REP. ESGAR TAKES HELM OF JBC

DENVER, CO– Representative Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo) today took the gavel of the Joint Budget Committee after serving as the committee’s vice-chair during the last legislative session. The JBC is responsible for authoring the Long Bill, which sets the state’s annual budget and departments’ spending priorities.

“I’m honored to have the privilege to lead the Joint Budget Committee as we work to craft a budget that balances our state’s many competing priorities,” said JBC Chair Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo). “I’m committed to working with Governor Polis and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to write a balanced budget that invests in our state’s future, strengthens our economy so that it works for everyone and protects our Colorado way of life.”

“Representative Esgar is a respected voice on budget issues in the legislature and is well known in Southern Colorado for fighting for her constituents and standing up for their priorities,” said Colorado House Speaker KC Becker (D-Boulder). “She will be an excellent JBC chair this session, and I know she will continue to produce results for Coloradans in all parts of our state.”

The JBC is meeting this week to receive testimony on state departments’ budget requests. Tomorrow, Governor Polis will present his budget to the committee. The committee will continue to hold hearings and craft the state’s budget as the legislative session convenes in January.

Rep. Esgar represents parts of Pueblo, Pueblo West, Beulah, Rye and Colorado City. The granddaughter of steelworkers, she was born and raised in Pueblo. Rep. Esgar is a graduate of Pueblo City Schools and Colorado State University-Pueblo. She has worked as a television news producer and a community organizer focusing on poverty and communities of color in Pueblo. Rep. Esgar is known for her work on issues of equality, education, justice, and poverty. She lives with her wife, Heather Palm, in Pueblo.