Letter to the Editor: Why My Record Matters for House District 33

Our initial draft discussing the House District 33 race contained regrettable errors and typos concerning Kenny Nguyen. In the interest of fairness and accurate local reporting, we are happy to publish Mr. Nguyen’s response to our criticism. Yellow Scene Magazine stands by its final endorsement decision, but we welcome the opportunity to correct the record and offer any criticized candidate a platform to share their perspective. Please note that the commentary below represents the candidate’s own beliefs and does not constitute an endorsement or reflection of our editorial board’s views.

Hello Yellow Magazine readers! I know my name may be new to some of you. I’m Representative Kenny Nguyen. On January 12th, I was appointed as Colorado’s newest lawmaker for Colorado House District 33.

I was elected by a vacancy committee to replace former Representative William Lindstedt when he, in turn, was elected to fill the seat held by the late Senator Faith Winter. I’m honored to be serving our community.

Previously I served as a Broomfield City Council Member for Ward 1 before resigning to take this role. I was also the Executive Assistant to Colorado’s 50th Lieutenant Governor Dianne Primavera, worked in the Colorado Tourism office, and most recently in the Department of Revenue. I’m an AmeriCorps Service Member Alum having served with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation at Boulder County after graduating from the University of Colorado Boulder.

I’m Colorado’s first Vietnamese American to serve in the Colorado General Assembly.

Less than three weeks into my term I supported SJR26-006 which recognizes the value that immigrants bring to Colorado and calls upon our federal partners to uphold transparency, accountability, and humane enforcement practices so that every family, regardless of their immigration status may fully participate in the communities they build and sustain.

HB26-1276, HB26-1283, and SB26-005 were bills I supported and that passed through the state legislature aimed at safeguarding constitutional rights for immigrants. HB26-1276 permits local health agencies and CDPHE to inspect facilities not operated directly by the federal government that house noncitizens detained for immigration purposes while requiring new training standards related to peace officer compliance with civil immigrant detainers to be adopted and certified by July 1, 2027. HB26-1283 prohibits an employer or their agent from demanding, confiscating, retaining or otherwise requiring an individual to surrender their government issued ID card for long periods of time and prohibits threats of sharing an individual’s ID with federal authorities. SB26-005 allows for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated by those participating in civil immigration enforcement to be liable for legal or equitable relief.

Another bill that wasn’t passed through the state legislature that I supported was SB26-176 which would have allowed for individuals whose constitutional rights were violated to sue federal, state and local officials who violated said rights which includes ICE agents.

SB26-070 Ban Government Access Historical Location Information Database (PEEPs Act)

I was proud to be a sponsor of this bipartisan bill aimed at protecting the privacy of residents. This bill addresses License Plate Readers (LPR), commonly known as FLOCK cameras because of the primary company involved. LPRs do not simply keep track of license plates; they record data on car make, vehicle colors, driver racial profiles, and geographic locations of vehicles. SB26-070 would have placed guardrails on data retention by private companies and requires a judicial warrant by law enforcement agencies (including ICE) seeking LPR data. Unfortunately this bill did not pass the senate last week, but I’m committed to addressing this issue again next year.

HB26-1001 Housing Developments on Qualifying Properties (HOME Act)
The HOME Act seeks to address affordable housing by allowing organizations with a history of building housing such as nonprofits, universities, and housing authorities to create more housing projects. Homeownership has become out of reach for too many, and rental prices continue to climb. While I am not a sponsor, The HOME act has nearly unanimous support from Democrats in both chambers. I was proud to vote to support alongside Broomfield’s Senator William Lindstadt and the majority of our caucus. We need smart, sustainable growth that helps create housing people can afford, while reining in unsustainable sprawl. Governor Polis signed this bill on March 25th.

HB26-1320 Accessible Language Statutory Ballot Title Requirements.
In Colorado, we cherish our right to direct democracy – we love ballot measures. Unfortunately, sometimes those initiatives are filled with language that can be challenging for voters to understand: double negatives, confusing tax language, and obscure terminology. I’m sponsoring this measure that will require ballot measures to provide a plain language version with clear information about the tax implications of any ballot measure. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 29th.

HB26-1335 Abortion Medication Access on College Campuses

Across the country, reproductive rights and women’s access to healthcare are under attack. As one of the younger members of the legislature and a CU graduate, I’m sponsoring this bill alongside two female legislators to ensure that college students can access medications, ideally on campus when possible. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 27th.

HB26-1318 Traffic Safety Near Schools

The safety of our streets near schools is especially important. This bill, which I am sponsoring, clarifies what is considered a school zone and makes traffic enforcement near schools easier to help protect kids. The bill passed both chambers and is now named the Liam Stewart in honor of a 7th grader that was killed while biking to school. Governor Polis signed this bill on May 29th.

HB26-1099 Protect Financial Condition of Homeowners Associations

I became a sponsor for this bill because as a new homeowner, I understand the important roles Homeowner Associations (HOAs) play but also the problems caused by management changes. This bill would create transparency and address HOA accountability. It would also codify that when an HOA changes management companies, the former company must provide the new HOA management company the property, records, and accounts and be held liable to the financial conditions of the HOA. This protects HOA members and holds management companies accountable for their transfers. Governor Polis signed this bill on April 13th.

I’m committed to serving the people of Colorado with integrity and respect, and uplifting marginalized voices in this time of division. My hope is to bridge divisions and to serve all of House District 33. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to my office with any questions or thoughts; we’re here to serve you. You can email my office at [email protected] or call us at 303-866-4667.