Faith Winter
Faith Winter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 25th district | |
| Assumed office January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Member of the Colorado Senate from the 24th district | |
| In office January 4, 2019 – January 9, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Beth Martinez Humenik |
| Succeeded by | Redistricted |
| Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 35th district | |
| In office January 7, 2015 – January 4, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Cherylin Peniston |
| Succeeded by | Shannon Bird |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 7, 1980 |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | University of Redlands (BS) |
Faith Winter (born May 7, 1980) is a Democratic Party legislator in the U.S. State of Colorado. She represents District 25 in the Colorado State Senate. Her district covers portions of Adams County, the City and County of Broomfield and Weld County, including the communities of Broomfield, Westminster, Northglenn and Shaw Heights.[1] Prior to 2023, she represented District 24. During the 2020 reapportionment process, her residence moved from senate district 24 to senate district 25.[2]
Winter was first elected to the state senate in 2018.[3] Earlier, Winter served in the Colorado House of Representatives from 2014 to 2019, representing Colorado House District 35.[4]
On September 8, 2023, Winter was elected assistant majority leader of the Colorado Senate.[5]
She attended the University of the Redlands in Redlands, California, where she majored in Environmental Management and minored in Biology. Prior to becoming a Colorado Legislator, Winter had the experience of being the National Program Director for EnviroCitizen, National Field Director for The White House Project, executive director for Emerge Colorado, and Program Director for Colorado Conservation Voters.[6]
Political career
[edit]From 2007 to 2014, Winter served as a member in the Westminster city council.[7] Winter was elected in 2014 and then re-elected in 2016 to represent House District 35.[8] In 2018, She decided to run against incumbent Republican Beth Martinez Humenik for the state Senate. The district was deemed as one of the most competitive seats that would determine whether Democrats will be able regain control of the state Senate.[9] Winter was termed as one of the "Fab Five" in reference to a group of Democratic women challenging or defending competitive seats seen as vital to which party would hold control of the Senate.[10] Winter ultimately won by a significant margin.[11] She was re-elected in 2022.[8]
On April 4, 2024, Colorado Politics reported that Winter was checking into an alcohol rehabilitation facility, following multiple reports that she appeared intoxicated at a Northglenn, Colorado city council meeting the previous evening. Prior to this event, she recently was also observed falling down several times at the Colorado Senate.[12] The Northglenn city council subsequently filed an ethics complaint against Winter, where individual members of the city council noted that Winter was intoxicated at meetings prior to the April 3, 2024 city council meeting. [13] As a result, the Colorado Senate convened an ethics committee to review the allegations.[14]
On July 8, 2024, in a 4-1 vote, the Colorado Senate Committee on Ethics found that Winter did not uphold the Senate's ethics standards when she appeared to be drunk at a community meeting in Northglenn earlier in 2024. The committee, with three Democratic and two Republican members, had the option to recommend censure or expulsion but instead forwarded a report to the Senate President, leaving the decision on how to proceed to him. Also, the committee warned Winter that any new allegations of ethics violations may bring sanctions and gave her the option to address the full Senate regarding her behavior.[15]
2016 legislative session
[edit]Winter served on the Appropriations Committee, the Business, Labor, Economic, and Workforce Development Committee, and the Transportation and Energy Committee. She sponsored bipartisan bill HB16-1438, which makes it an unfair employment practice if an employer fails to provide reasonable accommodations for an applicant for employment or an employee for conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.[16]
2015 legislative session
[edit]In 2015, Winter sponsored multiple bipartisan bills, including HB15-1275 which builds programs in high schools that allow students to get real-world experience in apprenticeships,[17] and HB15-1323, which works to reduce testing burden on students and teachers by nearly 40 hours.[18]
External links
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Colorado Independent Legislative Redistricting Commission (March 18, 2022). "Colorado Senate District 25 (2021)" (PDF). State of Colorado. Retrieved January 10, 2023.
- ^ Bunch, Joey (November 15, 2021). "Rep. Kyle Mullica announces bid for state Senate seat". Colorado Politics. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ "Colorado election results: November 6, 2018 election". Colorado Secretary of State. December 6, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2019.
- ^ "2014 General Election Official Candidate List". www.sos.state.co.us. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ Birkelend, Bente (September 8, 2023). "Sen. Robert Rodriguez is Colorado's new Senate majority leader". CPR News. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
- ^ "Faith for House District 35". www.faithwinter.com. Retrieved June 6, 2016.
- ^ Olabi, Nora (July 11, 2018). "Meet the Three Democrats Who Could Flip the Republican-Led State Senate". Westword. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ a b "Faith Winter". Ballotpedia. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
- ^ Kenney, Andrew Kenney (September 27, 2018). "Colorado's political future comes down to five Senate districts, and money is rushing in". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ Herrick, John (November 7, 2018). "Democrats take the Colorado Senate". The Colorado Independent. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ Post, Andrew Kenney | The Denver (November 7, 2018). "Colorado Senate: Democrats set to retake control of state government". The Denver Post. Retrieved October 21, 2023.
- ^ "Colorado Senator Faith Winter to seek treatment for alcohol use, checking in to rehab". Colorado Politics. April 4, 2024. Archived from the original on April 4, 2024. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
- ^ "Northglenn City Council sends ethics complaint over Sen. Faith Winter's alcohol issues to state Senate". Colorado Politics. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ "Ethics committee to review complaint against Colorado senator accused of intoxication". Colorado Politics. Retrieved June 15, 2024.
- ^ Paul, Jesse (July 8, 2024). "Faith Winter violated Colorado Senate ethics policy by appearing to be intoxicated at community meeting, panel rules". The Colorado Sun. Archived from the original on July 8, 2024. Retrieved July 8, 2024.
- ^ "HOUSE BILL 16-1438" (PDF). Seventieth General Assembly. State of Colorado.
- ^ "HOUSE BILL 15-1275" (PDF). Colorado General Assembly. State of Colorado.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "HOUSE BILL 15-1323". Colorado Department of Education. State of Colorado.