Niwot's State House Representative Kyle Brown

The heart of Niwot sits in District 12 of Colorado's House of Representatives.

District 12 is represented at the Colorado capital by House Representative Kyle Brown, who was appointed to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Representative Tracey Bernett.

Since Brown joined the state legislature on Feb. 1, 2023, he has been an active legislator focused on climate action, affordable housing, recovery from the Marshall Fire and health care. Despite joining the current legislative session a quarter of the way through, Brown has written and sponsored 11 bills which passed the legislature and were signed by the Governor. He sits on the Health & Human Services and the State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs committees

A native Coloradan, Brown moved to House District 12 when he was one year old. He's now lived here for over 25 years. He attended elementary and middle school in Louisville and high school in Boulder. He received his bachelor's degree from Georgetown University and his doctorate in genetics from Harvard University.

Representative Brown sat down recently at the Niwot Market to discuss his political philosophies, time in office and re-election plans.

Role of Government

Brown believes the role of government is as a catalyst to incentivize positive behaviors, whether from businesses or individuals, and improve quality of life.

As an example, he mentioned the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act, which in 1986 made it illegal for hospitals with emergency departments to turn people away due to their inability to pay. Tax credits to help make home ownership and child care more affordable were also listed by Brown as policies where the government can have a positive impact on people's lives.

Among Brown's body of introduced legislation, HB24-1235 (Reduce Aviation Impacts on Communities) was introduced this past February and includes income tax credits and grants to incentivize aircraft owners and general aviation and commercial airports to transition from leaded aviation fuel to unleaded fuel.

Brown believes "free markets are best when they have guardrails."

Community Planning and Housing

Brown addressed the impact of Boulder's business and employee growth and how this growth impacts property values, housing affordability, pollution and transportation across our District 12 and further east.

Brown believes the issue is best addressed in deeper discussion about broader community planning, involving both housing and transportation. He said it is a complicated issue and compromise will be needed as "transportation, work, housing and climate are all intertwined."

According to RTD's website, its ridership numbers have been recovering since 2022, but they haven't reached pre-pandemic levels due to a variety of factors, including hybrid work practices. Brown said, "Our community struggles with most transit...and even rapid bus lanes are underutilized."

Increasing RTD ridership and restoring services that were cut during the pandemic are a bit of a "chicken and the egg" challenge, Brown said. He mentioned there are conversations on the House's docket about improving RTD service levels to increase ridership and reduce traffic on our roads.

In terms of improving housing affordability, Brown supports Accessory Dwelling Units (ADU). An ADU is a smaller, secondary housing unit located on the same lot as a single-family home. It is an attached or stand-alone, self-contained living space with its own kitchen, bathroom and living areas.

Brown also believes ADUs can help facilitate seniors' aging in place, whether on their children's property or by having a caregiver living on their property. As a member of the Health & Human Services Committee, Brown is sensitive to the advantages of aging in place (as compared to an assisted living facility), including comfort, familiarity, independence, social connection and dignity.

Brown plans to re-approach legislation involving ADUs in 2024 independent of any other legislation to improve the ADU legislation's chances of passage.

Property Taxes

Property tax bills are starting to come due and Brown sees the tax increases as a "huge problem."

Brown said the legislature was able to pass a bill during its special session last November that made some progress, but it only lowered property tax assessment rates and increased the homeowner's exemption for one year.

He said that while it's simpler to look at the issue of rising property taxes only through the taxpayer's lens, the related issue of higher operational expenses of school, fire and police districts also need to be considered.

Brown said a commission was being created to find a longer term solution to rising property taxes. Brown is particularly concerned for seniors who could find it challenging to stay in their homes when faced with high property taxes. He recognized that the Senior Homestead Exemption, which reduces the taxable value of seniors' primary residences, has not ensured security for seniors adversely impacted by rising property taxes.

2024 Legislation

Brown has introduced a significant number of bills since the beginning of 2024, including:

• HB24-1091 (passed) (Fire-Hardened Building Materials in Real Property) - This bill limits covenant restrictions on the use of fire-hardened building materials in residential properties.

• HB24-1011 (passed House, under Senate consideration) (Mortgage Servicers Disburse Insurance Proceeds) - This bill requires mortgage servicers to take certain actions regarding the disbursement of insurance proceeds to borrowers.

• HB24-1259 (under consideration) (Price Gouging in Rent Declared Disaster) - This bill addresses price gouging in the housing rental market during a declared disaster.

• HB24-1322 (under consideration) (Medicaid Coverage Housing & Nutrition Services) - The bill enables a feasibility study to determine whether Colorado should seek federal authorization to provide services that address Medicaid members' health-related social needs.

• HB24-1235 (under consideration) (Reduce Aviation Impacts on Communities) - This bill gives tax credits and encourages unleaded aviation gasoline use.

• HB24-1113 (failed) (Credit for Paid Health Insurance Deductible) - This bill allows a covered person to receive credit for their paid deductibles when their health insurance carrier becomes insolvent.

Re-election Plans

Brown said he intends to run for re-election as he has "lots to do" in the next term. He wants the members of his community to know that he believes deeply in public service and he will continue to approach his job with transparency, empathy and an intent to learn.

Brown also said he recognizes that while he may not always be able to fix an issue, he will always try his best to help. He believes he has a unique perspective having grown up in the area and considers it an honor to represent his community at the state capital.

He believes respect and trust need to be continually earned with his fellow legislators. Despite encountering the opposing views of others in an often challenging political environment, Brown said he places great importance on working in good faith and a collaborative manner.

Brown has devoted his career to public service. Prior to joining the Colorado House of Representatives, he was a member of the Louisville City Council and has held senior roles in the administrations of two Colorado governors and as an advisor to two U.S. senators.