Naomi Riess

“Good public policy should begin with reliable evidence. As a legislator, I would seek information from credible scientific and technical sources, consult qualified experts, examine the underlying data and assumptions, and be transparent about what is known, what is uncertain, and the potential costs and benefits of a proposal.

My professional work in land use, planning, agriculture, mediation, and community development has taught me that data must also be considered in the context of real-world conditions. Evidence can be incomplete, communities can differ significantly, and policies that appear sound in theory can have unintended consequences when implemented.

I would support advisory mechanisms that bring together qualified scientists, technical experts, practitioners, and stakeholders with relevant expertise, while ensuring that their findings are independently evaluated and publicly accessible. Scientific conclusions should be based on evidence and the scientific process - not on political agendas or pressure to reach a predetermined outcome.

I also believe political or social agendas should never be used to override actual scientific findings. At the same time, science should inform policy rather than dictate every policy decision; legislators must weigh evidence alongside constitutional rights, costs, practical consequences, and the needs of their constituents - farmers, healthcare providers, teachers, businesses, local governments, and families who will have to live with the result.

Evidence matters. Experience Matters. I will always look at all side of an issue, seek all the information, ask difficult questions, acknowledge uncertainty, and make policy decisions that produce practical, measurable benefits for Coloradans.”

“Colorado agriculture is essential to our economy, food supply, open spaces, and rural communities. Farmers and ranchers are also among our most experienced conservationists because their livelihoods depend on healthy soil, reliable water, and productive land.

As a legislator, I would support evidence-based, voluntary innovations that help producers use water, fertilizer, energy, and other inputs more efficiently. This could include improved irrigation technology, soil-health practices, precision agriculture, drought-resistant crops where appropriate, better water measurement and management, and research developed in partnership with producers.

I would also oppose unnecessary mandates on farming practices or labor use that increase operating costs, reduce productivity, or negatively affect a farm’s bottom line without clear evidence that they will achieve their intended benefit. Farmers need flexibility to make decisions based on their crops, livestock, land, workforce, and local conditions.

Solutions must recognize that agriculture in Southwest Colorado is different from agriculture along the Front Range. State policy should not impose one-size-fits-all requirements based on assumptions that do not fit every region or operation.

Water is particularly important. We must protect Colorado’s water, respect prior appropriation and existing water rights, maintain agricultural water infrastructure, and avoid policies that make farming and ranching less economically sustainable.

Government should provide sound research, improve infrastructure, remove unnecessary regulatory barriers, and give producers practical tools and flexibility—not dictate how they operate their farms and ranches. Political or social agendas should never override sound agricultural science or the experience of those working the land.”

“Colorado should welcome innovation, artificial intelligence, and the economic opportunities they can create, while ensuring that new data centers do not shift their costs and resource demands onto existing residents, businesses, or taxpayers.

I would support a transparent, evidence-based review of major data-center projects before governments provide subsidies, tax incentives, infrastructure commitments, or special treatment. We should understand a project’s expected electricity and water use, impacts on local infrastructure and utilities, additional generation or transmission needs, and who will ultimately pay for those improvements.

Water is particularly important in Colorado. Data centers should not compete with agricultural, domestic, or other essential water needs without a clear understanding of the consequences. Projects should demonstrate that their resource demands can be responsibly accommodated.

The electrical grid must also have the capacity to support an AI or data-center project. If additional generation or transmission capacity is necessary, the project should be economically responsible for the associated expansion costs rather than shifting them to the public.

Economic benefits should be evaluated realistically, including permanent jobs, tax revenue, infrastructure requirements, and broader impacts on local economies. Government should not socialize costs while private interests receive the benefits.

I also support strong protections for individual privacy and personal information as AI and data technologies evolve. Those protections should be clear and enforceable without unnecessarily restricting beneficial innovation.

The right balance is not to oppose new technology, but to require accountability. Colorado can encourage investment and innovation while protecting water, energy reliability, taxpayers, property rights, privacy, and existing communities.”

“Effective public health policy should be grounded in sound scientific evidence, accurate information, access to healthcare, and informed choice. Colorado should use the best available evidence to prevent and respond to infectious diseases such as measles while respecting individual rights whenever possible.

I support strong access to primary care, preventive services, timely diagnosis, treatment, and reliable public-health information. This is particularly important in rural Colorado, where families may travel significant distances for healthcare and hospitals and clinics often operate with limited resources.

During an infectious-disease outbreak, state and local officials should clearly communicate the demonstrated risks, available prevention and treatment options, and the scientific evidence supporting their recommendations. They should also be transparent about uncertainty and willing to revise recommendations when credible new evidence emerges.

I believe healthcare decisions should include informed choice and meaningful discussion between patients, families, and qualified healthcare providers. Public-health interventions should be proportionate to the demonstrated risk, and broad mandates should not become a substitute for education, transparency, access, and public trust.

Science should guide public-health policy, not political or social agendas. Political pressure should never be used to override credible scientific findings or suppress legitimate scientific discussion.

Finally, strengthening rural healthcare capacity is itself a preventive-health strategy. Communities are healthier and more resilient when people can obtain timely care from accessible providers they know and trust.”

“I believe Colorado’s science education should focus on teaching students how to evaluate evidence and think critically, not simply what conclusions to reach.

Students need a strong foundation in the sciences, mathematics, technology, agriculture, and geography, but they also need to understand how scientific knowledge is developed - how to ask good questions, evaluate evidence, test assumptions, recognize uncertainty, and adjust conclusions when credible new information emerges.

These skills extend well beyond the classroom. They help students evaluate information, understand technology, make informed decisions, and participate thoughtfully in our society.

I would support rigorous, age-appropriate science standards and stronger connections between classrooms and real-world applications. Partnerships with agriculture, healthcare, engineering, energy, natural-resource industries, skilled trades, colleges, and universities can demonstrate how science is used every day and introduce students to Colorado career opportunities.

Teachers should be supported in teaching rigorous academic content without turning science education into political or social advocacy. Social agendas should not drive science education in our schools, and political or ideological objectives should never override established scientific evidence. Students should be encouraged to respectfully question, challenge assumptions, and understand that legitimate scientific inquiry can involve uncertainty and evolving conclusions.

Our goal should be graduates who are scientifically literate, curious, independent thinkers, and confident enough to ask good questions. Those skills will serve them throughout their lives.”