This story was originally published in Spanish by Sol del Valle.
The Colorado Democratic Latino Caucus met with Governor Jared Polis on Jan. 13 to address the concerns of the community.
Colorado House District 57 Representative Elizabeth Velasco, co-chair of the Caucus, is also the first Mexican-born legislator in Colorado, the first Latina to represent her district, and the first openly queer person elected in Western Colorado. Her focuses include language access, affordability and environmental justice. However, this year she will concentrate on leadership, an area she has experience in, serving as co-chair of the Caucus, vice-chair of the Energy and Environment Committee and chair of the Wildfire Affairs Committee.
Velasco mentioned that during the meeting with Governor Polis, the caucus had the opportunity to express some disappointment, but it was also an occasion to offer help and collaboration to meet challenges.
“For the Caucus, it is very important to share our priorities or pillars with our members when meeting with the governor … We were concerned about some of the statements he made regarding the state of our State, and we felt disappointed. That is why it is essential for us to continue advocating for Latinos in Colorado,” Velasco said in an interview with Sol del Valle.
“As state representatives, it is essential to elevate the voices of our districts and, for the Caucus especially, the voices of members of the Latino community.”
According to a press release from the Caucus, one of the main topics discussed in the meeting with Polis was immigration and how to create a safe state for all, particularly for communities more vulnerable under the Trump administration.
“The pieces that we’re working on are around legislation and strengthening protections. But I think it’s so important the work that many of our grassroots organizations do around ‘knowing your rights’ … and for people to get the information on what is real and what’s not,” Velasco said. “It’s very vital, and that’s really what’s going to make a difference. An informed and connected community is going to be stronger.”
The Caucus also announced its four pillars for 2025: 1) protection of air, land and water; 2) creation of safe jobs and higher wages; 3) solving the housing cost crisis; and 4) defending our communities.
Velasco is in the beginning of her second term as the representative for HD57.
“In my first term, we passed more than 30 bills. I was able to build coalitions and strengthen relationships,” Velasco reflected. “I definitely feel like I know how the soup is made.”
This year, Velasco will focus on some legislation related to language access. “One of the bills involves conducting an assessment to make all of our state departments more accessible to people who don’t speak English,” she elaborated. “I’m also running a bill on language access in emergency alerts. This came about in response to the Grizzly Creek fire we had in 2020.”
Velasco said that a study was conducted in this regard during her re-election, and the current bill is a continuation of that study, aiming to implement its recommendations and establish a threshold for counties to comply with language access in Colorado.
One bill under consideration is House Bill 25-1036, which creates a license plate to financially support the Office of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives. Velasco is a primary sponsor of the bill along with Senator Jessie Danielson, who represents District 22 of Colorado.
“It has been truly wonderful to work with the Native American community here in Colorado,” Velasco stated. “We live on ancestral lands where people have experienced a lot of harm.”
Velasco is also a primary sponsor of House Bill 25-1078 Workforce Education in Forestry and Firefighting. This bill, introduced by the Wildfire Affairs Committee in January, aims to improve workforce development and professional preparedness in the areas of forestry, wildfire management and natural resources (forest health), especially for young people.
“Our district is 60% public lands. We have the White River National Forest, which is the most visited national forest in the country, so healthy forests are an important part of our district,” Velasco explained.
“We’ve even heard from the firefighting community about the rising costs of responding to disasters due to climate change,” she continued. “What’s key is the importance of having trained professionals in forestry and firefighting.”
Velasco also participated in the Immigrant Voices Press Conference on Jan. 22 at the State Capitol, organized by HD10 Representative Junie Joseph and HD40 Representative Naquetta Ricks.
“It was a day of action and a day of unity for everyone living in Colorado,” Velasco said. “It was for the community to express their rejection of mass deportations and family separations. We are a diverse community, and that makes us stronger. That is why Colorado is prosperous. It depends on all of us, and we will not leave anyone behind.”