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< Back April 4, 2024 Republican Impeachment Resolution Denies “Alleged” Jan 6 Insurrection Resolution sponsored by House Minority Leader and all but two House Republicans seeks to impeach Secretary of State for agreeing with Colorado Supreme Court that Trump engaged in insurrection against the US DENVER, CO - House Speaker Julie McCluskie today released the following statement on HR24-1006 , a resolution sponsored by House Republicans to impeach the Colorado Secretary of State: “Hearing this resolution in the Judiciary committee will limit the time wasted on this topic, while respecting that it is a top priority for House Republicans to have it introduced and openly debated. In an age when misinformation and conspiracy theories attack the integrity of our elections, we believe a public hearing to set the record straight on this issue is in the best interest of our democracy. This resolution, by the sponsor's own admission, is a political stunt to gin up MAGA support for House Republicans. It’s clear that the minority’s primary complaint is that the Secretary of State shares the view of the Colorado Supreme Court that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection against the United States. Instead of protecting our democracy, Republicans are defending Trump.” The resolution, sponsored by almost every House Republican, seeks to impeach the Secretary of State for agreeing with the Colorado Supreme Court that Donald Trump engaged in insurrection against the United States. The resolution claims that the Secretary’s past public statements about Trump engaging in an insurrection is grounds for impeachment. In the resolution, House Republicans inaccurately claim that the Secretary prevented Trump from being listed on the primary ballot, when in fact she was the defendant in a case brought by Republicans and simply followed Colorado Court rulings in executing the duties of her role. Trump was never prevented from appearing on the ballot. In 2022, two-thirds of House Republicans voted to thank Tina Peters and the Jan 6 insurrectionists, and disputed that Joe Biden is the duly elected President. The House Judiciary Committee will consider the resolution on April 9, 2024 at 1:30 PM in the Old State Library. Testimony will be limited to four witnesses selected by the resolution sponsors, House Minority Leader Pugliese and Representative Armagost, and four witnesses selected by the Chair in consultation with the Secretary of State. The Chair will allow witnesses to participate remotely, and from out of state if necessary. Secretary Griswold will also be allowed to testify for 10 minutes and respond to questions from committee members. Witnesses will testify as panels of four, and each witness will be limited to 10 minutes. Members of the committee will have one hour to question each panel, with the time split evenly between Majority and Minority members. A letter from Representative Weissman, Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, is attached and outlines the parameters for the hearing. Previous Next

< Back Chad Clifford Rep. Chad Clifford represents House District 37, including Centennial, Greenwood Village, Foxfield, and areas of Unincorporated Arapahoe County. He serves as the Vice-Chair of the State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee and a member of the Judiciary Committee. Rep. Clifford has experience as a police officer, business owner, Government Operations Lead for the American Red Cross, and volunteer in his community. He joined the legislature in 2024 and has passed legislation to create the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office, created workplace protections from egregious training repayment schemes, and removed record sealing fees to make it easier for people with a criminal record to move forward in life. His focus at the Capitol is to represent the people of House District 37 and advocate for the unique needs of the district.

Legislation would increase rental assistance to $65 million, nearly doubling current level < Back November 19, 2023 House Passes Rental Assistance to Keep Coloradans Housed DENVER, CO – The House passed legislation today to provide an additional $30 million in emergency rental assistance. Sponsored by Representatives Leslie Herod and Mandy Lindsay, HB23B-1001 , would increase statewide assistance to a total of $65 million, including $35 million from federal funds already allocated. “With Coloradans facing evictions at record rates, we are stepping up with emergency assistance that will help thousands of people have a fair chance to stay in their homes and catch up on rent,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver . “Data shows people of color face evictions at a higher rate. The need for rental support is dire, and this legislation nearly doubles our investment to protect vulnerable families in their most challenging moments. Rental assistance supports both landlords and renters because it reduces evictions and keeps Coloradans housed.” “Coloradans facing eviction often have nowhere else to turn which can lead to cycles of poverty, homelessness and heartbreaking disruptions for vulnerable families,” said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora . “Renters in our state need support now which is why this legislation increases emergency rental assistance by $30 million, nearly doubling statewide funding. This legislation will help prevent thousands of evictions by providing renters with a critical lifeline they need to get back on their feet. The reality is without this funding, many Coloradans are one missed paycheck away from losing their housing.” HB23B-1001 , which passed by a vote of 42-18 would invest $30 million into emergency rental assistance in the Department of Local Affairs to provide financial assistance for rent owed and other related costs for Colorado tenants making at or below 80-percent of the area median income. Under this legislation, eligible tenants at risk of eviction or displacement would be required to apply through an online state portal to be connected with a non-profit partner. In addition to monthly rental payments, qualified tenants could use funding toward paying rental debt, up to two months of future rent, utility bills, late fees, court costs, reasonable attorney fees, and security deposits. The funding could also be used towards spreading awareness and increasing outreach to tenants at risk of eviction or displacement. Evictions are on the rise in Colorado. This year alone, 43,899 evictions have been filed according to state courts and Denver County court filing data. This threatens the housing of over 100,000 people across the state. By the end of the year, the number of eviction filings will have surpassed 50,000. Colorado has the 8th highest median monthly rent out of all 50 states, with a two bedroom apartment costing an average of $1,856 in 2023. According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development , out of an estimated 742,240 renter households across Colorado, 63-percent of renters have an annual household income that is less than 80-percent of the area median income and make up 93-percent of households most likely to be struggling with housing costs. Previous Next

Legislation will fund infrastructure projects like bicycle lanes, improved sidewalks and lighting at dangerous intersections < Back June 5, 2024 SIGNED! Bill to Better Protect Bicyclists and Pedestrians Becomes Law Legislation will fund infrastructure projects like bicycle lanes, improved sidewalks and lighting at dangerous intersections DENVER, CO – Legislation that will fund safe infrastructure improvements for bicyclists and pedestrians was signed into law by Governor Polis today. Sponsored by Senate Assistant Majority Leader Faith Winter, D-Westminster, and Senator Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, as well as Representatives Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora, and William Lindstedt, D-Broomfield, SB24-195 establishes a dedicated funding source for proven small infrastructure projects that improve safety for vulnerable road users, such as bicycle lanes, pedestrian refuge islands, and sidewalk and lighting improvements at dangerous intersections. The bill accomplishes these goals by dedicating $7 million annually from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Road Safety Fund for these projects, acknowledging the growing importance of this infrastructure in our transportation system. In addition, the bill directs CDOT to establish declining targets for vulnerable road user fatalities and serious bodily injuries and to report progress to the legislature in its annual performance plan. “Protecting Coloradans by preventing avoidable deaths and serious injuries is a moral imperative in its own right,” Winter said. “Quality sidewalks and protected bike lanes give people safe, dignified, and low-cost alternatives to driving, which will reduce traffic, improve air quality, cut climate pollution, and make our streets more vibrant community places.” “From e-biking and running in our neighborhoods to walking to work, Coloradans want our streets to be a safe place to walk and ride,” said Lindsay. “Our new law helps communities use proven methods, like protected bike lanes and speed cameras, to protect cyclists, pedestrians, and other road users.” “Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths have spiked to a frightening degree, and we must take action,” said Cutter. “Our new law will support safety projects that are proven to reduce traffic deaths. When our streets are safer and friendlier, people will feel more comfortable traveling outside of a car.” “We have passed numerous laws recently to encourage alternatives to car transportation, and these laws are most effective when our roads are structured to protect all of our road users,” said Lindstedt. “With this new law, we’re securing funding for projects to protect bicyclists, pedestrians, and other vulnerable road users to allow Coloradans to more safely travel on our streets.” SB24-195 also streamlines CDOT’s ability to use speed cameras to improve safety on dangerous stretches of state highways like construction zones by clarifying authority and coordination with local governments. Authority to use speed cameras was expanded by SB23-200 to help limit speeding, a major cause of avoidable traffic crashes. Deaths and serious injuries on Colorado’s roads are on the rise, felt most acutely by vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists. Bicyclist and pedestrian deaths reached an all-time high in 2023 with 153 deaths, topping the previous high set just one year before. Previous Next

< Back May 10, 2019 GOV SIGNS MCLACHLAN BILL TO PROVIDE FUNDING TO SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS Rep. McLachlan is chair of the House Education committee and is a former school teacher (May 10) – Gov. Polis signed a pair of bills today at Overland High School that is lauded as the one of the best school finance acts in recent memory and also provide resources to help with rural teacher retention. “This is one of the best school financing acts the people of our state have seen. It will affect every student in the state’s 178 P-12 school districts,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “We worked across the aisle to invest in Colorado’s future this session and that’s what this bill does.” SB19-246 buys down the budget stabilization factorby $100 million, increases average statewide per pupil funding by $357 per pupil; invests an additional $20 million into rural schools, $22 million for special education, $3 million for high-school dropout intervention efforts and $1 million to expand access to physical education courses. The bipartisan bill was also sponsored by Rep. James Wilson, R-Salida, Sen. Paul Lundeen, R-Monument. and Sen. Nancy Todd, D-Aurora, and was approved unanimously in the House and Senate. The Governor also signed SB19-190 that will create the “Growing Great Teachers Act” to prepare more Coloradans for the experience of teaching in our public schools. This bill would allow institutions of higher education to offer approved educator preparation programs through a contract with the Department of Higher Education. “We can now ensure that all teachers who are trained in Colorado are taught best practices through mentorship. Across the board, every department and every teacher should be taught best practices,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “As teachers, we all know what best practices are for teaching, but it’s often not shared with new, incoming teachers. Through this bill, we can have really a great education for our kids that is consistent across the board no matter which Colorado school you graduate from.” This bipartisan bill was also sponsored by Rep. Wilson, Sen. Todd and Sen. Bob Rankin, R-Carbondale. It was approved unanimously in the Senate and with a vote of 49-16 in the House. Previous Next

< Back May 1, 2019 BILL TO ASK VOTERS TO RAISE TOBACCO TAX AND PUT FUNDING TOWARD EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AND HEALTH CARE PASSES HOUSE $1.89 billion in health care costs for Colorado directly caused by smoking (May 1) – The House approved Rep. Yadira Caraveo’s bill that would give voters the choice to raise taxes on tobacco products, including a new tax on liquid nicotine used for vaping. There is currently no tax on liquid nicotine used in e-cigarettes. If approved by voters, the referred measure would raise more than $300 million, half of which would go toward early childhood education and half to health care. “In the six years I’ve been a pediatrician, I have seen the rise of the teen vaping epidemic and the negative impacts it is having on their health and development. Kids as young as eleven are vaping and this bill will help decrease youth use of nicotine and tobacco products,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton. “Right now, there is a major loophole that is allowing vaping products to go untaxed. This will ask voters to close that loophole and put the funding toward early childhood education and health care in order to invest in our children and our state’s well-being.” Rep. Caraveo is the only medical doctor in the legislature. Numerous economic studies in peer-reviewed journals have documented that cigarette tax or price increases reduce both adult and underage smoking. In Colorado, an alarming 33 percent of students use tobacco products and 26 percent of high school students use e-cigarettes, which is twice the national average for teen vaping. Typically, one vaping cartridge contains the same amount of nicotine of a pack of cigarettes. Colorado’s current tobacco tax rate on cigarettes is one of the lowest rates in the country. The average state tobacco tax is $1.79 a pack. Colorado’s tax today is 84 cents a pack. The revenue raised would be reinvested in preventing smoking and vaping, especially among youth, mental health, as well early learning and other health and education programs. Raising the taxes on tobacco products and cigarettes is highly effective at reducing smoking. Nationally, every 10 percent increase in cigarette prices reduces youth smoking by about 7 percent and total cigarette consumption by about 4 percent. Smoking-caused productivity losses in Colorado top $1.27 billion. HB19-1333 was approved on a vote of 34-31. It now goes to the Senate. Supporters of this measure include: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Healthier Colorado, Colorado Children’s Campaign, Mental Health Colorado, Early Childhood Summit, Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Parent Possible, Gary Community Investments, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, American Heart Association, The Consortium, Group to Alleviate Smoking Pollution, Clayton Early Learning, EPIC, Boys & Girls Club, Healthy Child Care Colorado, among others. ### Previous Next

< Back May 26, 2021 HOUSE MOVES TO BAN JUVENILE JUSTICE FEES Herod bill to end cycles of poverty for families in the juvenile justice system gets preliminary House approval DENVER, CO– The House today advanced a bill to eliminate court fees for juveniles in the justice system. The bill passed the House on Second Reading. “There are thousands of kids in Colorado’s juvenile courts every year. And every year these youth are charged administrative fees that can sabotage their reform and set them up to fail,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “Young people will still be held accountable for their crimes, and they’ll still be required to pay restitution to their victims, but the court system will no longer be perpetuating the poverty that often explains why kids get in trouble in the first place. It’s time to take away the obstacles standing in the way of our youth bouncing back and succeeding.” HB21-1315 , sponsored by Representatives Leslie Herod and Matt Soper, eliminates certain fees levied on individuals and families in the juvenile justice system. The average fees per case total about $300 in Colorado, despite studies showing that about 40% of Americans would be unable to cover a $400 emergency. Further, it is estimated that the state of Colorado spends about 75% of juvenile fee revenue on collection, meaning only 25 cents out of every dollar paid by families ends up contributing to the courts. Previous Next

< Back June 29, 2020 7 BILLS BY PUEBLO LAWMAKERS BECOME LAW JBC Chair and Pueblo Rep. Daneya Esgar sees 4 bills signed into law; Buentello’s bills to boost rural economies and support rural law enforcement become law PUEBLO, CO — Representatives Daneya Esgar and Bri Buentello today released the following statements after Governor Polis signed seven of their bills into law. “During this unprecedented session, we worked to help hardworking Coloradans make ends meet and prioritized our most vulnerable as we crafted the most challenging budget in our state’s history,” said Joint Budget Committee Chair Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo. “The bills signed today will help our small businesses recover, prioritize our students’ achievements, and lower electricity costs for Coloradans. We also helped create our newest state park, Fishers Peak, which will be an enormous boost to Southern Colorado and generate new opportunities for our small businesses and for Coloradans to enjoy our great outdoors.” “We can’t leave Colorado’s rural communities behind as our state recovers from the pandemic,” said Rep. Bri Buentello, D-Pueblo . “The legislation signed today will improve a critical economic development initiative and enhance seed regulation to help Colorado’s agriculture producers. To support our communities that are struggling with smaller and smaller budgets, we created a new scholarship to help them afford to hire and train new law enforcement officers. I’m proud of our work to boost rural economies and help build an economy that works for all parts of our state.” Legislation Signed Today Sponsored by Representatives Esgar and Buentello: SB20-003 , sponsored by Representative Esgar, provides $1 million in funding to the state’s parks to open Fishers peak and to make improvements at parks throughout the state to accommodate additional visitors and upgrade park facilities and infrastructure. SB20-002 , sponsored by Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Buentello, strengthens and cements a successful existing program, REDI, in the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to ensure that the program continues and make improvements to spur rural economies. To help Colorado agriculture producers, HB20-1184 , sponsored by Representatives Buentello and Rod Pelton, improves seed regulation in Colorado. HB20-1366 , sponsored by Representatives Esgar and Julie McCluskie, establishes a new higher education funding formula that focuses on student outcomes, helps secure the long-term sustainability of rural institutions and protects the rural economies that rely on public colleges and universities. HB20-1229 , sponsored by Representative Bri Buentello, establishes a scholarship fund for rural and small communities to assist in paying for the cost of potential police officers to attend an approved basic law enforcement training academy. HB20-1116 , sponsored by Representatives Esgar and Tom Sullivan, extends the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center for five years. PTAC provides free consulting with procurement counselors, as well as a variety of subject matter experts, to Colorado’s small, women, veteran and minority-owned businesses applying for and performing government contracts at the federal, state and local levels. SB20-030 , sponsored by Representative Esgar, imposes various requirements on public utilities and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) related to information reporting, billing, and customer interactions. The bill nearly doubles the level of income that the PUC may use to means test the medical exemption, allowing more Coloradans with medical needs to take advantage of the program. Previous Next

HB24-1091 would permit residents living in HOAs to opt for fire-hardened building materials   < Back January 31, 2024 Legislation to Combat Wildfire Destruction Passed Committee HB24-1091 would permit residents living in HOAs to opt for fire-hardened building materials DENVER, CO – The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee today passed legislation to permit Coloradans living in homeowners’ associations (HOAs) to use fire-hardened building materials. HB24-1091, sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Brianna Titone, passed unanimously. “When it comes to rebuilding or renovating your home, Coloradans should be able to choose fire-hardened building materials to help combat destructive wildfires,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “As many in my community rebuild from the Marshall Fire, it is important they are able to rebuild their homes using materials that won’t ignite their homes, and this legislation paves the way for Coloradans living in HOAs to do just that.” “Residential wildfire mitigation efforts are more important now than ever before, especially for those living in the wildland-urban interface, ” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada . “This bill would allow all Coloradans living in HOAs to install fire-hardened building materials on their property. Combatting wildfire begins with proper mitigation and this bill reduces barriers to creating more fire-resistant homes and safer communities.” HB24-1091 would no longer allow HOAs to restrict the installation, use, or maintenance of fire-hardened building materials in residential property. Fire-hardened building materials, such as metal, certain types of stucco, and fiber cement siding, help mitigate wildfire risk and damage on residential and commercial properties. The goal of HB24-1091 is to allow Coloradans to build more fire-resistant homes and combat wildfire destruction in residential communities. Under this bill, HOAs would be allowed to develop reasonable standards regarding the design, dimensions, placement or external appearance of fire-hardened building materials used for fencing within the community. The fire-hardened building materials outlined in this legislation would meet the standards set forth by the 2021 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code, the National Fire Protection Association, and the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Previous Next

Legislation approves funding for the state to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter to better support wildfire fighting efforts across Colorado < Back May 12, 2023 Signed! Fenberg & McCluskie Bipartisan Bill to Invest in Essential Wildfire Fighting Aircraft Legislation approves funding for the state to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter to better support wildfire fighting efforts across Colorado CENTENNIAL, CO – Today Governor Jared Polis signed Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie’s, D-Dillon, bipartisan bill to require the State Treasurer to finance the purchase of a Firehawk helicopter for wildfire fighting efforts. Cosponsored by House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, and Senator Perry Will, R-New Castle, SB23-161 allows Colorado to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter, ensuring the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) has at least one Firehawk available for rapid response at all times. “We no longer have wildfire seasons, we have wildfire years, which is why we are proactively investing in advanced wildfire fighting equipment like the Firehawk to keep our communities safe,” said Fenberg. “Firehawk helicopters are state-of-the-art and built for longevity, making this a smart investment for Colorado’s future. This will help ensure we are able to aggressively respond to and mitigate wildfires with greater speed and increased capacity, and will help us better protect homes, people, and property against increasingly dangerous wildfires.” “When combatting a wildfire, every minute counts for our first responders and our communities,” said McCluskie. “We’re continually working to improve the state’s wildfire response time by investing in the latest technology to protect our homes, businesses and neighborhoods. By providing the funding to purchase a second Firehawk helicopter, we are helping ensure that our firefighters can combat and contain wildfires in difficult terrain and keep our communities safe.” In 2021, Fenberg and McCluskie championed legislation to purchase Colorado’s first Firehawk helicopter , which will join Colorado’s fleet of firefighting aircraft later this year. Firehawk helicopters are considered the most technologically advanced firefighting aircraft available. Previous Next

< Back April 30, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES MCCLUSKIE BILL TO RENEW EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM Only 40 percent of third graders in the state are reading at their grade level now (Apr. 30) – The House gave preliminary approval to a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Rep. Julie McCluskie to renew the Colorado Reading To Ensure Academic Development Act (Colorado READ Act), a K-3 literacy instructional program that began in 2012. “Ultimately, strong readers are more successful in school, and we hope in all aspects of life. This bill builds on and improves the existing READ Act that was passed in 2012,” said Rep. McCluskie, D-Dillon. “We need to see stronger results in early childhood literacy. We worked together with members of the K-12 education community to strengthen and refine the efforts that are already in place. We hope this revitalized READ Act will support better reading growth and achievement.” SB19-199 allocates literacy funding towards evidence-based practices that will get Coloradan kids reading at grade level. The bill puts in place provisions to ensure that Colorado teachers are proficient in evidenced-based literacy and reading training practices. That funding can be used for summer literacy programs, professional development programming and tutoring services. Finally, the bill includes increased transparency measures and reporting requirements to ensure the appropriated funds are used in a manner to get the largest return on investment for Colorado’s early learners. SB19-199 passed by a voice-vote. A final vote will be taken at a later date. Previous Next

A new law to cap financial contributions in municipal elections goes into effect on Jan 1, 2024. < Back December 22, 2023 Municipal Campaign Finance Reform Law Goes Into Effect DENVER, CO - A new law to cap financial contributions in municipal elections goes into effect on Jan 1, 2024. HB23-1245 , sponsored by Representatives Jennifer Parenti, Jenny Willford and Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez and Senator Kevin Priola, aims to limit the influence of special interests on local elections. “Establishing contribution limits and strengthening disclosure requirements for municipal elections will be a great step forward to protect the integrity of our local elections,” said Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie . “We’ve long had similar measures in place for state and federal elections and it's about time we provide similar protections to our local governments whose races are often more consequential to the lives of ordinary citizens. By giving the public more information about who is funding their local candidates, we promote government transparency and accountability and provide a foundation for trust. This law will help ensure that cities and towns across Colorado are implementing the best practices for campaign finance.” “In recent years we’ve seen more and more money flow into local elections,” said Senate Majority Leader Robert Rodriguez, D-Denver. “To help ensure these elections aren’t bought and influenced by special interests and big money donors, this new law caps campaign contributions made by individuals and small donor committees. With the new contribution caps, candidates who aren’t independently wealthy or already well-connected will be on a much more even playing field.” “The influence of dark money donors is growing in our local elections, making it more difficult for everyday people to play a role in deciding who should represent them,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn . “Soon, municipal election contributions will be limited to a reasonable amount, which limits the influence of wealthy dark money donors, creates a more even playing field for individual voters, and encourages candidates to campaign in their communities.” “This new law helps bring transparency to local elections,” Senator Kevin Priola, D-Henderson said. “Our local elections are better off when the public knows where candidates are getting money from and how they are spending it. With the new campaign contribution reporting requirements, the public will have much better access to information that will help them make more informed decisions.” HB23-1245 sets a municipal election campaign contribution limit at $400 for individuals and political parties and $4,000 for small donor committees to a candidate committee. Amounts are subject to inflation adjustments and the disclosure provisions of the Fair Campaign Practices Act. The law also changes municipal clerk report filing timelines, subjects them to open record requests, extends filing retention requirements, and applies some additional disclosure requirements. Previous Next