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< Back March 21, 2020 JBC ACTION POSTPONED UNTIL APRIL 7 AT EARLIEST DENVER, CO — JBC Chair Representative Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and Vice-Chair Senator Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, today released the following statements announcing that JBC action will not resume before April 7. “Between the challenges of balancing a budget with a constantly changing economy and the additional public health considerations during the pandemic, we feel it is necessary to put our budget-making on pause while we get a clearer picture of where things stand,” said JBC Chair Rep. Esgar. “Our communities, businesses and state and local governments are dealing with a pandemic, and we have to be able to respond appropriately to the needs across the state. The situation continues to evolve, and we want to ensure we’re making final budget decisions with the best information possible under these challenging circumstances.” “In the midst of this ongoing public health crisis, it is crucial that we put all of our focus on the immediate wellbeing of Coloradans,” said JBC Vice-Chair Sen. Moreno. “Creating a holistic budget for the state is dependent on a variety of factors that are in flux right now. So for the time being, we believe it would be premature to put forward a budget while so much remains uncertain. We will continue to work diligently to determine a path forward as this situation evolves.” JBC hearings are postponed until April 7 at the earliest, and JBC and legislative leadership will continue to monitor the situation to determine when it’s appropriate to resume. In the meantime, JBC members will continue gathering information and staff will continue working to prepare for budget decisions to begin again, with final decisions postponed until hearings resume. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis today signed into law three bills to help Colorado communities prepare for and mitigate wildfires. < Back May 12, 2023 Signed! New Laws to Protect Colorado Communities from Wildfires MORRISON, CO – Governor Jared Polis today signed into law three bills to help Colorado communities prepare for and mitigate wildfires. SB23-166 , sponsored by Senators Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, and Tony Exum Sr., D-Colorado Springs, and Reps. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, will help communities and Coloradans living in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) defend homes and property from catastrophic wildfires by establishing a statewide wildfire resiliency code board charged with establishing proven building codes to better protect structures against increasingly common wildfires. Local governments in the new WUI area will be required to adopt the model code or a code of their own that meets or exceeds minimum standards. “An increasing number of wildfires that burn hotter and move faster are our new reality, so we must act now to protect our homes and businesses and create more resilient communities,” said Cutter, sponsor of SB23-166, SB23-013, and SB23-005. “Fires anywhere in Colorado affect all of us -- our water, air, economy and recreation. Creating minimum building standards and working to better understand the origins of fires just makes sense. These new laws will help us provide the tools and workforce necessary to better defend our communities against wildfires, and I'm thrilled to see them signed into law.” “We’re building smart to protect Coloradans who live in the wildland-urban interface from catastrophic wildfires,” said Froelich. “Wildfires do not recognize local boundaries, which is why our law will develop evidence-based minimum building standards to protect our homes and businesses. Smart and flexible building standards will fortify our neighborhoods and reduce wildfire destruction." “Wildfires do not respect boundaries, and when it comes to growth in the wildland-urban interface we need a statewide policy that reflects that,” Exum Sr. said. “Our legislation will set smart and flexible standards that protect families, homes, and businesses against increasingly dangerous wildfires. I am proud to champion this important new law that will defend people and property.” “With destructive wildfires repeatedly devastating Western Slope communities, it’s important that we build strong, resilient structures to safeguard our neighborhoods and livelihoods,” said Velasco. “This law establishes a plan to implement wildfire-resilient building codes across local governments to ensure we’re reducing the risk of wildfire displacement and destruction. We’re taking an important step forward protecting our communities now against the threat of wildfire.” SB23-166 creates the Wildfire Resiliency Code board made up of 21 voting members and three non-voting members representing local governments, utilities, insurers, and other relevant disciplines such as fire and building professionals that would work to define the WUI and establish minimum standards that better defend those areas from dangerous wildfires. The bill also requires the Division of Fire Prevention and Control to support local governments in conducting inspections and enforcing their local code if they don’t have rules and regulations in place to enforce their code and request the assistance. SB23-013 , sponsored by Senators Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins, and Cutter, and Rep. Tammy Story, D-Conifer, creates a fire investigation fund and provides nearly $3 million to help investigate the causes and origins of fires, including wildfires. The new law also requires the Director of the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) to report on fire investigations to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee. “Fire season is no longer confined to a few months,” Ginal said. “It’s essential that we act now to prepare for and mitigate future wildfire disasters. By creating a new reporting protocol and a wildfire investigation fund, we are providing local fire departments with the tools they need to better understand the origins of fires, which will better protect our communities and enhance public safety across Colorado.” “Colorado has a devastating history of wildfires that have wiped out entire neighborhoods,” said Story. “Currently, Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control only has the resources to staff one full-time fire investigator to dig into the cause and origin of fires across the state, making it difficult to mitigate future wildfires. This law creates a wildfire investigation fund to better understand how fires are started so we can better prevent them and respond to them in the future.” The Director of DFPC will report annually to the Wildfire Matters Review Committee regarding the current magnitude of the state’s wildfire situation, including the number of wildfire investigations and their statuses, the status of prescribed burns, available resources, and more. Additionally, the fire investigation fund will provide support to local fire departments investigating the cause and origin of fires. SB23-005 , sponsored by Senators Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont, and Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, and House Minority Leader Mike Lynch, R-Wellington, and Rep. Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs, will improve Colorado’s forestry workforce by directing the Colorado State Forest Service to develop educational materials on career opportunities in the industry and create a workforce development program in the State Forest Service. “Over the past few years wildfire season has evolved into a year-round threat, but right now we don’t have the workforce needed to keep us safe,” Jaquez Lewis said. “This new law will improve pathways to critical jobs and help Colorado communities stay safe by training more firefighters who will protect our people and our property from increasingly dangerous wildfires.” “Colorado’s state forest service plays an important role in helping mitigate wildfires by maintaining healthy forests,” said Snyder. “From cutting down dead trees to removing excess brush, the state forest service steps up to provide the year-round mitigation efforts we need to keep our communities safe from wildfires. This law ramps up workforce development and recruitment within the state forest service so we can continue these important wildfire prevention efforts.” SB23-005 also bolsters the state’s wildfire mitigation capacity development fund and creates and expands forestry programs at state colleges. Finally, the new law will work to increase the number of qualified educators at colleges that deliver a wildfire prevention and mitigation program or course. SB23-005 and SB23-013 were developed and recommended by the interim Wildfire Matters Review Committee . Previous Next

The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Tim Hernández and Elizabeth Velasco that would streamline the process to receive a driver’s license or state identification card for new immigrants. SB24-182 passed by a vote of 43-19. < Back May 7, 2024 Bill to Expedite, Streamline Driver’s License Process for New Immigrants Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Tim Hernández and Elizabeth Velasco that would streamline the process to receive a driver’s license or state identification card for new immigrants. SB24-182 passed by a vote of 43-19. "For undocumented people, the average wait time to get a drivers license is 12-30 months, but undocumented people still need to drive to work or drive their kids to school,” said Rep. Tim Hernández, D-Denver. “This bill allows us to address the needs of newcomers that have been present for decades but have only grown more clear from the recent influx of migrants across the state. I’m thankful to have been a part of taking oppressive barriers for our community away through this legislation." “The Colorado Road and Community Safety Act has made a significant impact on our immigrant communities by allowing all residents, regardless of their immigrant status, to qualify for a driver’s license or state ID,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “We’re streamlining the eligibility process to limit hurdles for immigrants who use our roads.” SB24-182 would amend the Colorado Road and Community Safety Act to make it easier for new immigrants to obtain a driver's license or state identification card for residents who do not have legal resident status in the United States. This bill would change requirements to receiving a driver's license or state identification card by: Removing a requirement to file a Colorado resident income tax return for the prior year, Removing a requirement to demonstrate residence in the state for the previous two years, Removing a requirement to provide a documented social security number or individual taxpayer identification number, and Expand the list of acceptable identification documents to include a photocopy of a passport issued by the applicant's country of origin, a voter identification card with a photograph issued by the applicant’s country of origin, and other alternatives. Previous Next

< Back May 28, 2020 TELL COMMUNITIES WHEN TOXIC POLLUTION IS RELEASED! Legislation advanced to require public notification and direct outreach when toxic chemicals are released Denver, CO– The House Finance Committee today advanced Representatives Adrienne Benavidez and Alex Valdez’s bill to protect Colorado communities from toxic chemicals that are emitted from many refineries, factories, coal plants and other facilities. These air toxins heavily impact the communities that live close by and can cause a number of documented health complications. The bill passed 7-4. “Our communities have a right to know when their industrial neighbors release dangerous levels of toxic and deadly chemicals into our air,” said Rep. Benavidez, D-Brighton. “Every Coloradan has a right to clean air and water, and the communities living in the shadows of these facilities, often communities of color and non-english speakers, must be immediately notified when dangerous chemicals are released.” “For too long, facilities that release toxic chemicals have repeatedly failed to provide timely and accurate information to the communities nearby. This needs to end,” said Rep. Valdez, D-Denver. “Our bill will require Suncor and other facilities that release toxic air pollution to notify their neighbors when they release harmful levels of deadly chemicals so that our communities have the information they need to respond appropriately and protect their health.” Toxic air pollution primarily affects those living and working closest to the facilities, which are primarily made up of minorities and lower income Coloradans. Some of these air toxins include Benzene, which can cause a variety of symptoms including respiratory complications, eye and skin irritation, headaches and more. Hydrogen cyanide , another chemical commonly released by factories, refineries and other such entities can cause damage to the central nervous system, which can cause headaches, dizziness, numbness, loss of vision and more symptoms. HB20-1265 requires facilities to conduct outreach in english and spanish and notify the surrounding communities when they release toxic levels of benzene, hydrogen cyanide and hydrogen sulfide into the air. The requirement applies to anticipated or unanticipated incidents, including as a result of a malfunction, start-up, shutdown, upset or emergency. The bill is supported by: Colorado People’s Alliance (COPA) Sierra Club Conservation Colorado Colorado Latino Forum Earthjustice Western Resource Advocates Healthy Air and Water Colorado Environment Colorado CoPIRG Mi Familia Vota Together Colorado 350 Colorado Colorado Fiscal Institute Mothers Out Front Colorado National Parks Conservation Association Previous Next

< Back February 23, 2022 RURAL ED BILLS ADVANCE IN HOUSE DENVER, CO – Two bills that would address the rural educator shortage and improve access to early childhood education in rural areas today advanced on Second Reading in the House. “We’re serious about addressing the teacher workforce shortage in rural Colorado,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “Our bipartisan legislation will boost the rural education workforce by simplifying the path for teachers, paraprofessionals, bus drivers and other retired staff to return to rural school districts. This will help prepare students for success by making sure they have enough talented, qualified teachers and educators in their schools.” HB22-1101 , sponsored by Representatives McLachlan and Catlin, would make it easier for rural school districts to address the rural educator shortage. It would make permanent a program that is currently scheduled to expire that allows retired public employees to return to full-time work in a rural school district without an impact on their retirement benefits. It also expands the program to include school nurses and paraprofessionals. “This session, we’re making every effort to improve access to early childhood education and prepare our students for success,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Between pandemic induced-learning loss and educator workforce shortages, this has been a challenging year for parents and students. This bill would make it easier to access quality, community-driven early learning and care solutions which saves parents money and sets our youngest learners up for success.” HB22-1070 , sponsored by Representative McCluskie, would make it easier to form an early childhood development service district. Under current law, a service district must include all of the territory of a political subdivision. For example, a service district established in a municipality or county, would need to include all of that county or municipality. The bill allows a service district to include only a portion of a special district, municipality, county or other existing taxing entity. This bill would also allow for early childhood districts to receive gifts, grants and donations to provide early learning opportunities to students. Previous Next

The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Regina English and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon that would create the right to visitation for Coloradans who are incarcerated. HB25-1013 passed by a vote of 7-4. < Back February 5, 2025 Right to Visitation, Family Connection Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representative Regina English and Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon that would create the right to visitation for Coloradans who are incarcerated . HB25-1013 passed by a vote of 7-4. “ Family support and connection can have a powerful impact on the success of incarcerated Coloradans, with studies showing it can reduce recidivism by 26 percent so we can help them build a thriving future and keep our communities safer ,” said Rep. Regina English, D-Colorado Springs. “Support from one's closest friends and family can help them cope with the stress of incarceration and foster optimism about life outside of prison. We’re bringing this bill to build stronger, more resilient communities and ensure that Coloradans, no matter if they are incarcerated or not, can stay connected with their support system.” “Currently, withholding family connection is being used as a form of punishment for incarcerated Coloradans who choose not to work or as a tool to control their behavior, which not only exacerbates the mental health crisis in Colorado prisons but also violates the abolishment of slavery,” said Assistant Majority Leader Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “Visitation is an important aspect of rehabilitation, and phone calls and visits from family and loved ones can help incarcerated people survive their sentence. Our bill makes it clear that incarceration does not strip Coloradans of their right to maintain connections with their families and loved ones.” HB25-1013 would create the right to visitation for incarcerated Coloradans to ensure they can stay connected with their family, friends, and loved ones and be set up for success after they serve time and re-enter the community. Visitation includes social visits including in-person visits, family time visits, phone calls, and video calls. The bill extends this right to any incarcerated person who has been restricted privileges, especially for those who have been placed in restrictive housing like solitary confinement or those who choose not to work. Under the bill, an incarcerated person could file a grievance with the Department of Corrections if they are not allowed visitations, and those grievances would be shared with the Colorado legislature. A study found that visitation in prison results in a 26 percent decrease in post-release criminal activity as well as a 28 percent reduction in new convictions overall. Previous Next

< Back January 23, 2020 REP. JACKSON’S FAIRNESS IN EVICTION COURT RECORDS BILL ADVANCES DENVER, CO — Legislation sponsored by Representative Dominique Jackson to protect renters from being discriminated against for vacated evictions today advanced the House Judiciary Committee. The legislation passed the committee 7-1. “Every renter in our state should have a fair shot at housing,” said Rep. Jackson, (D-Aurora). “A vacated eviction or an ongoing, undecided eviction proceeding should never get in the way of a family having a roof over their head. I was pleased to see the Judiciary committee move this initiative forward and stand up for the rights of renters across the state.” Currently, when an eviction is filed against a tenant it produces an official court record, regardless of whether the filing was dismissed for being unfounded or retaliatory in nature. This can result in a scarlet letter on one’s rental history and often prevents Coloradans and their families from accessing housing in the future. HB20-1009 would create an automatic suppression of court records while eviction proceedings are ongoing so that they do not become public until after the final court order is entered. It would also remove these court records from public view if an eviction filing is dismissed. Doing so will ensure that Coloradans and their families can access safe, affordable housing. Previous Next

< Back May 20, 2021 FED STIM INVESTMENTS IN HOUSING, WORKFORCE, BEHAVIORAL HEALTH ADVANCE DENVER, CO — House committees today advanced three bills that would allocate federal stimulus dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act toward affordable housing, workforce development and behavioral health. “The need for affordable housing has skyrocketed in Colorado; across our state, hardworking families are struggling to find a place to live or afford their rent or mortgage,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. “That’s why the legislature is going to immediately deploy $100 million in federal funds to help finance the construction of 7,000 affordable housing units across the state. This summer, we’ll work alongside experts, lawmakers, community advocates, and state departments to develop recommendations for how we can most effectively allocate the remaining $450 million in federal funds to make housing more affordable in Colorado.” “Housing is a human right, but it’s way too hard in Colorado for middle and lower-income families to find an affordable place to live,” said Rep. Steven Woodrow, D-Denver. “Housing costs are rising faster than wages and salaries can keep up as more people move into our great state. We heard these concerns loud and clear during our statewide listening tour, and we are going to advance transformational changes to make housing more affordable for Coloradans.” HB21-1329 , which passed the House Transportation and Local Government Committee by a vote of 6-4, is sponsored by Representatives Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez and Steven Woodrow and channels $550 million in federal stimulus funds toward affordable housing efforts. It immediately invests $100 million of that funding to build 7,000 housing units that will help Coloradans who have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic obtain affordable housing. The bill requires a broad and diverse stakeholder process during the interim that will develop and make recommendations to the General Assembly for how to allocate the remaining $450 million. The funds will be used on programs or services that address housing insecurity, a lack of affordable housing or homelessness, including construction of new affordable housing units, housing and rental assistance programs and supportive housing programs. HB21-1330 , which passed the House Public and Behavioral Health Committee by a vote of 8-4, is sponsored by Representative Julie McCluskie and Naquetta Ricks and uses federal funds to provide a $50 million boost to the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative. The funding will increase access to robust pathways for workers to obtain news skills, earn higher wages and be prepared for the in-demand careers of the future. The bill seeks to rebuild and revitalize the state’s workforce by supporting students to complete their postsecondary credentials. The funding boost will be used to reverse the significant decline in enrollment in public higher education institutions, high rates of job loss and continuing unemployment, and the overall disruption to the workforce caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill also provides $1.5 million in grant funding to school districts to increase the number of students who complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) student aid applications before graduating high school. “The pandemic has disrupted the careers of hardworking people across our state,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “This bill will provide direct support to students and workers seeking to complete higher education or skills training programs. It will increase access to critical education programs that help workers obtain new skills and earn higher wages. By boosting our workforce and easing the path for Coloradans to complete their degrees and certificate programs, we will help workers fill good jobs and bounce back stronger from the pandemic.” “I see it every day in my community–hardworking Coloradans struggling to build a better life who don’t have the resources to complete the degree or certificate program that could set them up for a successful career,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “Businesses need skilled workers, and workers and students need affordable pathways to obtain critical skills. That’s exactly what the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative already does. With this $50 million investment in our workforce, we are going to create tremendous opportunities for Coloradans to build successful careers.” Funding allocated under HB21-1330 will provide direct and indirect support to students to incentivize them to complete degree and credential programs, assist in navigating career options and address equity gaps in higher education and the workforce. A portion of the funds will be used for scholarships and financial assistance. Under the bill, higher education institutions will develop student assistance plans that describe how they will spend their allocation to assist students in enrolling, persisting and completing the program. SB21-137 , sponsored by Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Chis Kennedy, was amended to deploy over $100 million in federal stimulus funds immediately for emergency behavioral health services. The pandemic and its accompanying economic recession has taken a toll on the mental health of Coloradans, with mental health challenges and substance use disorders taking a particularly high toll on people of color and people who live and work in frontier and rural communities. In 2020, fatal drug overdoses increased by 59 percent in Colorado. The bill passed the Public and Behavioral Health Committee by a vote of 10-3. Among its many provisions, the bill provides: recovery-oriented services to individuals with a SUD or co-occurring substance use and mental health disorder, support for training programs for providers in rural and metro areas to develop competencies in mental health and substance abuse and grants to nonprofits to provide vouchers to individuals living in rural and frontier communities in need of behavioral health-care services. The amendments also create a Behavioral and Mental Health Cash Fund and a robust interim process to allocate federal stimulus funds for behavioral health. The Colorado Comeback Roadmap to Building Back Stronger envisions spending over half a billion on behavioral health services. “This session, we’ve passed legislation to require insurance coverage for annual mental health wellness exams, provide three free mental health sessions for Colorado youth, and create a behavioral health administration, and we’re not done yet,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “Colorado will build back stronger if we can connect people with the behavioral health care they need. We are going to use a significant portion of Colorado’s federal relief funds to address urgent needs and bolster our state’s behavioral and mental health capacity.” “The pandemic has had a number of devastating impacts on Coloradans’ mental health, and one distressing pattern we’re seeing is that substance use deaths are rising,” said Rep. Chris Kennedy, D-Lakewood. “This bill will help Colorado build back stronger by doing everything possible to reverse the impact the pandemic has had on behavioral health. It creates a process to invest over half a billion dollars to ensure critical resources fund the treatment and care that Coloradans need.” Previous Next

< Back July 10, 2020 BILLS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE COLORADANS AND IMPROVE 9-1-1 SYSTEMS SIGNED INTO LAW Denver, CO– Governor Jared Polis today signed four bills into law to protect vulnerable adults, provide equal access to clinical trials for Medicaid recipients and ensure communities across the state have a reliable and modern emergency response system. SB20-129 , sponsored by Representatives Meg Froelich and Kim Ransom, protects those with court-appointed guardians by ensuring they are notified about court proceedings and understand critical information relating to the case, including their rights as a respondent and the resources available to them. It requires that a court-appointed counsel be appointed to cases where an adult with diminished capacities is involved and requires the counsel submit a report to the court in writing articulating the individual’s existing support community and decision making processes and make recommendations to strengthen the individual’s support network. “Navigating through the judicial system is challenging as it is,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood . “Individuals with appointed guardians need help as they make huge fiscal decisions that can affect their lives for years to come, but that doesn’t mean transactions or court proceedings should happen without their knowledge or input. This law will go a long way to protect at-risk individuals with appointed guardians.” Sponsored by Representative Susan Lontine, HB20-1302 protects at-risk adults by strengthening existing law requiring employers in Colorado to conduct a CAPS check (Colorado’s Adult Protective Services) if an employee will be directly in contact with an at-risk adult. Employers must also provide counties access to relevant records and persons to investigate potential mistreatment of at-risk adults. “If your business is to serve or work with at-risk adults, then your employees should undergo a proper background check,” said Rep. Lontine, D-Denver. “No one who has a record of taking advantage of or abusing a vulnerable Coloradan should be hired for a position that works directly with at-risk adults.” HB20-1232 ,sponsored by Representative Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Representative Larry Liston, allows Medicaid patients to have their routine costs of care covered while they are participating in a clinical trial. Without this coverage guarantee for costs associated with clinical trials, Medicaid members face financial barriers to participate in these trials, leaving vulnerable Coloradans without access to new, life-saving medical treatments for rare conditions. “Increasing access to clinical trials for patients of all backgrounds is essential to closing health disparities and ensuring the safety of new treatments,” said Rep. Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City . “This bill protects Medicaid recipients, often members of underrepresented or vulnerable populations, and it levels the playing field so they can equally access breakthrough medical treatments, which is especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic.” HB20-1293 , sponsored by Representatives Julie McCluskie and Rod Pelton, will provide badly needed resources to help communities upgrade their emergency response systems, especially in rural areas, to ensure all parts of the state have a modern 9-1-1 system. The bill eliminates the cap on 9-1-1 telephone charges and the fee on prepaid wireless phones as well as establishes a new, statewide 9-1-1 surcharge to support local systems. The new funding structure balances local control with state support and is critical to financing 9-1-1 system modernization efforts across the state. “In an emergency, Coloradans depend on a timely and professional response, and that response depends on a modern 9-1-1 system,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Communities across our state, and especially in rural areas, are struggling to fund badly needed upgrades to these critical systems. I’m proud we came together in a bipartisan way to help meet the needs of our communities and keep them safe.” Previous Next

< Back June 29, 2020 COLORADO SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS LARGE CAPACITY MAGAZINE BAN DENVER, CO – This morning, the Colorado Supreme Court ended a seven-year case by ruling that Colorado’s 2013 large capacity magazine ban is constitutional. The law passed in 2013 prohibits the sale and transfer of gun magazines that hold more than 15 rounds of ammunition. House Majority Leader Alec Garnett and Representative Tom Sullivan released the following statements. “Today the Colorado Supreme Court upheld a commonsense law that protects public safety without infringing on Coloradans’ right to bear arms,” said House Majority Leader Garnett, D-Denver. “I’m proud that the Supreme Court has determined that this reasonable law will stand, and glad to see the end of yet another frivolous legal attempt to unwind common sense gun violence prevention laws.” “I’m encouraged to see the Supreme Court uphold the 2013 large capacity magazine ban,” said Rep. Sullivan, D-Centennial. “Gun violence has ravaged our state and our nation, and I came to the legislature to work to put an end to it. Large capacity magazines like the 100 round drum that was used on the night my son Alex was murdered can cause devastating carnage and have absolutely no place on our streets. I’ll keep working day in and day out to fight the epidemic of gun violence.” The Colorado Supreme Court ruled that HB13-1224 represents a “reasonable exercise of the police power that has neither the purpose nor effect of nullifying the right to bear arms in self-defense encompassed by article II, section 13 of the Colorado Constitution.” Previous Next

HB23-1202 would prevent fatal overdoses with a public health and local control approach DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to prevent drug overdose deaths and connect people struggling with substance use disorder to treatment and services. < Back March 10, 2023 House Advances Life-Saving, Overdose Prevention Bill HB23-1202 would prevent fatal overdoses with a public health and local control approach DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote to prevent drug overdose deaths and connect people struggling with substance use disorder to treatment and services. “Overdose prevention centers keep people alive,” said Rep. Elisabeth Epps, D-Denver. “Colorado’s preventable overdose crisis has reached dire levels. This bill takes a safe and effective public health approach to preventing overdose deaths and maximizing opportunities for health interventions. Our legislation is rooted in local control, harm reduction and most importantly – saving lives.” “Accidental overdoses are on the rise, and it’s incredibly heartbreaking and entirely preventable,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “At overdose prevention centers, people live another day and can be connected with support and comprehensive wrap-around services. This legislation will reduce crime, public drug use, and drug litter. I’m proud it has the support of so many faith groups, medical professionals, local governments, mental health advocates, and so many more who are on the ground working to prevent drug overdose deaths.” HB23-1202 is rooted in local control and would give municipalities the power to authorize OPCs in their communities. OPCs are safe, supervised spaces for people to use previously obtained drugs, test for fentanyl, get counseling, connect to treatment, receive harm reduction services, and most importantly, stay alive. OPCs are a proven, impactful tool to reduce fatal overdoses and improve public health and safety. OPCs also connect those with a substance use disorder to counseling and harm reduction services. There have been zero recorded fatal overdoses at OPCs, which are staffed by on-site medical professionals who are trained and ready to respond. HB23-1202 is supported by the Harm Reduction Action Center, Colorado Municipal League, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Healthier Colorado, Colorado Providers Association, Mental Health Colorado, Colorado Freedom Fund, Together Colorado, Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, Colorado Nurses Association, Colorado Psychiatric Society, New Era Colorado, and ACLU Colorado among others. Previous Next

< Back August 23, 2025 House Democrats Pass Bills to Crack Down on Offshore Tax Cheats, Close Tax Breaks for Corporations and Protect Critical Services The House today passed two bills that would protect core services and close corporate tax loopholes after Republicans in Congress created a $1 billion hole in Colorado’s budget with massive corporate tax cuts. HB25B-1002 would crack down on foreign tax havens and offshore bank accounts, and HB25B-1001 would limit tax breaks for higher-earning business owners by permanently decoupling from a federal tax giveaway. “This legislation ends corporate subsidies and prevents corporations from hiding money overseas so they can dodge paying their fair share of taxes, ” said Rep. Yara Zokaie, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of HB25B-1002. “Congressional Republicans’ budget handed billions of dollars in tax breaks to the wealthiest people and corporations, and it’s only fair that we close these loopholes and protect funding for teachers, health care and transportation. Everyday people can’t stash their income overseas to avoid taxes, and neither should billionaires and corporations.” “The irresponsible Republican tax bill not only runs the largest deficit since World War II to give massive tax giveaways to large corporations, it also undermines the strength of our country and blasted a billion-dollar hole in Colorado's balanced budget,” said Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch. “I sponsored this bill to close loopholes used by large multinational corporations to shield and hide their income in foreign tax havens, including those Trump's own Secretary of Commerce has called ‘tax scams’. It is disappointing that some colleagues would choose to vote to protect these tax scams used by large multinational companies and ultra-wealthy individuals with access to sophisticated tax planning to avoid paying taxes, which increases the burden upon small businesses and individuals to fund the state's essential services from roads to schools.” HB25B-1002 , which passed by a vote of 43-20, would crack down on foreign tax havens, offshore bank accounts and other tax loopholes for US companies that dodge Colorado taxes with foreign assets. Unless they can prove legitimate operations in the foreign country, Colorado requires companies incorporated in common tax havens, like Cayman Islands and Panama, to pay Colorado taxes to prevent international tax avoidance. For tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2026, the bill would expand the list of countries to include Hong Kong, Ireland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands and Singapore. In 2017, President Trump created a special tax break, now known as the Foreign-Derived Deduction Eligible Income (FDDEI) deduction, for multi-national businesses that kept their intangible assets in the US. The bill would decouple the state from the FDDEI to prevent companies from benefiting from larger Colorado tax breaks for investments and assets that are based outside of the state. President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts also allowed pass-through businesses, like S corporations and real estate investment trusts, to avoid paying taxes on up to 20-percent of qualified business income. In 2020, the Colorado legislature passed the “Tax Fairness Act” , decoupling from this federal tax cut by creating an add-back for this deduction for high-income business owners with an income over $500,000 per year for single filers or $1 million per year for joint filers. “Congressional Republicans passed a budget that adds even more tax breaks to high-earning businesses while kicking Coloradans off of their health insurance coverage and raising costs for all Coloradans,” said Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver, sponsor of HB25B-1001. “When Trump passed tax breaks that allowed high-earners to lop 20-percent off their taxable income in his first term, Colorado Democrats took action and decoupled from this federal giveaway for the wealthy. This bill would make Colorado’s decoupling permanent, and prioritize hardworking Coloradans.” The legislature extended the decoupling and add-back through 2025. HB25B-1001 would make Colorado’s decoupling permanent, responding to the action by Republicans in Congress to make the tax giveaway permanent at the federal level in HR 1. The bill passed by a vote of 43-19. Previous Next