Alex’s Priorities as a Legislator
Environment
Alex has been an environmentalist his entire life, channeling his passion for the environment into action in both his career and his work in the Colorado Legislature. Alex has seen firsthand that facilitating renewable energy development creates job opportunities and fights climate change. Alex knows that the environment is a bi-partisan issue, and through addressing climate change and building a new energy economy, Alex helps Colorado lead in driving real change for all Coloradans. Throughout his time in the State House, Alex has passed a multitude of environmental bills focused on reducing air pollution, creating an electric vehicle ready future, and facilitating clean energy adoption.
LGBTQ Rights
Representative Valdez serves on the LGBTQ caucus. As a proud member and leader in the LGBTQ community, Alex passed the HIV prep bill in 2020 and supported other critical pieces of legislation including banning conversion therapy for minors and allowing Colorado identification to reflect gender identity. Alex recently helped secure culturally competent healthcare for LGBTQ Coloradans. Alex firmly believes in protecting and advancing LGBTQ rights, and upholds that this work is extremely important in our changing social landscape.
Families and Living Wages
When people are paid enough and paid fairly to afford their shelter, food and entertainment that’s when people feel fulfilled. Housing security and family stability rely on fair wages, and Alex believes that wages are a top priority. During the 2020 Legislative Session Alex passed Family Medical Leave, while also fighting to raise local minimum wage, advocating for PERA, and continuing to fight for unions and workers rights. As someone raised by a single mom, Alex knows just how hard parents work to ensure a good life for their children, which is why Alex prioritizes lowering the sky high costs of childcare for moms and dads throughout Colorado. Alex is particularly proud of dedicating $100 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding towards supporting and expanding childcare programs during the 2022 Legislative Session.
Animal Rights
Alex believes in giving a voice to the voiceless. Fighting and recognizing animal cruelty is a gauge for overall mental health. Early in his life, Alex realized the connection between people who hurt animals and mental health issues. During his first year in office, Alex proudly passed Punky’s Law to prevent and reduce animal cruelty. Through animal rights advocacy, Alex is giving back and paying it forward.
introducing the newest member of alex’s family, cheese.
Meet punky, to whom punky’s law is dedicated.
Equitable Healthcare
One of the greatest successes of the 2020 Legislative Session included the passage of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Prevention Medications bill and in 2021 the legislature advanced this work by passing the Standardized Health Benefit Plan Colorado Option. Representative Valdez believes that we simply need to do better with preventive healthcare, rather than solely relying on treating people who are sick. Preventive measures, such as providing healthier school lunches and increasing access to healthcare, helps create a more equitable, affordable healthcare system for all.
No one should ever have to worry about the financial impacts of getting sick. Healthcare should not be treated as a commodity and providing quality healthcare is one of the basic rights that our government should advance.
Latino Rights
As the Co-Chair of the Latino Caucus, Representative Valdez works with his colleagues on issues that matter most to his Latino constituents in HD5. Latino people have a long proud history in Colorado and in the legislature, and Alex is proud to carry this history forward by advocating for Latino people statewide.
