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< Back April 27, 2021 HOUSE APPROVES RANKED CHOICE VOTING FRAMEWORK DENVER, CO– The House today passed Rep. Chris Kennedy’s bill to create a statewide framework for ranked choice voting in municipal elections. Specifically, the bill allows towns and cities to run ranked-choice elections through a county coordinated election, and would ask the Secretary of State’s office to promulgate statewide rules regarding voting systems and auditing practices for towns or cities that opt in. The bill passed by a vote of 40-23. “Local governments across Colorado are looking to ranked choice voting as an innovative tool to ensure the candidate with the most support wins the election. Today we voted to provide a framework to ensure these elections are working as they should,” said Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood. “Providing guidelines and safeguards for novel ideas meant to increase voter participation and improve our elections is how we ensure Colorado’s electoral system remains the gold standard. Safe and secure elections that expand voter access – that’s the Colorado way.” HB21-1071 allows municipalities located in a single county to use ranked choice voting during coordinated elections starting in 2023, and municipalities located in multiple counties to implement it starting in 2025. The bill calls on the Secretary of State’s (SOS) office to promulgate statewide rules for the implementation and certification of this system, to establish an audit process for it, and to secure a software provider to be available for use by counties. If a municipality that has opted in to the ranked choice voting system is located in more than one county, counties are directed to work together to establish guidelines for the election, including the maximum number of candidates that voters will be allowed to rank on their ballots. Previous Next

< Back April 5, 2022 BILLS TO ADDRESS COLORADO’S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH CRISIS WIN COMMITTEE APPROVAL Legislation includes more than $140 million to expand access to behavioral health care for Colorado youth and adults DENVER, CO – The House Public & Behavioral Health & Human Services Committee today unanimously passed two bills to expand access to behavioral health services for adults and youth. These bills were developed based on recommendations from the state’s Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force and will invest $140 million to build a healthier Colorado. “We’ve made it a top priority to expand access to behavioral health care, and that’s what this transformational bill will do,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales Gutierrez, D-Denver. “With these federal funds, we have a once-in a generation opportunity to significantly expand behavioral heath care and address the cries our state is facing. This legislation provides $90 million directly to local governments, nonprofits and community-based programs to expand access to behavioral health care and fill critical gaps across the state so that more Coloradans can seek the care they need to thrive.” “This transformational $90 million investment will lay the foundation for a more accessible, affordable, and inclusive system of behavioral health care in our state,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “Our behavioral health care crisis will not be solved overnight, but with these funds, we have a unique opportunity to address some of the most pressing concerns in our state. Every community is different and has different circumstances and different needs. This bill encourages collaboration, uplifts local solutions, and ensures that funding reaches every corner of Colorado and that no community is left behind.” Community Behavioral Health Continuum of Care Gap Grants: HB22-1281 sponsored by Representatives Gonzales-Gutierrez and Naquetta Ricks, will ensure Coloradans across the state — including children, youth and families — have access to the behavioral health care they need. This bill will invest $90 million in grant funds for local governments and nonprofit organizations to implement innovative, community-based programs with the goal of filling regional gaps across the continuum of care and transforming behavioral health outcomes for families, children and youth living in Colorado. The bill passed unanimously. Previous Next

< Back March 22, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: PRESIDENT FENBERG, REPRESENTATIVES AMABILE, HOOTON AND GRAY COMMEMORATE THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE KING SOOPERS SHOOTING BOULDER, CO – Boulder legislators Senate President Steve Fenberg, Representative Judy Amabile, Representative Edie Hooton, and Representative Matt Gray today released a joint statement commemorating the one year anniversary of the King Soopers shooting: “One year ago, the Boulder community suffered a devastating tragedy when a gunman brutally cut short ten innocent lives. Today, our hearts remain heavy for the families of the victims, and for the entire Boulder community. But faced with tragedy, our community has emerged stronger and more resilient than before. We have been profoundly moved by the myriad ways Boulder County has come together to honor the victims of this tragedy and support their families and one another. As we continue to heal, each of us must recommit ourselves in our service to Boulder and Colorado while continuing our work to protect our neighbors and build a stronger, safer community for us all.” Previous Next

< Back March 29, 2021 HOUSE PASSES BILL TO PROTECT LGBTQ VETERANS Bill to restore benefits for LGBTQ veterans who were wrongly dishonorably discharged passes House on third reading. DENVER, CO– The House today passed Representative David Ortiz’s bill to ensure that LGBTQ veterans who received a dishonorable discharge from the military because of their sexual orientation or gender identity can access the veterans benefits they have earned. The bill passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 47-16. “No one who is willing to put their life at risk to serve our country should be prevented from accessing the benefits they earned because of who they love or how they identify,” said Rep. Ortiz, D-Littleton. “Coming home and reintegrating into your community after military service is hard enough without facing the additional stigma of being unjustly discharged. I’m proud that we were able to deliver some relief for my brothers and sisters in the armed forces today.” Before the repeal of “Don’t ask, Don’t tell”, countless servicemembers were discharged other than honorably due to their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression. This prevented many LGBTQ+ veterans in Colorado from qualifying for the same state programs and benefits that their peers have access to. SB21-026 , the Restoration of Honor Act, will create the “discharged LGBT veteran” status and allow Coloradans who fall under this category to access existing state programs available to honorably discharged veterans. Previous Next

< Back April 24, 2019 EFFORT TO LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING PASSES HOUSE EFFORT TO LEGALIZE SPORTS BETTING PASSES HOUSE Around $150 billion is wagered illegally on sports every year in the U.S. (Apr. 24) – The House passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Majority Leader Alec Garnett that would legalize sports betting in Colorado. This bill would require voter approval if passed by the General Assembly. “Coloradans should have the option of betting on the Nuggets in the playoffs or the Avalanche in the Stanley Cup. This funding will go toward our most precious resource – our water and this is something everyone can get behind,” said Majority Leader Garnett, D-Denver. “It is our hope that this measure will help stamp out black market sports betting.” HB19-1327 would provide a master license to local casinos who can then contract with brick and mortar and/or internet sports betting operators to provide sports betting in Colorado. A 10 percent tax on net sports betting proceeds will be placed in a Sports Betting Fund. That fund will go towards the Water Implementation Cash Fund to support Colorado Water Plan projects that will keep our drinking water safe, our farms and ranches thriving, and keep our rivers healthy. If approved, the measure would go to on the 2019 November ballot. The Colorado Water Conservation Board will govern the Water Plan Implementation Cash Fund. Some of the eligible projects for these funds are water storage and supply projects, conversation and land use projects, engagement and innovation activities, agricultural projects and environmental and recreation projects. Organizations in support of this measure are the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association, the Colorado Municipal League, the Colorado River District, the Environmental Defense Action Fund, Western Resource Advocates, and Denver Water. The bill is sponsored by Minority Leader Patrick Neville. The Senate sponsors are Sen. Kerry Donovan and Sen. John Cooke. HB19-1327 passed out of House Finance committee with a bipartisan vote of 9-1. The House approved it on a vote of 58-6. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back June 11, 2020 HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES BILL BANNING GAY AND TRANS PANIC LEGAL DEFENSE DENVER, CO– The House Committee of Public Health and Human Services today passed Representatives Brianna Titone and Matt Soper’s bipartisan bill to ban the use of the gay and transgender “panic” defense. The bill passed 12-0. “This is an antiquated and cruel legal defense strategy that should have been abolished a long time ago, “ said Rep. Titone, D-Arvada . “The LGBTQ community deserves our support, not our suspicion. As long as we allow biased defenses like this to continue, trans people and the broader LGBTQ population will never truly feel safe, especially black trans women. I’m proud of the work that we did this year to revive this legislation and am proud to see it move forward today.” The gay and trans panic defense is a legal tactic that has been used to strengthen a legal defense by playing on the prejudice of jurors. SB20-221 states that evidence about a defendant’s knowledge or discovery of a victim’s gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation cannot be asserted as a legal defense constituting ‘sudden heat of passion’ in a criminal case. If this bill is signed into law, Colorado would join California, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington as states that have banned the gay and trans panic defense strategy. In 2018, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and House Representative Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) introduced legislation to ban the gay and trans panic defense at the federal level. According to the FBI’s 2018 hate crime statistics , 1,404 hate crimes perpetrated in 2018 were based on sexual orientation. Of these offenses, 59.8 percent were classified as anti-gay male and 25 percent were classified as anti-LGBTQ bias. According to this FBI data , in Colorado in 2018, there were 123 hate crimes reported and of those 24 were related to sexual orientation and three of them were related to gender identity. Previous Next

DENVER, CO - On August 7, three laws to reduce the cost of housing, protect homeowners’ access to insurance plans, and improve local governments’ ability to hold short-term rentals to local rules and regulations will go into effect. < Back August 7, 2023 JOINT RELEASE: Laws to Save Coloradans Money on Housing, Improve Wildfire Insurance Coverage Take Effect DENVER, CO - On August 7, three laws to reduce the cost of housing, protect homeowners’ access to insurance plans, and improve local governments’ ability to hold short-term rentals to local rules and regulations will go into effect. “The lack of housing in Colorado is driving up home prices and rental rates while also negatively impacting our environment,” said Rep. William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, sponsor of HB23-1255 . “By eliminating arbitrary local growth caps, communities will be able to strategically build housing that better accommodates our needs while also reducing our reliance on car travel, which will improve our air quality.” "Colorado needs more housing," said Senator Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, sponsor of HB23-1255. "Eliminating arbitrary growth caps will increase supply and allow more Coloradans to remain in the communities they currently live and work in. I’m proud to champion policy that will help communities keep up with ongoing growth, ease displacement, and help us meet our housing needs." “Arbitrary growth caps shift the burden of keeping up with housing demand on neighboring, and often lower-income, communities,” said Rep. Ruby Dickson, D-Centennial, sponsor of HB23-1255 . “Housing affordability is one of the biggest concerns for Coloradans. With our new law going into effect soon, we can tackle our housing shortage together while reducing commute times and air pollution.” Beginning August 7, local governments are prohibited from enacting and enforcing housing growth restrictions that limit housing development to a certain number of building permits or approvals without a transparent process and fair consideration of a proposal’s merits. Under HB23-1255 , local governments are not required to accept any specific developments or projects, but they can’t reject a proposal simply due to an arbitrary growth cap. “The increasing threat of wildfires has left many homeowners with less insurance coverage than they need, but with our new law, home owners will have more options for additional coverage they can afford,” said Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, sponsor of HB23-1174 . “Coloradans will be able to purchase a plan that provides the peace of mind that their home is appropriately insured in the event of a wildfire disaster.” “Homeowners in my community have faced devastating and costly damage from wildfires that can feel impossible to build back from,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, sponsor of HB23-1174. “With our new law going into effect soon, Colorado homeowners will be able to purchase coverage that meets their needs and protects them from future wildfire damage.” Starting August 7, HB23-1174 , also sponsored by Republican Senator Mark Baisley, requires home insurance companies to offer a variety of extended coverages to protect consumers, covering the cost of repair or replacement for a damaged or destroyed structure. If a homeowner wants additional coverage, the insurer must offer coverage for extended replacement, law and ordinance, and inflation protection. It also extends the length of time in which an insurer would have to notify a homeowner of a cancellation or refusal to renew a homeowner’s policy from 30 days to 60 days. Representative Judy Amabile passed similar legislation in the 2022 Legislative Session in response to the Marshall Fire that destroyed over 1,000 homes in Boulder County. The law ensured that homeowners received fair compensation for the loss of their property and streamlined the insurance claims process for underinsured disaster victims. “These two new bipartisan laws that take effect today are the next step forward in our continued and multi-faceted commitment to addressing the housing crisis in Colorado,” said Senator Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, sponsor of HB23-1174 and HB23-1287. “The bolstered insurance protections offered by HB 1174 will help protect vulnerable Coloradans and allow people to insure their homes, businesses, and property against potential disasters like wildfires. And with HB23-1287, we’re strengthening protections for local residents in rural resort communities to help curb the unintended impacts of short-term rentals on our communities.” “Short-term rentals offer important benefits to our mountain communities and support tourism, but it’s clear they have impacts on the liveability of our towns,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, sponsor of HB23-1287. “By strengthening transparency and compliance with local regulations of short-term rentals, we can live in neighborhoods that work better for everyone.” “Rural resort communities know firsthand the impact that short-term rentals have had on our neighborhoods and our housing market,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, sponsor of HB23-1287. “With the implementation of our new law, local governments will now be able to effectively regulate short-term rentals to protect owners, renters, and community members if a short-term rental violates local rules and regulations.” A board of county commissioners already has the authority to regulate units that are rented or used for short-term stays. HB23-1287 clarifies the definition of a short-term rental and provides counties with the authority to work with digital platforms to accurately list compliant short-term rentals. Beginning August 7, HB23-1287 gives counties the ability to require an owner of a property, or the owner’s agent, to include a rental license or permit in any listing for a short-term rental unit on a digital platform. If a county has regulations on short-term rentals, the county will be able to require a digital platform to remove any rental listing if the owner of the listing: Has their local short-term rental license or permit suspended or revoked, Has received a notice violation, or a similar legal process, for not holding a valid local short-term rental license or permit, or Is not allowed to list their unit as a short-term rental due to county rules. Previous Next

The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to boost public safety by streamlining the process for properly trained armed forces members to become peace officers. < Back February 6, 2024 Bill to Boost Public Safety Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to boost public safety by streamlining the process for properly trained armed forces members to become peace officers. HB24-1093 passed by a vote of 10 to 1. “Peace officers in the armed forces are well-trained professionals, and this bill streamlines the process for these individuals to become public peace officers,” said Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista . “Peace officers play an important role in public safety and this bipartisan legislation removes barriers for qualified members of the armed forces to become peace officers in our state. We’re taking steps to improve public safety around Colorado, and this bill makes it easier for qualified peace officers to begin protecting our neighborhoods and livelihoods.” HB24-1093 , also sponsored by Rep. Ryan Armagost, R-Berthoud, would streamline the process for qualified members of the armed forces to become peace officers in Colorado. Under current law, the Police Officer Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.) Board has the authority to grant a provisional peace officer certification to individuals that were authorized as peace officers in a federal jurisdiction, excluding the armed forces. This bill removes the armed forces exclusion so that peace officers in the armed forces can become public peace officers in Colorado. Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2019 MCLACHLAN’S BIPARTISAN BILL ON FULL-DAY KINDERGARTEN PASSES FINAL HOUSE TEST Bipartisan vote of 53-11 (Apr. 16) – A bipartisan bill by Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, and Rep Jim Wilson, R-Salida, to fund full-day kindergarten for Colorado’s youngest learners was approved by the House today. The state budget proposes funding full-day kindergarten in a responsible, sustainable manner. “We have the tools to set our kids up for success－the kids who live in every corner of our state,” said Rep. McLachlan, chair of the House Education committee. “As a former teacher, I can definitively say that early childhood education is a necessity to set our kids up for the future. Full-day Kindergarten is an investment that will reap profound benefits for the hardworking families of our state for many years to come.” Many young students lack access to full-day kindergarten, despite research showing they will benefit significantly from this learning experience. While a large number of Colorado schools have increased access to full day kindergarten over time despite inadequate funding, there are still 14,000 children without access to this important educational resource. Those who lack access often face some of the steepest obstacles to affording the tuition that is charged in many districts or live in communities that cannot afford to cut resources from other parts of the K-12 budget to offer a free full-day experience. Increased state funding would help open doors to a research-proven strategy to improve children’s academic and life success. An added benefit of funding full-day kindergarten is the complementary freeing up of more than 5,000 Early Childhood At-Risk Enhancement (ECARE) slots in the Colorado Preschool Program for young learners. HB19-1262 was approved on a bipartisan vote of 53-11 and now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back Rep McLachlan: ‘When we take the “I” out of legislating, using “we” instead, we proved we can get a lot done’ May 28, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Durango Herald. You can view the story here . We accomplished a lot this year – our bipartisan success happened because we communicated, compromised and collectively decided how to best address our problems. Affordable and attainable housing, one of Colorado’s most urgent issues, made headway. We ran several bills protecting our existing supply of homes, while also protecting renters. We asked some local governments to allow granny flats on personal property. We addressed urban density issues: One bill encourages local governments to build housing near transit centers so people can easily get to work. Another limited the number of parking spots each building needs, leaving room for more housing. The long-awaited property tax bill passed with little trouble, with both Republican and Democrat prime sponsors. It caps future spikes, and cuts rates for both commercial and residential properties. Some sponsors demanded the tax cuts could not affect schools, and others required Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights refunds could not be touched. Both sides got their way. Our public schools did very well this year. One bill paid off the budget stabilization factor, raising the per-pupil dollars and giving a one-time stipend to rural schools. The best news is that it ended reliance on an antiquated and outdated 30-year formula; the second bill created a new formula. This time, money goes to identified student populations, such as English language learners, and low income, special education and rural students. Colorado will pay districts a base salary, then add to it according to the student population, not according to the district itself. Rural schools will now be getting extra funding on top of that, every year, meaning we will be able to hire more teachers and pay them better. Rural schools have been left out of the budget process for 30 years; we are now finally fully involved. In other education news, some low-income families will get free college tuition for two years of school, giving students the boost they need to pursue careers and future education. We did a lot for water in our state, funding dozens of conservation and storage projects, banning nonessential public turf to save both money and water and passing a huge bill addressing the U.S. Supreme Court ruling removing protection for some Colorado waters. We created a permitting program for the dredge and fill activities impacting those waters. And, we referred a ballot measure allowing revenue from sports betting above the $29 million cap to be used for the Colorado Water Project. You will vote on that. Another bill passed that will cut child poverty in half by offering refundable tax credits to low-income families with children under 5. This helps take care of our youngest residents, giving their parents the breathing room to work full time. Environmental advocates joined forces with the oil and gas industry advocates to address air quality and safety; it is the first time in many years both sides sat down together to make decisions for our future. We voted yes. Transportation was a popular topic this session, and commuter rail along the front range and into some mountain areas drew interest. Getting people off the roads will be efficient and clean. Bipartisan work was key to our success. We didn’t always agree, but we tried to compromise as often as possible. When we take the “I” out of legislating, using “we” instead, we proved we can get a lot done. Not everyone joined in, and not everyone was happy, but we are headed in the right direction. I am proud of our success. We did it. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango, is serving her fourth and last term in the Legislature, representing House District 59. Previous Next

The Colorado House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to ensure children featured in online content can access the money they earned once they reach adulthood. < Back January 28, 2026 Lukens’ Bipartisan Bill to Protect the Financial Security of ‘Kidfluencers’ Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The Colorado House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to ensure children featured in online content can access the money they earned once they reach adulthood. HB26-1058 passed committee unanimously. “In a digital age, we need to be doing more to prioritize the safety and financial security of children featured in online content,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This bipartisan bill steps up to protect ‘kidfluencers’ by requiring parents to establish a trust for their child when videos earn thousands of dollars. It also provides the right to remove online content once a child reaches adulthood. I’m proud to carry this forward-thinking bill that helps protect the privacy and personal dignity of Coloradans with online content." HB26-1058 , also sponsored by Rep. Scott Slaugh, R-Berthoud, would establish new protections and requirements for children featured in online content, also known as ‘kidfluencers’. To ensure children are paid for their work, parents would be required to establish a trust for their child if the child earns at least $15,000 a year from online content. In addition, the child must be featured in 30-percent or more of monetized content, and the content must earn at least $0.10 per view. This bill would also allow children featured in monetized online content to request that the videos, pictures or other content be removed from the internet when they reach adulthood. HB26-1058 would prohibit the sexualization of children for financial gain and establish avenues for children to pursue civil action if they are featured in sexualized content. To further stop the sexualization of children, the bill also requires social media platforms to develop and implement strategies that keep children safe. Similar laws to protect child actors are already in place. Established in the late 1930s, California’s Coogan Law requires the earnings of child performers be placed in a protected trust. If HB26-1058 is signed into law, Colorado would join Illinois, California, Minnesota and Utah in enacting ‘kidfluencer’ protections. Previous Next