Equity & Civil Rights

Everyone is entitled to equal rights and economic opportunity

Senator Hickenlooper believes that everyone is entitled to equal rights and justice under the law, no matter your race, ethnicity, gender, or whom you love. Embracing different backgrounds and identities makes our society stronger.

Communities of color have suffered from decades of discrimination in employment, education, health care, housing, and more. Senator Hickenlooper is committed to combating this injustice and expanding economic opportunity for all. This includes making workforce training and higher education more accessible, expanding paid family leave, and helping underrepresented communities start small businesses.

Senator Hickenlooper believes that our criminal justice system needs reform. He supports the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and other efforts to ensure safer interactions with the police. He also thinks it is time for the federal government to follow Colorado’s lead and reform our federal cannabis laws. Senator Hickenlooper supports decriminalizing marijuana and sentencing relief for people – often Black men – who have been imprisoned for nonviolent marijuana crimes.

For LGBTQ+ Americans, Senator Hickenlooper co-sponsors the Equality Act, which expands federal civil rights protections to sexual orientation and gender identity. We should strive for an America where who you love or how you identify has no impact on your physical safety or ability to succeed.

Equity for all also means access to the ballot box. Protecting every American’s right to vote should not be a partisan issue. Colorado has led the way by expanding vote-by-mail, and Senator Hickenlooper will continue working to pass legislation that protects voting rights – especially for historically disenfranchised groups. He cosponsors several pieces of voting rights legislation, including For the People Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Freedom to Vote Act.