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< Back April 28, 2021 COLORADO COMEBACK BILLS HIT THE HOUSE FLOOR Affordable housing, creative industries, and small businesses who hire former inmates to get significant boost under state stimulus bills advanced today DENVER, CO– House committees today advanced three Colorado Comeback state stimulus proposals that would provide significant funding for affordable housing; offer grants to artists, venues, and Coloradans in the creative industries, and expand a program that creates jobs by helping formerly incarcerated individuals learn finance skills and start a business. Local governments are on the forefront of building affordable housing, but often lack the tools and resources to increase the available housing stock. HB21-1271 , sponsored by Representatives McCluskie and Jodeh, provides $13 million in incentives and technical assistance to local governments to provide for the rapid deployment of affordable housing projects and to also ensure local communities have the tools and resources they need to help them identify and meet their unique housing needs. The bill passed the Transportation and Local Government Committee by a vote of 9-2. “Coloradans across the state continue to tell lawmakers that housing is too expensive and access to affordable places to live is becoming harder and harder to find,” said Rep. Iman Joden, D-Aurora. “I believe in the American Dream, and for many, secure and safe housing or homeownership is a part of realizing that dream. Allowing this dream to come to fruition shouldn’t be a luxury, but rather something within the reach of all. That’s why we’re giving local governments the tools they need to develop more affordable housing and offering financial incentives to make that happen.” “Many of our rural and mountain town economies depend on access to affordable housing as rising costs are forcing out long-time locals and making it harder for businesses to find workers,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “We have an affordable housing crisis in Colorado and local governments need additional tools and funding to create more housing. I’m excited to see the legislature tackle this issue and take action to foster construction of more affordable places to live for Coloradans.” HB21-1215 , sponsored by Representatives Ortiz and Holtorf, expands an existing pilot program known as the Community Crime Prevention Initiative that provides grants to community-based organizations to reduce crime and recidivism and promote community economic development. The program also trains formerly incarcerated people in business, finance and entrepreneurship and those who graduate receive access to loans to start their own small business. The program was created by the bipartisan bill HB17-1326, establishing the pilot program in North Aurora and Southeast Colorado Springs. HB21-1215 expands the program sites to Grand Junction and Trinidad. The bill passed the Judiciary Committee by a vote of 6-5. “The Justice Reinvestment Crime Prevention Initiative has successfully created jobs and lowered recidivism rates because it focuses on community-led solutions to the root causes of crime,” said Rep. David Ortiz, D-Littleton. “Let’s keep up the good work! This bipartisan bill uses state stimulus funds to expand the program to Trinidad and Grand Junction to provide further opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals to learn business, finance, and entrepreneurship skills and find employment, reducing the chance they reoffend and return to prison.” Venues, artists, and so many other culturally vital organizations have struggled to make it through the last year. HB21-1285 , sponsored by Representatives Benavidez and Herod, provides $10M to support artists and cultural organizations that have been impacted by COVID-19 throughout the state. This includes funding for the performance based film incentive, cultural facilities and the CO Creative Industries grant program set up during the 2020 special session. The bill passed the Business Affairs and Labor Committee by a vote of 8-5. “For community cultural centers and festivals, artists and so many others in Colorado’s creative economy, this last year has been devastating,” said Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Commerce City. “Our state stimulus plan provides $10 million to help Coloradans in the arts industry get back on their feet, creating jobs in communities all across our state. I’m proud that this bill will target historically marginalized businesses and individuals to provide them the resources they need to recover financially and thrive.” “The pandemic’s impact on concerts, art festivals, and so much more has meant lost income and wages for tens of thousands of Coloradans,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “By boosting this critical industry, we can help Coloradans recover faster from the pandemic and build back stronger.” Previous Next

< Back May 24, 2019 REP. HOOTON’S BILLS TO STRENGTHEN RIGHTS OF MOBILE HOME OWNERS & EXPAND MEDICAL MARIJUANA CONDITIONS SIGNED BY GOV Colorado currently has over 900 mobile home parks (May 23) — Gov. Polis just signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Edie Hooton, D-Boulder, and Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, to protect the rights of mobile home owners in mobile parks. HB19-1309 creates a low cost and effective Mobile Home Park Act Dispute Resolution and Enforcement Program within the Department of Local Affairs Housing Division. It also provides counties the same permissive authority that home-rule municipalities have to enact and enforce regulations. “Over the last several years, serious concerns have been raised by Colorado’s mobile home owners over mistreatment from park owners,” said Rep. Hooton, D-Boulder. “This bill will give more tools to help protect Coloradans who are being exploited by relatively loose regulatory structures.” In addition, HB19-1309 extends the time a homeowner has to sell or move from their home after an eviction from 48 hours to 30 days, and extends the time to cure a late payment from five days to ten days. “In rural communities, affordable housing is at a premium and mobile home parks are an essential part of the solution to our housing crisis,” said Rep. McCluskie, D-Dillon when the bill passed the House this session. “However, there are many concerns about how residents are being treated in parks. This bill will create a process for effectively resolving conflicts so mobile home parks can remain a strong housing option for Coloradans.” Approximately 100,000 Coloradans live in mobile homes, many of them within the state’s over 900 mobile home parks. Currently, the only recourse a homeowner of a mobile home has if they believe a park owner has violated the Colorado Mobile Home Park Act (MHPA) is to initiate a private action in civil court, which is often times too expensive for more homeowners. The Colorado Mobile Home Park Act was passed in 1985 and it lists the rights of mobile home owners and park owners, but no enforcement was ever created. The Governor also signed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Rep. Hooton that would add a condition for which a physician would prescribe an opioid, primarily for acute pain, to the list of disabling medical conditions that authorize a person to use medical marijuana for his or her condition. “The opioid epidemic doesn’t discriminate, it affects all ages, races, genders, and socioeconomic status. Medical marijuana is an option to help people with their disabling pain without the repercussions of addictions that we are seeing in this epidemic,” said Rep. Hooton when the bill passed the House in April. Previous Next

< Back April 30, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE MOVES TO IMPROVE CAMPAIGN FINANCE LAWS (Apr. 30) – The House State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee passed Rep. Mike Weissman’s bill to better enforce Colorado’s campaign finance laws. “Unaffiliated voters, Republicans and Democrats alike are all tired of the growing influence of money in politics and want to see our broken campaign finance laws fixed.” said Rep. Weissman, D-Aurora. “This bill will help give voters more confidence that the system works for them – not special interests and mystery money groups.” SB19-232 would codify within the Fair Campaign Practices Act the rules of the Secretary of State to enforce state laws concerning campaign finance. This includes specifying procedures for filing complaints, review of complaints by the elections division, processes for curing campaign finance law violations, the investigation of unresolved complaints, the conduct of hearings, audits by the division of campaign finance, and the issuance of advisory opinions by the Secretary of State. Together, these provisions create a robust system to make sure that political campaigns and organizations abide by Colorado’s disclosure and disclaimer laws, so that voters can track who is spending money to influence elections. Sec. of State Jena Griswold testified in support of the bill. The bill passed on a vote of 6-3 and now goes to the House Appropriations committee. Previous Next

< Back September 19, 2019 SPEAKER BECKER ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION GWEN FARNSWORTH TO UTILITY CONSUMERS’ BOARD Senior Energy Policy Advisor at Western Resource Advocates (WRA) has decades of experience in renewable energy, energy efficiency and clean power policies. DENVER, CO– Colorado House Speaker KC Becker today announced that she has appointed Western Resource Advocates Senior Energy Policy Advisor Gwen Farnsworth to the Utility Consumers’ Board. “Gwen is a dedicated advocate for our environment and is exactly the kind of person Coloradans should have advocating for them at the Utility Consumers’ Board,” said Colorado House Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder. “Gwen has led successful initiatives to reduce our reliance on dirty fuels while increasing the availability of renewable energy. I’m excited to see her continue her advocacy on behalf of small businesses and people across our state who are benefiting from cleaner, cheaper electricity.” “I’m thrilled to get to work on behalf of the people of Colorado,” said WRA’s Farnsworth. “We have an incredible opportunity to continue the progress we’ve made keeping electricity costs low while protecting our air and water and growing our clean energy economy. It’s a privilege to serve on this board, and I look forward to advancing policies that both protect our environment and benefit all Colorado consumers.” The Colorado Utility Consumers’ Board within the Office of Consumer Counsel of the Department of Regulatory Agencies is an 11-member panel that represents the interests of Colorado utility consumers and ratepayers to advocate for them before the Public Utilities Commission. The governor makes seven appointments to the board, one from each of the state’s seven Congressional districts. The four remaining members are appointed by the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House and the Minority Leaders of the House and Senate. Farnsworth’s appointment became effective September 4, 2019 and ends September 4, 2023. Previous Next

< Back April 28, 2021 READY FOR PICKUP: HOUSE EXTENDS ALCOHOL TAKEOUT AND DELIVERY DENVER, CO– The House today passed Representative Dylan Roberts’ bipartisan bill to extend the period of time during which restaurants and bars can offer takeout and delivery of alcoholic beverages on second reading. The bill passed by a unanimous vote of 61-0. “Restaurants, bars and other retail businesses are the heart of our local communities and major employers across the state,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “They have been dealt a particularly harsh blow by the pandemic, and many have turned to alcohol takeout and delivery as a critical source of income during tough times. As we work to build back a stronger Colorado, we have to ensure that our state’s small businesses have the support they need to bounce back and thrive. Extending takeout and delivery alcohol and allowing for towns to utilize common consumption areas for a few more years is a common sense way to lend bars and restaurants a hand.” Under a current law also sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts, certain liquor licensees like bars, restaurants, and gastropubs may sell alcohol as part of takeout and delivery orders through July 1, 2021. HB21-1027 , which is also sponsored by Representative Colin Larson, allows these establishments to continue using this critical tool for an additional five years and also allows them to apply for a license to establish a common consumption area, extending a tool many restaurants, bars, and communities have embraced to remain afloat throughout the pandemic. Previous Next

Representative Bob Marshall yesterday attended the annual South Metro Water Symposium at the Parker Water Headquarters. < Back July 24, 2024 Marshall Attends South Metro Water Symposium PARKER, CO – Representative Bob Marshall yesterday attended the annual South Metro Water Symposium at the Parker Water Headquarters. This event gathered regional water authorities to discuss the past, future and present issues facing water supply in the South Metro area of Denver. “Yesterday's symposium was incredibly informative and offered great insight into Colorado’s water future, specifically in Douglas County and Southeast Arapahoe County,” said Rep. Bob Marshall. D-Highlands Ranch. “Securing sustainable water for Colorado and future generations requires us to be diligent, work together across the aisle and craft solutions that will allow us to maintain our lifestyles and livelihoods.” The event featured keynote speaker Senator Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa, a presentation from South Metro Water Supply Authority , Castle Rock Water , and the Platte Valley Water Partnership . Previous Next

< Back April 29, 2021 BILLS TO PROTECT BORROWERS, USE STATE PROPERTY FOR HOUSING, RENEWABLE ENERGY ADVANCE DENVER, CO– The House Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed bills that would create consumer protections for mortgage borrowers and require the state to create an inventory of its unused property to determine if any buildings owned by the state could be transformed into affordable housing, renewable energy projects, or child care facilities. HB21-1282 , sponsored by Representative Mike Weissman, would regulate mortgage servicers, including requirements around notification, record keeping, examinations, inspections and enforcement, and a violation would be considered an unfair or deceptive trade practices. An assistant attorney general would be empowered to regulate the industry and receive complaints that could be acted upon. “After the financial collapse of 2008, we put in place rules to ensure that banks and other financial institutions play by the rules and can’t take advantage of consumers who use their products and services,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “But the financial sector has continued to evolve since then and Colorado is lagging behind many other states in oversight of non-bank mortgage servicers even as those entities handle an ever-larger share of the market. This bill ensures that non-bank mortgage services play by the rules and provides the Attorney General with the tools needed to investigate and stop abusive practices that threaten to harm Colorado homeowners.” HB21-1274 would require the state to create an inventory of all unused state-owned real property and determine if any of them could be used for affordable housing, renewable energy projects, or child care facilities. The department that owns the property would be authorized to solicit proposals from and enter into contracts with private partners to capitalize on the potential use of the property “All across Colorado, our state government owns unused properties that could be developed and turned into affordable housing, renewable energy facilities, or child care facilities – three types of projects that nearly every Coloradan wants to see more of,” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “We need to put this land to use so that local communities can meet their housing and energy needs while also providing critical capacity for child care for working families.” Previous Next

< Back October 17, 2022 Roberts and Bird Selected as 2022 Legislators of the Year by MADD DENVER, CO – Representative Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, and Representative Shannon Bird, D-Westminster, were honored by Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) for their efforts to end impaired driving. Representatives Roberts and Bird join an esteemed list of 65 state lawmakers from across the U.S. who championed legislation to protect innocent lives and create safer roads. “Creating safer roads has been a top priority for me and my community and I’m deeply honored to be selected as a Legislator of the Year by MADD,” said Representative Dylan Roberts, D-Avon . “Working with Minority Leader McKean and colleagues on both sides of the aisle I was proud to lead legislation to significantly reduce impaired driving and ensure Coloradans with prior DUI charges only get behind the wheel if they’re sober. This law will save lives and I’m incredibly thankful for the advocates at MADD for their partnership and this recognition.” Representative Roberts was honored for his work on Senate Bill 22-055 , Alcohol Monitoring For Impaired Driving Offenders. This new bipartisan law increases access to ignition interlocks for all DUI offenders and requires continuous alcohol monitoring for a felony or third DUI offense. It also cuts down on impaired driving and repeat offenses by making sure Coloradans with DUI convictions or pending cases only drive if they are sober. Representative Bird was honored for her work to protect Colorado’s statewide 2 a.m. bar closing time and prevent increased drunk driving crashes. According to MADD, impaired driving fatalities are at a 20-year high in Colorado .   The nationwide recognition received by Representatives Roberts and Bird shows their commitment to saving lives, preventing injuries and creating a safer Colorado for all. MADD is the nation’s largest nonprofit dedicated to ending impaired driving. Previous Next

The House Health and Human Services Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to support children and youth in the foster care system that have complex behavioral health care needs. The bill passed by a vote of 12-1. < Back February 1, 2024 Rep. Young Bill to Increase Behavioral Health Care Access for Foster Youth Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Health and Human Services Committee today passed bipartisan legislation to support children and youth in the foster care system that have complex behavioral health care needs. The bill passed by a vote of 12-1. “Children and youth with complex behavioral health needs deserve access to quality health care, but our current shortage of treatment beds has placed youth in hospitals and hotels where they aren’t receiving appropriate treatment,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley. “We’re creating a system of care that boosts the availability of residential child care settings who can successfully treat these youth and increases payments to fund more residential treatment centers and beds. By strengthening Colorado’s resources, we can ensure our youth have access to the quality behavioral health care they need, when they need it.” HB24-1038 , also sponsored by Representative Brandi Bradley, R-Roxborough, outlines a new system of care designed for youth and children with complex behavioral health needs who are in foster care, or at risk of out-of-home placement. Specifically, it would require state agencies to create a care plan that includes the implementation of a standardized assessment tool, intensive-care coordination, expanded supportive services and expanded access to treatment in foster care. The bill aims to make it easier for youth with complex behavioral health needs to receive the care they need, when they need it. In order to meet the needs of foster youth, the bill creates a training academy to develop high-quality residential child care providers who will ensure effective, safe, and responsible care. The legislation requires the state to monitor quality standards for residential child care providers at all levels of care. This bill originated from the Child Welfare System Interim Study Committee and was unanimously approved by the committee in October 2023. Previous Next

< Back January 31, 2023 Daugherty Bill Cracks Down on Insurance Plan Provider Fees DENVER, CO - The House Health and Insurance Committee today unanimously passed bipartisan legislation to expand payment options for health care insurance providers to protect them from fees charged by insurance carriers. It passed 11-0. “Navigating the COVID-19 pandemic emphasized the importance of supporting our health care providers within the medical community, “ said Rep. Lindsey Daugherty, D-Arvada. “When providers are required to accept reimbursements from insurance companies through virtual credit cards, they must pay a fee, which is often passed along to patients to cover. This bill creates payment options for our providers that will save them and their patients money while improving the sustainability of smaller providers, especially in more rural parts of our state.” Virtual credit cards (VCC) are one-time-use payment cards that don’t require bank account information for a health care claim payment to be made. The use of VCC became popular in 2014 after the Affordable Care Act required all health care insurers to allow providers to pay electronically. Insurance companies favored VCC payment options because of utilizing “cash back” or other revenue share features that came with VCCs, but VCCs charge providers fees between 2-5% to accept payments. Currently, some Colorado providers are forced to accept reimbursement payments through VCC payments, which makes the care they provide more expensive because of high fees associated with the VCC option. This bill expands payment options and requires Colorado providers to offer a method of payment that is not a credit card and does not require an additional fee paid by consumers. The bill also prevents the imposition of a fee for changing a payment method and requires an explanation of benefits be shared with each payment. Previous Next

< Back April 29, 2022 BILL TO PREVENT HOMELESSNESS PASSES HOUSE Legislation will invest $50 million in federal pandemic relief funds toward preventing and responding to homelessness in the Denver-Metro DENVER, CO – The House passed a bill today to fund a homelessness navigation campus in the Denver-Metro. HB22-1378 passed by a vote of 40 to 22 and is part of the Colorado Democrats’ package of bills to prevent and respond to homelessness. “The pandemic has only accelerated our state’s homelessness crisis and this bill allocates $50 million in federal economic relief funds to provide proven human solutions,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora . “Our legislation meets our neighbors where they are and steps up to offer transitional housing, emergency shelter, medical care and skills training – all in one location. I am proud to sponsor legislation that will foster a navigation campus based on nationally-utilized strategies to prevent and address homelessness in our community.” “We need to diversify our tactics for addressing homelessness in Colorado, and this bill funds a one-stop-shop for our neighbors experiencing homelessness to get the services and resources they need,” said Rep. Tom Sullivan, D-Centennial . “Whether someone is suffering from a substance use disorder, has struggled to keep a stable job, or is at-risk of becoming homeless, they can seek help at the navigation campus funded by this bill. Preventing homelessness starts at the local level and our $50 million investment in federal funds will jumpstart a navigation campus so Coloradans have resources and support right in their own neighborhood.” Denver-Metro Residential Campus : HB22-1378 , sponsored by Representatives Iman Jodeh and Tom Sullivan directs $50 million to local governments and nonprofits in the Denver-Metro area to build or acquire and then facilitate a regional navigation campus to holistically respond to and prevent homelessness. This campus will integrate emergency, transitional and permanent supportive housing with behavioral health care, substance use disorder treatment, medical care, case management, employment and skills training and more – all in one location. Previous Next

< Back April 19, 2019 REP. FROELICH’S BILL TO INCREASE VOTING ACCESS FOR COLORADANS WITH DISABILITIES UNANIMOUSLY PASSES HOUSE COMMITTEE Democrats working to increase access to ballot box (Apr. 18) – Rep. Meg Froelich’s bill to increase voting access for people with disabilities unanimously passed out of the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee. This important legislation would give voters with disabilities greater access to the ballot box in order to fit their specific needs. “It’s critically important that we improve access to the ballot box for all Coloradans,” said Rep. Froelich, D-Englewood. “We should never disqualify individuals from voting and participating in our democratic process based on a disability. This bill will do more to ensure we aren’t disenfranchising voters.” If signed into law, this bill would require the Secretary of State to establish a process to enable voters with disabilities to mark a paper ballot using nonvisual access or low vision access technology whether the voter is voting in a mail ballot election or voting at a polling location. SB19-202 passed unanimously. It now heads to the House Appropriations committee. Previous Next