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< Back June 29, 2020 HOUSE DEMS REACT TO SCOTUS PROTECTING A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE DENVER, CO – This morning, the Supreme Court blocked an anti-abortion law in Louisiana that would have required extreme, medically unnecessary burdens to be put on medical professionals, which would have led to the closure of all or most abortion clinics in the state. House Speaker KC Becker and House Health and Insurance Committee Chair Susan Lontine released the following statements. “Last year, anti-abortion legislatures around the country took part in a coordinated effort to do away with a woman’s right to choose through restrictive, unnecessary, and extreme restrictions like this law in Lousiana,” said Speaker Becker, D-Boulder. “I’m heartened to see the Supreme Court do the right thing and block this law. First in Roe v. Wade , then in Planned Parenthood v. Casey , and now today with the June Medical Services v. Russo decision, the Supreme Court again has ruled that women in America have the right to access abortion without facing an undue burden. I’m proud to be a part of a pro-choice majority at the Colorado legislature that is committed to protecting that right.” “The combined efforts of anti-abortion legislatures across the country and the Trump Administration’s brute-force appointment of extremist judges like Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court were not enough to undo nearly fifty years of progress on legal, accessible abortions in America,” said Rep. Lontine, D-Denver. “We cannot let our guard down. The anti-woman, anti-choice movement is organized and working every single day to take away a woman’s right to access the full range of reproductive health care services, including abortion, including here in Colorado. We won’t let them win.” Previous Next

< Back March 1, 2019 COMMITTEE CLEARS MICHAELSON JENET YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION AND SUICIDE PREVENTION BILL Suicide is the leading cause of death in Colorado for young people between the ages of 10 & 24 (Mar. 1) — A bill sponsored by Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet to help address youth suicide was approved by the House Public Health Care & Human Services Committee. “We are not going to stop youth suicide with one bill or idea – it’s going to take many bills to stop youth suicide here in Colorado. We need to create a foundation to build upon and this bill does that,” said Rep. Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City. “An epidemic is unfolding before our eyes and studies tell us that suicide continues to increase, but we are failing to adequately invest in solutions. This bill will get our young people the professional help they need and save lives.” Rep. Michaelson Jenet’s son survived a suicide attempt at age 9. The potentially life-saving bill will reduce the age at which a young person can seek confidential psychotherapy services from a licensed mental health professional without the consent of his or her parent or guardian, from 15 to 12. The bill also requires the department of education, in consultation with the Office of Suicide Prevention, the Youth Advisory Council, and the Suicide Prevention Commission, to create and maintain a mental health education literacy resource bank. The resource bank is available to the public free of charge. HB19-1120 passed on a vote of 7-4 and now goes to the Appropriations Committee. Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon, is a co-prime sponsor of the bill. Help is available. If you are struggling, please text TALK to 38255 or call 844-493-8255 Previous Next

< Back April 16, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES CUTTER’S MEDIA LITERACY BILL (Apr. 16) – The House approved a bill sponsored by Representative Lisa Cutter, D-Evergreen, that creates a media literacy advisory committee within the Department of Education. It’s important for Colorado students become more educated about the media and the role it plays in our society. “As a country, our decisions are only as good as the information we take in to form our opinions,” said Rep. Cutter. “The media landscape has changed dramatically in the last few decades. Colorado’s students are facing the largest and most complex information landscape in human history.” This effort will help enrich Colorado’s students and their overall learning experience. The bill creates a media literacy advisory committee within the state Department of Education that will work with a consultant to study media literacy, including best practices and available resources, and then report back with recommendations for the House and Senate Education Committees. Cutter hopes to sponsor legislation in the future using these recommendations to implement media literacy studies in elementary and secondary education. “The goal of this bill is to ultimately provide educators with the tools necessary to help our youth better understand the world around them and be equipped to navigate it more effectively,” Rep. Cutter added. At a March hearing on the bill, the Associated Press and Colorado Press Association testified in support of this bill, among others. A recent academic study shows that 82 percent of middle school students could not distinguish the difference between real news stories and advertisements. HB19-1110 passed the House Education committee on a bipartisan vote of 8-5. The House approved the bill on a vote of 40-23. The bill now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back May 13, 2019 HOUSE DEMS DELIVER ON AFFORDABLE AND ACCESSIBLE HIGHER-ED College Kickstarter and student loan borrower bills signed into law (May 13) – Gov. Polis signed a pair of bills sponsored by House Democrats at the University of Colorado campus in Boulder. First up was SB19-002, sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts and Rep. Dominique Jackson, to help protect student loan borrowers. “This new law will help student loan borrowers and ensure they are not victims of scams or deception,” s aid Rep. Roberts, D-Avon. “This is a pressing issue for young people who are demanding that their elected officials take action. This is a crucial step that we are taking to help Coloradans pay off their loans as soon as possible.” Student debt in Colorado has skyrocketed from $19 billion to over $27 billion in just three years. This new law will would include student loan servicers in the Uniform Consumer Credit Code to establish licensing requirements for these service providers. It also empowers the Colorado Attorney General’s office to field, review and help resolve any complaints by borrowers against service providers. “I put myself through undergraduate school and a very expensive graduate program. I took out a lot of student loans,” Rep. Jackson, D-Aurora said during debate on the bill. “It’s not just my colleagues’ generation, it’s mine too. I don’t get to retire because I have this debt and I feel like I will die with this student loan debt.” In 2017, Coloradans issued over 1,000 complaints against loan service providers, a 78 percent increase compared to previous years, according to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Children with college savings accounts are twice as likely to go to college. That’s why House Democrats passed HB19-1280, a program will be created to help and encourage Colorado parents to open a College Savings Account (CSA) for their children. The bill was also signed into law today. “I am so excited about this new law! Colorado will now help to “kickstart” college savings for every baby born or adopted in Colorado,” said Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “Studies show that savings can help address the economic and racial barriers to building wealth in our country by incentivizing savings and encouraging families to invest in education at zero cost to the taxpayers.” Beginning in 2020, $100 of seed money will be contributed to the CSA if an account is opened within the first five years of the child’s life. “The College Kickstarter program will create funding for a college savings account for every child born or adopted in Colorado,” said Speaker Becker, D-Boulder. “This will help give our kiddos a running start and have a strong impact on our state’s future.” Watch the bill signing ceremony here . Previous Next

< Back March 25, 2019 HOUSE APPROVES BILL TO HELP COLORADO STUDENTS Bill to expand financial assistance for ASSET students (Mar. 25) – The House approved a bill to expand state financial aid resources for ASSET students. HB19-1196, sponsored by Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver, would provide Advancing Students for a Strong Tomorrow (ASSET) students the abilities to receive state financial aid. “Increasing the eligibility for state financial aid will help Colorado’s rural institutions that lack financial resources to supplement state financial aid for ASSET students,” said Rep. Gonzales-Gutierrez. “Improving access to higher education by increasing financial assistance will erase our state’s equity gaps and serve as an investment in Colorado’s future.” Currently, ASSET students are eligible for the College Opportunity Fund and institutional aid, but they are not eligible for state aid, including scholarships awarded by the state. The ASSET bill passed the legislature in 2013 with bipartisan support and makes the in-state tuition rate at state colleges and universities in Colorado available to all students, regardless of immigration status, who graduate from high school in Colorado after attending for at least three years. HB19-1196 passed by a vote of 41-24. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

< Back April 3, 2019 DRIVER’S LICENSE EXPANSION PROGRAM RECEIVES BIPARTISAN HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVAL Many members of agricultural workforce are forced to drive 600 miles for one of few appointments available (Apr. 3) – The House Transportation and Local Government committee approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Rochelle Galindo, D-Greeley, and Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont, which would expand on SB13-251, a program that provides driver’s licenses to all Colorado residents, regardless of immigration status. There are currently only four appointment offices that grant these driver’s licenses in the state. “In 2013, the legislature took the right steps towards better making our roads safer and protecting the public,” said Rep. Galindo. “Agriculture is an economic driver and employs many of our friends and families. This program is necessary to the health and wealth of our community and ensures we have more resources available to empower our workers while keeping our roads safe.” Without transportation, people have more difficulty finding jobs and keeping them, especially in the agricultural sector, where mass transit options are often limited. This is a problem not only for the farm workers but also for their employers. SB19-139 carries out the full intent of the 2013 law by establishing appointment offices in rural areas to ensure that Colorado farmers have the workforce they need. It will require the Department of Revenue to issue these types of driver’s licenses at 10 or more offices across the state. “Among other things, this bill will also improve the safety of our roads,” said Rep. Singer. “By providing the proper testing, training and insurance, it will improve the safety of our public and our roads.” Rep. Singer is a co-prime sponsor of SB18-108 which removed obstacles that have restricted access to a program launched in 2013 to provide driver’s licenses to all Colorado residents, regardless of immigration status. The self-funded program gives all drivers the opportunity to prove that they are qualified to get behind the wheel and allows them to obtain insurance. SB19-139 will ensure rural communities and agricultural workers can access driver’s licenses in all four corners of the state. It will also help to increase the size of the workforce of local businesses, specifically in the agricultural industry. The bill passed the House Transportation and Local Government committee with a bipartisan vote of 8-3. It now heads to the House Appropriations committee. Previous Next

< Back April 25, 2019 GOV POLIS SIGNS TITONE AND GONZALES-GUTIERREZ’S BILL TO HELP RENTERS (Apr. 25) – Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Brianna Titone and Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez to protect renters from unnecessarily high rental application fees. “Unchecked rental application fees that are too high for families and seniors struggling with the rising cost of living have exacerbated our affordable housing crisis, ” said Rep. Brianna Titone, D-Arvada. “This new law will increase transparency and protect renters in the rental application process to ensure bad actors aren’t harming Coloradans seeking a home for themselves and their families.” Under current state law, there are no limits on what landlords can charge for a rental application fee, and there are no safeguards to ensure the fee aligns with the actual costs of screening a prospective tenant. “Rental application fees should be used to conduct a consumer credit or reference check – not line a landlords pockets,” said Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, D-Denver. “This new law will provide relief to individuals or families searching for housing across our state by putting in place a strong consumer protection safeguard in the rental application process.” HB19-1106 puts in place commonsense limits on the application fees that renters face as they search for their next rental home. The bill limits application fees to the price of what is necessary to screen residents—such as credit reports, reference checks or tenant screening reports—and ensures the fee is refunded if the applicant is never screened. More than a dozen states have enacted policies that set reasonable terms for the collection and retention of rental application fees. For hardworking individuals or families struggling to find housing, the high cost of non-refundable application fees can easily exhaust their limited financial resources, sometimes making it impossible for them to pay a security deposit or the first month’s rent. The bill was approved by a vote of 40-23 in the House and 20-10 in the Senate. The Governor signed it into law this afternoon. Previous Next

Bill carries out recommendations from the Environmental Justice Action Task Force < Back April 22, 2024 House Passes Bill to Address Long-Standing Environmental Injustices in Colorado DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation to help address some of the long-standing environmental injustices that have disproportionately impacted communities of color and low-income communities in Colorado. HB24-1338 passed by a vote of 43 to 18. HB24-1338 , sponsored by Representatives Manny Rutinel and Elizabeth Velasco, would direct the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) to carry out recommendations from the Environmental Justice Action Task Force, created by HB21-1266 . “For nearly a year, the Environmental Justice Action Task Force met with community members and collected data-driven information to create a comprehensive checklist to clean up our air and support communities disproportionately impacted by environmental pollution,” said Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City. “This bill implements key task force recommendations, including increased oversight of known polluters, like refineries, and better response time to community complaints of air pollution. By diving deeper into the cumulative impacts of environmental injustice, we can create policy that addresses the pollution negatively affecting our neighbors of color and low-income neighbors.” “Poor air quality and other environmental factors can lead to breathing issues, such as asthma,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “We owe it to our neighbors to implement the recommendations of the Environmental Justice Action Task Force to clean up our air, take air pollution complaints seriously and combat long-standing environmental injustices. Environmental justice is a statewide issue, and we all deserve access to clean air and water. Our bill implements the task force recommendations to help our neighbors most affected by poor air quality lead healthy lives.” HB24-1338 would authorize the CDPHE to carry out recommendations of the Environmental Justice Action Task Force and address long-standing environmental injustices. Specifically, this bill would: Increase oversight of petroleum refineries. The bill would fund the hiring of an expert in air pollution control for petroleum refineries. This expert would assess gaps in public health protections and identify the best regulatory tools to fill those gaps. The bill would also require refineries to provide near real-time emissions monitoring and compliance data. Improve response to air pollution complaints. The department’s Air Pollution Control Division would house a new rapid response inspection team to support quicker responses to air pollution complaints by impacted communities. Analyze the cumulative impacts of pollution . The bill would implement recommendations of the Environmental Justice Action Task Force by formally establishing and authorizing the creation of at least two Environmental Equity and Cumulative Impact Analyses to analyze the cumulative air, water, soil, and demographic impacts in specific disproportionately impacted communities. Founded in 2021 through HB21-1266, the Environmental Justice Action Task Force hosted several in-person meetings and gatherings with Coloradans in Commerce City, Grand Junction, Greeley, and Pueblo in addition to receiving more than 300 written comments and survey responses. The task force provided its final recommendations to Governor Polis, the legislature and the CDPHE in 2022. Previous Next

< Back June 11, 2020 HOUSE COMMITTEE PASSES BILL BANNING GAY AND TRANS PANIC LEGAL DEFENSE DENVER, CO– The House Committee of Public Health and Human Services today passed Representatives Brianna Titone and Matt Soper’s bipartisan bill to ban the use of the gay and transgender “panic” defense. The bill passed 12-0. “This is an antiquated and cruel legal defense strategy that should have been abolished a long time ago, “ said Rep. Titone, D-Arvada . “The LGBTQ community deserves our support, not our suspicion. As long as we allow biased defenses like this to continue, trans people and the broader LGBTQ population will never truly feel safe, especially black trans women. I’m proud of the work that we did this year to revive this legislation and am proud to see it move forward today.” The gay and trans panic defense is a legal tactic that has been used to strengthen a legal defense by playing on the prejudice of jurors. SB20-221 states that evidence about a defendant’s knowledge or discovery of a victim’s gender, gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation cannot be asserted as a legal defense constituting ‘sudden heat of passion’ in a criminal case. If this bill is signed into law, Colorado would join California, Hawaii, Nevada, Illinois, New York, Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, and Washington as states that have banned the gay and trans panic defense strategy. In 2018, Senator Edward Markey (D-MA) and House Representative Joseph Kennedy III (D-MA) introduced legislation to ban the gay and trans panic defense at the federal level. According to the FBI’s 2018 hate crime statistics , 1,404 hate crimes perpetrated in 2018 were based on sexual orientation. Of these offenses, 59.8 percent were classified as anti-gay male and 25 percent were classified as anti-LGBTQ bias. According to this FBI data , in Colorado in 2018, there were 123 hate crimes reported and of those 24 were related to sexual orientation and three of them were related to gender identity. Previous Next

< Back April 7, 2022 PROTECTIONS FOR ELECTIONS OFFICIALS WINS COMMITTEE APPROVAL DENVER, CO – The House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee today passed a bill to provide additional protections for election officials throughout Colorado. Protections For Elections Officials, sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Emily Sirota, will ramp up penalties for threatening or doxing an election worker. “The dramatic increase in threats and intimidation against our election officials cannot continue,” said Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “Colorado’s election workers uphold our democracy and they deserve to feel safe on the job. This bill makes it clear that it is criminal to intimidate, threaten or coerce election workers or to attempt to do so. These civil servants secure fair and free elections in Colorado and we’re prioritizing their safety and well-being.” “More and more election officials are leaving the job because of ongoing threats against their safety and the safety of their families,” said Rep. Emily Sirota D-Denver. “We’re strengthening Colorado’s gold standard election system by protecting those who secure the right to vote. This bill increases the criminal penalties for threatening or doxing election workers so they can feel safe on the job and continue to uphold our democracy.” Protections For Elections Officials, HB22-1273 , would establish clear penalties for threatening or doxing an election worker. While Colorado law already prohibits individuals from interfering with an election official, this bill clarifies that intimidating, threatening or coercing an election official while they are performing official duties or retaliating against them performing their official duties is criminal. Protections For Elections Officials also prohibits attempts to intimidate, threaten or coerce an election official. HB22-1273 passed committee by a vote of 8 to 2. According to research conducted by The Brennan Center , one-third of U.S. election officials feel unsafe on the job and one in six reported being threatened because of their work. Previous Next

< Back March 17, 2022 JOINT RELEASE: ECONOMIC AND BUDGET FORECAST SHOWS CONTINUED ECONOMIC GROWTH JBC Dems to prioritize saving people money, making Colorado more affordable DENVER, CO – Democratic members of the Joint Budget Committee today released the following statements after the Legislative Council Staff (LCS) and the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB) delivered the March economic forecasts, which will serve as the basis for the state budget for the coming fiscal year. “It’s great to see that our economy is making a bold recovery and that unemployment levels are falling,” said JBC Chair Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Our responsible approach to budgeting has positioned us well to craft a balanced budget that saves people money and moves our state forward. Our budget will invest in public schools and higher education to prepare students for success, and it will fund critical efforts to investigate and prevent crime to make our communities safer. I’m excited about where our state is headed, and look forward to the work ahead.” “Today’s numbers prove that, overall, our economy remains very strong,” said JBC Vice Chair Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver. “We’re back to the strong pre-pandemic levels of employment and wage growth, and the General Fund remains in a solid position. Democrats have worked to support our economy and Coloradans over the past few years, and it’s clearly paying off. We are well positioned to provide working Colorado families critical tax and fee relief while investing in our schools and making Colorado a more affordable place to live.” “Today's economic forecast shows that despite pandemic-induced inflation that is occurring nationally and a geopolitical crisis, Colorado's economic recovery is strong,” said JBC Member Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “Thanks to fiscally responsible decisions that we've made throughout the pandemic and especially this year, I am confident we have positioned Colorado for continued -- and sustained -- growth. The proactive steps we’ve taken to bolster our reserves and our budget will enable us to continue moving forward with critical investments in public schools and efforts to save people money.” “Based on the numbers, it appears that Colorado is financially on track to avert much of the recent disruptions caused by global events,” said JBC Member Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada. “The challenges will continue, and we can’t lose sight of our obligations and priorities in Colorado. We must remain focused on creating a budget that will work most efficiently and effectively for the greatest number of Coloradans.” The LCS Forecast anticipates General Fund revenues to be $15.96 billion in FY 2021-2022 and $16.05 billion in FY 2022-2023 – a $59 million increase for FY 2021-2022 and an $344.5 million decrease for FY 2022-2023 as compared with the earlier December revenue forecast. The unemployment rate continued to fall in Colorado to 4.1 percent in January, led mostly by gains in the food and accommodations sectors. The state has recovered more than 98 percent of the jobs lost during the pandemic. Inflationary pressures, however, will impact near term budget priorities and state departments. Geopolitical risk and monetary policy decisions were also presented as risks to the forecast. The OSPB anticipates that General Fund revenue will be $16.2 billion for FY 2021-22, which OSPB revised upward by $205.9 million relative to its December estimate. For FY 2022-23, OSPB projects General Fund revenue will be close to $16.6 billion, which OSPB revised upward by $344.7 million relative to its December estimate. The state will exceed its TABOR limit due to higher than anticipated income tax collections, and both OSPB and LCS anticipate the state exceeding the TABOR limit in the upcoming fiscal years as well. In addition, LCS and OSPB identified the uncertainty of the pandemic, evolving fiscal policy, inflation, and supply chain disruptions as risks to the forecast. Previous Next

< Back April 29, 2022 SAFER STREETS ACT PASSES HOUSE DENVER, CO – The House today passed the Safer Streets Act, a bill that would utilize $10.3 million to assist local governments in making critical improvements that will prevent crime and improve public safety in Colorado. SB22-001 passed the House by a vote of 40 to 22. “With proven crime prevention and reduction strategies, we can create safer Colorado neighborhoods,” said Rep. Naquetta Ricks, D-Aurora. “Our bill will give local governments the resources they need to maintain and improve public spaces so everyone can enjoy a safer community. I’m proud to champion this evidence-based legislation that will cut down on crime and create more beautiful neighborhoods in the process.” “No matter your zip code, you deserve to feel safe,” said Rep. Kerry Tipper, D-Lakewood “The Safer Streets Act is an evidence-based bill that will foster the development of safer neighborhoods so we can reduce crime and boost community pride. Thanks to important community input and smart investments in crime prevention tactics such as good lighting and well-maintained public spaces, we can create a safer Colorado for everyone. ” The Safer Streets Act , sponsored by Representatives Naquetta Ricks and Kerry Tipper, creates a $10.3 million grant program for local governments to make critical, evidence-based improvements that will cut down on crime. Local governments and community non-profit organizations partnering with local governments can apply for grants that make physical improvements to the built environment that increase visibility through improved lighting, direct foot traffic and improve aesthetics through graffiti and trash removal. The bill utilizes Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles, an effective tool for reducing crime. Research and case studies have proven that the safe design of the physical environment can result in a lower incidence of crime, increased safety, and an overall increase in quality of life. Previous Next