Boulder Weekly sent candidate questionnaires to all state primary candidates. These are their written responses, edited for length and clarity. Find a full list of candidates and questionnaires here
Office: Colorado House of Representatives, District 11 (incumbent)
Campaign website: karenforco.com
Relevant experience
Colorado House of Representatives, 2021-present
Candidate, Congressional District 4 (2018)
Veterinarian, 40 years, and small business owner
Priorities
- Universal health care. HB24-1075 is a priority and has been a priority for two sessions. I am proud of the work that we did on this bill this year. This policy would direct the Colorado School of Public Health to do a deep dive into what a universal health care payment system could look like. Unfortunately it was left to die in the Senate, again. I will continue this work.
- Climate change. I plan to continue to work on how we can continue to address pressures on our natural resources and to move to a renewable energy future to protect future generations and the planet.
- Ending discrimination. I will continue to support the LGBTQ community and other disproportionally impacted communities to make sure that discrimination barriers are removed wherever they exist.
Most proud of from recent term?
- HB24-1379 Colorado Clean Water Act, is a bill that is historic in that it will protect all of Colorado’s waters from streams and rivers to isolated wetlands since the Supreme Court decision in the Sackett case created a void in clean water protections. Colorado will be seen as a leader across the country with this great policy and I am so proud to have been part of the hard work that brought this policy to the Governor’s desk to sign.
- HB24-1047 Veterinary Technicians Scope of Practice and HB24-1048 Veterinary Telehealth, will increase access to veterinary care across Colorado and give our veterinary teams the tools and guidelines to provide the accurate care needed to protect animal health and welfare. They will also provide clients the consumer protection needed when accessing veterinary services.
- HB24-1117 will finally recognize all invertebrates as the important part of the animal kingdom that they are and give our Colorado Parks and Wildlife the resources they need to study these populations. Bugs are the foundation of life, our food systems, our healthy soils and so much more. As we go into a hotter, drier climate it is important to know how we can best protect these critical ecosystems.
See McCormick’s sponsored legislation for 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021
Efficacy rating (as calculated by Boulder Weekly): 70%
21 of 30 bills on which McCormick was a primary sponsor were sent to or signed by the governor
Lightning round
Please answer yes or no only. We will not print extended or explanatory answers
Do you support the state’s elimination of local occupancy limits? YES
Do you support ending the state’s prohibition on local rent control? Did not answer
Do you support requiring more density in your jurisdiction as a way to address the affordable housing crisis? YES
Do you support the Front Range train as the state’s highest priority for passenger rail? YES
When was the last time you paid rent? How much was it? And where?
I pay rent now, part-time, for a place to stay in Denver since the job is an hour away and sometimes I need a place to stay when we are working late into the night. It costs $1,100 per month for an unfurnished studio apartment without air conditioning. Since I would otherwise need a hotel room five or six nights a month, it is more cost effective to rent this apartment.
What would you say are the top issues facing District 11, and what are your plans to address them in a way that differs from the current approach?
- Lowering the cost of healthcare and access to mental health care. Many people in my community continue to experience barriers to care, and I will support policies that address this. I am working on bills now for the 2025 session in this area.
- Housing access and affordability. My colleagues on the Housing and Local Government committee do great work in this space, and I follow bills coming forward carefully. Those policies that will help us in Longmont’s housing goals earn my support. Increasing density makes sense in certain areas of our town and we are in process of doing that. I also stay in contact with our city council to make sure that input is considered.
- Transportation can be improved in our city. Bringing resources to Longmont to plan for better transportation options will continue to be a priority for me.
How can we evolve the transportation systems (particularly in suburban and rural areas) to meet Colorado’s climate goals, while balancing the realities of car dependency for those who must rely on personal vehicles?
The more opportunities we can build to get people out of their cars to use safe bicycle zones, buses and eventually rail, the better the whole system will function. With these systems in place, we will need fewer parking spaces. For those that must continue to use cars, there will be less traffic and safer roads. This comes through long-term planning, finding state and federal dollars to build infrastructure and educating the public to try new methods of getting around.
Given the realities of a changing climate and limited government resources, how do you plan on balancing mitigation and adaptation for already-impacted populations in D11?
Making sure that the increased density in housing options that are being built are done so in areas where the amenities are also located. Housing, schools, stores with easy access to these things are important. We can also make sure that the funding available from government sources has stipulations that guide the planning of communities to make sure we aren’t continuing to negatively impact people that historically have been hurt.
How does JEDI factor into your policy making?
I depend on the FORCE daily to navigate the halls of the Capitol. I also have developed a strong SPIDEY-SENSE to be aware of incomplete information that necessitates more inquiry.
What efforts do you make in your daily life to consider and understand people with different lived experiences from your own?
Throughout my years as a veterinarian, it has been critical to have strong listening skills to effectively communicate and learn. I have continued to use this skill to make sure that I truly hear people coming from different perspectives and experiences and respect what they are sharing with me.
When’s the last time you changed your mind about something, and what was it?
When I first heard about the creation of a veterinary mid-level professional, called a Veterinary Professional Associate or VPA, I honestly thought it was an interesting idea. I then took 18 months to study the issue, to find out if there was a need for such a profession and what they would be able to do, how they could help. After intensive research, I learned that there are many problems, consumer protection issues and federal legal challenges for a VPA to be helpful to people and animals, and that these barriers do not exist in human medicine. Veterinary medicine is also tasked with protecting human health, and such a mid-level professional would not be able to legally fulfill the roles needed to truly help animals and their people. They would not be any different from the incredible veterinary technicians and technician specialists who already exist and do great things to further access to veterinary care.
I started out with an open mind on the idea and learned through inquiry that this is not a beneficial idea. Now I understand that the only group that may benefit from the formation of this new position are those interested in money, not animal welfare.
This just is one example of how if you are willing to listen and learn, you have the flexibility to consider changing your mind.
What question would you ask a fellow candidate on the ballot?
How do you respond to people that strongly disagree with you?
