< Back April 4, 2019 HOUSE VOTES TO IMPROVE APPLIANCE ENERGY EFFICIENCY Every House Republican votes against bill to help consumers and businesses save money, conserve energy & water (Apr. 4) – The House approved a bill sponsored by Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood, and Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, that would set up-to-date energy and water efficiency standards for commercial and residential products that are not already regulated under the federal government. “Hardworking Coloradans are already saving about $500 per year from federal appliance standards. This bill will help them save more,” said Rep. Froelich. “While product options and performances have increased, there are still ways that we can save people money and better conserve our state’s precious water while reducing pollution emissions.” HB19-1231 would set in place energy and water efficiency standards for 15 commercial and residential products for which there are no existing federal standards, saving Coloradan families their hard-earned income while ensuring the overall quality of the products they purchase. “Commonsense energy efficiency standards will put more money in the pockets of Coloradans in Fort Collins,” said Rep. Kipp. “ This is about saving energy, saving water, and saving money. This bill contains proven, cost-effective methods to help consumers save.” Setting energy efficiency standards is one of the most effective ways to cut carbon pollution emissions. While some appliances have been voluntarily produced using the Energy Star and WaterSense labelling programs, setting appliance standards at the state level will remove the poorest-performing products from the market. The bill passed the House floor with a vote of 40-23. It now heads to the Senate. Previous Next

The House Finance Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie that would save Colorado families money on child care and spur the creation of more high-quality and affordable child care facilities in our communities. HB26-1004 passed unanimously by a vote of 10-0. < Back February 5, 2026 McCluskie Bill to Save Families Money on Child Care Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Finance Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie that would save Colorado families money on child care and spur the creation of more high-quality and affordable child care facilities in our communities. HB26-1004 passed unanimously by a vote of 10-0. “The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit helps establish affordable, quality child care options that save families money, create jobs and help get parents back into the workforce so they can earn more and live their Colorado Dream,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “While the Trump Administration tries to slash millions in child care funding, Colorado Democrats are building an economy that rewards hardworking people by expanding affordable child care options, especially in rural communities like mine on the Western Slope. This legislation will save Colorado families money and create more quality child care options so families can thrive.” The Child Care Contribution Tax Credit allows taxpayers who donate money to a licensed child care facility in Colorado to receive an income tax credit of 50-percent of their contribution. HB26-1004 , also sponsored by Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, R-Monument, would extend the Child Care Contribution Tax Credit until 2037. These child care facilities could include qualifying child care centers, homeless youth shelters and residential treatment centers. These donations can be used to create or maintain a child care facility, fund child care financial assistance programs for families and train child care providers. In tax year 2023, around $33 million in credits were claimed by almost 16,000 taxpayers, generating a total of $66 million for the child care ecosystem. In January, the Trump Administration attempted to freeze over $300 million of funding for child care and social services that thousands of Colorado families rely on. Previous Next

< Back February 25, 2021 STATE AFFAIRS CELEBRATES WAR HEROES, FIGHTS HOUSING DISCRIMINATION DENVER, CO– The House State, Civic, Military & Veterans Affairs Committee today advanced two bills to grant free access to state parks to Purple Heart recipients and to remove a requirement to verify lawful presence in the United States for someone applying for state public housing assistance. HB21-1116 , a bipartisan bill sponsored by combat veteran and Purple Heart recipient Representative David Ortiz and Representative Richard Holtorf, would allow veterans displaying a Purple Heart special license plate to access any state park or recreation area free of charge. Any Purple Heart recipient who is a resident of Colorado could also obtain a free state parks pass from a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) office. The bill passed committee by a vote of 11-0. “Like me, so many of my brothers and sisters who served have found a permanent home in Colorado because of its stunning outdoor recreation opportunities and vibrant veterans community,” said Rep. David Ortiz (D-Littleton). “I’m proud that today we took the first step towards extending a small sign of gratitude for those who were wounded and received the Purple Heart, so that they may now enjoy our state parks free of charge. They have more than earned this small token, and we believe Purple Heart recipients could benefit enormously from the mental wellness effects that outdoor recreation provides. I consider all of Colorado’s veterans to be my extended family, and I intend to look after them and represent them with honor throughout my time in the legislature.” Current law requires that individuals show proof of lawful presence in the United States to receive state public housing assistance. HB21-1054 , sponsored by Representative Dominique Jackson, removes this requirement and allows more families to secure an affordable place to live. In 2016, undocumented immigrants comprised 5 percent of the Colorado workforce and paid an estimated $272.8 million in federal taxes and $156.5 million in state and local taxes in 2018. As housing costs continue to rise across the state, this bill will help stabilize our local economies by ensuring essential workers can afford to live in the communities where they work. The bill passed committee by a vote of 7-4. “With so many families struggling to keep a roof over their heads, it’s more important than ever that we extend affordable housing benefits to as many people as possible,” said Rep. Dominique Jackson (D-Aurora). “I refuse to allow immigration status to be what prevents a mother in Colorado from accessing the housing that will keep her family safe and stable. This bill removes a barrier that currently keeps taxpaying immigrant families from accessing housing, while also supporting our local economies, landlords, and employers by ensuring workers can find affordable places to live near their places of work.” The committee also passed HB21-1075 , Rep. Susan Lontine’s bill to replace the term “illegal alien” with the term “worker without authorization” in Colorado’s statutes, and adds a definition of the term “worker without authorization.” Previous Next

< Back May 15, 2026 Democratic Leaders Respond to Commutation of Tina Peters’ Sentence Denver, CO – House and Senate Democratic Leadership today released the following statement after Governor Jared Polis commuted the sentence of Tina Peters: “We strongly oppose Governor Polis’ decision to preempt the courts and commute the sentence of a still-unremorseful Tina Peters. Tina Peters sought to overturn the election results and committed a serious crime. She was prosecuted by a Republican district attorney in a conservative county and convicted by a jury of her peers. Her actions threatened our elections, and commuting her sentence sends exactly the wrong message at a time when the Trump Administration is threatening vote-by-mail and working to undermine our democracy. “House and Senate Democrats have repeatedly outlined the many serious reasons why Governor Polis should let the courts decide Ms. Peters’ sentence. We stand by these concerns and the voices of election officials across our state to once again express our strongest objection to this decision. The legislature has worked for years to strengthen and protect Colorado’s elections to ensure they are safe, secure, and accessible, and we staunchly support our dedicated county clerks and election officials who have increasingly come under threat to uphold that.” In March, every House and Senate Democrat signed a letter to Governor Polis opposing a commutation or pardon of Tina Peters. Below is the full text of the letter: Governor Polis: We thank you for your service to our state and the dedication with which you serve the people of Colorado. We write today to urge you not to grant clemency, sentence commutation, any other sentence reduction, or a federal transfer to Tina Peters. While we acknowledge you have concerns with what the Colorado Appellate Court found in the processes of Ms. Peters’ case and the questions that the court continues to assess, the resolution to those issues should be handled by the judicial branch. It is our understanding that such a review is underway with further information being sought by the court, and we urge you to allow that process to advance and for the judicial system alone to handle review of any further actions in this case. Gubernatorial clemency, pardons, and similar sentence forgiveness are processes for those who have taken accountability for their crimes, understand the harm that they have created, and made good faith efforts for restitution to victims and self-rehabilitation. Ms. Peters has made no efforts to these ends. Instead, she refuses to take accountability for her crimes and continues to push election-denial conspiracy theories. Her total lack of remorse is in addition to her at-times violent behavior, as was captured on video when she attacked a police officer and, separately, another inmate . We also wish to remind you that most estimates place Ms. Peters’ release around late 2027 or early 2028, should she act with good behavior. We believe this is a reasonable sentence for attempts to tamper with and sow discord around our elections. We would be remiss if we did not express strong concern about the impact of Ms. Peters’ crimes in fueling election conspiracy theories that undermine the integrity of our elections system as a whole. We fear that any clemency or other sentence reduction on your part will further embolden these conspiracies and those who propagate them. We urge you not to empower those who seek to undermine our elections and Republic by providing them with a figurehead to rally around and near assurance that, when you tamper with our elections, you will escape justice. We also wish to share our sincere concern for the safety and longevity of our county clerks, in particular rural county clerks and their staff, should you grant sentence relief. As a result of election denial conspiracy theories - the likes of which Ms. Peters continues to propagate - our election administrators face threats to their safety and attempted interference in their work. In the last year alone, we have seen one Colorado elections office targeted with arson , in addition to other increasing threats against our election workers. As they seek to ensure transparency and integrity in our elections, clerks and election workers should be afforded every safeguard the state can create. They have made their message clear and we reiterate it here: if you take this action, many will leave their roles and Colorado’s safe and secure elections will suffer greatly as a result. We applaud your transparent approach to this issue, and share your desire to see equal application of justice. In this case, we ask that you let the courts do that work, as is their mandate. We ask for your approach to consider - beyond all else - that the impacts of your decision ripple far beyond fairness in carceral sentencing. This is not about any of us, or you, or even Ms. Peters. This is about the security and assuredness of our elections as a whole. This is about the future of our democracy, and of free and fair elections in our nation. We ask you to stand with us in safeguarding that future. Thank you for your consideration of our genuine concern for the future of our elections. ### Previous Next

SB25-004 improves transparency in application and waitlist fees for private child care centers < Back March 27, 2025 JOINT RELEASE: Signed! New Law Will Address High Cost of Child Care SB25-004 improves transparency in application and waitlist fees for private child care centers DENVER, CO – Legislation sponsored by Senators Janice Marchman, D-Loveland, and Faith Winter, D-Broomfield, and Representatives Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn, and Lorena García, D-Unincorporated Adams County, to address the high cost of child care was recently signed into law. SB25-004 requires private child care centers to provide a transparent fee schedule upon registration, when joining a waitlist, or at the request of the family. The law also requires application or waitlist fees to be refundable after six months if the child is not admitted and remains on the waitlist. “The rising cost of child care is a significant hurdle for countless families across Colorado,” said Marchman. “By establishing clear guidelines for application and wait list fees as well as deposits, we can provide tangible relief to working families. With application fees often exceeding $175 per child, these costs add up quickly and put unnecessary pressure on household budgets. This new law will ensure child care becomes more affordable and accessible, empowering more families to find the care they need without financial hardship.” “It’s expensive to raise children in 2025, and families shouldn’t have to shell out thousands of dollars on waitlist fees and deposits for child care centers that don’t even offer their child a spot,” said Willford. “This bill allows families to recover some of the fees associated with the application and waitlist processes to save hardworking families money on child care. Colorado Democrats are committed to making our state a more affordable place to live, and this legislation is one of the many steps we’re taking to save Coloradans money.” “The lack of transparency on child care fees burdens families with unexpected expenses,” said Winter. “I hear from so many parents in my community that they are struggling to find child care. Limiting waitlist fees and adding transparency to application fees on child care center websites and forms reduces financial uncertainty and helps parents make informed decisions about what’s best for them.” “Families shouldn’t have to budget for thousands of dollars worth of child care deposit and waitlist fees,” said García. “It can be difficult to clear a child care waitlist, which is why some families are spending thousands of dollars on numerous child care deposits and waitlists despite the uncertainty of whether or not their application will be accepted. Our legislation allows families to receive a refund for fees and deposits if they are not offered enrollment within six months, allowing families to save their hard-earned money.” These requirements apply to private child care programs outside the Universal Preschool Program, Colorado Child Care Assistance Program, and Head Start. A center may charge a deposit, but if admitted, the deposit must go towards tuition of child care. Previous Next

< Back May 1, 2019 COLORADO LEADING ON CLIMATE ACTION: HOUSE INITIALLY APPROVES BILL TO COLLECT LONG-TERM CLIMATE CHANGE DATA (May 1) – The House preliminarily passed a bill by Rep. Chris Hansen to collect long-term climate change data. “Colorado’s way of life is being threatened by climate change and carbon pollution emissions, and we need a data driven approach to protect it. But we are falling short on reducing carbon emissions because we are not collecting adequate information. This bill will lay a strong foundation of data that we can build upon to evaluate emissions,” said Rep. Hansen, D-Denver. Due to a lack of leadership in Washington, states must lead on climate action. Recent reports show that President Trump’s misguided federal budget would cut climate programs. For example, under the Trump budget, funding for the Environmental Protection Agency’s air and energy research program, which is tasked with climate change research, would have been slashed by two-thirds. Under SB19-096, the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) would be required to collect carbon emissions data across Colorado. This commission would then produce a report and forecast future emissions, as well as propose the most cost-effective way for Colorado to meet our carbon emissions reduction goals. The AQCC, which is part of the Department of Public Health and Environment, must complete all legislative requirements by July 1, 2020. The Senate co-prime sponsor of the bill is Sen. Kerry Donovan, D-Vail. This bill was approved on a voice-vote. A final vote will take place at a later date. Previous Next

The House Education Committee today unanimously passed legislation to increase special education funding and reduce language barriers for special education learning plans. Both bills passed by a vote of 10-0. < Back April 10, 2023 Bills to Boost Special Education Funding and Improve Student Outcomes Pass Committee DENVER, CO - The House Education Committee today unanimously passed legislation to increase special education funding and reduce language barriers for special education learning plans. Both bills passed by a vote of 10-0. “I’m proud to bring this legislation forward to significantly boost funding for special education in Colorado,” said Rep. Cathy Kipp, D-Fort Collins, sponsor of SB23-099. “Special education students need additional services to help them learn and thrive. This bill provides additional funding for Colorado's neediest students. Providing more adequate funding for special education students helps all Colorado students." SB23-099 , also sponsored by Rep. Lisa Frizell, increases funding by over $40 million for special education services for public schools, including charter schools, to better support students’ needs. Increased per pupil funding from this bill, will help lower student-teacher ratios, reduce class sizes and help provide more tailored assistance to students. Per pupil special education funding includes funding for students with at least one disability who need significant support in school. In FY19-20, funding was around $2,849 per student and decreased to $2,629 per student for FY20-21. This bill increases per pupil special education funding to $6,000 per student to improve education services to special education students. “English proficiency should not stand in the way of a parent and guardian’s ability to understand their child’s special education learning plan,” said Rep. Lorena Garcia, D-Unincorporated Adams County, sponsor of HB23-1263. “Parents and guardians are invested in their child’s success in school, but language restrictions often prevent them from understanding the details of their child’s schooling. We’re supporting local school districts to translate draft individualized education programs so parents and guardians can be hands-on in understanding their child’s individualized education plan, no matter what language is spoken at home.” “Parents' input is crucial in determining whether their children are eligible for special education services,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley, sponsor of HB23-1263 . “This bill is another step in eliminating language barriers and promoting equity by ensuring that parents whose primary language spoken in the home is a language other than English have early and accessible opportunities to participate in decisions related to their children’s special education eligibility.” Under current Colorado law, every public school student that qualifies for and receives special education services must have an individualized education program (IEP). The IEP is catered to each individual student and aims to improve their educational results and ability to learn in the classroom. HB23-1263 would require the IEP, the draft IEP, and any other related documents to be translated to the primary language spoken at the students’ home as necessary. Previous Next

< Back February 13, 2020 BILL TO ADDRESS RISING COST OF PRESCRIPTION DRUGS PASSES COMMITTEE Democrats’ bill would reveal the financial relationships that drive up the cost of drugs and ensure rebates lower premiums for consumers DENVER, CO – The House Committee on Health and Insurance today passed Representatives Dominique Jackson and Dylan Roberts’ landmark legislation to increase transparency in prescription drug pricing. The bill would also ensure that manufacturer rebates are passed along to consumers in the form of lower insurance premiums. The vote was 7-3, with House GOP members standing with billion-dollar pharmaceutical corporations instead of Colorado consumers. “With multi-billion dollar pharmaceutical corporations making record profits, it’s time to finally hold these companies accountable for all the factors that are making prescription drugs unaffordable for far too many Coloradans,” said Rep. Jackson (D-Aurora). “Access to life-saving medication is a right. This bill will bring badly needed transparency to the complex and secretive deals between drug manufacturers, insurance companies and pharmacy benefit managers that are driving up the cost of drugs.” “It’s clear that pharmaceutical corporations and drug middlemen are using rebates to get their drugs to market and to drive consumers to high-cost drugs, but these rebates aren’t being passed along to save people money,” said Rep. Roberts (D-Avon). “Rebates are being traded back and forth between manufacturers, drug middlemen and insurance companies behind closed doors with no public accountability. This bill will give us the data we need to make sure that rebates actually do what they are intended to do; save Coloradans money on their prescription drugs.” Colorado’s Medicaid program has seen its expenditures on prescription drugs increase 73 percent in the last five years. Nearly 11 percent of Coloradans did not fill a prescription last year because of cost concerns. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that total US spending on prescription drugs will grow 60 percent from 2019-2027 to $576.7 billion. These increases are forcing Coloradans to pay more for both prescription drugs and health insurance. The ten largest American pharmaceutical corporations made nearly $69 billion in profits in 2018–some of the largest profit margins in corporate America. The Colorado Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act of 2020, HB20-1160 , would address two primary concerns. First, it would provide the state and policymakers with critical data needed to understand and address the factors that are driving up the cost of prescription drugs by shining a light on the the financial relationships between drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), insurance companies and consumers. Second, it would provide immediate relief to consumers by ensuring that the rebates insurance companies receive from drug manufacturers are passed along directly to reduce premiums across the board. Under the bill, health insurers will have to submit detailed information to the commissioner of insurance starting in 2021 about the top 50 most costly and most used prescription drugs in Colorado covered under their plans, any rebates they receive from drug manufacturers and how drug costs and rebates are accounted for in insurance premiums. Drug manufacturers will have to notify the commissioner when they increase the price of certain drugs, the specific reasons for the price change and if the price change was necessitated by a change or improvement to the drug. The drugs that would fall under this category are drugs with a price of more than $50 per course of therapy and for which the price has increased by 10 percent or more over the prior year. Previous Next

The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee today passed a bill that would create clear policies and procedures for metropolitan districts to abide by, improving accountability and consistency when enforcing their policies on homeowners. HB24-1267 unanimously passed by a vote of 10-0. < Back February 28, 2024 Jodeh, Bacon Bill to Protect Homeowners in Metro Districts Passes Committee DENVER, CO - The House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee today passed a bill that would create clear policies and procedures for metropolitan districts to abide by, improving accountability and consistency when enforcing their policies on homeowners. HB24-1267 unanimously passed by a vote of 10-0. “No one deserves to be forced out of their home over a dead tree in their yard,” said Rep. Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora. “Fines and fees from metro districts over minor violations are ultimately resulting in Coloradans losing their homes due to thousands of dollars worth of charges and attorney fees that Coloradans can’t afford to pay. People with disabilities or elders that live on a fixed income are especially vulnerable. Our legislation would shift to have metro districts and homeowners to work together to settle disputes, protecting Coloradans from being displaced for frivolous reasons.” “When there is nothing protecting homeowners in metro districts from being consistently fined for small violations, like an unpainted trim or an oil stain in their driveway, they’re vulnerable to losing all of the equity and security they have invested in their home,” said Rep. Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver. “It’s crucial that we keep Coloradans housed, and this bill would help prevent Colorado homeowners from losing their home over resolvable conflicts.” Starting January 1, 2025, HB24-1267 would prohibit a metro district from foreclosing on a lien based on a resident’s delinquent fees or other charges owed to the metro district. It would also create rules and guidelines for metro districts to comply with when enforcing policies on owners, including: Requiring metro districts to adopt written policies regarding the imposition and collection of fines, Prohibiting metro districts from foreclosing on liens based on delinquent fees and requiring residents to use specific flammable roofing or other materials, Establishing a fair process that gives an owner notice and an opportunity for a hearing, and Outlining procedures for dispute resolution between metro districts and residents, including mediation and court cases. HB24-1267 protects residents’ property rights by allowing them to display flags and signs, modify their property to accommodate a person with a disability, park an emergency vehicle in a driveway, remove vegetation for fire mitigation purposes, use a rain barrel, operate a family child care home or install renewable energy devices. Previous Next

Legislation would ensure compliance with landlord-tenant laws and uphold housing standards statewide < Back April 16, 2025 ICYMI: Committee Passes Bill to Ensure Safe Housing and Strengthen Renter Protections Legislation would ensure compliance with landlord-tenant laws and uphold housing standards statewide DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee passed legislation expanding the Attorney General’s and local governments’ authority to initiate and enforce landlord-tenant laws, ensuring safe housing and strengthening renter protections. SB25-020, sponsored by Representatives Mandy Lindsay and Javier Mabrey, passed by a vote of 6-5. “Every Coloradan deserves access to safe, stable housing,” said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora. “When an apartment complex in my district in Aurora was closed due to years of unmanaged rodent infestations and structural damage, it was clear that we needed to take action to ensure we have the tools to hold property management companies accountable. This legislation would empower the Attorney General and local governments to step in when the health and safety of Colorado renters are at risk, creating safer housing for all.” “Far too many Coloradans have been forced to live in untenable, dangerous conditions due to bad-acting landlords turning a blind eye,” said Rep. Javier Mabrey, D-Denver. “Aurora and Denver made national headlines last year, highlighting the need to bolster Colorado’s renter protections and crack down on property management companies who ignore Colorado’s housing protection laws. With this bill, we’re holding neglectful landlords accountable for side-stepping Colorado’s tenant protection laws and preventing more Coloradans from being stuck in unlivable housing situations.” SB25-020 would give the Colorado Attorney General authority to enforce housing protections for victims of unlawful sexual behavior, stalking, or domestic violence, documentation requirements for housing agreements, and protections regarding bed bugs in residential homes. The bill would give counties and municipalities the ability to initiate and enforce these same landlord-tenant laws in addition to existing provisions the Attorney General may already enforce. The bill would establish a process where, only in severe cases, residential housing may be placed into receivership - a legal process where a court appoints a caretaker to oversee a neglected property to temporarily manage operations, make necessary repairs, and repay debts. The bill outlines the process for receivership cases, including proper notice to parties, powers and responsibilities for entities appointed as receivers, and the process for ending receiverships. Reps. Lindsay and Mabrey have championed numerous tenant protection laws, including legislation to prevent unnecessary and arbitrary evictions and strengthen residential lease agreements to protect renters from signing leases with harmful hidden language. They have also bolstered Colorado’s warrant of habitability law to ensure tenants have access to timely repairs when unsafe conditions arise and adding damage due to an environmental public health event to the list of conditions that make a property uninhabitable. Previous Next

< Back June 3, 2020 SPONSORS INTRODUCE BILL TO HOLD LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCOUNTABLE Ensures transparency in police departments and consequences for those who use excessive force Denver, CO – Today, Senate President Leroy Garcia, Senator Rhonda Fields, Representative Leslie Herod, and Representative Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez unveiled legislation to improve public confidence in the integrity of law enforcement. The bill formalizes repercussive actions regarding police brutality and requires increased transparency by requiring the use of body-worn cameras. “Communities of color have been brutalized by police discrimination and violence for far too long and the recent demonstrations reflect that,” said President Leroy Garcia (D-Pueblo). “Police officers are in a position of public trust and should be held to the highest standard of conduct and accountability. But countless officers have escaped justice–eroding people’s confidence in those responsible for protecting the community. We need to root out those causing this erosion and reform our police transparency and repercussion standards.” “Coloradans who have taken to our streets to protest injustice and declare that Black Lives Matter were sparked by an incident in Minnesota, but we’ve seen similar tragedies happen in our own state,” said Black Caucus Chair Leslie Herod (D-Denver). “We need to make changes here at the State Capitol and at statehouses across the country. We will take action to protect black lives, hold law enforcement accountable, and ensure that police officers truly serve and protect all of us.” Additional transparency measures outlined in SB20-217 include mandating that all law enforcement agencies must track and publicly report data, including demographic information on uses of force, stops of civilians, searches of civilians, and forced entries into homes. This information will then be used by the Department of Public Safety to complete an annual report. The bill also works to rein in the use of deadly force by officers – bringing Colorado law in line with Supreme Court precedent which specifies that deadly force may only be used when there is an imminent risk to human life. If any peace officer is convicted of, pleads guilty to, or fails to intervene in the inappropriate use of physical force, they will be immediately terminated, de-certified, and barred from any future posting. Furthermore, SB20-217 works to prevent the rehiring of officers who are found untruthful, terminated for cause, or are decertified, by listing them in a database that would prevent them from moving from one law enforcement agency to another, where they could continue to do harm. Finally, this legislation would remove the ability of officers to avoid public accountability by removing their eligibility for qualified immunity which has shielded officers from consequences and denied families justice In the U.S., African Americans are at least 2.5 times more likely to be killed by police than white people. They are also 1.3 times less likely to be armed compared to Caucasians. Even more alarmingly, and despite well-documented cases of the use of excessive force, 99% of killings by police have not resulted in officers being charged with a crime. According to recent studies , there are solutions that are proven to significantly reduce the number of police killings, but few departments have adopted them. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Manny Rutinel that would continue the first-of-its-kind I Matter youth mental health program. SB24-001 passed by a vote of 50 to 13, with the majority of Republicans voting against the bill. < Back April 26, 2024 House Passes Bill to Extend the Successful I Matter Program DENVER, CO - The House today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Manny Rutinel that would continue the first-of-its-kind I Matter youth mental health program. SB24-001 passed by a vote o f 50 to 13, with the majority of Republicans voting against the bill. “We’re one step closer to extending the successful I Matter Program in our state, which means our youth can continue to have access to no-cost therapy when they need it,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “Over the years, the I Matter Program has connected over 11,000 kids to therapeutic services for anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and other mental health challenges. Programs like I Matter remove barriers to access and help our youth receive the behavioral and mental care they need.” “By extending the I Matter Program, we’re doubling down on our commitment to ensure our youth can receive the behavioral and mental health care they need,” said Rep. Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City. “No-cost therapy breaks down access barriers for youth and their families. Since its introduction, the I Matter Program has provided more than 50,000 essential therapy sessions – this bill continues this successful, important program to ensure we’re addressing the needs of our youth.” The popular I Matter connects youth with a licensed mental health therapist for up to six free virtual counseling sessions, but the program is currently set to repeal on June 30th, 2024. SB24-001 would continue the I Matter program until June 30, 2034, ensuring Colorado students can continue receiving quality mental health care at no-cost to them or their families. The I Matter program was established in the 2021 legislative session and expanded by HB22-1243 . The legislature also passed a law in 2023 allowing school districts to offer mental health screenings in schools to support student’s access to mental health care. I Matter has served over 11,000 Colorado youth since 2021 and provided over 50,000 sessions. According to the Colorado 2023 Kids Count report , youth suicide in 2023 decreased 30 percent from the year before. Previous Next