My name is Katie Stewart, and I am your new state representative for House District 59. On the campaign trail, I had the privilege of meeting people across Southwest Colorado, and I’ve found that, regardless of political affiliations, we all want what’s best for our community and we’re willing to work for it. I’m honored to be representing Southwest Colorado at the Statehouse, and this column is the first of regular updates I’ll be giving about my work for you in Denver.
As a new legislator, much of the past three weeks has been taken up by new member orientation, which gets newly elected legislators up to speed about how the Statehouse functions day to day. We’ve received an introduction to the Statehouse’s process for drafting new bills, as well as an overview of the state budget. We are entering a challenging budget situation for fiscal year 2025-26, and I am committed to working hard with my colleagues to make sure every dollar is spent in service of our communities. We’re also working on getting constituent services switched to my new office, so please reach out with questions or concerns at any time. I’ve had the chance to meet many of the other representatives from rural Colorado, and I am excited to be working with them to make sure our voices are heard.
Each legislator can sponsor five bills per session. The initial bill-drafting process will continue throughout the next several weeks until session begins in January, so nothing is confirmed yet. Several of the bill drafts I am working on are being built in collaboration with the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes, and I am looking forward to continuing to work with them to advance their priorities at the state level. I am also working with existing and outgoing members of the Health and Human Services Committee, as well as the Colorado Attorney General’s Office, on ways to expand health care access in rural Colorado. I will give a more detailed overview of my bill proposals in this column in January, once session has begun.
There are so many people in Southwest Colorado working hard to make our communities better every day – educators, farmers, medical professionals and small-business owners – and it is a privilege to represent you all at the Statehouse. I am looking forward to learning and working with our communities and local governments across HD59 to lower the cost of living and build Southwest Colorado a strong future.
I would like to thank outgoing Rep. Barbara McLachlan for all the dedication she’s put into representing HD59. She’s been enormously helpful during my transition into this new role, and has also given some great recommendations on the best breakfast places around the capitol building.
Katie Stewart represents Colorado House District 59, representing Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties and most of Montezuma County. Reach her at katie.stewart.house@coleg.gov.
