This story was originally published in the Craig Daily Press here.

Two years ago, you elected me to serve in the Colorado State House and stand up for Northwest Colorado. From Vail to Rangely, Oak Creek to Maybell, I continue to keep my commitment to the people of House District 26 to deliver on the three Es: education, the environment and the economy. I continued my work from last year to accomplish these goals and delivered real results for Colorado this 2024 Legislative Session.

Investing in our schools

As a social studies teacher, it is critical that we give every student the resources they need to succeed. One of the reasons I ran for the Colorado House of Representatives was to eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor, and I am proud to say that this legislative session, we successfully eliminated the BSF. This commitment to our students and their future means that starting next year, our schools will have an additional $560 million to provide students individualized attention with smaller class sizes, pay our hardworking teachers what they deserve, and ensure that everyone is given the resources they need for the best learning environment.

This commitment continues to our rural schools. For the first time, we created an ongoing rural school funding stream through a new “Rural Factor” within the School Finance Act. This adds almost $36 million for rural students’ success. In 2025, the State is committing an additional $225 million to the over 132,000 rural and remote students in Colorado, who will now have the adequate resources they deserve.

I also supported landmark legislation that will make it easier and more affordable for students to attend college. Students and families making under $90,000 will soon be eligible for a tax credit that will cover the full cost of community college, or two years of a four-year degree. We also capped tuition increases at state universities to save families money.

Protecting our vital water resources

On the Western Slope, we know how vital our water is to survival. I am proud to report that legislators are serious about protecting this precious resource. As the snow melts and the water flows, we passed HB24-1379, which restores critical protections for Colorado’s streams, rivers and wetlands.

The State House and Senate unanimously passed SB24-197, Water Conservation Measures, which will implement recommendations from the Colorado River Drought Task Force to protect Colorado’s water supply. In order to maximize the water flowing through our homes, I sponsored HB24-1362, a bipartisan bill to promote conserving graywater through water reuse in residential buildings.

Economic prosperity

Our working families are the backbone of the Western Slope from our teachers to our agricultural small business owners. This legislative session, there was strong bipartisan support to uplift the economy and support our families. I am proud that all of my bills boosting rural prosperity passed both the House and Senate and have been signed into law by Governor Polis. These bills boost our rural and agriculture economies, making it easier for folks to enter fast growing industries, and helping parents access affordable childcare.

We also worked hard to make it more affordable to live in Colorado. We passed bipartisan legislation to reduce property taxes for homeowners and businesses. We also made the senior homestead property tax exemption portable so older Coloradans can downsize and save money if they want to without losing this tax break. Finally we extended tax breaks for senior housing costs, cut income taxes, and boosted tax credits for agriculture and businesses that hire in rural areas.

I was proud to sponsor legislation that will create jobs and boost businesses along rail lines in formerly coal-dependent communities in our district. These business incentives will foster new development along the rail line between Craig and Steamboat to keep up investment on these tracks with the goal of establishing passenger rail service that will boost housing options, new industries, and jobs in our region.

Uplifting our ranchers

Our rancher and agricultural producers are the lifeline of Colorado and it is critical that we support them in all aspects of their business and health. This year, I sponsored SB24-055, a bipartisan bill that will create the Agricultural Liaison role within the Behavioral Health Administration to guarantee that farmers, ranchers, and other industry workers are not forgotten by the broader mental health industry. SB24-126, will provide additional state incentives to support conservation easements. By extending access to conservation easements, this bipartisan bill helps Colorado property owners sustainably manage their land.

House District 26

Representing House District 26 – Eagle, Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties — truly is an honor. Taking your insights back to the State Capitol to help make our communities stronger is the greatest privilege I have ever had. None of this work would be possible without your support and engagement, so thank you for the thousands of emails, many phone calls, visits to the State Capitol, conversations on aisle four of the grocery store, questions during town halls, selfies at events and coffee meetings at our local coffee shops. I am excited to hear more of your insights in June at our upcoming Town Halls.

Rep. Meghan Lukens represents District 26, which includes Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Eagle counties, in the Colorado House.