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State-driven tax cuts have wildly different impacts on Colorado communities, so let’s leave it to local governments to make adjustments < Back Rep. deGruy Kennedy: After Colorado legislature’s latest special session is finished, we must restore local control over property taxes Aug 20, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Colorado Sun here . Over my eight years representing Jefferson County in the state House, I’ve learned that good policy is about thoughtful stakeholding, delicate balancing, and, ultimately, hard choices. As the state embarks on yet another special legislative session on property taxes, those shaping this round of policy solutions should keep in mind the lessons we’ve already learned. Those are: All voices — including those not in the room — need to be considered, not just those with the resources to make their voices the loudest. Despite posturing to the contrary, proponents of the extreme, badly crafted measures are seeing the writing on the wall and are eager for a deal. And, state-driven policy on issues that are inherently local is fraught with problems. It needs to stop. Let’s start with the consensus-driven process that created Senate Bill 233 , the bipartisan property tax legislation we passed this year that will lower property taxes by $1 billion. Even as I struggled with some of the sacrifices we had to make to maintain strong support from across the aisle, the bill provides meaningful property tax cuts and a cap on future growth without undermining K-12 funding, which is still well below the national average. And it delivers more property tax relief to regular folks and small businesses without giving exorbitant tax breaks to the wealthiest homeowners and largest corporations. Importantly, it was the result of countless hours of public discussion. Fairness and inclusion should continue to be the guideposts for any new policy emerging from the special session. Lawmakers should not feel as though they need to put the interests of everyday Coloradans on the back burner in order to kowtow to whomever is bankrolling Initiatives 50 and 108 , the chaotic conservative measures that would create a fiscal trainwreck at the state and local levels. While it’s understandable that many stakeholders are afraid of the possibility that these measures might pass in November, polling shows they are headed toward defeat. I think proponents of 50 and 108 know that too. Otherwise, why would they express an openness to relatively small cuts in exchange for pulling down their ballot measures? I’ve always thought that the classic negotiation strategy of staking out an extreme position and wiggling back toward a middle ground was silly. Shouldn’t grown-ups just be able to sit down, put their cards on table, discuss their differences, and let the democratically elected representatives cast their votes? But that’s never what happens, because that’s not what serves the special interests. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a corporate lobbyist bluff their way through a negotiation. They come in hot, suggesting they have the upper hand and convincing legislators that the only way to get the votes for a bill is to cut a deal. Are the proponents of 50 and 108 bluffing? I don’t know. Maybe they’re willing to bankrupt state and local governments to prove a point. But I think they very much want a deal so they can claim victory for cutting taxes without having to spend millions of dollars on a campaign that may or may not succeed. The third lesson we should take from the thoughtful deliberations that went into crafting Senate Bill 233 centers on local control. What we need is stable state policy, restoring true local control to our duly-elected city councilors, county commissioners and district board members. They have the tools to engage with their voters and balance the impact of taxes with the needs of public services. And these communities are all different. Some have more residential while some have more commercial properties. Many rural counties didn’t see significant home value growth, and the property tax cuts hurt their ability to provide services when their constituents did not experience the same property tax increases seen elsewhere. Many local governments had passed voter-approved revenue changes in previous years. But many other local governments had never passed revenue increases, meaning their constituents were paying lower taxes to begin with. The 2023 value increases finally caught them up with their neighbors and allowed for investments that had been deferred for years, if not decades. Additional state-driven property tax cuts will have wildly different impacts across our state, and they will be permanent. That means that economic downturns could have serious consequences in communities. Our local leaders, on the other hand, have the tools to temporarily lower their mill levies in times like these. And they have the ability to focus on the needs of their own communities, allowing them to find the sweet spot between additional tax relief and funding their unmet needs. So, if the state is going to have one last hurrah in property tax policy, then fine. We’re well positioned to get a good deal that prioritizes regular folks and carefully balances statewide priorities like K-12 and higher education funding. But this should be the very last time. After that, we must restore local control over property taxes. Chris deGruy Kennedy of Lakewood was one of the prime sponsors of Senate Bill 233 and outgoing Colorado House Speaker Pro Tem; he is now the president and CEO of the Bell Policy Center. Previous Next

< Back Shannon Bird Rep. Bird represents House District 29, which includes both the Adams County and Jefferson County portions of the city of Westmister. Originally elected in November of 2018, she is now serving in her fourth term in the General Assembly. Representative Bird has previously served as a member of the Joint Budget Committee, the Appropriations Committee, the Chair of the House Finance Committee, the Business Affairs & Labor Committee, the Pension Commission, the Pension Review Subcommittee and the Legislative Oversight Committee Concerning Tax Policy. Growing and maintaining a strong state economy, housing affordability and high quality public education are Representative Bird’s three policy priorities. A few examples of her work in these areas include legislation that doubled the state’s annual tax credit for affordable housing, Colorado’s Occupational Credential Portability Program, which allows licensed professionals moving to Colorado to have an easier time transferring their licenses so that they can begin working sooner and the Small Business Recovery Loan Program, which established a $50 million low interest rate loan fund for Colorado small businesses recovering from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic recession. She attended the University of Colorado at Boulder where she earned a B.A. in Economics. She later graduated from the University of Colorado at Denver, earning both an MBA and an MS in Finance. Representative Bird completed her education by earning a J.D. at the University of Denver College of Law. Representative Bird has served her community in numerous ways. She was the citizen chairperson for her school district’s bond and mill levy override campaign; served as board chair of the Five Star Education Foundation and also served on the Westminster City Council just prior to being elected to the Colorado General Assembly. She and her husband David are the proud parents of two children who attend Adams 12 public schools. Representative Bird also manages a menagerie of cats! In her free time, she is an avid reader, who loves to take long walks with friends and spend time with her family.

Initiative 144 and 145 will reduce pet care in Colorado < Back Rep. McCormick: As a veterinarian and a lawmaker, please don’t let big businesses undermine Colorado pet care Jun 12, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Denver Post here . Initiative 144 and 145 will reduce pet care in Colorado Forty years ago I swore a lifelong oath when starting my career as a veterinarian. Part of that oath affirms that I will use my scientific knowledge and skill to benefit society through the protection of animal health and welfare. It is with that oath, and my lifetime of service to animals and people that I must now sound the alarm to all Coloradans. There are two ballot initiatives being circulated collecting signatures for the fall ballot. These initiatives are being driven by big corporate interests from outside of Colorado. They are Initiative 144 and 145 and are being misleadingly sold to voters as a way to “increase access to veterinary care.” The General Assembly worked very hard this spring in a bipartisan, collaborative way, to develop a robust approach to how best to utilize tele-technologies like video calls in veterinary care. That bill was signed into law by the governor earlier this year, and it passed the House of Representatives unanimously. It is widely supported by veterinarians, veterinary technicians, farmers and ranchers, shelters and humane societies and animal caretakers. The bill strengthens and clarifies that veterinary telemedicine should supplement and not replace in-person care. We absolutely should use telehealth more and this law will make sure it is done right to protect pets. Initiative 144 also has to do with Veterinary Telehealth, but is a danger to pets. 144 would dismantle that well-structured law the governor just signed and eliminate the need for a doctor to ever see your animal in person. The ballot question essentially eliminates the most important tools your veterinarian has to get to the bottom of what is going on — their hands, eyes, ears, and nose. 144 would not benefit people or their animals and would create real safety concerns. It would only help corporate entities focused on profits, allowing them to push medicine to animal owners via online platforms. Animals would be the ones suffering in this situation as they would not be getting accurate care. The second ballot initiative, 145, also funded by outside corporate interests, will allow creation of a new animal health position called a veterinary professional associate or VPA. TA VPA is not licensed to practice medicine, has not gone through an accredited veterinary education program, has not passed a national exam, will not have sufficient liability protections, would not be able to prescribe medicines due to federal law, and will be under-trained through primarily an online master’s program. These VPAs would then be allowed to actually practice veterinary medicine on your pets, including surgery, diagnose diseases, interpret lab test results and prescribe a treatment plan, all without a license. Corporate interests want VPAs to practice medicine without the consumer protection safeguards that exist for licensed veterinarians. If this sounds crazy to you then you can understand my grave concern for the animals of our state for whom we are responsible. Skilled veterinary technicians are already more qualified than this contemplated VPA. They have comprehensive training, take a national exam and are regulated by the state. We passed another strong bipartisan bill to elevate and extend the skills of veterinary technicians with House Bill 1047. There has been over $633,000 granted to Colorado State University by Petsmart Charities to develop a veterinary mid-level position master’s degree. This degree program is not looking to be accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) who is responsible for accreditation of every single College of Veterinary Medicine in the country, including CSU’s, and for every school that graduates Veterinary technicians. In order for this master’s degree to work for Petsmart, who partners with Mars,Inc./ Banfield vet clinics, would need ballot initiative 145 to get on the ballot and pass. There has been over $255,000 contributed toward the effort to get these Initiatives on the ballot by the Issue Committee called ‘All Pets Deserve Care’ registered with the Secretary of State. This entity received its largest single donation of $250,000 from Denver Dumb Friends League. The details into DDFL’s financials to know where the $250,000 came from is not publicly available. Mars, Inc. who owns Banfield and VCA veterinary hospitals across the nation have funded studies in the past that have fed a narrative that the U.S. needs to create a new veterinary position in order to keep up with the demand for veterinary care. These studies have been disputed by many reputable veterinary economists since. But the narrative has taken off and is fueling this push to create a new veterinary worker who in reality won’t be prepared to help animals. We need more veterinarians and more veterinary technicians. Let’s focus on solving that problem. Karen McCormick is a state representative for House District 11. Previous Next

< Back Manny Rutinel Representative Rutinel is an environmental attorney, entrepreneur, first-generation American, and the proud son of a single mother. He represents House District 32, which includes the great people of Commerce City, Welby, and other unincorporated areas of Adams County. Rep. Rutinel's priorities are environmental justice, affordability, and civil rights. Rep. Rutinel received his J.D. from Yale Law School. After law school, he was an Attorney for Earthjustice, fighting to hold corporate polluters accountable. Before law school, Rep. Rutinel was an economist for the US Army Corps of Engineers, where he also served as a First Responder in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria. He holds an M.S. in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Florida.

Colorado Democrats worked hard to reduce property taxes and support hardworking families < Back Rep. Tisha Mauro: Delivering for Coloradans: A post special session debrief Dec 17, 2023 See more This op-ed was published in the Pueblo Chieftain on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023. Rising property values have led to many Coloradans facing unaffordable property taxes, especially for those on fixed incomes and our most vulnerable communities. In Pueblo, residential home values have risen nearly 40% . During our four day special session in mid-November, Colorado Democrats delivered short-term, residential property tax relief while protecting funding for schools, fire districts and libraries and without using any of the state’s TABOR surplus that must be refunded to taxpayers. Overall, this new law provides more than $430 million in residential property tax relief. Specifically, we increased the property value exemption for multifamily and single family residential properties from $15,000 to $55,000 and decreased the residential assessment rate from 6.76% to 6.7% for the 2023 tax year. This means that you can now deduct $55,000 right off the top of your home’s value before the application of the newly lowered residential assessment rate and local mill levies. For a residential property worth $350,000 – slightly higher than the median home value in Pueblo – a homeowner will save $246 on their property taxes. This is in addition to $200 in cost savings from bipartisan legislation passed in the last two years to address rising property taxes ( SB22-238 and SB21-293 ) for a total of $446 of property tax savings for 2023 from legislation passed at the state capitol. While immediate property tax relief took center stage, we also championed legislation to develop more long-term, robust property tax solutions. The Commission on Property Tax will be composed of legislators, a property tax administrator and different local government and community leaders to map out long-term solutions to property taxes that have been rising since Coloradans voted to repeal the Gallagher Amendment in 2020. In addition to property tax relief, the legislature also ramped up support for hardworking families. After paying rent, groceries and gas, we know many Coloradans’ budgets are squeezed. As we continue to tackle our state’s affordability crisis, three more bills we passed during the special session will put more money back into the pockets of families who need it the most. SB23B-003 increases TABOR refunds for hardworking Coloradans by issuing refunds in equal amounts of $800 per single filer or $1,600 for joint filers for all tax filers. If we had not taken action, the wealthiest Coloradans would have gotten much larger refunds, and the rest of us would have gotten less. Under this new law, nearly 60% of Coloradans and everyone making under $100,000 will receive a larger refund. In Pueblo, nearly 90% of our residents will receive a larger TABOR refund, which taxpayers will see added to their state tax refund this spring., Colorado Democrats also doubled tax relief for low-income working families to 50% of the federal earned income tax credit, which will provide $185 million in targeted tax relief to low-and-moderate income Colorado families. Nearly half of Pueblo’s population could be eligible for this increased tax relief. To make sure vulnerable children don’t go without food this summer, we also ensured access to an additional $35 million in federal funds to expand the Electronic Benefits Transfer program, which helps families purchase groceries from SNAP retailers during summer months when child hunger is the most severe. Eligible Colorado families will receive $40 per child per month beginning in 2024. As evictions across our state rise, the need for emergency rental assistance is more dire than ever before. Emergency rental assistance works in two ways – it protects landlords from financial losses and prevents Coloradans from losing their homes. Coloradans facing eviction often have nowhere else to turn which leads to cycles of poverty, homelessness and myriad other life disruptions. During the special session, we stepped up to invest $30 million into emergency rental assistance, raising statewide assistance to $65 million this year. From Grand Junction to Denver and Pueblo and Fort Morgan, Coloradans statewide on the brink of eviction or late on their rent can take advantage of emergency financial assistance. We know this law will keep thousands of Coloradans housed in their communities and help many get back on their feet. Together, Colorado Democrats worked hard to champion thoughtful, impactful legislation that prioritizes our hardworking families while providing much needed property tax relief now. With the 2024 legislative session on the horizon, we are already gearing up, preparing legislation and working alongside community members to bring forward new ideas that will make Colorado a more affordable place for everyone to call home. Representative Tisha Mauro represents House District 46 which spans the majority of Pueblo County, including Avondale, Beulah, Colorado City and Rye. Previous Next

Colorado Democrats delivered results to reduce property taxes, support hardworking families and prevent evictions. With urgent property tax cuts, more rental assistance, and tax relief for working families, Colorado Democrats delivered results during the 2023 Extraordinary Session of the 74th General Assembly to make Colorado more affordable for all. DOWNLOAD IN ENGLISH & ESPAÑOL

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

< Back Tisha Mauro Representative Tisha Mauro is the Vice-Chair for the Agriculture, Water and Natural Resources Committee and a member of the House Business Affairs & Labor Committee. Representative Mauro represents House District 46 which spans the majority of Pueblo County, including Avondale, Beulah, Colorado City and Rye. Rep. Mauro’s focus is on legislation that conserves and protects Colorado’s water, land and air. As a chile farmer herself, she’s an advocate for the workers, small business owners, farmers, and ranchers who keep local economies running. In the last three legislative sessions, Rep. Mauro has championed legislation to expand and improve EV charging stations across the state, increase railroad safety for railroad workers and local communities, prevent and respond to wildfires, and incentivize economic development and investment in Southern Colorado.

41 Colorado Democrats fighting for hardworking Coloradans at the Capitol & across our state DOWNLOAD

< Back Rep. Lukens: Breakthrough legislative session Jun 12, 2024 See more This story was originally published in the Craig Daily Press here . Two years ago, you elected me to serve in the Colorado State House and stand up for Northwest Colorado. From Vail to Rangely, Oak Creek to Maybell, I continue to keep my commitment to the people of House District 26 to deliver on the three Es: education, the environment and the economy. I continued my work from last year to accomplish these goals and delivered real results for Colorado this 2024 Legislative Session. Investing in our schools As a social studies teacher, it is critical that we give every student the resources they need to succeed. One of the reasons I ran for the Colorado House of Representatives was to eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor, and I am proud to say that this legislative session, we successfully eliminated the BSF. This commitment to our students and their future means that starting next year, our schools will have an additional $560 million to provide students individualized attention with smaller class sizes, pay our hardworking teachers what they deserve, and ensure that everyone is given the resources they need for the best learning environment. This commitment continues to our rural schools. For the first time, we created an ongoing rural school funding stream through a new “Rural Factor” within the School Finance Act . This adds almost $36 million for rural students’ success. In 2025, the State is committing an additional $225 million to the over 132,000 rural and remote students in Colorado, who will now have the adequate resources they deserve. I also supported landmark legislation that will make it easier and more affordable for students to attend college. Students and families making under $90,000 will soon be eligible for a tax credit that will cover the full cost of community college, or two years of a four-year degree. We also capped tuition increases at state universities to save families money. Protecting our vital water resources On the Western Slope, we know how vital our water is to survival. I am proud to report that legislators are serious about protecting this precious resource. As the snow melts and the water flows, we passed HB24-1379 , which restores critical protections for Colorado’s streams, rivers and wetlands. The State House and Senate unanimously passed SB24-197 , Water Conservation Measures, which will implement recommendations from the Colorado River Drought Task Force to protect Colorado’s water supply. In order to maximize the water flowing through our homes, I sponsored HB24-1362 , a bipartisan bill to promote conserving graywater through water reuse in residential buildings. Economic prosperity Our working families are the backbone of the Western Slope from our teachers to our agricultural small business owners. This legislative session, there was strong bipartisan support to uplift the economy and support our families. I am proud that all of my bills boosting rural prosperity passed both the House and Senate and have been signed into law by Governor Polis. These bills boost our rural and agriculture economies, making it easier for folks to enter fast growing industries, and helping parents access affordable childcare. We also worked hard to make it more affordable to live in Colorado. We passed bipartisan legislation to reduce property taxes for homeowners and businesses. We also made the senior homestead property tax exemption portable so older Coloradans can downsize and save money if they want to without losing this tax break. Finally we extended tax breaks for senior housing costs, cut income taxes, and boosted tax credits for agriculture and businesses that hire in rural areas. I was proud to sponsor legislation that will create jobs and boost businesses along rail lines in formerly coal-dependent communities in our district. These business incentives will foster new development along the rail line between Craig and Steamboat to keep up investment on these tracks with the goal of establishing passenger rail service that will boost housing options, new industries, and jobs in our region. Uplifting our ranchers Our rancher and agricultural producers are the lifeline of Colorado and it is critical that we support them in all aspects of their business and health. This year, I sponsored SB24-055, a bipartisan bill that will create the Agricultural Liaison role within the Behavioral Health Administration to guarantee that farmers, ranchers, and other industry workers are not forgotten by the broader mental health industry. SB24-126, will provide additional state incentives to support conservation easements. By extending access to conservation easements, this bipartisan bill helps Colorado property owners sustainably manage their land. House District 26 Representing House District 26 – Eagle, Routt, Moffat and Rio Blanco counties — truly is an honor. Taking your insights back to the State Capitol to help make our communities stronger is the greatest privilege I have ever had. None of this work would be possible without your support and engagement, so thank you for the thousands of emails, many phone calls, visits to the State Capitol, conversations on aisle four of the grocery store, questions during town halls, selfies at events and coffee meetings at our local coffee shops. I am excited to hear more of your insights in June at our upcoming Town Halls. Rep. Meghan Lukens represents District 26, which includes Routt, Moffat, Rio Blanco and Eagle counties, in the Colorado House. Previous Next

< Back Lesley Smith Representative Smith was elected to represent House District 49, which spans western Boulder and Larimer Counties plus Clear Creek and Gilpin Counties. She is a member of the House Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources and the Education committees. Smith had a thirty-year career as a research scientist and a science outreach specialist at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her research focused on the biogeochemistry of wetlands of large river systems, such as the Amazon, Orinoco and MacKenzie Rivers, as well as small alpine ecosystems in Colorado. She focused the latter part of her career on professional development of educators, graduate students and community college students all funded by the National Science Foundation. Smith was the first woman aquanaut to live and work in Aquarius, NOAA’s underwater research habitat. Smith has been a public servant for nearly twenty-years. She served eight years on the Boulder Valley School District, weathering the 2008 recession. She was appointed to the city of Boulder Water Resources Advisory Committee after the great flood of 2013. Additionally, she served as the University of Colorado Regent At-Large. Through her efforts, sustainability was added to the first-ever system-wide strategic plan, and she was a strong advocate for the state to allow out- of-state Native American students with tribal ties to Colorado to receive in-state tuition at all institutions of higher education. She will champion issues related to climate change, the environment and public education.

House Democrats focused on building an economy that expands opportunity for all, investing in our future and protecting the Colorado way of life. DOWNLOAD