Elizabeth Velasco for Colorado House District 57
Meet Elizabeth
Hola, I’m State Representative Elizabeth Velasco! It has been a privilege to serve you as the first Mexican-born state representative in Colorado, the first Latina legislator from the western slope, and the first open LGBTQ legislator in western Colorado.
I come from humble beginnings. I grew up low-income, living in mobile home parks in the Vail Valley, where I had to work multiple jobs to put myself through college and support my family. I know first-hand the realities that our working families face. I decided to run for office because for too long, too many of us have been left behind. We deserve leaders who take action and who put working families first.
In 2022 I ran on a platform of supporting our working families: affordable housing, language access, community resiliency, and access to clean air and clean water. I am proud to say that I delivered on my promises. I know that there is so much more work to do, and I am committed to doing it.
When I was a child in Mexico, we lived next to a plastic factory where we breathed toxic air every day. So many of our most marginalized communities live in areas where clean air and clean water are not a reality. That is why I prioritize access to clean air and clean water, and I have demonstrated this as a member of the Energy and Environment committee and prime sponsor of the Water Quality in Mobile Home Parks bill. I ran several bills to improve our wildfire resiliency and I chair the Wildfire Matters Interim Committee. I also championed affordable housing and language access during emergencies. You can read more about my work as your state legislator here.
Working families are the backbone of our state. We deserve access to resources and opportunities. Let’s continue working together for a thriving future in HD57. We are stronger together!
VISION
Support Working Families
Key Issue
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Affordable, attainable, and dignified housing
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Increase public school funding
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Childcare
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Affordable healthcare
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Public transportation
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Food security
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Good jobs
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Quality of Life
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Clean air and water
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Wildfire preparedness
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Prepared for a hotter, drier climate
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Fire evacuation
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Multilingual emergency communications
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Gun violence prevention
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Protecting our reproductive freedoms
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Access to Abortion
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Support for LGBTQ+ community
Public Health & Safety
Key Issue
Representing You
Key Issue
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My door is always open
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Listening to constituents
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Working with local government to craft real solutions that work for our unique communities
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Advocating for rural issues
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Advocating for resources for our part of the state
Want to Get Involved?
Together we are stronger! Sign up to volunteer for the Elizabeth Velasco team!
Legislative Updates
First legislative session down!
My first term in office was action-packed. I ran for office to get things done, and that’s exactly what I did. There is so much more work to do. In addition to running legislation, this year I was very involved in the district, advocating at the state level for issues in Carbondale, Parachute, and along Highway 82. I will continue to advocate for resources for our district and to show up for our community.
My Bills
I ran 27 bills in the 2023 session, 21 of which passed. You can read about all of my bills here.
2024 Bills
Affordability
SB24-230
HB24-1294
SB24-073
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SB24-230 Increases oil and gas production fees, which will go towards public transit. This bill will help expand, improve, and keep our public transit affordable.
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HB24-1294 Expands protections for residents of mobile home parks and clarifies responsibilities of park owners
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SB24-073 Changes the definition of “small employer” to include more companies in health insurance coverage requirements
Rural Issues
HB24-1006
SB24-100
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HB24-1006 Creates a grant navigation program for rural communities seeking funding for wildfire mitigation, something small towns often don’t have the budget or expertise to do
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SB24-100 addresses safety on I-70 particularly through the Glenwood Canyon, to avoid closures
Immigrant & Language Justice
HB24-1280
HB24-1024
HB24-1368
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HB24-1280 Establishes a grant program to fund services for new migrant arrivals
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HB24-1024 Makes it easier for noncitizens to get a driver’s license, making our roads and our communities safer
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HB24-1368 Creates the Language Access Advisory Board, making sure our state serves ALL of its residents and visitors regardless of what language they speak
Immigrant & Language Justice
HB24-1323
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HB24-1323 Allows our students to graduate and wear their cultural and religious attire, celebrating their identity on these momentous occasions
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We also eliminated the Budget Stabilization Factor!
Public Safety
HB24-1348
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HB24-1348 Creates requirements for safely storing firearms in unattended vehicles
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Multiple wildfire preparedness and response bills
2023 Bills
Language Access
HB23-10004
HB23-1237
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HB23-1004 Protects insurance consumers who need their documents in a language other than English
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HB23-1237 Study to examine how to standardize emergency alerts in multiple languages across the state so that we aren’t leaving anyone behind when there’s a life threatening emergency.
Housing
HB23-1257 Water Quality in Mobile Home Parks
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HB23-1257 Water Quality in Mobile Home Parks Is a bill I am so proud of, I grew up in mobile home parks and I know that these residents have lived with water that doesn’t feel safe to drink for too long. This is the first step to testing water quality across the state and taking action to fix these problems.
Public Health
SB23-054 Improving the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives
HB23-1244 Regional Health Connectors Program
HB23-1072 Civil Defense Worker's Compensation
SB23-166 Establishing a Wildfire Resiliency Code Board
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SB23-054 Improving the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Strengthens support for families missing a loved one, and improves transparency and data sharing. SB23-211 Federal Indian Child Welfare Act Of 1978 puts this federal law into CO statute, so that no matter what happens at the Supreme Court, the rights of Native children will still be upheld.
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HB23-1244 Regional Health Connectors Program Helps people navigate not only the healthcare system, but other supports too like food and rent assistance.
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HB23-1072 Civil Defense Worker's Compensation makes sure that volunteers who are recruited for fire response are covered by worker’s compensation.
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SB23-166 Establishing a Wildfire Resiliency Code Board Creates a statewide board to make codes for new construction in the wildland-urban interface. This will help our communities become safer, more fire-resistant, and minimize damage to homes.
I am also very proud of what the Democratic Party was able to accomplish in the House. We passed major bills on gun violence prevention, protecting our access to reproductive and gender-affirming care, making healthcare more affordable, and getting more protections for renters. You can read the full report of what we accomplished this session clicking here.
