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Bills include the 2024 School Finance Act and educator safety < Back April 25, 2024 House Passes Bills to Support Colorado’s Educators DENVER, CO – The House today passed two bills to support Colorado’s educators. The 2024 School Finance Act ( SB24-188 ), sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Shannon Bird, would fully fund Colorado’s public schools and increase per pupil funding to record-levels. HB24-1320 , sponsored by Representatives Meghan Lukens and Elizabeth Velasco, seeks to improve educator safety in classrooms across the state. “This year’s School Finance Act is historic because it fully eliminates the budget stabilization factor, increases per-pupil funding by nearly $780 on average and supports our rural school districts directly,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “Our commitment to improving educational outcomes for each and every student is unwavering, and this year’s school finance act steps up to help recruit, retain and support the educators who make all the difference in the education our kids receive. As our bill moves forward, I’m proud of our legislative efforts to drive resources to small rural schools and those who serve students with the greatest needs.” “After years of strategic budgeting and planning, the 2024 School Finance Act finally pays off the budget stabilization factor which means schools can increase teacher pay, reduce classroom sizes and better support our students living with disabilities,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster. “This year’s school finance act highlights a record-breaking increase of $780 per-pupil funding which brings the total per-pupil funding to more than $11,450 on average. My passion for public service began with the drive to fully fund our K-12 public schools and support our hardworking educators – this bill fulfills that promise and more to support each and every student in Colorado.” SB24-188 would raise the base level of per-pupil funding by $780 to $11,450 per-pupil on average. SB24-188 passed by a vote of 61 to 1. This funding can be used to reduce class sizes, increase teacher pay and provide individualized support to help students learn. This year, the bill increases total funding for public schools by more than $500 million to 9.7 billion and completely buys down the Budget Stabilization Factor, a longstanding goal that helps ensure Colorado students get the quality education they deserve. Increased Funding for Rural Schools: Colorado’s small and large rural school districts often have a difficult time recruiting and maintaining a high-quality workforce needed to support Colorado students and school functions. The 2024 School Finance Act creates an ongoing funding stream for the very first time through a new funding factor, the “Rural Factor”, for small and large rural school districts. This eliminates rural school districts’ reliance on one-time funding, which makes it difficult for districts to plan ahead using multi-year budgets. Ninth Grade Success Program: This important program helps ninth grade students with the skills they need to successfully reach tenth grade on-track, on-time and with their peers. This year’s School Finance Act increases funding for this program to support our students’ growth and educational trajectory. Support for Students Living with a Disability: To prepare each and every one of our students for a lifetime of success, the 2024 School Finance Act amends the definition of “concurrent enrollment” to include students in special education. This means students living with a disability and those who receive transition services on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) can access college-level courses for credit as well as some credential and apprenticeship programs to create stronger workforce pathways and opportunities. “As a teacher, I know how important it is for students and educators to feel safe at school – and this bill is a big step forward toward creating a safe learning environment for everyone,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “Educator safety should be a top priority, and unfortunately, Colorado educators have reported an increase in targeted violence. Ensuring our educators feel safe and comfortable in the classroom will help recruit, retain and strengthen our educator workforce for years to come.” “This legislation will help identify actions schools can take to keep educators safe so they can focus on teaching our students,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “By creating a task force to study this issue, we can examine the role that unequal access to resources and restorative justice play in staff safety issues. Feeling safe in school is essential to fostering a positive educational environment that is more equitable.” HB24-1320 passed by a vote o f 47 to 15 and seeks to generate recommendations on improving safety for educators and school staff through the cre ation of the Educator Safety Task Force. Members of the task force will represent school support professionals, teachers, administrators, nonprofits, and students and families from various communities who are impacted. In making their recommendations related to school safety, the task force will look at the impact of funding needs, wraparound supports, staffing ratios, incidents of student behavior, and resource inequality. The 2023 State of Education report orchestrated by the Colorado Education Association found that nearly a third of respondents, 32 percent, experienced physical abuse by a student in the two years prior to taking the survey . Previous Next

< Back May 30, 2019 HOUSE DEMS TAKE CLIMATE ACTION, CUT CARBON POLLUTION & DEPLOY MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY Due to a lack of leadership in Washington, states must lead on climate action (May 30) – Gov. Polis signed a package of bills to address climate change, reduce carbon pollution emissions and deploy more renewable energy. First up was a bill sponsored by Speaker of the House KC Becker, D-Boulder, and Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora, to the Governor. “Acting on climate will help protect clean air and water, and spur clean energy jobs, innovation, business development, and economic growth,” said Speaker Becker. “Coloradans take pride in the fact that we are doing our part to address the impacts of climate change. This new law sets goals to reduce carbon pollution and certain utilities have already set carbon-free goals.” “Hazy, bad air quality impacts the air we all breathe. Pollution changes how Coloradans live their lives and threatens everything we love about our state,” said Rep. Jackson, chair of the House Energy and Environment committee. “We’ve all heard the stories about elderly individuals who have been physically harmed because they couldn’t cool their home. Our seniors, low income people and especially communities of color are more likely to bear the impacts of climate change. This new law will help us preserve our Colorado way of life.” Coloradans are experiencing poor air quality affecting our health; mountain residents are seeing more frequent and destructive wildfires; increased drought is harming our farms; smaller snow packs are resulting in shorter ski seasons; and shallower rivers for fishing and rafting are threatening our thriving outdoor economy and the Colorado way of life. The overwhelming majority of Coloradans support climate action. This reasonable, science-based legislation directs the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) to develop rules limiting carbon pollution, ensuring Colorado leads on climate action. HB19-1261 puts pollution reduction goals into statute to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas pollution by 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by 2030, and 90 percent by 2050 of 2005 levels. The AQCC will hold an extensive stakeholder process throughout the rulemaking period. The Gov also signed Rep. Chris Hansen’s bill to collect long-term climate change data. “Colorado’s way of life is threatened by climate change and carbon pollution emissions, and we need a data-driven approach to protect it. But we are falling short on reducing carbon emissions because we are not collecting adequate information. This law will lay a strong foundation of data that we can build upon to evaluate emissions,” said Rep. Hansen, D-Denver. Under SB19-096, the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) would be required to collect carbon emissions data across Colorado. This commission would then produce a report and forecast future emissions, as well as propose the most cost-effective way for Colorado to meet our carbon emissions reduction goals. The AQCC, which is part of the Department of Public Health and Environment, must complete all legislative requirements by July 1, 2020. The Gov also signed a Community Solar Gardens bill sponsored by Rep. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, and Rep. Alex Valdez, D-Denver. This law modifies Colorado’s community solar garden program by increasing the maximum size of these facilities as well as eliminating burdensome regulations restricting their location. HB19-1003 will take Colorado’s community solar garden program to the next stage of development by increasing the maximum size of a community solar garden from 2 megawatts to 5 megawatts. Gov. Polis also signed Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins’ bill with Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood HB19-1231 to set in place energy and water efficiency standards for 15 commercial and residential products for which there are no existing federal standards, saving Coloradan families their hard-earned income while ensuring the overall quality of the products they purchase. The bills were signed into law at Sunshare’s JeffCo Community Solar Garden this morning. Previous Next

The House Finance Committee today passed legislation that would allow notifications for vehicle registration, license plate renewals, and other motor vehicle transactions to be sent electronically. HB24-1089 passed unanimously by a vote of 11-0. < Back March 11, 2024 Hamrick Bill Improves DMV Process, Allows Electronic Communications DENVER, CO - The House Finance Committee today passed legislation that would allow notifications for vehicle registration, license plate renewals, and other motor vehicle transactions to be sent electronically. HB24-1089 passed unanimously by a vote of 11-0. “Electronic communication is the norm, and Coloradans should be given the option to receive DMV transactions and notifications electronically,” said Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial. “Printing and mailing these communications cost counties hundreds of thousands of dollars every single year. With this bill, we can save counties money while making it easier for Coloradans to navigate the DMV.” HB24-1089 , also sponsored by Representative Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock, would create an opt-in option for electronic notifications for transactions and notices, including vehicle registration expiration, plate or placard renewal, fleet vehicle registration renewal, dealer license plate and depot tag issuance, and missing documentation. The bill would not allow for the revocation of a vehicle registration or license plate to be sent electronically. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Parenti and Jennifer Bacon to protect homeowners from construction defects that are covered under warranty. The bill passed by a vote of 35-27. < Back April 4, 2024 Bill to Increase Homeowner Protections Passes House DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Parenti and Jennifer Bacon to protect homeowners from construction defects that are covered under warranty. The bill passed by a vote of 35-27. "Buying a home is the biggest investment that most Coloradans will make, and there needs to be protections for homeowners when there are significant problems with how their homes were built,” said Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie. “Homeowners shouldn’t have to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket to fix builders' mistakes or obtain legal representation just to make their home a safe place to live. Our bill brings more accountability to homebuilders who refuse to honor their warranties and gives Colorado homeowners more tools and leverage when negotiating with their builder on defect claims.” “Communities across our state are building new, affordable housing quickly to combat the housing crisis, but the quality of these homes should not be compromised just to provide more housing,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Coloradans buy homes to build equity and generational wealth, and they typically don’t have the disposable income on hand to pay for large and unexpected repairs caused by faulty construction. Our bill is crucial in allowing homeowners to pursue legal avenues to remedy construction defect issues.” HB24-1230 would improve protections for homeowners in construction defect lawsuits by: Increasing the statutory limitation period for construction defect actions from six years to ten years, Allowing a claim for relief to arise at the time that either the physical occurrence of the defect or the cause of the defect is discovered, Voiding any contractual provision that limits a property owner’s right to bring or join a legal action against a construction professional, Voiding any HOA governing document that conflicts with the bill’s provisions, and Requiring a residential property owner to include specific disclosures related to protections and claims in a contract for the sale of property. Colorado has some of the weakest homeowner protections in the country, with only four states having a shorter statute of limitations for construction defects. Previous Next

The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to improve kinship care options for foster children and youth in Colorado. < Back April 10, 2024 Young’s Bill to Increase Care for Foster Children and Youth Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Health & Human Services Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to improve kinship care options for foster children and youth in Colorado. SB24-008, sponsored by Representative Mary Young, would streamline additional resources to families, kin and relatives. “When searching for placement, relatives, family friends, godparents, teachers and those with a significant relationship with a child or youth can be a great option to support those in foster care,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley. “We know that children and youth living with kinship care are more likely to experience positive outcomes, including improved behavioral and mental health and stronger feelings of belonging and love. Building on the work conducted by the child welfare interim committee, we’ve crafted this legislation to remove barriers to kinship care by making it easier for relatives or others who have a significant relationship to the child to access certain resources such as housing, clothing and training. There are many children and youth in foster care who need a stable, supportive home and this bill directs financial reimbursement to non-certified kinship foster care while expanding the pool of possible placements to best support our foster children and youth.” SB24-008 , also sponsored by Minority Leader Rose Pugliese, R-Colorado Springs, would provide additional resources to families and kin caring for youth and children involved in foster care. Specifically, this bill would extend foster care certification to kinship placements, allowing kin to access training, resources, and financial assistance to help meet the basic needs of children and youth in their care. It defines the differences between kinship foster care and non-certified kinship care homes and allows for emergency financial assistance to these placements in order to help meet a child’s basic care and needs. SB24-008 passed unanimously. Kinship placements maintain family connections and provide normalcy and support for children who have been removed from their homes. Kinship care can promote safer and faster reunification with biological parents, and prevent further long-term involvement in the child welfare system. The bill is a result of recommendations from the 2023 Colorado's Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee Report . Previous Next

< Back February 24, 2021 COLORADO’S HEALTH CARE SERVICES RESERVE CORPS ADVANCES DENVER, CO– Legislation sponsored by Representatives Kyle Mullica and Yadira Caraveo to create the Colorado Health Care Services Reserve Corps today passed the Committee on Health and Insurance. “To say this past year has been challenging wouldn’t come close to telling the whole story,” said ER Nurse Rep. Kyle Mullica, D-Northglen. “Thousands of health workers have faced an enormous burden while many providers have struggled to find ways to help. To build back stronger in the face of new and more dangerous emergencies, we have to make sure that our health care workforce is prepared to meet the next crisis. This bill would set us on the path to creating Colorado’s Health Care Services Reserve Corps, which could be called upon to bolster our state’s response to future health crises.” “As a pediatrician, I’ve intubated young children and treat respiratory illnesses all the time, but I’m not cross trained in adult or emergency medicine,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, who is a physician. “We have so many people who are ready to serve, and with the right training and resources, they would be more than willing to step up and help Colorado respond to the next crisis we face.” Rising temperatures, harmful air quality, and more intense wildfires are making health emergencies that require a medical response more common. Thousands of nurses are retiring each year, and there is projected to be a national physician shortage of over 120,000 doctors by 2032 while Colorado has nearly 120 designated health professional shortage areas. HB21-1005 would create a state-level task force made up of experts in licensing, medical professionals, hospital administrators, and cross training facilitators to layout plans to create the Colorado Health Care Service Reserve Corps. The task force will determine the membership of the Reserve Corps, create training practices and recommend benefits that could attract members to the corps. The task force may also make recommendations for legislation necessary to successfully establish the Reserve Corps. Previous Next

< Back April 20, 2022 HOUSE ADVANCES BILL TO IMPROVE STUDENT AND WORKFORCE SUCCESS DENVER, CO – The House today passed a bill on a preliminary vote to improve postsecondary student outcomes through data transparency. This bill was developed based on recommendations from the state’s Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force and will invest $3 million to prepare students for success and boost Colorado’s workforce. “We’re focused on preparing our students for success through adapting postsecondary education to meet workforce needs,” said Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “This bipartisan legislation invests to create modern data systems that benchmark student success in numerous ways to better prepare Coloradans for the workforce. We want every student to feel prepared after graduation and with this bill, we can learn more about postsecondary education pathways that lead to great careers.” Postsecondary Student Success Data System: HB22-1349 , sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Perry Will, will collect student success data to better inform the educational pathways needed to prepare them for the workforce. The bill invests federal funds to create a public-facing, interactive data system to track student progression from higher education into the workforce. This data system will make transparent student workforce success metrics for all state higher education institutions. The data and information collected will also be used to create better pathways for entering high-demand careers through developing curricula and programs that reflect the needs of Colorado’s economy. Based on recommendations from the Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force , the Colorado Commission on Higher Education will also determine new, dynamic ways to measure student success that could include credential completion rates, postsecondary employment outcomes and price to earning premiums among other factors. Previous Next

< Back March 9, 2020 NEW LAW TO PROTECT BEES FLIES THROUGH COMMITTEE The House Energy and Environment Committee today advanced a bill, sponsored by Representative Cathy Kipp, that will protect bees and other pollinators by regulating the use of certain types of pesticides. The bill passed by a vote of 7-4. “Bees and other pollinators are incredibly important for our environment and the future health of our state and planet,” said Rep. Kipp, D-Fort Collins . “The nature that we enjoy all year round depends on our delicate ecosystems remaining in balance. By regulating the use of these pesticides, we can protect pollinators and our Colorado way of life.” HB20-1180 would protect bees and other pollinators throughout the state by requiring the commissioner of agriculture to regulate the use of neonicotinoid and sulfoximine pesticides. The exception to the regulation would be the use of these pesticides for indoor use as pest control, personal and pet care products as well as for commercial and other qualified applicators or limited uses. If in the future, the commissioner finds a similar product that is comparable to the effectiveness of neonicotinoid and sulfoximine pesticides, the commissioner may adopt rules to disallow the use of neonicotinoid and sulfoximine pesticides for personal, pest control or pet care use. On May 20, 2019, the EPA announced the cancellation of a dozen pesticides that are known to be harmful to bees. This included neonicotinoid pesticides. According to an article by Bloomberg Government , neonicotinoids attack the nervous system of insects. Neonic pesticides are also systemic, meaning they make an entire plant poisonous to pollinators. The European Union has banned the outdoor use of five neonicotinoid pesticides. According to Science Magazine , sulfoximine pesticides also act on nicotine receptors but avoid the pitfalls of neonicotinoid pesticides because they bypass some pesticide resistance in certain insects. A preliminary study conducted by Nature Research found that exposure to reduced “reproductive success” in bees, however, more data is needed to form a definitive conclusion. Previous Next

Governor Polis today signed into law legislation that will reduce Colorado’s competency waitlist and improve efficiency and effectiveness in the competency system. < Back June 6, 2024 SIGNED! Bipartisan Legislation to Reduce Competency Waitlist Becomes Law DENVER, CO – Governor Polis today signed into law legislation that will reduce Colorado’s competency waitlist and improve efficiency and effectiveness in the competency system. Last year, Colorado had 448 people who were deemed to be incompetent to proceed by a court and were waiting to receive competency restoration services before proceeding to trial, with an average wait time of 66 days. HB24-1355 , sponsored by Representatives Javier Mabrey, D-Denver, and Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, and Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, aims to reduce this competency waitlist through the creation of the Bridges Wraparound Care Program, which will refer eligible individuals with mental health struggles from the criminal justice system into wraparound care services. “The waitlist for competency services is so long that people who have not yet been found guilty of a crime are in jail longer than people who have been convicted,” said Mabrey. “This legislation will help address Colorado’s broken competency system so we can provide mental health services to people who need them. Not only will this better serve our most vulnerable, but it will also make our communities safer.” “Colorado’s exorbitantly long competency waitlist is a long-standing issue, and I’m proud that this year we’re advancing policy to start addressing the problem,” said Michaelson Jenet. “When individuals languish on the competency waitlist, they’re not receiving the treatment they need and their likelihood to reenter the criminal justice system greatly increases. The Bridges Wraparound Care Program offers folks a path forward that ensures their needs are being met while helping break the cycle of reoffense and reentry in our criminal justice system.” “People with mental health struggles are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, and they desperately need services,” said Amabile. “When a mental health disorder is left untreated, Coloradans are often sent to jail for a relatively low offense, limiting their ability to rehabilitate. Routing people to diversion programs instead of the competency system connects them to mental health services that can help prevent a crisis and reduce recidivism.” A defendant is deemed eligible for the Bridges Wraparound Care Program if a district attorney and defense counsel agree that there is reasonable cause to believe the defendant will be found incompetent and if the defendant does not pose a risk to public safety. Allowing eligible defendants to participate in the program will give them access to critical behavioral health services while helping reduce Colorado’s recidivism rates. Under HB24-1355, if a defendant in the Program complies with their individualized care plan for a specified amount of time, the court must dismiss the charges against the defendant. Previous Next

The Defending Against DOGE Act sets aside $4 million to Musk-proof Colorado from federal actions that threaten our Colorado way of life < Back April 15, 2025 House Advances Bill to Protect Colorado Taxpayers DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to protect Colorado taxpayers and critical state services from funding freezes and federal actions that threaten the Colorado way of life. The Colorado Defense Fund comes in the wake of recent adverse action by the Trump administration, including federal funding freezes, disruptions to essential services, and mass lay-offs. “This isn’t about Democrats or Republicans; it’s about standing up for Colorado and protecting our taxpayers from federal actions that threaten health care, early childhood education, water infrastructure and public safety,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Coloradans pay more in federal taxes than we receive back in federal funding. We deserve to have our federal dollars working for us in Colorado – not frozen by unelected billionaires in Washington.” “We’re taking steps now to protect our state so Coloradans can receive the federal programming and services they rely on and pay for,” said Rep. Shannon Bird, D-Westminster . “When the federal government freezes funding, Colorado taxpayers do not see that return on their investment. Federal funding helps fix our roads and improve access to rural health care, and Colorado needs the federal government to uphold its end of the agreement. This bill fights back against federal overreach and puts Coloradans first.” The Colorado Defense Fund ( HB25-1321 ) would set aside $4 million to protect our state’s interests from federal efforts to freeze funding, halt contracts, or otherwise disrupt essential services for Coloradans. Coloradans pay more in federal taxes than our state receives back in federal funding, making federal funding freezes even more painful for our taxpayers. The legislation stands up for Colorado, protects Colorado taxpayers’ return on investment, and minimizes the impact of volatile federal actions on our economy and the Colorado way of life. Under the bill, the governor could use funds to respond to federal action. This includes working to mitigate the impacts of disruptions in federal funding and responding to legal proceedings, inquiries, hearings and investigations initiated or threatened by the federal government. These funds could also be used to defend or protect state officers and employees acting in their official role. In January, the Trump administration, through the recommendation of Elon Musk’s DOGE, froze more than $570 million in federal funding to Colorado. In response, Colorado joined a 22-state lawsuit to restore federal funding. While most of the funding has been restored through a federal judge, more than $69 million in public safety grants are still being withheld by the federal government. Colorado’s ability to deliver on essential government services relies on $13.9 billion in federal funding. Sweeping federal action has caused uncertainty and disruption for Colorado. For example, the federal government recently revoked more than $250 million in federal public and behavioral health care funding and $25.6 million already allocated to address drought in the Colorado River Basin has been paused. Previous Next

< Back March 29, 2021 AFTER GEORGIA’S JIM CROW 2.0, DEMS BEAT BACK “BIG LIE” INSPIRED ELECTION BILLS DENVER, CO — The House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs committee today defeated multiple GOP bills based on “the big lie,” which raised baseless conspiracies about the security and integrity of elections across the country, and here in Colorado. “Colorado’s elections system is a national model for facilitating record turnout and constantly improving voter access while ensuring safety, integrity and security,” said House State, Civic, Military, and Veterans Affairs Chair Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood. “These bills are dangerous attempts to make it harder to vote and undermine faith in our elections based on conspiracies and the ‘big lie,’ which have been repeatedly debunked. In fact, there wasn’t a single piece of evidence presented that anyone voted who wasn’t supposed to or that anything went wrong with our voting systems. Our system has been lauded by both Republican and Democratic secretaries of state, county clerks and recorders, and officials in both parties for nearly a decade.” “From Georgia to Colorado, we are seeing an onslaught of GOP efforts across the country to restrict access to the ballot and make it harder for Americans to exercise their right to vote,” said committee vice chair Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “We won’t stand for these attacks on our democracy in Colorado. We should be looking for ways to increase participation and make it easier to vote, not casting doubt on the best elections system in America.” Dismantle Vote by Mail (HB21-1086 – Luck): This bill would severely limit voter access by requiring voters to submit proof of citizenship in-person at their county clerk and recorder’s office, dismantling our convenient and secure mail-in voting system. Instead of automatically receiving a ballot in the mail, each registered voter would have to go in person to submit additional documents. Voter fraud is extremely rare in the United States, and noncitizen voting is even more rare. This bill is not only a solution in search of a problem, it’s a reckless piece of legislation that would set back our progress and disenfranchise countless Coloradans. Among those directly affected would be military and overseas voters who cannot possibly get to their county clerk’s office in-person. The bill was postponed indefinitely at the request of the sponsor, although two Republicans voted against the motion and to move it forward instead. Redundant And Unnecessary Audits (HB21-1088 – Pico): This bill would require the state auditor to conduct a completely unnecessary and redundant annual audit of the voter registration system. The Secretary of State’s office and county clerks across the state conduct risk-limiting audits, regarded nationally as the gold standard, in every election and have not found any substantial evidence of fraud. Giving Political Party Chairs Influence Over Election Equipment Recommendations (HB21-1170 – Geitner): This bill creates an advisory committee made up of partisan appointees from the state’s two major political party chairs to make recommendations on how to change the state’s voting systems, which are the safest and most secure in the country. Colorado already has a bipartisan commission of experts made up of county clerks, election officials, lawmakers, and voting access and integrity advocates that shouldn’t be usurped by a commission made up only of political party appointments. After they spent months trying to undermine the security of our elections, it would be disastrous to allow partisan GOP political operatives a greater say in how we run them. Commission to Guide Redundant and Unnecessary Audits (HB21-1176 – Holtorf): This bill would create yet another commission to offer recommendations on how to audit Colorado’s elections, despite the fact that the state already has a Bipartisan Election Advisory Commission and already conducts the nationwide gold standard for election audits. By offering bills to fix problems that don’t exist, Republicans continue their efforts to undermine faith in Colorado’s elections. Endless and Meritless Recount Requests (HB21-1053 – Williams): This bill would allow any registered elector in the political subdivision where the election was held to request an electoral recount when one is not otherwise required. Under this bill, the voter requesting an recount could go so far as to specify that the recount be conducted manually, leaving the door open for all kinds of abuse of the recount mechanism. Under current law, recounts are automatically triggered when the margin falls within 0.5 percent of the vote and can be requested by any candidate or their affiliated party within 28 days of an election. Previous Next

< Back October 14, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: Legislation to Foster New Careers in Wildfire Mitigation, Reform Judiciary to be Introduced Next Session DENVER, CO – The Legislative Council of the Colorado General Assembly today approved several interim committee bills to be introduced in the upcoming 2023 legislative session, including bills to create new career pathways for fire mitigation work and reform the state’s judicial discipline process. “We’ve passed a number of new laws to significantly expand wildfire mitigation, prevention and response efforts in Colorado, and I’m excited for this work to continue next session,” said Wildfire Matters Review Committee Member Rep. Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County “The bill approved today will boost our wildfire mitigation workforce and make it easier for Coloradans who want to work in wildfire mitigation to build their careers and enter this critical field. Advancing this legislation will also help employers find the workers they need and increase the availability of wildfire mitigation options for homeowners.” “Wildfires are now a part of Colorado's challenges. We need to be as prepared as possible when an emergency strikes, which is why we made a historic investment in wildfire mitigation this year to better equip our communities to handle future disasters," said Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Boulder County . “Now, with this legislation, we will be able to create a robust wildfire mitigation workforce to help protect Colorado communities from the growing threat of wildfires." The committee unanimously approved Bill A from the Wildfire Matters Review Committee, which will foster internships and other career opportunities for workers who want to enter the wildfire mitigation field. The bill will be sponsored by Representatives Lisa Cutter and Perry Will as well as Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis. It directs the state forest service to develop educational materials for students, authorizes the expansion and creation of forestry programs at Colorado community colleges, and directs the state board for community colleges to recruit wildland fire prevention and mitigation educators for the new forestry programs. Last session, Colorado Democrats passed several new laws to fund wildfire mitigation and prevention efforts including HB22-1011 which created a $10 million matching grant program to help local governments develop and fund sustainable forest management and wildfire mitigation efforts. Democrats also created a new income tax credit for wildfire mitigation, improved wildfire insurance coverage , provided $35 million to help communities recover and rebuild following disaster emergencies, and invested $15 million to prevent and better prepare for wildfires. The Legislative Council also unanimously approved Bills A and B from the Legislative Interim Committee on Judicial Discipline. Both bills will be sponsored by Representaitves Mike Weissman and Mike Lynch as well as Senators Julie Gonzales and Bob Gardner. Bill A is a concurrent resolution that refers a constitutional amendment to voters that would create an independent judicial discipline adjudicative board. It also sets standards for judicial review of a discipline case. It would vastly increase transparency by allowing judicial discipline matters to be made public once formal proceedings commence against a judge or justice, and the new independent adjudicative board would act as a “court” for formal judicial discipline proceedings and determine appropriate sanctions. It also creates a clear, alternative appellate process for instances in which Supreme Court justices are implicated in disciplinary proceedings. Bill B would put these new changes into effect and enhance reporting by the Commission on Judicial Discipline to the legislature and the public. It would allow confidential and anonymous judicial discipline complaints and require the commission to update complainants throughout the process. These provisions will increase the information available to the public about judicial discipline matters. “Coloradans should be able to trust that our judges are being held to the highest ethical standards and that the judicial discipline process is effective, transparent and responsive to complaints,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, chair of the House Judiciary Committee and Chair of the Interim Committee on Judicial Discipline. “This Constitutional Amendment will create a new, transparent and accountable process to ensure that complaints against judges in Colorado are investigated and adjudicated through processes free from undue influence by the judicial branch of government in which they work.” "Public confidence in our judicial system is foundational to a functioning democracy and to safe communities, and for our system to work Colorado judges must be held to the highest standards of accountability," said Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver. "The courts belong to all of us, and these measures will improve integrity and bolster confidence that judges will act with the public good and the rule of law as their highest goals, and help ensure our judicial system remains honest, fair, ethical, and just." Previous Next