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< Back January 1, 2023 Garnett: Serving in the House Has Been the Honor of a Lifetime DENVER, CO – Speaker Alec Garnett today formally submitted his letter of resignation from the House, effective January 1, 2023. He will begin serving as Governor Jared Polis’ chief of staff on Monday. Majority Leader Daneya Esgar will assume the role of Speaker and serve in that position until January 9, 2023. “Serving in the House and as Speaker has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Speaker Alec Garnett, D-Denver. “The most important lesson I learned is that government works and Colorado is well served by the amazing women and men in the legislature. I will always hold close to my heart the memories and relationships I’ve built while serving, and I wish all current and future legislators the best of luck as they tackle the challenges of the day. “I want to thank the nonpartisan staff who work equally hard to carry out the essential functions of government. Colorado owes you a debt of gratitude. To my family, thank you for letting me carry out my duties and for always supporting me and standing by my side. I hope I made you proud.” Speaker Garnett has served in the House since 2015, representing House District 2 in Denver. He has sponsored historic legislation to fix Colorado’s transportation infrastructure, create universal preschool and the Department of Early Childhood, curb youth access to high-potency marijuana, and reform Colorado’s construction defects law. In 2019, he led efforts in the legislature to pass Colorado’s Red Flag Law which has saved lives and reduced gun violence. In 2022, he sponsored comprehensive, bipartisan legislation to combat Colorado’s deadly fentanyl crisis and reduce fentanyl overdose deaths. Garnett served in leadership roles for six of the eight years he was in the chamber. He was elected Assisted Majority Leader, Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, always running unopposed. He led the chamber with a focus on lifting up and protecting the institution. He was the first Speaker in recent memory to appoint a member of the opposing party to be Vice Chair of a Committee of Reference. Previous Next

< Back December 18, 2023 Leadership Statements on Resignation of Rep. Sharbini DENVER, CO – House Democratic Leadership today released the following statements on Representative Said Sharbini’s resignation: Statement from Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon: “It’s been a joy to serve alongside Representative Sharbini, and I will miss his deep dedication to the people of Colorado and his critical voice at the Capitol. He has been a champion for his district and always stayed true to his values. I know he will continue working to improve the lives of people in our state with his enduring commitment to public service.” Statement from Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge: “I wish Representative Sharbini and his family the best as he pursues the next chapter in his life, and I am sincerely grateful for the kindness of character he brought to the legislature. As a member of the Latino caucus, his devotion to serving others and to protecting the rights of all Coloradans helped us pass better policies. Representative Sharbini understood how tough our work could be, and his good humor made many days better - I’ll miss his presence very much.” Previous Next

< Back May 11, 2021 HOUSE VOTES TO EXPAND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE ACCESS DENVER, CO– The House today advanced Reps. Yadira Caraveo and Julie McCluskie’s bill to remove barriers to allow survivors of sexual violence on Medicaid to access a full range of reproductive health care options, including abortion, closer to their homes. The vote was 39-24. “As a doctor, I won’t stand by and let the type of insurance coverage someone has, their income, or their zip code determine what kind of care they can have in Colorado,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, a physician. “All women in Colorado should have access to the full range of reproductive health care, and this bill brings us a step closer to making that a reality.” “Survivors of sexual violence should have access to the reproductive care they need, regardless of their income level, zip code, or what type of health insurance they have,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Colorado has repeatedly defended women’s access to reproductive care,and now, we’re taking an important step forward to ensure that all women in our state have acces to the care they may need.” Current law only allows public funds to be used for abortion care in highly specific locations and requires that they only be performed by a physician – despite the fact that safe abortion care is offered in several out-patient care facilities across the state, including primary care offices, OBGYN offices, abortion clinics, etc. and are routinely performed by other kinds of certified healthcare providers like nurse practitioners. These restrictions solely and exclusively impact Medicaid-eligible sexual violence survivors because people with private insurance are not subject to facility or physician-only restrictions when seeking abortion care. SB21-142 would allow sexual violence survivors on Medicaid to access all reproductive care options closer to home by removing restrictions on the types of buildings where certain care is covered and removing the physician requirement barriers. Previous Next

< Back June 9, 2021 JACKSON CELEBRATES PASSAGE OF MONUMENTAL ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE LEGISLATION DENVER, CO– Rep. Dominique Jackson released the following statement after the passage of HB 21-1266. The bill re-passed in the House by a vote of 37-27. “Colorado leads the nation on many environmental efforts, but to continue our leadership role we need to get serious about meeting our climate goals and we must ensure that disproportionately impacted communities have a seat at the table,” said Representative Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora. “This bill gives communities that seat at the table and takes real, tangible steps to reduce carbon pollution. There can be no environmental justice in Colorado without significantly improving our air quality, and I’m so proud that we took this bold step forward.” Previous Next

< Back April 5, 2019 HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES BILL TO ENSURE COLORADO LEADS ON CLIMATE ACTION Becker-Galindo also introduce companion bill to ensure just transition for workers (Apr. 5) – Today, the House Energy and Environment committee passed Speaker of the House KC Becker and Rep. Dominique Jackson’s legislation to take meaningful action to address climate change. Acting on climate will help protect clean air and water and spur clean energy jobs, innovation, business development, and economic growth for Colorado. Speaker Becker also introduced a companion bill to support Colorado workers affected by the energy transition. “Colorado can act on climate, create clean energy jobs, cut carbon pollution and grow our economy at the same time,” said Speaker Becker of HB19-1261. “We can’t afford to wait. Air pollution doesn’t respect county or governmental boundaries. I thank everyone who came to testify on this bill and all of the stakeholder input throughout this process.” “When I look outside the capitol and in my community, I frequently see the smog, the hazy, bad air quality affecting our public health and the air we breathe. Pollution is changing how we live our lives and threatening the things we love about Colorado,” Rep. Jackson, D-Aurora, said during the hearing. “As the effects of climate change increase, the harms to communities of color will continue to worsen. Sadly, we are not seeing any movement on the federal level so we have no time to waste.” Rep. Jackson is Chair of the House Energy and Environment committee. Speaker Becker and Rep. Rochelle Galindo, D-Greeley, also introduced HB 19-1314 today, a companion bill to create the Just Transition Office within the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to support the livelihood of coal transition workers, their families and their communities, and to help provide these workers access to training and job opportunities. “The time to take action on climate is now, but we cannot work towards a clean energy economy without also working on solutions to support workers who are affected by this transition,” Speaker Becker, D-Boulder, said of the companion bill. “Workers and communities whose livelihoods are threatened by shifting economic tides and advancements in technology need support. We can support these communities in this transition, and today I introduced HB19-1314 to address this issue.” Coloradans are already seeing the negative impacts of climate change on a daily basis: 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 lead 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. At today’s hearing on HB19-1261, proponent after proponent testified in support of taking action to address climate change, reducing carbon pollution and creating clean energy jobs. House Republicans remain in denial about the economic and moral impacts of climate change. HB19-1261 passed through the committee with a vote of 7-4. It now heads to the House Appropriations committee. HB 19-1314 , a bill to ensure a just transition for Colorado workers, was assigned to the Business Affairs and Labor Committee. Previous Next

< Back April 9, 2019 FROELICH’S BILL TO INCREASE NATIONAL GUARD TUITION BENEFITS AT CSU-GLOBAL PASSES UNANIMOUSLY Since 2018, CSU-Global has graduated over 18,000 students (Apr. 9) – Rep. Meg Froelich’s bipartisan bill to allow Colorado State University’s Global Campus to offer students who are National Guard Members tuition benefits unanimously passed in the House State, Veterans, and Military Affairs committee. Currently, CSU-Global students cannot seek financial aid or receive tuition benefits through the National Guard’s state statute as an institution for which the National Guard members can utilize their tuition benefits. “CSU-Global is a really good fit for National Guard members because CSU-Global is designed to serve non-traditional students. Many of our National Guard members travel outside of the country to keep us all secured and safe,” said Rep. Froelich, D-Englewood. “Giving our troops the ability to utilize their tuition benefits at CSU-Global will allow them to serve while also working to complete their higher education.” Nearly 40 percent of CSU-Global students are Colorado residents who reside in 63 out of the 64 counties in the state. Roughly 15 percent of those students are military affiliated. “I have a CSU-Global campus in my district and I want to help those students be successful on their path to higher education while they continue serving our great state,” Rep. Froelich added. SB19-194 unanimously passed in the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee and now heads to the House floor. Previous Next

< Back March 28, 2023 House Committee Passes Legislation to Prohibit Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers, Protect Patients SB23-190 would prohibit deceptive advertising by anti-abortion centers, including the so-called “medication abortion reversal” DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to protect those seeking reproductive health care by prohibiting the use of deceptive advertising by anti-abortion centers (AACs). Part of the Safe Access to Protected Health Care legislative package, SB23-190 cracks down on AACs, also known as crisis pregnancy centers, posing as comprehensive reproductive health care clinics to mislead patients seeking abortion care. “Patients seeking reproductive health care are often misled or outright lied to by anti-abortion clinics – our bill puts an end to those deceptive practices,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “Every patient deserves access to real, accurate medical information so they can make informed decisions about their own reproductive health care. AACs purposely blur the line between health care and misinformation, making it difficult for patients to know if the care they’re receiving is based on fact and science or fueled by the anti-abortion movement. Our bill cracks down on these misleading practices to ensure Coloradans are able to make informed decisions about their own care.” “In Colorado, we’ve made important progress in protecting reproductive health care,” said Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver. “Abortion is legal, but legality doesn’t mean accessibility and anti-abortion centers impede access to care, especially for our most marginalized communities. Our legislation helps make sure patients receive accurate, honest information about what is being offered at anti-abortion centers and what is not. Taking these steps to protect patients from the misinformation that some AACs spread will help Coloradans' make informed medical decisions about their reproductive health care.” Prohibiting Deceptive Practices at Anti-Abortion Centers: SB23-190 passed committee by a vote of 8 to 5. This bill would make it a deceptive trade practice to share information or advertise providing abortion care, emergency contraceptives or for referrals of either of these services when the service is not actually provided. This bill also clarifies it is unprofessional for a health care professional to provide or administer a “medication abortion reversal”. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists describes “medication abortion reversal” as “unproven and unethical,” and explains that “claims regarding abortion ‘reversal’ treatment are not based on science and do not meet clinical standards'' of care. Earlier this legislative session, Colorado Democrats on the House Health and Insurance Committee defeated HB23-1150 which would have required physicians and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to spread and maintain information about the so-called “medication abortion reversal”. In Colorado, AACs outnumber abortion-providing clinics 51 to 20 and Custer, Fremont, Las Animas, Otero and Rio Blanco counties have AACs but no state or federally funded birth-control options. AACs particularly target locations that may lack a comprehensive clinic, often posting Spanish-language billboards in neighborhoods with large immigrant populations and offering free services, such as ultrasounds and counseling, to low-income communities. Anti-abortion centers are the on-the-ground presence of the national anti-abortion movement, posing as comprehensive reproductive health care clinics to intercept patients seeking abortion care, provide false information, and prevent people from seeking abortions. Previous Next

< Back May 2, 2019 HOUSE GIVES FINAL APPROVAL TO BILL TO HELP LOWER COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS Bill renamed after Senator Dr. Irene Aguilar (May 2) – The House gave final approval today to Rep. Sonya Jaquez Lewis’ bill to reduce the price consumers pay for prescription medications. The bill, SB19-005, will allow the wholesale importation of prescription pharmaceutical products from Canada for resale to Colorado pharmacies. The House amended the bill to rename it after former state Senator Irene Aguilar, D-Denver. “As a pharmacist, I know there are many Coloradans who are having to choose between feeding their families or the life-saving drugs they depend on,” said Rep. Jaquez Lewis, D-Boulder County. “We’ve seen drug price increases of nearly 500 percent that are drowning patients. The ability to import prescription drugs from Canada will help lower the cost of health care for hardworking families.” Rep. Jaquez Lewis is a licensed pharmacist. As amended in the House Health and Insurance committee, SB19-005 creates the “Colorado Wholesale Importation of Prescription Drugs Act” where the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing will apply for a waiver under federal law to contract with a vendor. The vendor will design and implement a program to import prescription pharmaceutical products from Canada for sale to Colorado pharmacies. The program design must ensure both drug safety and cost savings for Colorado consumers. SB19-005 passed on a bipartisan vote of 41-22. It now goes back to the Senate for approval of amendments. Previous Next

< Back July 8, 2020 COLLEGE CREDIT FOR WORK EXPERIENCE, CRITICAL SCHOOL SAFETY & MENTAL HEALTH BILLS SIGNED INTO LAW New laws boost higher education attainment, improve school safety and support Colorado teachers and students Arvada, CO– Today at Red Rocks Community College in Arvada, Governor Jared Polis signed seven bills into law to boost higher education attainment, improve school safety and increase access to behavioral health services for students. “The new laws signed today are about making it easier for Coloradans to start and complete a higher education degree,” said Rep. McLachlan, D-Durango. “We’re giving non-traditional students a leg up and are expanding adult education grants to help Coloradans learn the skills they need to provide academic support to those they care for. We’re also doing away with the unnecessary and often harmful requirement that high schools list standardized test scores on students’ transcripts.” HB20-1002 , sponsored by Reps. Barbara McLachlan and Mark Baisley, requires a plan to award academic credit for work-related experiences that will be transferable and accepted at all state institutions by 2022, improving affordability for non-traditional students. SB20-009, sponsored by Reps. McLachlan and Marc Catlin, increases the number of eligible adult education providers as well as expands the goals of the state’s adult education program to create a two-generation approach to adult and childhood literacy, ultimately increasing educational and employment opportunities for both the adults in the program and their children. SB20-175 , sponsored by Reps. Brianna Titone and McLachlan, prohibits students’ national standardized test score from being included on high school transcripts, which has been required in Colorado. Standardized tests have proven to be a poor measure of a student’s success, and requiring their inclusion on transcripts disadvantages lower-income students who may not have access to expensive test preparation materials and services. HB20-1113 , sponsored by Reps. Titone and Kevin Van Winkle, improves the state’s Safe2Tell program. The new changes align the Safe2Tell program and the crisis hotline more closely to help individuals in crisis rapidly access crisis counseling. It adjusts the annual advertising campaign to improve awareness about the program and reduce its misuse, and it enhances Safe2Tell’s ability to prevent imminent physical harm. “I’m proud of the way we were able to come together in a bipartisan way and put Colorado students first,” said Rep. Titone, D-Arvada. “By getting rid of the unproven, stressful and discriminatory requirement to include standardized test scores on high school transcripts, an idea brought to me by a constituent, more students will have a fair opportunity to succeed after they graduate. These laws will provide educators the tools they need to help our students and will improve the Safe2Tell program so that it better serves our youth, keeps them safe and saves lives.” “The pandemic has changed students’ lives in so many ways; it’s clear we need to keep mental health at the forefront of our response to this public health crisis,” said School Safety Committee Chair Rep. Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “We made important progress this year, improving the Safe2Tell program, expanding behavioral health training for educators, and allocating significant federal resources for behavioral health services in schools.” HB20-1312, sponsored by Reps. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Titone, includes behavioral health training and awareness of laws and practices relating to educating students with disabilities in the professional development requirements to obtain a teacher’s license. HB20-1407 , sponsored by Reps. Cathy Kipp and Baisley, allows publicly funded colleges and universities the option to waive standardized testing as a requirement for admission for high school students graduating in 2021 in response to the pandemic. The governor also signed SB20-183 , sponsored by Reps. Baisley and Titone, which allows the statewide internet portal authority (SIPA) to serve institutions of higher education, the state department of education, and other state agencies. SIPA provides technology services and products. Previous Next

< Back March 10, 2021 MAJOR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH BILLS ADVANCE Legislation would create the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, expand access to peer support and transition services, and require equal access to foster care services for LGBTQ youth DENVER, CO– The House Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee today passed five bills to increase access to behavioral health and critical peer support and transition services. The committee also passed legislation to ensure LGBTQ youth have access to the full range of out-of-home placement services and programs. HB21-1097 , sponsored by Representatives Mary Young and Rod Pelton, passed unanimously and would create the Behavioral Health Administration to ensure that every Coloradan experiencing behavioral health needs has access to timely, high-quality services in their communities that they can afford. It tasks the Department of Human Services with creating a plan for a single state entity that would be responsible for administering and overseeing behavioral health programs in Colorado. “Our landmark legislation will create the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration to help every person in our state have access to affordable mental health and substance abuse services in their communities,” said Rep. Young, D-Greeley . “With this bill, we’re taking a major step forward to reform our behavioral health system and tackle the challenges that have prevented too many Coloradans from accessing critical mental health care.” HB21-1072 , sponsored by Representative Meg Froelich, would require an out-of-home placement provider to ensure fair and equal access to all available programs, benefits, and services offered by the provider. In addition, out-of-home placement must be provided in a way that is culturally responsive to the complex social identity of the youth. LGBTQ youth have faced barriers to access critical out-of-home placement services, with some denying services to LGBTQ youth. All Republicans on the committee voted to deny LGBTQ youth equal access to these critical services. “No young person in Colorado should ever be rejected from foster services because of who they are or who they love,” said Rep. Froelich, D- Englewood. “This bill would end discrimination foster youth programs and ensure that at-risk youth receive services that are appropriate and responsible to their identity.” HB21-1021 , sponsored by Representative Yadira Caraveo, passed unanimously and would improve access to peer-support professionals by authorizing HCPF to reimburse recovery support services organizations for peer support services submitted under the state’s Medicaid program. Peer support specialists are people with lived experiences who help others experiencing similar situations improve their conditions, typically in connection to substance abuse or trauma. Peer support services provide treatment outside of a clinical setting to help people experiencing a mental health condition. “Peer support specialists draw on their own life experiences to help people struggling with substance abuse or a mental health condition, often stemming from traumatic experience,” said Rep. Caraveo, D-Thornton, a physician. “I’m excited to see this bill move forward so that more Coloradans, especially veterans struggling with a behavioral health condition or Coloradans living with sexual trauma, can access the care they need.” HB21-1130 , sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Mary Bradfield, passed unanimously and would allow more individuals to access the community transition specialist program and expand the type of facility that can access the program’s services. These types of programs help people with behavioral health conditions transition from a treatment setting to a community living setting. “I’ve made access to behavioral health services one of my top priorities, and I am so happy to see all of these bills move forward today,” said Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee Chair Rep. Michaelson Jenet. “Today, we took a big step forward to expand access to critical services that help Coloradans transition from treatment to community living. We also started down the long road of finally creating the Colorado Behavioral Health Administration, which will reform how mental health care is delivered in our state to improve access and affordability at a time when more Coloradans need this care.” HB21-1123 , sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Colin Larson, passed unanimously and would allow the disclosure of certain CAPS Checks (Colorado’s Adult Protective Services data system) in order to check for substantiated cases of adult mistreatment. Previous Next

< Back December 16, 2020 ER NURSE REP KYLE MULLICA RECEIVES COVID VACCINE DENVER, CO — This morning, House Democratic Caucus Co-Whip Rep. Kyle Mullica received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at Presbyterian St. Luke’s Medical Center in Denver. As an emergency room nurse, Rep. Mullica is a frontline health care provider with direct contact with COVID-19 patients and is among the first people in Colorado to receive the vaccine. “Receiving the COVID-19 vaccine today means I’ll be able to continue and expand my work in the ER,” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “It also means that the end of this pandemic is finally within reach. The vaccine is not only safe and effective, it is the cornerstone of our plan to beat this pandemic once and for all. I’m grateful to all of my fellow frontline health care workers who have been on the front lines in hospitals across the country. It’s been a long year battling this virus, but the end is in sight.” Last session, Rep. Mullica was the sponsor of SB20-163, a bill signed into law earlier this year that aims to boost Colorado’s low immunization rates by streamlining our vaccine exemption process. In his role as an ER nurse, Rep. Mullica worked in the Cook County Jail in Illinois, where he cared for patients during a critical COVID-19 outbreak in April and May. Previous Next

< Back March 25, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES BILL TO HELP COLORADO STUDENTS Bill to expand financial assistance for ASSET students (Mar. 25) – The House approved a bill to expand state financial aid resources for ASSET students. HB19-1196, sponsored by Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, would provide Advancing Students for a Strong Tomorrow (ASSET) students the abilities to receive state financial aid. “Increasing the eligibility for state financial aid will help Colorado’s rural institutions that lack financial resources to supplement state financial aid for ASSET students,” said Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez. “Improving access to higher education by increasing financial assistance will erase our state’s equity gaps and serve as an investment in Colorado’s future.” Currently, ASSET students are eligible for the College Opportunity Fund and institutional aid, but they are not eligible for state aid, including scholarships awarded by the state. The ASSET bill passed the legislature in 2013 with bipartisan support and makes the in-state tuition rate at state colleges and universities in Colorado available to all students, regardless of immigration status, who graduate from high school in Colorado after attending for at least three years. HB19-1196 passed by a vote of 41-24. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next