A broad coalition of elected officials, community organizations, environmental advocates, and transportation leaders today announced the release of joint letters urging Governor Jared Polis, the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPR) to advance the Northern Front Range Joint Service Passenger Rail (“Joint Service”). < Back November 24, 2025 Speaker Pro Tempore Boesenecker, Elected Officials, and Community Organizations Unite in Support of Joint Service and Passenger Rail to Northern Colorado DENVER, CO — A broad coalition of elected officials, community organizations, environmental advocates, and transportation leaders today announced the release of joint letters urging Governor Jared Polis, the Regional Transportation District (RTD), the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT), and the Front Range Passenger Rail District (FRPR) to advance the Northern Front Range Joint Service Passenger Rail (“Joint Service”). The letters, signed by 39 elected officials and 17 community organizations, express strong, unified support for the agencies’ collaborative effort to deliver long-overdue passenger rail service connecting the communities between Denver and Fort Collins by January 1, 2029. In addition to Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, letter signers include House Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver, and lawmakers representing communities along the corridor, including Fort Collins, Longmont, Loveland, Boulder, and Broomfield, among others. The Boulder Chamber, Visit Fort Collins, Conservation Colorado, AARP Colorado, and the Longmont Economic Development Partnership also signed on. “This project exemplifies regional cooperation at its best, reducing costs through efficiency, minimizing infrastructure requirements, and ensuring one operator manages the service,” the letters state . “We believe this initiative will catalyze renewed confidence in our transportation future, demonstrating tangible progress toward regional mobility, climate commitments, and economic growth.” The letters highlight that the Joint Service leverages existing transportation resources, innovative funding strategies, and collaboration across multiple agencies, including CDOT, RTD, and FRPR. By consolidating operations and minimizing new infrastructure investment, the project keeps costs manageable and avoids the need for new taxes, while maintaining transparency, accountability, and robust community input. “Joint Service is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to give Coloradans cleaner air, more affordable ways to get around, and stronger, better connected communities,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins. “By moving this project forward, we’re showing that Colorado is serious about sustainable growth and ready to build the foundation for the next era of Front Range transportation.” The coalition’s letters urge the RTD Board and all relevant agencies to prioritize and fully support the Joint Service project as negotiations with BNSF and important decision points advance through the end of 2025. Previous Next

< Back May 3, 2022 STACKABLE CREDENTIALS BILL PASSES HOUSE Legislation invests $2.6 million of federal pandemic relief toward creating education to workforce pathways DENVER, CO – The House passed a bill today to elevate student-to-career pathways and boost Colorado’s workforce. SB22-192, sponsored by Majority Leader Esgar, expands stackable credential pathways so students have more educational flexibility. “Whether you’re headed back to school or switching careers entirely, stackable credentials offer much needed career flexibility for Coloradans,” said Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo . “Our bill makes it easier for students seeking high-demand careers to have their on-the-job training and previous experience count toward degrees and professional credentials as they upskill and reskill. Sometimes life gets in the way of your educational plans, and alongside postsecondary institutions and workforce development organizations, we’re making career pathways more efficient and flexible so Coloradans can enter and re-enter the workforce prepared.” Stackable Credentials : SB22-192 , sponsored by Majority Leader Daneya Esgar and Marc Catlin passed the House by a vote of 53 to 12. This bill would expand stackable credential pathways to help Coloradans seeking to further their education or switch careers get the training and credentials they need to land jobs in high-demand industries. This legislation was developed based on recommendations by the state’s Student Success and Workforce Revitalization Task Force , established by HB21-1330 . This bill aims to make it easier for students to obtain and receive credit for critical training and experience prioritized by Colorado employers. Stackable credentials are useful because they take less time to obtain than a full degree, while still demonstrating skills or competencies that employers are looking for. Previous Next

< Back June 9, 2020 HOUSE PASSES SCHOOL FINANCE ACT AND BILL TO TEMPORARILY WAIVE STANDARDIZED TESTING REQUIREMENTS DENVER, CO — The House today passed HB20-1418 , the School Finance Act, sponsored by Speaker KC Becker by a vote of 39-23. “This is one of the most difficult years for education funding in our state’s history, but we did everything we could to prioritize K-12 as we worked to responsibly balance our budget,” said Speaker Becker, D-Boulder. “Our schools and teachers still face enormous challenges to meet the needs of our students. We need to find innovative solutions, like getting rid of outdated tax handouts, to protect K-12 funding in the future and begin to address the fundamental inequities in how our state funds public education.” HB20-1418 is the annual School Finance Act, which sets funding levels for all of Colorado’s school districts and charter schools. This year’s proposal shields K-12 from the worst of budget cuts, reducing funding for all districts by $377.6 million from the prior year amidst a $3 billion revenue shortfall. However, with $510 million in federal CARES Act funding and $37 million in additional federal funding for at-risk students intended to help address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, total school funding increases by at least $169 million overall. While the federal funds are not an offset for cuts due to the revenue shortfall, they go a long way to help schools minimize impacts during this unprecedented situation. The School Finance Act pulls funds from marijuana taxes, school capital construction, and various grant programs and cash funds in order to put dollars where they are most needed – core education funding. The bill also makes various changes to reflect COVID-19’s impacts to the school system. It delays the timeline for school districts to adopt their budgets, since the Long Bill was delayed. It also codifies the suspension of various accountability-related provisions to reflect the Governor’s executive orders and directs the Department of Education to convene a stakeholder group to assess the impact of the COVID pandemic on the 19-20 school year and whether additional changes to accountability systems are needed for the 20-21 school year. Another major provision in this year’s School Finance Act corrects an issue with how local school funding levels are set, which has contributed to the underfunding of our schools over the last 25 years. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled in Mesa v. State that local school funding is set incorrectly in many districts and violates our own statutes, due to districts lowering their mill levies contrary to voter approval. This School Finance Act corrects this violation without impacting anyone’s property taxes by restoring the mill levy in each district to the rate that was adopted by voters or up to a certain limit, and requires credits to offset any increases to property owners. The House also passed Rep. Cathy Kipp’s bill, HB20-1407 , by a vote of 61-0. The bill would respond to the challenges presented by COVID19 by temporarily giving publicly funded colleges and universities the option to waive standardized testing as a requirement for admission for high school students graduating in 2021. “The pandemic has disrupted life for our students as they work to complete their high school education and begin attending college,” said Rep Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “Many students weren’t able to take their standardized tests, so we are changing the requirements for public higher education institutions to allow them to consider other academic credentials, such as GPA and leadership positions when making admissions decisions.” Previous Next

< Back Sean Camacho A Colorado Springs native, Rep. Sean Camacho grew up in a working-class, military family At 18, he earned admission to the Air Force Academy, deployed four times, and used the GI Bill to go to law school. Now, he is raising his two young boys with his wife, Jess, in Denver while practicing law and continuing to serve as an Air Force Reservist. Outside of his legal work, he has advocated for important Democratic issues, helped lead non-profits, assisted veterans and individuals in protecting their rights, and helped at-risk youth develop plans for a successful future. Rep. Camacho serves as the Vice-Chair of the Business Affairs & Labor Committee and a member of the Finance Committee. He represents diverse communities in eastern and central Denver, including Capitol Hill, Cheesman Park, Congress Park, Hale, Montclair, Lowry, and Windsor Gardens.

The House today passed bipartisan legislation to improve patient access to necessary prescriptions by allowing for pharmacy dispensing machines so Coloradans can access their prescription outside of a pharmacy’s business hours. < Back March 3, 2023 House Passes Prescription Accessibility Bill DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation to improve patient access to necessary prescriptions by allowing for pharmacy dispensing machines so Coloradans can access their prescription outside of a pharmacy’s business hours. “Coloradans with long or untraditional working hours often struggle to access the prescription medication they need because their pharmacy’s hours often don't align with their work schedule,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City . “Pharmacist-monitored dispensing machines would help Coloradans across the state access the medication they need with a remote pharmacist to walk them through the details of their medication. This bill removes unnecessary barriers to improve access to the medication patients need.” HB23-1195 , sponsored by Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Rep. Matt Soper, passed by a vote of 58-4. It would allow pharmacies to operate automated prescription dispensing machines so patients could access their medication outside of regular pharmacy business hours. The machines would only be placed in pharmacy-licensed locations and would be live monitored to prevent theft. The medication would be stocked in the machine and patients would be able to discuss the prescription with a live remote pharmacist. Previous Next

< Back July 13, 2021 REPS. MICHAELSON JENET, HEROD NAMED AMONG TOP 25 MOST POWERFUL WOMEN IN BUSINESS DENVER, CO — The Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce has named Representatives Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Leslie Herod among their 2021 Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business , an annual gala that recognizes women for leadership in business and to the community. “I’m honored to be recognized by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce after a historic legislative session that saw us focus on Colorado’s economic recovery and make tremendous strides to improve our behavioral health system,” said Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City, Chair of the House Public and Behavioral Health and Human Services Committee. “The laws we passed this session will boost Colorado’s workforce, improve access to child care and provide economic assistance to businesses across the state, creating jobs and forging a recovery where women are positioned to thrive. We know that a healthy and productive workforce is critical for the Colorado Comeback, so we worked hard last session to bolster access to behavioral health care for everyone in our state. I’m proud of our efforts to invest in the health of our communities and help more Coloradans get the care they need to thrive as our economy recovers.” “It’s an honor to be recognized by the Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce in a year when the legislature worked so hard to help small businesses build back stronger after the enormous challenges of the pandemic,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, Member of the Joint Budget Committee and Chair of the House Appropriations Committee. “This year, I was proud to be the lead sponsor of legislation to continue the successful work of the Energize Gap Fund and support our creative arts industries. As a member of the JBC, it was also a privilege to be able to help fund other pro-business initiatives like the startup loan program, which gives entrepreneurs the tools they need to succeed and our economic gardening program, which will help businesses grow sustainably. Passing all of these bills was just common sense: small businesses are the backbone of our economy and will be the key to our recovery.” Previous Next

< Back March 2, 2022 HOUSE ED PASSES BILL TO SAVE EDUCATORS MONEY AND ADDRESS TEACHER SHORTAGE DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed legislation to prepare students for success and address the teacher shortage by saving new educators money on preparation programs. “This has been an incredibly challenging year for students, teachers and parents, and one way we can prepare our students for success is by making sure that every classroom has a qualified educator,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins. “Our legislation will address the educator shortage by saving educators money as they go through their preparation programs and by removing unnecessary red tape that makes it harder to become a teacher in Colorado.” “All across Colorado, and especially in rural areas, schools are struggling to attract and retain quality educators,” said House Education Committee Chair Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “To prepare our students for success, we must address the educator shortage that is impacting our districts. That’s why we are going to save prospective educators money on their preparation programs and practice exams and create new pathways to enter the educator workforce.” HB22-1220 passed by a vote of 8-1 and is sponsored by Representative Cathy Kipp and House Education Committee Chair Barbara McLachlan. The bill includes multiple strategies to address the teacher shortage to help ensure every student in Colorado has access to high quality public education that will prepare them for success. The legislation creates two stipend programs that will save student educators almost $20 million as they pursue the educator preparation programs. It also creates new options to assess prospective educators and allows more prospective educators to obtain temporary educator licenses, breaking down unnecessary barriers to enter the educator workforce. The bill expands opportunities for all teacher candidates and reduces red tape. It would make student teaching a paid position for income-eligible students. These educators would no longer need to work second or third jobs while finishing their teaching programs. The bill also creates a stipend program to pay for teacher competency exams, which can cost educators hundreds of dollars while they complete their licensure program. The bill expands the measures used to examine competency, creating a new pathway to initial licensure for prospective educators that expands how prospective educators can prove their competency. The legislation builds on laws passed in recent sessions to address the educator workforce challenges, such as SB21-185, which invested $15 million into two new programs to recruit and retain educators. It also follows on bills passed earlier this session to encourage retired educators to return to school districts. Previous Next

The House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Representative Matthew Martinez that would make the Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program permanent. < Back April 3, 2025 Bipartisan Martinez Bill to Support Wildlife and Property Owners Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed a bipartisan bill sponsored by Representative Matthew Martinez that would make the Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program permanent. “The Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program has been pivotal in helping property owners protect wildlife and outdoor recreation on their properties, and I’m proud to sponsor legislation to make the program permanent,” said Rep. Matthew Martinez, D-Monte Vista. “Colorado’s natural beauty is one of our biggest draws, and property owners want to do their part in protecting our environment. We’re helping rural Coloradans, like my district in Southern Colorado, be good stewards of their land and protect Colorado for future generations to enjoy.” The Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program offers funding opportunities for landowners who want to protect wildlife habitats, provide wildlife-related recreational access to the public or sell their property to the Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The program, which is funded by hunting and fishing licenses, is currently set to sunset on July 1, 2027. SB25-049 would continue the Wildlife Habitat Stamp Program indefinitely. With support from Great Outdoors Colorado and federal funding, the program has secured over 290,000 acres of conservation easements and over 146,000 acres of public access. SB25-049, also sponsored by Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, passed by a vote of 13-0. The committee also passed SB25-176 , also sponsored by Rep. Matthew Martinez and Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter, to extend the Commodity Handler and Farm Products Act until 2032 to continue the regulation of commodity and farm products. The bill would also increase the limit on the amount of farm products or commodities that a person could buy from $20,000 to $45,000 and allow the amount to be adjusted periodically. SB25-176 passed by a vote of 13-0. Previous Next

< Back March 29, 2019 HOUSE GIVES PRELIMINARY APPROVAL TO BECKER-CARAVEO BILL TO PRIORITIZE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF COLORADANS & GIVE LOCAL COMMUNITIES A VOICE (Mar. 28) – The House gave preliminary approval to a bill that will update Colorado’s antiquated oil and gas laws to protect families and individuals from residential drilling by putting health and safety first, empowering local communities, and protecting our clean air and clean water. “This bill has been a long time coming and it attempts to address the concerns of many local communities about the increased quantity of oil and gas drilling happening in their communities and because they don’t have a say in it,” said Speaker KC Becker. “This bill ensures taxpayers aren’t footing the bill for cleaning up abandoned wells; it strengthens laws around forced pooling, mapping of flow lines and air quality; and finally reforms the COGCC.” The landmark bill directs the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) to regulate oil and gas development to protect public welfare, and clarifies that local governments have the same authority to regulate the oil and gas industry as they have with every other industry in Colorado – including the mining industry. The bill also removes the prohibition against local governments requiring oil and gas companies to cover the direct costs of regulating, monitoring and permitting the sites in their communities. “As we discuss flow lines, well sites and profits, it might be easy for some to lose sight of a major aspects of this bill and that’s the refocusing of the COGCC to put health and safety first,” said Rep. Yadira Caraveo, D-Thornton, the legislature’s only doctor and the co-prime sponsor of the bill. “I look forward to the day in clinic when I know an asthma exacerbation is simply the result of allergies. It’s time we balance economic growth with the actual growth of children who go to school around oil and gas drilling. It is time for our government to listen to science, not rhetoric from special interests looking to profit at the expense of our safety and health.” The bill addresses emissions and air quality by requiring increased monitoring and implementing a rule-making process to reduce emissions to better meet federal regulations. A “brown cloud” returned to Denver earlier this month and reports showed that the air quality was worse than that of Beijing. SB19-181 would also ensure that taxpayers are not footing the bill for cleaning up orphan oil and gas wells that have been abandoned but not adequately plugged. Current bonding requirements are inadequate to cover the cost of clean-up when a company abandons a well. Clean-up costs for just one abandoned well costs an average of $82,000. Currently, there are nearly 400 known orphan wells in Colorado and a long list of wells that should be investigated. Finally, SB19-181 also provides increased protections for property owners with regard to forced pooling. Under current law, just one mineral rights owner can start the process of “forced pooling” other mineral interest owners and require development of those resources – against the will of the majority of the owners. This bill would raise the threshold and put more transparency and guardrails on the process. The arguments peddled by the oil and gas industry are misleading. The sponsors and proponents of the bill made clear during the hearing that this bill is not a reiteration of Proposition 112, nor is it a moratorium or a ban on drilling. SB19-181 was approved on a voice vote. A recorded vote will soon follow. Previous Next

The House today passed bipartisan legislation to boost science instruction and performance in K-12 schools. < Back April 26, 2024 Bipartisan Bill to Boost K-12 Science Performance Passes House DENVER, CO – The House today passed bipartisan legislation to boost science instruction and performance in K-12 schools. HB24-1446, sponsored by Rep. Barbara McLachlan, would make no-cost professional development programs available to science educators, with an emphasis on programming that supports students who are below grade level, students living with disabilities, and students who are English Language Learners. “As a former teacher, I know how important professional development programs are because they provide insight into new techniques and tactics to engage all students,” said Rep. Barabra McLachlan, D-Durango. “This bill would make professional development programs available to science educators at no-cost so our teachers can better support our students — especially those with a disability or learning below grade level. The key to success in the classroom is a great educator, and this bill makes it easier for our science teachers to brush up on their skills and meet the diverse needs of our students.” HB24-1446 , also sponsored by Anthony Hartsook, R-Parker, passed the House by a vote of 57 to 6. This bill permits the Colorado Department of Education to contract with Colorado higher education institutions to develop and provide free, optional professional development training available to Colorado’s science educators. The program would include instruction on interventions for students who are below grade level or struggling in science, children with disabilities, and students who are English Language Learners. Under the bill, teachers who participate in this professional development may earn credit towards license renewal. Additionally, rural school districts must be prioritized if demand for the training exceeds capacity. If passed, the program would be made available beginning in the 2025-26 school year. HB24-1446 aims to improve K-12 science performance for Colorado students by giving teachers the tools and resources they need to foster success among the students who need the most support. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation, sponsored by Representatives Kenny Nguyen and Lorena García, that would make ballot language more accessible, transparent and easier to understand. HB26-1320 passed by a vote of 41-19. < Back March 27, 2026 Nguyen, García Bill to Boost Ballot Accessibility and Transparency Passes DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation, sponsored by Representatives Kenny Nguyen and Lorena García, that would make ballot language more accessible, transparent and easier to understand. HB26-1320 passed by a vote of 41-19. “We’re sponsoring legislation to make ballot language easier to understand for all voters,” said Rep. Kenny Nguyen, D-Broomfield . “Hyper-technical ballot language is a barrier that can make it less likely for people to vote on ballot measures. We’re bolstering Colorado’s gold standard elections by making ballot language more digestible, encouraging even more Coloradans to turn in their ballots.” “While the Trump Administration attempts to strip Americans of their right to vote, Colorado Democrats are building on our work to make elections more accessible,” said Rep. Lorena García, D-Unincorporated Adams County. “Our bill gives ballot drafters more flexibility in how they structure ballot questions to provide voters more clarity. We want Coloradans to have a chance at understanding what is on their ballot when they fill it out, which is why we are making the language more understandable and adding impacts to the state budget.” HB26-1320 requires ballot titles to be written in plain language that is understood by the widest possible audience. Under this bill, ballot titles would be required to include language that is substantially similar to the statutory language, rather than word-for-word, to make it easier for voters to understand. This bill also adds language to tax revenue ballot titles to include the effects of tax revenue increases or decreases to better inform voters. By including plain language in the bill title, voters would have a better understanding of the impact of a ballot measure from the beginning. Colorado has one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. HB26-1320 is the latest in a series of bills championed by Colorado Democrats to safeguard and improve Colorado’s gold standard election system. This includes HB26-1084 , which aims to share information with voters about how much proposed ballot measures could cost the state and taxpayers, as well as the impacts on essential state services, and HB26-1113 , which makes necessary modifications and updates to Colorado’s election system. Previous Next

< Back June 10, 2020 VACCINES BILL PASSES! DENVER, CO — The House today passed SB20-163, bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Kyle Mullica, D-Northglenn, and Representative Dylan Roberts, D-Avon as well as Senators Julie Gonzales, D-Denver, and Kevin Priola, R-Henderson, on third reading. The bill would boost Colorado’s childhood immunization rates. The bill passed by a vote of 40-24. “This has been a long and winding process, but knowing that today’s result will save the lives of countless children and protect our state against tragic viral outbreaks makes it all worth it,” said Rep. Mullica, D-Northglenn. “This bill represents an important step towards streamlining our immunization process and boosting our state’s low vaccination rates without removing anyone’s ability to claim an exemption. I’m proud of what we accomplished today.” “This bill is a simple and sensible way to boost Colorado’s immunization rates and protect our children, all while ensuring that our commitment to parental choice remains intact,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon . “This modest proposal will go a long way towards making our vulnerable communities like newborns, seniors and children safer. We’re one step closer to ensuring that all Coloradans are better protected from viral outbreaks.” “I am proud to see this crucial public health proposal pass the House today,” said Rep. Janet Buckner, D-Aurora. “These modest improvements have been a long time coming, and they’ll go a long way towards protecting the most vulnerable in Colorado, including those in the Black community.” SB20-163 is designed to get more children fully vaccinated by the time they start kindergarten by encouraging those who do not vaccinate, but who have no objections to vaccinations, to immunize their children. The percentage of Colorado kindergartners vaccinated for measles, mumps, and rubella is the lowest rate in the country at 87 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). This low rate makes our state particularly vulnerable to a measles outbreak. SB20-163 requires parents who choose not to vaccinate their children to present a standardized exemption form signed by an immunization provider or submit a confirmation form that they took a short online class about vaccinations before they send their children to school. The bill also streamlines the immunization exemptions categories by dividing them into medical and nonmedical exemptions, but makes no changes to who can choose to exempt their children or for what reasons. Lastly, SB20-163 would require all immunizing health care providers to use the state’s Colorado Immunization Information System (CIIS) data system, though providers wouldn’t be subject to a regulatory sanction for noncompliance. Previous Next