Max's Minute | Blogspot

Primary elections are personal. People work hard for their candidates. They donate. They walk neighborhoods. They call voters. They put their reputations behind the people they believe are best prepared to lead. Then the votes come in. Some candidates win. Some do not. That is the nature of self-government. I will say plainly that not all of my candidates won this primary. So if you are disappointed today, I understand it. I am in the same boat with many of you. But disappointment cannot become disengagement. The primary is over. The mission is not. Republicans now have a responsibility to look forward, support our nominees, and do the hard work necessary to win in November. Colorado cannot afford another cycle of Democrat control. We cannot afford more inflationary policy, more attacks on parents, more soft-on-crime legislation, more regulatory pressure on small businesses, more hostility toward energy, and more government that treats taxpayers like an endless revenue source. The left...

The 2026 legislative session has ended, but the questions it raised are far from over. Every session produces bills. Some pass. Some fail. Some improve the law. Some make government larger, costlier, and less accountable. But beneath the titles, fiscal notes, amendments, and floor votes, this session asked one deeper question again and again: Who does government trust? Does it trust parents, homeowners, taxpayers, small businesses, law enforcement, local communities, and voters? Or does it trust centralized power in Denver to make more decisions for them? That question shaped nearly every major debate this year. Colorado families entered this session under real pressure. Housing remains unaffordable for too many families. Public safety remains a serious concern. The cost of living keeps rising. Employers continue to face a tax and regulatory climate that makes it harder to invest, hire, and grow. The state budget is strained. Communities like Castle Rock, The Pinery, Castle Pines Villa...

Coloradans believe in something simple and important. The people who live in a community should help decide what that community becomes. That principle is called local control. It is not a technical concept. It is a promise. It means your neighborhood is shaped by the people who live there, raise families there, and invest their lives there. That promise is being tested at the State Capitol. In recent sessions, the legislature has passed and proposed a series of housing bills that override local zoning authority across Colorado. These include mandates eliminating local parking standards, forcing higher density development near transit corridors, requiring approval pathways for housing on church and school property, and allowing certain housing developments to bypass local zoning entirely. More recently, the HOME Act allows public institutions, transit agencies, housing authorities, and nonprofits to construct housing projects on qualifying land regardless of local zoning rules. These p...

For many Coloradans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), housing is not simply hard to find. It is hard to find the right kind of housing. Housing that is safe. Housing that is stable. Housing that supports independence while keeping people connected to their community. HB26-1061  exists because people with IDD deserve more than “best effort.” They deserve a clear pathway to real homes in real neighborhoods, with real opportunities to belong. This bill is designed to strengthen community integration housing by aligning Colorado’s affordable housing tax credit process with projects that intentionally serve the IDD community. HB26-1061 focuses on practical outcomes. It creates a targeted priority in Colorado’s administration of affordable housing tax credits for “community integration housing” that serves people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It requires setting aside at least 10 percent of the state’s annual competitive federal Low-Income Housin...

Recently, a post by Douglas County Watch criticized a sermon delivered by Pastor Bryan Fields of Grace Chapel Castle Rock and suggested that his message on immigration made its way into the Capitol through my remarks in the well of the Colorado House of Representatives. Let me begin with this. I am proud to be part of the Grace family. Grace Chapel provides spiritual leadership that calls us to lead in love and to stand firmly in truth. Pastor Fields’ sermons challenge me to grow in character, humility, and conviction. I value that influence. I embrace it. Faith should shape the moral compass of any serious leader. At the same time, there is an important distinction between the pulpit and the well of the House. A sermon calls people to spiritual transformation. A legislator speaks within a constitutional framework. When I rise to speak in the well, I do so under oath. My words are governed by the Constitution, statutory authority, and the duty I owe to every constituent, regardless of ...

I serve in the Colorado House of Representatives to represent the citizens of House District 45 first. Public safety is not an abstraction. It is the condition that allows families to thrive, businesses to grow, and communities to trust one another. The rule of law is the foundation that makes that possible. A proposal advanced this week at the Capitol, allowing lawsuits against federal immigration agents for carrying out lawful duties, strikes at both. This legislation does not exist in a vacuum. It reflects a growing impulse to treat enforcement itself as a moral failing. That impulse is misguided. When a state punishes those tasked with enforcing the law, it creates hesitation where decisiveness is required. It replaces clarity with confusion. In that vacuum, criminal networks flourish, victims multiply, and order erodes. No society can remain safe when those sworn to protect it are treated as adversaries. America has always been a nation of immigrants, but it has never been a nati...

Colorado families are being crushed by the cost of housing. We all see it. Young adults cannot afford a first home. Seniors on fixed incomes feel trapped. Working families are forced farther from jobs, schools, and support systems. So when Democrats roll out another “affordable housing plan,” I read it with one question in mind. Will this actually lower housing costs, or will it grow government control, weaken local communities, and produce more bureaucracy than results? From what’s been reported publicly, this new Democrat agenda follows the same playbook we’ve watched for years. Big promises. Heavy-handed mandates. Centralized control. More spending. Less local authority. More pressure on counties like Douglas, where we have worked hard to build safe neighborhoods, responsible development, and strong infrastructure. Colorado needs more housing. But we need the right kind of housing growth, done in the right way, for the right reasons. And that means respecting the people who actua...

Colorado is no longer drifting. It is being driven - deliberately - down a path that is less affordable, less safe, and less free than the state generations before us built. The data confirms what families already feel. Colorado now ranks among the most expensive states in the nation. Housing affordability is near the bottom. Regulation is among the highest. Property crime, auto theft, and human trafficking are near the top. These are not partisan talking points. They are measurable outcomes of policy choices made under prolonged one-party control. This is not the Colorado we deserve. For several years, legislators like House Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell and Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter have been sounding the alarm. Their work has consistently highlighted a pattern: more spending without discipline, more regulation without results, and more centralized control at the expense of local communities and working families. The press coverage is clear. The warning signs are unmistak...

When I first ran for office, I made a promise to represent the people of Douglas County with clarity, courage, and a fierce commitment to preserving what makes our community exceptional. That commitment led me to become a vocal supporter of the Douglas County Home Rule Charter. This initiative was never about rebellion. It was about resilience. Each legislative session at the State Capitol brings a new round of policies that pull authority away from local communities and concentrate it in Denver under the gold dome. From statewide zoning mandates that strip your elected county commissioners of land use authority, to top-down education reforms that disregard the values of local families, we are watching the slow but deliberate erosion of local control. Home Rule offered Douglas County the opportunity to push back intelligently, constitutionally, and proactively. Let me be clear: Home Rule is not a silver bullet. It doesn't give a county the power to defy state law or rewrite the Con...

As the representative for Douglas County in the Colorado General Assembly, I see every day how unique and exceptional our community truly is. We don’t just talk about safe neighborhoods, responsive government, and principled leadership - we live it. That’s why I strongly support the Douglas County Home Rule initiative and have stepped up to run for a seat on the Charter Commission. At its core, Home Rule is about protecting the values that have made Douglas County a model for governance in Colorado, especially our uncompromising commitment to public safety and law enforcement. While other jurisdictions have defunded police, tied the hands of officers, or turned a blind eye to rising crime, Douglas County has taken the opposite approach: we invest in safety. We back our deputies, equip our first responders, and keep our communities secure. Home Rule gives us the ability to preserve that model and strengthen it. Douglas County Attorney  Jeffrey A. Garcia  has prepared and publ...

As my first legislative session in the Colorado House of Representatives draws to a close, I’ve taken time to reflect on what this experience has revealed - both about the process of governance and the state of leadership in our Capitol. I came here with resolve, determined to serve the people of House District 45 with integrity, to bring forward thoughtful legislation, and to defend the values we hold dear. While I remain committed to that mission, this first session has been a sobering introduction to the dysfunction and deep partisanship that now pervade the People's House. There have been moments of genuine collaboration - instances where members across the aisle worked together to pass good legislation that will serve Colorado well. But those moments have been tragically few. More often, I’ve witnessed partisanship strangle commonsense bills, smothering solutions that could have eased burdens on families, safeguarded constitutional rights, and addressed real problems.  I’ve al...

“Voters’ choice.” You’ve probably heard that phrase used over and over in this session to justify sweeping, top-down legislation at the State Capitol. But here’s the truth: the majority party only defends “voters’ choice” when it advances their agenda. When it comes to parental rights and local control, those same voices are quick to override the will of voters and communities across Colorado. Two bills this session - HB25-1309 and HB25-1312 - are clear and dangerous examples of how the Legislature is dismantling parental authority and local autonomy under the guise of progress. HB25-1309: Stripping Away Parents’ Say in School Curricula This bill effectively eliminates school board discretion over how comprehensive sexual education is taught in classrooms and cuts parents out of the conversation. It mandates what must be taught and how it must be taught and shuts down school districts that might want to reflect the values of their local communities. In Douglas County and Castle Rock,...

Governor Jared Polis has officially signed HB25-1003 into law, a bipartisan measure I was proud to co-sponsor alongside Representative Rebekah Stewart of Lakewood. This legislation represents a meaningful step forward in how Colorado supports children with complex medical needs and their families. HB25-1003 consolidates and simplifies two existing Medicaid waiver programs - the Children with Life-Limiting Illness (CLLI) Waiver and the Children’s Extensive Support (CES) Waiver - into a single streamlined waiver for children with complex health needs. This new waiver will provide continuous, coordinated care to children facing significant medical challenges while also reducing bureaucratic overlap and easing the burden on families navigating the system. Why It Matters Families caring for medically complex children already face a heavy emotional and financial load. Between juggling doctor visits, specialized therapies, medications, and in-home support, they often spend more time figh...

Small businesses are the backbone of Colorado’s economy, yet on the campaign trail, many business owners approached me and asked for help with their struggle under the weight of excessive fees imposed by large financial institutions. HB25-1282  Payment Card Network Practices & Fees is a critical step toward fairness, ensuring that businesses are no longer charged unnecessary interchange fees on taxes and tips - money they do not keep.  I’m pleased to report that my bill has passed in committee with a 9-3 vote and is now headed to the House, where I expect it to pass before advancing to the Senate. Despite exaggerated claims from opponents, this bill is a commonsense reform that promotes transparency, economic growth, and competition while eliminating an unfair financial burden on merchants. Currently, businesses pay swipe fees not only on their actual sales but also on taxes and tips, which are funds that go to the government and employees. HB25-1282 eliminates these unnec...

The defeat of SB25-047  in committee is a profound setback for the safety and security of Colorado's citizens. This bill aimed to reverse policies that inhibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, thereby addressing a growing public safety crisis. By voting against this bill brought by Senator Mark Baisley and me, Democrats have effectively tied the hands of law enforcement, making it more difficult to apprehend and deport individuals who pose legitimate threats to our communities. SB25-047 would have reinstated provisions requiring local governments to report individuals suspected of being illegally present to federal authorities, a practice that was repealed in 2013 . This repeal has coincided with a significant rise in crime, including violent offenses, committed by individuals who should not have been in the country in the first place. The bill also sought to end prohibitions on local governments contracting with private entities for immi...

This past week, I voted in favor of House Bill 25-1208 in the Business Affairs & Labor Committee, and I intend to support it again when it reaches the Finance Committee - barring any amendments that fundamentally alter the bill’s purpose. My decision is grounded in one simple truth: Colorado’s restaurants are struggling to survive under the weight of escalating labor costs, and they need relief now. As the backbone and lifeblood of local economies, including here in Castle Rock, our restaurants operate on razor-thin profit margins - often 1% or less. Without financial relief, many of these small businesses will face bankruptcy, resulting in significant job losses and economic decline for our communities. The Reality Facing Our Restaurants The COVID-19 pandemic devastated the restaurant industry, and now, just as they are beginning to recover, escalating labor costs are threatening to finish the job. Several municipalities across Colorado have enacted minimum wages that far exc...

Senate Resolution ( SJR25-006 ) Condemning President Trump for the January 6 Issurection Pardons divided Colorado by turning justice into a partisan weapon. This resolution - introduced on the Colorado House floor on Friday - shifted the focus from real issues to political blame, distracting you from the challenges you face every day. It targeted a controversial pardons decision instead of addressing the costly errors of past legislation that have left many Coloradans struggling financially and unable to reach their full potential. Your government should work to fix policies that contribute to rising crime, unchecked illegal migration, and economic hardship. Lawmakers were elected to tackle these problems, not to engage in partisan finger-pointing that erodes trust and divides communities. Instead of confronting the practical issues that affect your safety and financial stability, the resolution fuels political battles that do nothing to solve the problems you and your neighbors experi...

As the State Representative for District 45, I stand in unwavering support of Senate Bill 25-047 , a bill that restores common sense and accountability to Colorado's law enforcement agencies. This legislation is not about politics; it is about ensuring the safety of every law-abiding Colorado resident by empowering law enforcement to do their jobs without unnecessary state-imposed barriers. For too long, Colorado has been shackled by laws that have turned our state into a sanctuary for illegal migrants who commit crimes. These laws do not protect the hardworking men and women of our communities; they protect criminals who operate with impunity under the veil of sanctuary policies.  Senate Bill 25-047 seeks to correct this dangerous precedent by allowing law enforcement to communicate freely with federal immigration authorities when they arrest individuals who are in this country illegally and have committed crimes. This bill does not encourage or mandate racial profiling or mass de...