What I Stand For

It's Time to Measure Leadership by Results, Not Promises
For more than a decade, southeast Colorado Springs has been represented by many of the same political leaders, including Senator Tony Exum, Representative Regina English, and City Councilmember Yolanda Avila.
During that time, many of us have watched our neighborhoods struggle with deteriorating roads, rising housing costs, struggling businesses, litter, crime, and limited economic opportunities.
My question is simple: After all these years, are the people of southeast Colorado Springs better off?
I believe elected officials should be judged by the results of their decisions, not how long they've held office, how many committees they serve on, or how often they promise to help.
We need to examine the decisions being made on our behalf and ask whether those decisions are improving our quality of life.
Senator Tony Exum: Housing, Transportation, and Energy
Senator Tony Exum chairs the Senate Local Government and Housing Committee and serves on the Transportation and Energy Committee. These are important responsibilities that directly affect our neighborhoods, household expenses, and opportunities.
Housing: Colorado's regulations, permitting requirements, and development costs can make building homes more expensive and time-consuming. Meanwhile, southeast Colorado Springs continues to see dense housing developments without always seeing corresponding improvements in roads, infrastructure, or neighborhood amenities.
Affordable housing should mean families have realistic opportunities to own homes, build equity, and establish roots, not simply squeeze more people into increasingly expensive developments.
Energy: Colorado has tremendous energy resources, yet state policies continue to raise concerns about the future availability and affordability of natural gas.
I support Amendment 82, which would establish a constitutional right for Coloradans to purchase natural gas for cooking and heating and for providers to sell it. I believe families and businesses should have energy choices rather than having government narrow their options (which will cost us more).
Transportation: I appreciate public transportation. I depended on buses for years, and I understand how important reliable service is to those who need it.
But I also understand the freedom and independence that come with owning a vehicle. Residents deserve well-maintained roads, reliable transportation options, and infrastructure that keeps pace with development.
After years of transportation funding and legislative involvement, why do so many of our roads still need significant attention?
I want to know what measurable improvements our elected officials can point to in southeast Colorado Springs.
Representative Regina English: Business, Health, and Public Safety
Representative Regina English currently represents House District 17 and serves on the Business Affairs and Labor Committee and the Health and Human Services Committee.
These assignments should bring particular attention to the challenges facing working families and small businesses in our district.
Business and economic opportunity: Drive through portions of southeast Colorado Springs and you'll see vacant storefronts and commercial areas that need reinvestment.
Small businesses face increasing costs from taxes, fees, insurance, labor, and government regulations. Every additional burden can make it harder for a business to hire, expand, or even keep its doors open.
I believe our representatives should be fighting to make Colorado a place where businesses want to open, grow, and create jobs.
We need more than government programs promising economic development. We need policies that make private investment and entrepreneurship possible.
Health and the protection of life: I strongly disagree with Representative English's support for policies that expand public funding for abortion services.
I believe every human life has inherent value, including the life of a child in the womb. Taxpayers should not be compelled to fund procedures that violate their deeply held convictions about protecting human life, but she voted for it.
We may disagree on abortion, but voters deserve to know where their representatives stand and how their tax dollars are being used.
Protecting children: I also believe in giving credit where it is due. Representative English has supported stronger penalties for serious crimes against children, and I appreciate that.
Protecting children should never be a partisan issue.
Proposition 133, on the November ballot, addresses penalties for human trafficking of minors. I support holding those who exploit children accountable with serious consequences.
We should be able to recognize a good decision even when we disagree with an elected official on other important issues.
I am strongly for protecting girls in sports. Thankfully Colorado is still one of the states that require male or female gender noted on birth certificates. Gender is based on your birth certificate or DNA. 
I am also strongly for preventing life altering gender surgeries on minors. A young boy has no idea what time, effort and pain it will take to perform a self-dilation 3 times a day for life. He can make that decision as an adult. (VOTE YES ON PROP 134 and 135)
City Councilmember Yolanda Avila: Where Is the Neighborhood Progress?
Yolanda Avila has served southeast Colorado Springs in city government for years.
I believe local leadership should be judged by the everyday conditions residents experience: clean streets, safe neighborhoods, well-maintained infrastructure, accessible businesses, and opportunities for families.
There is a troubling perception that southeast Colorado Springs is an area people avoid.
I've heard people from other parts of the city joke about coming to the southeast side because of concerns about safety, limited restaurants, and the condition of some neighborhoods.
That perception should concern every elected official representing this community.
Why should residents have to travel across town to enjoy the amenities and neighborhood conditions that other communities take for granted?
Our neighborhoods deserve attention and investment, but we also deserve accountability for how existing resources are being spent.
We don't need elected officials to continually promise to solve the same problems. We need leadership that delivers lasting improvements.
This Is Personal to Me
I live in this community. I love this community but I've experienced theft and witnessed people dumping garbage with little regard for the neighbors who must live with the consequences.
I see hardworking people who simply want to provide for their families, enjoy their homes, and feel safe in their neighborhoods.
Most aren't asking for anything extravagant.
They want to afford groceries, pay their bills, drive on decent roads, and spend a Saturday afternoon grilling with family and friends without worrying about crime or the condition of their neighborhood.
They want their children to grow up with opportunities.
They want businesses and restaurants nearby.
They want clean streets and pride in the place they call home.
These are not unreasonable expectations. They are the foundation of a healthy, thriving community.
And there is absolutely no reason southeast Colorado Springs should accept less.
What I Believe Needs to Change
I believe we need a different approach to leadership, one that puts residents, families, and businesses ahead of political agendas.
My priorities include:
•    Safer neighborhoods: Support law enforcement, hold criminals accountable, address illegal dumping, and strengthen community responsibility.
•    Economic opportunity: Reduce unnecessary regulations, taxes, and fees that discourage businesses from opening, hiring, and investing.
•    Housing affordability: Remove unnecessary barriers to homeownership while encouraging responsible development and adequate infrastructure.
•    Energy freedom: Protect access to affordable, reliable energy and preserve consumer choice.
•    Responsible spending: Demand transparency, respect TABOR, and prioritize essential services over expanding government programs.
•    Strong families and parental rights: Protect parents' authority to raise and educate their children while supporting opportunities for the next generation.
I don't believe government can or should solve every problem. In fact, too often government creates obstacles that make life harder for the very people it claims to help.
We need leadership that understands the difference between serving the community and controlling it.
Leadership Is Service, Not Status (or a title to brag about)
I have spent my career working with people, solving problems, leading teams, and helping organizations achieve results.
I didn't enter this race because I wanted a political title.
I entered because I believe southeast Colorado Springs has been overlooked for too long, and the people who live here deserve a representative who will challenge the status quo.
Public service should be about service—not status, political careers, or maintaining power.
I don't expect every resident to agree with me on every issue. Different opinions and respectful conversations are healthy. But I do expect our elected officials to listen, be accountable, and put the needs of their constituents first.
After more than a decade of familiar leadership, we should all be asking the same question:
Are our neighborhoods safer? Are our families more financially secure? Are our businesses thriving? Are our children better positioned for the future?
If the answer is no, then it's time to consider a different direction.
Southeast Colorado Springs is filled with hardworking, resilient, talented people. We have the potential to be one of the most desirable places in Colorado Springs to live, work, raise a family, and build a business.
We shouldn't have to settle.
We deserve safe streets. We deserve economic opportunity. We deserve affordable living. We deserve leadership that works for us.
Southeast Colorado Springs deserves better.
Laura Martin
Serving Southeast Colorado Springs and Candidate for Colorado House District 17