Michelle Lynn Tweed

“I believe sound public policy should be informed by credible evidence, scientific research, and measurable outcomes—not assumptions or political convenience. As an elected legislator, I would use several mechanisms to ensure evidence plays a meaningful role in my decision-making. First, I would seek input from nonpartisan legislative research staff, relevant state agencies, universities, subject-matter experts, and professionals working directly in the affected fields. When legislation involves specialized areas such as health care, behavioral health, education, energy, environmental policy, or emerging technology, I would support advisory panels that include researchers, practitioners, community representatives, and other stakeholders with relevant expertise.

Second, I would examine the quality of the evidence itself. A single study should not automatically determine policy. I would consider the strength of the research, whether the findings have been replicated, the data’s limitations, potential conflicts of interest, and whether the evidence applies to Colorado’s communities. Third, I would support greater use of pilot programs, fiscal and policy analyses, performance measures, and periodic evaluations. When possible, legislation should establish measurable objectives so policymakers and the public can determine whether a program is actually producing its intended results.

I believe transparency is an essential non-negotiable. Policymakers should be willing to explain what evidence informed a decision, acknowledge uncertainty or conflicting findings, and reconsider policies when credible new evidence demonstrates that a different approach would better serve Coloradans. Evidence should inform policymaking while remaining balanced with constitutional requirements, fiscal realities, practical implementation, and the lived experiences of the people affected by our decisions.”

“Colorado agriculture is essential to our economy, food security, rural communities, and stewardship of our natural resources. Supporting farmers requires policies grounded in science while recognizing that solutions must also be economically practical for the people working the land that Colorado is known for.

As an elected legislator, I would strengthen partnerships among farmers and ranchers, Colorado State University extension, agricultural researchers, water districts, conservation organizations, and state agencies. CSU is already conducting applied research on drought-resilient forage crops, soil-moisture monitoring, irrigation efficiency, fertilizer management, and agricultural water quality. These efforts can provide policymakers and producers with Colorado-specific evidence rather than relying on one-size-fits-all approaches.

Water would be a major priority. I would support research and voluntary, incentive-based programs that help producers improve irrigation efficiency, strengthen soil health, adopt drought-resilient crops where appropriate, and conserve water without unnecessarily removing productive agricultural land. Colorado research has shown that certain voluntary irrigation-management strategies can reduce water consumption while maintaining some agricultural production.

I would also support precision agriculture, soil and nutrient testing, improved fertilizer-management practices, and technologies that can reduce input costs while protecting groundwater and rivers. Importantly, farmers and ranchers should have a meaningful role in developing these policies because they understand the operational and economic realities of agriculture. My goal would be to use research, field data, producer experience, and measurable outcomes together—protecting Colorado’s water, soil, and agricultural lands while ensuring that farming and ranching remain economically viable for future generations.”

“Colorado should welcome innovation and the economic opportunities created by artificial intelligence and data centers, but growth should not come at the expense of residents, our electric grid, or our limited water resources. The right balance is responsible development in which the benefits are measurable and the costs created by large facilities are not shifted onto Colorado families and small businesses.

As an elected legislator, I would support requiring large data center proposals to undergo transparent assessments of their projected electricity demand, water consumption, infrastructure needs, environmental impacts, and economic benefits before receiving significant state incentives. Colorado should also require meaningful reporting of actual energy and water use so policymakers can compare projections with real-world outcomes.

Ratepayer protection is particularly important. Large data centers can require substantial new generation, transmission, and other infrastructure. I would support policies ensuring that the companies creating those demands bear an appropriate share of the associated costs rather than transferring them to existing utility customers.

I would also encourage technologies that reduce water consumption, improve energy efficiency, use reclaimed water where feasible, support grid reliability, and reduce electricity demand during peak periods. Incentives should be tied to demonstrated public benefits, such as infrastructure investment, workforce development, quality Colorado jobs, and measurable efficiency improvements.

I would preserve appropriate local involvement in siting decisions because communities experience these projects differently. Colorado does not have to choose between technological innovation and responsible resource management. We can encourage AI now super intelligence (SI) investment while establishing clear, evidence-based standards that protect consumers, conserve water, maintain grid reliability, and ensure Coloradans receive meaningful benefits from this growth.”

“Protecting community health requires prevention, early detection, rapid response, and public trust. I support policies that use the best available scientific evidence while ensuring Coloradans have reliable information and practical access to preventive care. For infectious diseases such as measles, I support making recommended vaccinations readily accessible through physicians, pharmacies, schools, community clinics, and rural health providers. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are approximately 97% effective at preventing measles, making vaccination an important component of prevention.

I also believe public health communication should clearly explain benefits, risks, and the evidence behind recommendations so individuals and parents can make informed health decisions. Prevention also requires strong disease surveillance. Colorado’s experience with wastewater monitoring demonstrates how emerging outbreaks can sometimes be detected before clinical cases are reported. I would support evidence-based surveillance, laboratory capacity, rapid testing, and coordination among state and local public health agencies and health care providers so that outbreaks can be identified and contained quickly.

Beyond infectious disease, preventive health policy should address chronic disease, maternal and child health, behavioral health, environmental health threats, and access to screenings and primary care. Investments in prevention should be evaluated using measurable outcomes, so we know which programs are actually improving health and using taxpayer dollars effectively. Preparedness matters. Colorado should maintain clear response plans, adequate medical and laboratory capacity, reliable public communication, and coordination with hospitals, schools, emergency management, and local communities. My doctoral studies as a health psychologist approach would be to strengthen prevention without relying on fear by providing accurate information, improving access, detecting threats early, measuring outcomes, and adjusting policies as scientific evidence evolves.”

“Science literacy is increasingly important because Coloradans are being asked to make decisions about health, energy, water, agriculture, artificial intelligence, environmental stewardship, and emerging technologies, while misinformation can spread rapidly, making the ability to evaluate evidence just as important as knowing scientific facts. I believe K–12 science education should teach students not only what we know, but how we know it. Students should learn how to ask questions, develop and test hypotheses, interpret data, distinguish correlation from causation, evaluate the credibility of sources, recognize research limitations, and understand that scientific knowledge can change as new evidence emerges.

Colorado’s standards already incorporate scientific inquiry, evidence, critical thinking, and real-world problem solving. I would build on that foundation by supporting more hands-on laboratory experiences, project-based learning, and partnerships with universities, research institutions, and industries such as agriculture, health care, engineering, technology, and other Colorado industries. Science literacy should also connect across subjects. Students can learn to evaluate scientific claims while developing reading, mathematics, statistics, communication, and digital-media literacy skills.

We should strengthen the relationship between science and the public by making science relevant to students’ communities. Studying Colorado’s water supply, agriculture, wildfire risks, energy systems, ecosystems, and public health can demonstrate how scientific evidence affects everyday life. Our goal should not be to tell students what to think. It should be to give them the knowledge and analytical tools to examine evidence, ask informed questions, challenge unsupported claims, and reach well-reasoned conclusions for themselves.”