JOINT RELEASE: GENERAL ASSEMBLY WILL EXTEND TEMPORARY ADJOURNMENT 1 WEEK

DENVER, CO– Democratic Leadership in the General Assembly today announced that the temporary suspension of the legislature will continue until the week of May 25 to give additional time for preparations including safety protocols, to work through appropriate legislation, and to seek greater clarity on potential Congressional action that could significantly impact our state budget.

“When we set out a tentative timeline to reconvene the General Assembly, we did so with the recognition that we faced a lot of uncertainty, and so we built in the flexibility to extend the temporary adjournment if needed,” said Speaker KC Becker, D-Boulder. “As businesses across Colorado also begin the process of reopening, this extension allows the General Assembly additional time to double check our safety protocols, continue conversations on appropriate legislation and seek more information about any Congressional action that may be coming in the weeks ahead. We are hopeful that Congress may provide additional and badly needed aid to help us avoid budget cuts that will devastate our communities.”

“Last week our Joint Budget Committee had to begin the heart-wrenching process of rewriting Colorado’s budget after COVID-19 created a more than $3 billion revenue shortfall,” said President Leroy Garcia, D-Pueblo. “With so much at risk and our desired return date fast approaching, we determined that it would benefit all Coloradans if we gave our budgetary and legislative process a bit more breathing room. Though facing our dire fiscal situation has been a painful task, we are committed to protecting our most critical institutions and vulnerable populations as best as we possibly can. We look forward to continuing to fight for our communities in the Capitol when we all return on May 26.”