, homelessness is influenced by factors outside a city’s control, such as the high cost of living and lack of mental health treatment capacity. What would you do at the state level to address homelessness in cities like Boulder?
Too many folks in our community are unhoused and local governments, like Boulder, Denver, and others are struggling to address this crisis. Local governments need support from the state to help provide services to people who are experiencing homelessness, and the state should utilize as many different resources as possible to address this crisis. This year, I sponsored a bill (HB24-1322) to draw down additional federal dollars to help provide transitional housing and nutrition services for folks who are or are at risk of becoming homeless. This bill will draw upon the lessons from other states such as Oregon, Arizona, Arkansas and others that have worked with the federal government to develop programs that bring in additional resources to help prevent homelessness among the most vulnerable. I will continue to do what I can to bring state and federal resources to the table to help local communities address this crisis.
In the 2023 city election, Boulder elected its mayor using a form of ranked-choice voting. Proponents of this voting method want to extend it to elect candidates for the Boulder City Council. They argue that to do this, state lawmakers must mandate the Colorado Secretary of State to establish new regulations enabling the city and county to conduct elections using a multi-winner form of ranked-choice voting. Would you support such legislation? Why or why not?
I am open to exploring innovative ideas that help to ensure that the will and intent of voters is appropriately captured. Traditional, winner-take-all, plurality based voting systems can lead to candidates winning elections that are not preferred by a majority of voters. I appreciate and applaud Boulder’s efforts to explore alternative methods that may better capture the will of voters.
Earlier this year, lawmakers passed the “just cause” eviction bill, marking a significant legal change in renters’ rights. Some lawmakers want to further these protections by repealing a Colorado law that prohibits cities like Boulder from capping rent increases, a measure they believe would improve housing affordability. What are your thoughts on repealing this law?
We must continue to work to make housing affordable, and local governments need tools to help address the housing affordability crisis. Local communities deserve to determine whether tools like caps on rent increases are right for them. In the wake of the Marshall Fire, many renters and people who lost their homes faced skyrocketing rents, but Colorado’s prohibition on rent increase caps did not allow local governments to take action to protect renters. No single approach will work in all situations but each community should be able to investigate the approaches that will be best for them.
Last session, lawmakers introduced a bill that would have required state regulators to stop issuing new oil and gas drilling permits by 2030, in line with global commitments to zero out fossil fuel emissions responsible for global warming by midcentury. Gov. Jared Polis and many Democratic legislators were skeptical of the bill, and it was ultimately voted down in committee. What are your thoughts on restricting oil and gas drilling in Colorado for climate and public health reasons?
In order to meet our climate goals and protect health and safety, I support efforts to phase out oil and gas. Taking climate action remains one of our top priorities as a community and I carry those values to the legislature. I have sponsored and supported legislation to strengthen our climate goals by working to transition to 100% renewable energy. Legislation I have sponsored is making it easier and cheaper to install rooftop solar, will provide local governments with resources as they consider commercial solar projects, and will modernize our electrical grid to allow for increased electrification. Continuing to rely on fossil fuels puts our health and safety at risk and I will continue to work to transition to a renewable energy economy.