The House yesterday passed bipartisan legislation to allow Coloradans 72 years and older to opt out of jury duty. < Back May 1, 2025 ICYMI: Marshall’s Bill to Allow Older Coloradans to Opt Out of Jury Duty Passes House DENVER, CO – The House yesterday passed bipartisan legislation to allow Coloradans 72 years and older to opt out of jury duty. HB25-1065 passed the House by a vote of 50 to 14. “Under this bipartisan bill, older Coloradans can choose whether or not they want to serve on a jury,” said Rep. Bob Marshall, D-Highlands Ranch. “This bill aligns the opt-out age for jury duty with the retirement age for judges. The vast majority of states already allow older residents to opt out of jury duty temporarily or permanently, and this bill allows older Coloradans to choose what is right for them.” HB25-1065 would allow Coloradans aged 72 years and older to temporarily or permanently opt out of jury service. If signed into law, this bill would take effect on January 1, 2026. According to the Association for the Advancement of Retired Persons (AARP), 41 states offer an exemption from jury service based on age. The minimum age required to request an exemption from jury service ranges from 65 to 80 years old nationwide. Previous Next

< Back April 5, 2022 ROBERTS’ BILL TO PREVENT CARDIAC ARREST DEATHS PASSES COMMITTEE DENVER, CO – The House Health and Insurance Committee today passed HB22-1251 , sponsored by Representative Dylan Roberts, which would prevent deaths from cardiac arrests. “We need this bill to save lives. This bill will prevent cardiac arrest deaths by helping people locate and use life saving defibrillators,” said Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Avon. “The bill creates an outreach and education campaign to raise awareness of cardiac arrest and what to do when someone’s heart stops. Importantly, Colorado will start collecting crucial data on cardiac arrests to help us understand more about one of the leading causes of death in our state. Together, we can save more lives and this bill will provide people the tools they need to act.” The bill, which passed by a vote of 6-4, creates the Office of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Management to increase and improve the use of defibrillators. Under the bill, the office would implement an outreach campaign and training program to raise public awareness of cardiac arrest and teach the skills necessary to save lives. Colorado currently does not track data on cardiac arrests, even though it is one of the leading causes of death in the state. The bill requires the office to collect and coordinate data on cardiac arrests, including data from coroners and facilities that treat cardiac arrest patients. It would also employ a statewide cardiac arrest data coordinator and other personnel as necessary to support the overall goals of the Office of Sudden Cardiac Arrest Management. Previous Next

< Back April 20, 2022 BIPARTISAN BILL TO BOLSTER SERVICES FOR VICTIMS OF CRIME PASSESS COMMITTEE DENVER, CO – The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Monica Duran and Mike Weissman to direct $41 million in federal funds to services for crime victims. The vote was 8-3. “The turbulence caused by the pandemic has led to a rise in crime and domestic violence, and as a result, more Coloradans are seeking essential services to help them through some of the toughest challenges in their lives,” said Rep. Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “This legislation will ensure that essential victim services continue and that Coloradans have access to the support they need. As a survivor of domestic violence, I can’t stress enough how important these services are.” “This bill puts additional resources into state programs that help survivors of crime access critical support and services,” said Rep. Mike Weissman, D-Aurora. “With crime rising across the country as a result of the pandemic, we are redoubling our efforts to support survivors of crime with community-based programs and services that respond to their needs.” SB22-183 would fill a revenue gap in federal funding for crime victims to continue providing lifesaving services for child and adult victims of crime through a one-time investment of pandemic relief funding. The bill is one in a series of bills to invest millions into our state’s economic recovery and deliver urgently-needed relief to Coloradans. The bill invests $35 million in pandemic relief funding to the Colorado crime victim services fund to ensure essential victim services can continue for the next four years. SB22-183 also invests an additional $6 million to services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, as recommended by the Behavioral Health Transformational Task Force. Previous Next

Legislation would prohibit firearms in key locations consistent with SCOTUS rulings, improve the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s ability to address illegal firearm activity < Back April 29, 2024 House Passes Gun Violence Prevention Bills to Improve Investigations of Illegal Firearm Activity and Prohibit Firearms in Sensitive Spaces Legislation would prohibit firearms in key locations consistent with SCOTUS rulings, improve the Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s ability to address illegal firearm activity DENVER, CO - The House today passed gun violence prevention legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Meg Froelich that would improve investigations of illegal firearm activity. SB24-003 passed by a vote of 35-26. The House also passed legislation sponsored by Representatives Kyle Brown and Mandy Lindsay that would protect communities from gun violence and create safer public spaces by prohibiting the carrying of firearms in certain locations. SB24-131 passed by a vote of 43-21. “From safe storage laws to waiting periods, Colorado Democrats have passed significant gun violence prevention legislation that can have a real impact on the safety of our communities,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “Current gaps in authority and resources make it difficult for law enforcement officials to enforce our laws to the fullest extent. With this legislation, CBI will have the authority and the resources to work with local law enforcement agencies on life-saving investigations of illegal firearms.” “We all share a common goal of keeping illegal guns out of our communities, which is why I’m sponsoring this bill to ensure the safety of our loved ones and neighbors,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “We should be proud of the significant progress that we’ve made to tackle gun violence. This legislation uplifts our past work and reflects our commitment to keeping our communities safe by ensuring law enforcement agencies have the resources they need to investigate illegal firearm activity.” SB24-003 would give the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the ability to investigate illegal activity involving firearms. It would appropriate $1.7 million to the Department of Public Safety to create a team that investigates individuals convicted of felonies who are attempting to illegally purchase a firearm, and other illegal firearm crimes such as possession of a ghost gun. SB24-131 would restrict the presence of firearms in certain locations where children and families may be present. The bill would prohibit carrying a firearm - openly or concealed - in the following locations and their parking areas: government buildings where legislative meetings and offices are located; courthouses; child care facilities, K-12 schools, colleges; and polling locations. The bill includes exemptions for peace officers, members of the US Armed Forces performing official duties, working student resource officers, and more. “Coloradans deserve to vote, peacefully assemble, and receive a quality education, but firearms have historically threatened their right to do so without risking their lives,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “ Firearms can and have been used to intimidate and cause harm, making people afraid to vote in person and attend school. This legislation would restrict guns in certain sensitive spaces, like polling centers and government buildings like the Colorado Capitol, to better protect all Coloradans from gun violence.” “As legislators, we are responsible for passing policy that protects Coloradans’ lives, which is why we’re passing this important gun violence prevention legislation,” said Rep. Mandy Lindsay, D-Aurora. “Our bill would prohibit firearms in sensitive spaces, defined by the U.S. Supreme Court, like polling centers, preschools, and government buildings so we can make our communities safer and prevent threats and intimidation in our schools and government and electoral processes.” Many states protect sensitive places from gun violence. Arizona, Florida, Texas, Georgia and Louisiana prohibit open and concealed carry at voting locations. The locations protected under this bill have been deemed sensitive spaces in recent rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. Previous Next

Governor Jared Polis today signed three bills to protect and conserve Colorado’s water resources. < Back May 15, 2025 JOINT RELEASE: SIGNED! Bills to Protect Colorado’s Water DILLON, CO - Governor Jared Polis today signed three bills to protect and conserve Colorado’s water resources. HB25-1115 will improve how Colorado measures snowpack and our water supply HB25-1311 will phase out sports betting tax incentives to capture more revenue for water conservation, and SB25-040 studies the future of severance tax revenue to create a sustainable funding stream for water projects. “Water is a part of our Western identity, and we must take steps now to preserve and protect the water resources we have,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon, sponsor of HB25-1115 and HB25-1311. “To effectively manage Colorado's water supply, we need all the research and data available to inform our decisions. These bipartisan laws increase funding for essential water conservation efforts and research. We’re taking action now to better protect the freshwater Coloradans rely on for outdoor recreation, agriculture and household use.” “Securing our state’s water future is one of the most pressing issues facing Colorado, especially for the rural and mountain communities I represent,” said Senator Dylan Roberts, sponsor of HB25-1115, HB25-1311, and SB25-040. “I’m proud to have sponsored these bipartisan laws, which will ensure we have accurate data and sustainable funding sources to conserve and manage Colorado’s water supply. We’re working today to make sure that our communities have the water we need for generations to come.” HB25-1115 , also sponsored by Representative Matt Soper, R-Delta, will help protect and preserve Colorado’s fresh water resources by empowering the Colorado Water Conservation Board to to oversee a statewide water supply measurement and forecasting program. This statewide approach includes collecting and disseminating data on snowpack levels and investigating the latest advances in snowpack measurement and water supply forecasting. When voters approved Proposition DD in 2019, they legalized sports betting and set an effective tax rate of 10 percent on betting to be used for industry regulation, gambling addiction services, and water projects. However, casinos are only paying an effective 5.89 percent tax rate due to allowable deductions for payouts to customers, federal excise tax, and “free bets”. HB25-1311 , also sponsored by Representative Soper, will bring sports betting companies closer to the voter-approved effective tax rate of 10 percent by prohibiting sports betting operators from deducting “free bets” as a tax write-off, increasing funding for the Colorado Water Plan by a projected $3.2 million in the 2025-2026 fiscal year and $12.9 million in the 2026-2027 fiscal year. “This new law sets Colorado on the right path for creating reliable and sustainable funding for our future water projects,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont, sponsor of SB25-040. “Every sector of our economy relies on water, and we’re taking the step now to preserve and conserve this precious resource.” “From agriculture, recreation and household use – the Colorado way of life depends on our freshwater resources,” said Rep. Matt Martinez, D-Monte Vista, sponsor of SB25-040. “Our new bipartisan law will make sure Colorado has a sustainable and dependable funding stream dedicated to water projects for generations to come.” SB25-040 will help Colorado create a sustainable and reliable funding stream for water projects. This new law permits the Department of Natural Resources to study the future of severance tax revenue and energy grants. Severance tax revenue is volatile and incredibly unpredictable; this law will help Colorado identify new, reliable ways to fund water projects. The task force must develop and deliver recommendations by July 2026. Previous Next

Lawmakers protect K-12 education, universal preschool and core health care services amidst a $1.2 billion deficit while making difficult cuts to balance < Back April 10, 2026 House Advances FY 2026-2027 Budget Lawmakers protect K-12 education, universal preschool and core health care services amidst a $1.2 billion deficit while making difficult cuts to balance DENVER, CO – The House today advanced the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 state budget on a preliminary vote. This bipartisan budget protects K-12 education and core health care services, while making reductions across state departments, lowering the state’s reserve, and reducing Medicaid spending to close a $1.2 billion deficit. “Many of the cuts in this budget are gut-wrenching, but we did our best to protect investments in core services, including health care, universal preschool and K-12 education,” said JBC Chair Rep. Emily Sirota, D-Denver. “The TABOR cap requires trade-offs; a dollar for one program or service is a dollar less for another. It’s impossible not to make cuts to programs Coloradans care about–programs that have proven to be effective. However, this bipartisan budget protects what matters most to Coloradans while making responsible reductions to meet our Constitutional requirement to deliver a balanced budget.” “Despite a staggering deficit, this bipartisan budget protects K-12 education, core Medicaid coverage, and public health services,” said JBC Member Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville . “There is a bipartisan agreement that there are no easy places to cut more than a billion dollars from our state budget, but we did our best to preserve core services Coloradans rely on. Medicaid costs have been rising far beyond what the state can afford under the TABOR cap, but I’m proud that, unlike H.R. 1, we were able to reduce some Medicaid spending in a way that doesn’t kick anyone off their health insurance.” The state’s $46.8 billion budget includes $17.4 billion in general fund expenditures, a net increase of just $212 million amidst $470 million more in Medicaid general fund costs This year’s Long Bill, HB26-1410 , is accompanied by 64 “orbital bills,” which move through the legislative process alongside the budget and make the statutory changes needed to balance the budget. Investing in Our Students K-12 Education: Despite declining enrollment, this budget increases education funding at pace with inflation and does not reinstate the Budget Stabilization Factor. The General Fund contribution to K-12 education will increase significantly this year thanks to the Kids Matter Account created by Colorado Democrats last year, which is forecasted to invest more than $216 million in our schools next year. This is in addition to the $4.6 billion base General Fund spending for Colorado’s K-12 schools that will continue in FY26-27, which will be outlined in more detail in the 2026 School Finance Act. Universal Preschool: Increased funding by $14 million to continue free preschool access for all Colorado kids, save families money, and prevent children and families from losing access to early childhood education. Healthy School Meals for All: Increased funding by $38M to implement the voter-approved Prop MM and preserve access to free school meals for students. Higher education: Lawmakers avoided major cuts to Colorado’s higher education institutions by holding funding flat this year. Protecting Core Health Care Coverage This budget protects core health care benefits and does not reduce Medicaid enrollment, preventing Coloradans from losing health insurance entirely. To boost support for parents and children and protect access to maternal health care, the budget exempts Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and maternal health providers from provider rate reductions. Supporting Older Coloradans and Veterans Senior Homestead Property Tax Exemption: This budget protects $200 million to ensure older Coloradans and veterans save money on their property taxes. Safeguarding our Water Colorado River: This budget boosted funding by $3.8 million to strengthen the state’s Colorado River negotiations and protect Colorado’s water future. There are three main factors that have contributed to Colorado’s budget deficit. First, H.R.1 created enormous new tax cuts for the wealthiest corporations and slashed revenue for core state services. This required the JBC to cut $200 million more from the budget to protect the Senior and Veterans Homestead Exemption. It also created a larger hole to fill in FY 2026-2027 by dipping into the state’s reserve in FY 2025-2026. Finally, it turned off over $1 billion in tax credits for families, taking money out of the pockets of hardworking Coloradans. Second, TABOR limits how much Colorado can invest in government services each year, and there is a constitutional requirement to pass a balanced budget. When the costs to provide state services grow faster than the amount of money the state can spend each year under TABOR, then cuts have to be made. That is what is happening this year – Medicaid costs, prison caseload, and utilization of core services continue to grow substantially more than what the state can spend and what program experts previously forecast. Third, Medicaid costs are exploding year over year, far beyond what was forecasted by nonpartisan legislative staff. Medicaid is growing at nearly nine percent per year, while TABOR constrains how much more the state can spend each year (about 3.2 percent for next year’s budget). Medicaid spending is increasing primarily due to inflation and higher costs for existing benefits, higher utilization of services, and higher provider rates, not new benefits or services. The largest growth has been in long-term care, prescription drug coverage, and pediatric behavioral health. To close the $1.2 billion budget deficit and deliver a balanced, bipartisan budget, lawmakers reduced health care spending, including a $270 million reduction in Medicaid reimbursement rates and some services. This is in addition to the $90 million lawmakers already cut from Medicaid this year. Additionally, lawmakers reallocated $570 million that was previously invested in state programs or services, lowered the state’s reserve by $340 million, and made $150 million in cuts across smaller state departments. Lawmakers found additional savings in state employee compensation and held contractor rates flat to save $120 million, reduced health disparity grants and water quality programs by $4.5 million, and made $9.3 million in caseload-based reductions to the early intervention programs at the Department of Early Childhood. One of the more difficult cuts for the JBC was to limit reimbursements to family members who serve as caregivers of Medicaid recipients. At 56 hours per week starting in 2027, reimbursement for family members who serve as caregivers in Colorado will remain one of the most generous in the country. Many states only reimburse up to 10 hours. Lawmakers also made a 9-percent reduction in the Cover All Coloradans program, which provides health care to pregnant women and young children, by reducing benefits. Previous Next

The House today passed legislation to make early childhood education In Colorado more language inclusive and accessible. < Back April 19, 2024 House Passes Bill to Expand Bilingual Early Childhood Programs DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation to make early childhood education In Colorado more language inclusive and accessible. HB24-1009, sponsored by Representatives Junie Joseph and Barbara McLachlan, would support Spanish-speaking providers seeking professional licensure. “Coloradans across our state are searching for high-quality, affordable bilingual early childhood programs and this bill will help more Spanish-speaking providers get licensed,” said Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder. “This bill improves bilingual outreach within the Department of Early Childhood Education to better support Spanish-speaking providers seeking professional licensure. Bilingual early childhood programs make education more accessible, inclusive, and culturally-centered for some of our youngest learners.” “Early childhood education is the foundation to preparing our students for a lifetime of success,” said Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. “This important bill would make bilingual early childhood programs more accessible in Colorado by improving outreach and connection with Spanish-speaking providers. When children have access to education in their primary language, they can grow, learn and succeed, and this bill helps address some of the accessibility issues our state has when it comes to bilingual early childhood programs.” HB24-1009 passed by a vote of 47 to 13. This bill would make early childhood education more inclusive and accessible by expanding bilingual early childhood programs and facilities with a new bilingual licensing unit in the Department of Early Childhood. Specifically, the bill would expand licensed child care options across the state by supporting Spanish-speaking providers to become licensed and provide more linguistically relevant child care options for children and families. The bill would require the department to provide that education and information in plain language and prevalent languages to individuals completing paperwork to meet child care licensing requirements and to open a licensed early childhood program or facility. The demand for high-quality affordable child care is growing in Colorado. However, even when child care slots are available, there is often a lack of linguistically and culturally responsive care. According to the latest Census Bureau data, 16 percent of Colorado residents speak a language other than English at home, including 11 percent who speak Spanish. Providing access to Spanish language child care licensing services and resources and education on licensing in prevalent languages would help remove barriers for child care providers and open the door to new, accessible child care options in communities across the state. Previous Next

< Back May 2, 2019 HOUSE PASSES BILL TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE Bill goes to Gov for signature (May 1) – The House sent a bill sponsored by Speaker of the House KC Becker, D-Boulder, and Rep. Dominique Jackson, D-Aurora, to the Governor. The bill will take action to address climate change. Acting on climate will help protect clean air and water, and spur clean energy jobs, innovation, business development, and economic growth for Colorado. “We can address climate change, create clean energy jobs, reduce carbon pollution and help our economy all at once,” s aid Speaker Becker. “I thank my colleagues for taking action to address this challenge and we look forward to the Governor signing it into law. Air pollution doesn’t respect county or governmental boundaries and in Colorado we take pride in the fact that we are doing our part to address the impacts of climate change. This bill sets goals to reduce carbon pollution and some utilities have already set carbon-free goals.” “We too frequently see the smog, and the hazy, bad air quality impacting the air we all breathe. Pollution is changing how we live our lives and threatening the things we love about Colorado,” said Rep. Jackson when the bill passed the House in April. “We’ve all heard the stories about elderly individuals who have been physically harmed because they couldn’t cool their home. Our seniors, low income people and especially communities of color are more likely to bear the impacts of climate change. Let’s preserve our Colorado way of life today.” Rep. Jackson is Chair of the House Energy and Environment committee. Establishing science-based goals & taking action to meet them are critical to Colorado’s future. The overwhelming majority of Coloradans support climate action. Coloradans are already seeing the negative impacts of climate change on a daily basis: Coloradans are experiencing poor air quality affecting our health; mountain residents are seeing more frequent and destructive wildfires; increased drought is harming our farms; smaller snow packs are resulting in shorter ski seasons; and shallower rivers for fishing and rafting are threatening our thriving outdoor economy and the Colorado way of life. The overwhelming majority of Coloradans support climate action. This reasonable, science-based legislation directs the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC) to develop rules limiting carbon pollution, ensuring Colorado lead on climate action. HB19-1261 puts pollution reduction goals into statute to reduce Colorado’s greenhouse gas pollution by 26 percent by 2025, 50 percent by 2030, and 90 percent by 2050 of 2005 levels. The AQCC will hold an extensive stakeholder process throughout the rulemaking period. The House re-passed the bill after the Senate added amendments on a vote 39-24. Previous Next

< Back June 23, 2021 POLIS SIGNS $75M FOR WORKFORCE TRAINING AND BILL TO CREATE STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY DENVER, CO - – Governor Polis today signed two bills that will invest $75 million to boost Colorado’s workforce training programs and expand access to quality apprenticeship pathways. The lack of qualified talent in Colorado has been one of the primary barriers to business growth. HB21-1264 , sponsored by Representatives Sullivan and Young, invests $75 million to provide Coloradans with reskilling, upskilling, and next-skilling opportunities that lead to industry-recognized credentials and employment opportunities in growing industries that are looking to hire. The money will go to the Colorado Workforce Development Council and the Departments of Education and Higher Education to invest in this new innovative program as well as enhance Colorado’s adult education and career and technical education programs. The funds will help thousands of Coloradans complete high quality job and career training programs to help them achieve economic self-sufficiency and rebuild our economy. “Colorado businesses are looking to hire skilled workers so they can grow and meet demand for their goods and services,” said Rep. Mary Young, D-Greeley, sponsor of HB21-1264 “This new law will create expanded opportunities for workers to upskill, reskill or next skill so they can fill good jobs and power the Colorado Comeback.” “The bills Governor Polis signed today are going to provide more workers in Colorado the tools and skills to fill good jobs and build careers in thriving and growing industries,” said Rep. Tom Sullivan, D- Centennial, sponsor of HB21-1264 and HB21-1007. “We’re putting $75 million toward expanding access to workforce centers and nonprofits across Colorado that provide critical job-training, and we’re creating a Colorado Apprenticeship Agency to improve, oversee, coordinate and expand access to apprenticeship programs that can jump-start careers.” “Apprenticeship programs are a proven pathway for workers and students to learn the skills they’ll need to work in growing industries,” said Rep. David Ortiz, D-Littleton. “I’m excited the governor signed legislation today to create a state apprenticeship agency in Colorado that will ensure workers and students can access quality programs that are designed to provide the skills and tools apprentices need to excel in their careers.” HB21-1007 , sponsored by Representatives Tom Sullivan and David Ortiz, establishes a state apprenticeship agency. The agency will collaborate with the US Department of Labor to register and oversee apprenticeship programs at the state level, determine standards for apprenticeship programs, and ensure these standards are being met. It will work to promote apprenticeship programs so that more Coloradans can access these critical training opportunities, which to-date have jump-started the careers of nearly 2 million Americans in the last decade. Because Colorado does not have a state apprenticeship agency, apprenticeship programs are currently registered with the US Department of Labor. This new state agency will work with businesses and organizations offering apprenticeship programs to provide technical assistance to help them create and meet standards and provide more flexibility to ensure apprentices are learning the skills they need to advance in their trade. Twenty-five other states have state apprenticeship councils. Previous Next

The House today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Elizabeth Velasco that would improve safety and keep traffic flowing on Colorado’s mountain highways. SB24-100 passed by a vote of 60-4. < Back April 30, 2024 Bipartisan Velasco Bill to Improve Safety, Keep Traffic Flowing on Mountain Highways Passes DENVER, CO - The House today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Representative Elizabeth Velasco that would improve safety and keep traffic flowing on Colorado’s mountain highways. SB24-100 passed by a vote of 60-4. “My community of Glenwood Springs experiences the most accidents of the entire stretch of I-70, and road closures due to these accidents can have negative consequences on our businesses and the safety of our residents,” said Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs. “When I-70 is closed, employees can’t make it to work and first responders can’t address an emergency in a timely manner. The goal of our bill is to reduce accidents on I-70 so we can keep our roads open and communities safe.” SB24-100 also sponsored by Representative Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction, would improve safety by allowing the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) to establish a zone with increased speeding fines for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in Glenwood Canyon. The bill would also ban CMVs from driving in the left lane on I-70 in several key stretches where crashes are most frequent and disruptive, exceptions are permitted to pass vehicles going under the speed limit. According to CDOT , CMVs represent about 7 percent of traffic, but account for more than 52 percent of traffic incidents. Wrecks involving CMVs take nearly twice as long to clear as passenger incidents. SB24-100 would further expand locations where CDOT may require traction equipment from parts of I-70 to key mountainous stretches of other state and U.S. highways. The bill would also give port of entry officers the powers of a peace officer when enforcing highway closures and direct CDOT to study additional locations for chain-up and chain-down stations. Previous Next

< Back April 6, 2022 MCCLUSKIE BILLS TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR SUCCESS AND SAVE FAMILIES MONEY ADVANCE DENVER, CO – The House Education Committee today passed two bills sponsored by Representative Julie McCluskie that will prepare students for success and save families and students money on their higher education degrees. “The legislation we passed today will save students and families money on higher education tuition and prepare our students for success,” said Rep. Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Workforce needs in the high country and across Colorado are significant, and this bill opens the door for all Colorado high school graduates to gain the education they need to secure better paying jobs and address workforce shortages. With these bills, we’re working to create new pathways for students to earn postsecondary degrees in less time with fewer costs and increase the resources we dedicate to K-12 education.” HB22-1155 , sponsored by Representatives McCluskie and Perry Will, would expand in-state tuition to more Colorado students and families. Under current law, students must reside in Colorado for at least three years before they are eligible for in-state tuition. This bill changes the requirement to allow any student who graduates from a Colorado high school and has resided in the state for one year to receive in-state tuition. The bill passed 5-3. HB22-1146 , sponsored by Representatives McCluskie and Colin Larson, creates a working group to determine how the state can improve earnings on funds invested in the State Public School Fund. The fund invests money from the State School Land Trust to support K-12 education. The bill passed 9-0. Previous Next

< Back April 19, 2021 HOUSE CHARTS A COURSE TO IMPROVE FIRST RESPONDER INTERACTIONS WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES DENVER, CO– The House today passed Representative Meg Froelich’s bipartisan bill to establish a commission charged with creating a plan to improve first responder interactions with people with disabilities. The bill passed by a vote of 53-10. “People with disabilities are disproportionately more likely to be the victim of crimes and have unique needs and considerations that must be taken into account by first responders,” said Rep. Meg Froelich, D-Englewood. “This bill sets us down a path toward ensuring that first responders have the training and tools necessary to guarantee better outcomes when they interact with people with disabilities. By passing this bill today, we voted in favor of preventing tragedies and ensuring that those tasked with keeping our communities safe are better prepared to protect all community members.” HB21-1122 , also sponsored by Representative Colin Larson, would establish a twelve-person commission tasked with performing a detailed study of existing training for peace officers on interactions with persons with disabilities and provide a report to the POST Board by February 28, 2022. The bill establishes that the resulting training curriculum be implemented for basic training and the annual in-service training by July 1, 2022. Once the curriculum is implemented, the commission would monitor the training process, assess any challenges and the effectiveness of the training to present and suggest to the POST Board. Previous Next