Full Transcript for Candidate Interview: Katie Stewart — Colorado House District 59

WEBVTT 00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:02.160 Hi, my name is Katie Stewart. 00:00:02.240 --> 00:00:10.160 I'm running for House District 59, which encompasses La Plata, Archileto, San Juan, and most Tamanasuma counties. 00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:15.519 Why are you seeking this office and what experience or perspective would you bring to the position? 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:24.160 I am seeking this office because my family has a long history of roots in this corner of the state. 00:00:24.800 --> 00:00:29.359 And a large part of it, as cliche as it may sound, is for my kids. 00:00:29.519 --> 00:00:41.920 I want to uh work to ensure that they'll be able to live in Southwest Colorado if they so choose and have the lives that they they want and work for. 00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:45.759 And that applies for everybody in Southwest Colorado. 00:00:45.840 --> 00:00:54.640 That's that's why I want this job is to continue to do the work at the Capitol in hopes that every day we make things a little bit better. 00:00:55.119 --> 00:01:04.000 I have a wide variety of experience in nonprofit work, in healthcare, and in being the parent of five kids. 00:01:04.159 --> 00:01:09.760 So uh a lot of lived experience that uh makes it unique for me to be at the Capitol. 00:01:10.159 --> 00:01:16.799 If re-elected, what would be your main priority while in office this next term and what steps would you take toward accomplishing it? 00:01:17.200 --> 00:01:23.120 I think the thing I hear about the most from constituents uh really is affordability. 00:01:23.359 --> 00:01:37.280 As you know, grocery prices increase, uh gas prices increase, healthcare costs increase, you know, healthcare costs are growing at um 12 to 15 percent per year, sometimes as high as 19% per year. 00:01:37.519 --> 00:01:43.280 We're staring down um the barrel of increasing premiums in Colorado. 00:01:43.519 --> 00:01:49.439 And so my work has largely been around affordability and access to healthcare. 00:01:49.519 --> 00:01:53.920 And I'd like to continue that work uh because it's it's so important. 00:01:54.480 --> 00:01:59.519 A recent bipartisan poll did find that affordability is the top concern for Colorado voters. 00:01:59.680 --> 00:02:03.920 What specific bill would you introduce or sponsor to address that? 00:02:04.319 --> 00:02:10.639 I would say that there's not really a specific bill that can answer the affordability issue. 00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:19.520 It would be a combination of bills uh to impact that, you know, such as access to affordable childcare or just child care in the first place. 00:02:19.680 --> 00:02:23.039 It's a large economic driver here in Southwest Colorado. 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:38.879 Uh, you know, I recently learned in the last few months that La Plata County loses out on$34 million a year because of the lack of child care spaces and affordable child care spaces uh in southwest Colorado. 00:02:39.120 --> 00:02:49.520 So uh, you know, working on that component, which I've done through the use of the lodgers tax, I worked on that with Commissioner Matt Selke and in 2025. 00:02:49.759 --> 00:03:04.639 I have worked with Commissioner Warren Brown in Archiletta County and Commissioner Matt Selka here in La Plata County and Emily Lashbrick over in Archiletta County on Prop 123, which is a statewide affordable homeownership program. 00:03:04.879 --> 00:03:12.879 And we worked to change that statute so uh Southwest Colorado and Mountain Resort rural communities could draw down more dollars. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:22.479 Um, I've worked on a variety of healthcare bills that uh make sure people can get treatment in the appropriate place so they're not paying large jar bills. 00:03:22.639 --> 00:03:32.879 So uh there's a host of work that I've done uh in the legislature over the last two years that um I'll continue to do as we work on this piecemeal. 00:03:33.199 --> 00:03:39.199 Tell us about a specific decision you made in your current job or in a past one that you would make differently today. 00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:41.520 What did you learn from that experience? 00:03:42.240 --> 00:03:45.919 A specific decision I made that I would do differently. 00:03:46.159 --> 00:03:48.400 I think there's quite a few to choose from. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:04:05.840 I wouldn't say that there are any votes I would change, uh whether it be from my time on in the legislature or on the Durango Nine R school board, but I would say I've learned so much over the last um five, six years in crafting policy and how to engage in that. 00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:09.039 And I learn every day in the Capitol. 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:12.719 And I I would say if you're not learning, you're not growing. 00:04:13.039 --> 00:04:20.480 So um when I learn to do better, I try to apply that uh in the work that I do and in my everyday life. 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:27.279 Looking back five years, can you name one Colorado policy that you would undo and one that you would defend? 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:43.839 Looking back five years at policy, um, I I think, you know, what in the legislature, what we need to be better about is evaluating how policies are impacting folks across Colorado, especially in rural Colorado. 00:04:44.319 --> 00:04:50.160 Our counties seem to be disproportionately impacted by mandates that come out of the state legislature. 00:04:50.399 --> 00:04:58.639 So having that ability and willingness to re-examine policy that we've passed, uh, and you know, what can we do to improve that? 00:04:58.800 --> 00:05:03.519 Go, you know, that goes back to uh learning and doing better. 00:05:03.680 --> 00:05:14.480 Um, I would say I would have to go back further uh than the last five years, you know, Tabor the taxpayer bill of rights, which was passed in 1992. 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:29.920 I know that there are a lot of folks out there that are big fans of having a say and where their tax dollars go, and I honor that, but the implications over the last almost 35