Jillaire McMillan

“The Colorado Assembly has the nonpartisan Legislative Council Staff that researches and prepares policy analyses. I would make use of their services as well as weighing expert and scientific testimony on bills. I would like to see if there are ways to formalize the standards for such testimony. Many bills currently come with fiscal notes, and having similar advisory notes that summarize research and data, identify potential strengths and weaknesses and benefits and risks from an evidentiary and scientific perspective could be useful to legislators in their decision-making role.”

“Current climate and economic conditions are certainly challenging for Colorado’s farmers, and any policy that legislators pass should focus on evidence-based measures that can promote productivity and profitability while also conserving natural resources. I would support policies that support innovation at CSU and by other agricultural researchers to create more drought-tolerant crops, healthy soil use, fertilizer alternatives, and improved irrigation technologies.”

“The development of data centers in Colorado is a concern for me. While it is important that Colorado stays technologically advanced, it must not be at the expense of residents and our environment. There may, however, be an opportunity if we require data centers to get a certain portion of their energy from renewable sources. Colorado will then see more investment in our renewable energy infrastructure, which benefits everyone. The energy that data centers use should place an emphasis on green energy and must not result in rate increases for Colorado residents. Any incentives that Colorado offers should be for investing in the local communities and infrastructure that will be impacted by the data centers, not the data centers themselves. The legislature’s focus needs to be community welfare, not corporate welfare.”

“The measles outbreaks across the country are an example of how quickly and devastatingly misinformation can put children and other vulnerable people at risk. Measles and many other diseases are easily preventable via vaccination. I believe the best way to address this issue is to use reputable, peer-reviewed research to get clear data. Government research agencies need to be independent from partisan influence and political pressure. They need to be free to base recommendations on the best science available.

Having unbiased data will not be enough, however, to convince the vaccine-hesitant. Parents who refuse or delay immunization are not making the choice because they don’t care about their children’s health; they are usually misinformed about the risks of vaccines. Any good public health campaign must include education, and utilizing relationships of trust can be an effective way of communicating with various populations. We should enlist family doctors, educators, religious leaders, and other trusted community leaders to share reliable information about the safety of vaccines, the risks of preventable infectious diseases, and the importance of herd immunity.”

“While most Americans can answer basic science questions correctly, science literacy also involves an ability to interpret graphs, understand statistical relevance, and evaluate sources, among other things. K-12 education standards should include the necessary factual building blocks of scientific systems, but they should also include data interpretation, scientific reasoning, and understanding that science is not always certain because inquiry and learning is ongoing.

I would love to see less standardized testing and more hands-on experiments and field work to get more students excited about science. Let’s get students actively applying the necessary practical and analytical skills that result in scientifically literate adults. Many children will not grow up to work in science careers, but knowing how to analyze data and synthesize information to make decisions that affect our health, environment, economy, and politics are critical for all people engaging in our modern society.”