KC Becker served as third female House Speaker

BOULDER — Kathleen Collins “KC” Becker, former Colorado speaker of the house, originally went into politics to offer a voice she didn’t see on her city council — that of a young mother with children at home.

Becker, a member of the Democratic Party, carried that voice into her role as the third woman in the state’s history to serve as speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives; she was elected as the 60^th speaker of the house, a role she filled from January 2019 until Jan. 13, 2021. She represented the state’s 13^th house district 2013- 2021 and before becoming speaker served as majority leader 2017-2019, bringing to the roles her background in local government and environmental law.

“I am always motivated to help effect change that helps Coloradans in general and parents, family and women specifically,” said Becker, mother of two children in elementary and middle school and a Boulder resident. “I feel proud about what I contributed, the tone I set and what we were able to get done.”

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As speaker of the house, Becker decided the top issues for house Democrats, established the priorities for bills under consideration and set the agenda, she said. She also built relationships between the majority and minority to ensure everyone was part of the process, she said.

“We may not always agree on policy, but no matter what side of the aisle you’re on, you have a role to play,” Becker said. “We may not necessarily agree on outcomes or priorities, but we try to be respectful of the fact everyone has a constitutional right to be there who’s been elected.”

Jason Hopfer, Esq., an unaffiliated lobbyist and owner of JLH Consulting & Public Affairs LLC in Denver, worked with Becker through his lobbying efforts on behalf of community colleges, school districts and various types of businesses. He appreciated that with Becker, he knew where he stood and the fact she was decisive and willing to say what she thought and why. 

“She had the courage to stand by her convictions even when she was getting pressure from other places, whether it was outside the building or inside the building,” Hopfer said, adding that, at the same time, she was willing to listen to the other side and take it into account even when she didn’t agree. “You always felt like you’ve been heard.”

Becker is the type of leader who is collaborative and inclusive in the decision-making process, putting in the extra time and giving members and the larger community ample opportunities to meet with her and provide their input, she said. 

“KC was a strong leader for our house Democratic caucus, but also the entire House of Representatives. It’s no secret that Democrats and Republicans will differ on policy, but the speaker’s job includes making sure the house gets its business done,” said Edie Hooton, state representative of House District 10. “KC took all of this responsibility seriously. As a leader advocating for her caucus, I would describe her as strategic, focused and fearless. Inside the caucus, she was compassionate, caring and quick to make a joke or laugh at one. We all knew she was fighting for us and that she cared deeply about us as a group and as individuals.” 

During the legislative session, Becker typically left her house between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m. and returned home from Denver late into the evening, attending meetings, hearing from business interests and community groups, debating bills and meeting with house members about priorities and the issues they’re facing.

“It’s very interactive, very engaged, very, very busy,” Becker said. “The rest of the year when you’re not in session, you’re working on legislation, meeting with a lot of groups, learning as much as you can about what’s happening in the state and why.”

Becker also was involved in Zoom calls and, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, made an appearance at various community events, plus she attended town halls and communicated through newsletters. 

“There were a lot of things I wanted to get done, being able to directly influence what moved and how quickly things moved, trying to work with representatives,” Becker said. 

During her term, Becker focused on policy work with a strong environmental, land use and resource management focus, she said. Some of her key successes included the bills she worked on and helped get passed, such as Senate Bill 181 that provided oil and gas reform and SB 267 that provided hospital provider fee reform, plus she helped lead the reform of the Public Employees Retirement Association, or PERA, and gained approval and the governor’s signature for a public-school finance bill and a COVID relief bill. 

“I also led the investigation and resolution to expel a member of legislature for sexual harassment,” Becker said.

Becker likes to be a problem solver and sees policy, the way a budget is allocated and the passing of legislation as ways to solve a community’s problems and improve the lives of its constituents. She especially likes when she’s approached with ideas and finds a way to work toward a solution, she said. That was the case during the pandemic, when many workers had to juggle a shift to working at home and remote learning for their children, at the same time childcare became more limited due to restrictions. 

Becker could understand on a personal basis since her husband, Miles Kunkel, a Realtor, started working at home and her children engaged in online learning, she said.

“We had to understand what the pandemic was doing to Colorado and what our job as legislators was,” Becker said, adding that when the house returned to session, the legislators killed some of the legislation to focus on what was most expedient, COVID-related legislation and a more than $3.3 billion state budget cut.

Now that she’s left office, Becker wants to continue her environmental and land use focus by targeting work in the Environmental Protection Agency or the U.S. Department of Interior, she said.

“I’ll miss the people,” Becker said. “You work so closely with so many different people on a lot of intense things. You get to know a lot of people across the state with different viewpoints. … The opportunity to serve my community is a real honor, and I’ll miss that.”

That opportunity is what drew Becker to the Boulder City Council when she ran for office in 2009. She saw nobody like her on the council and wanted to bring the perspective of someone under age 40 and starting a family into the decision-making process. She served as a city council member until 2013 and as the council’s representative on the Boulder Urban Renewal Authority and the city’s representative to the Denver Regional Council of Governments.

“It was a new voice, a younger voice, a voice that brings a different perspective … that uses the city differently or prioritizes things in a city differently rather than a person who is retired or much older,” Becker said.

Originally, Becker had an interest in policy, earning her law degree in environmental law in 1996 from Lewis & Clark College and a master’s degree in real estate development and construction management in 2005 from the University of Denver-Daniels College of Business. She served as an attorney advisor for the Department of Interior 1997-2003 and as a project manager for Forest City Stapleton 2006-2008, leading feasibility and market analysis for new developments and master planned communities. 

“I loved having the opportunity to make change,” Becker said about her work in politics and as speaker of the house. “I loved the people. I loved problem-solving. I loved making a difference for the community that I’ve chosen to live in. When you get to make improvement for some of life, it’s very specia