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Learn more about the Colorado House Democrats, including meeting minutes and locations. Meetings & Minutes Meeting minutes and notices prior to August 22, 2024 can be found in the archive. February 25, 2026 8:00 AM Education Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 24, 2026 8:00 AM Judiciary Committee Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 24, 2026 8:00 AM Health and Human Services Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 23, 2026 8:00 AM Finance Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 23, 2026 9:00 AM House Democrats Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 19, 2026 8:15 AM Agriculture, Water, and Natural Resources Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 19, 2026 12:00 PM House Democrats Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 18, 2026 8:00 AM Education Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 18, 2026 8:00 AM Business Affairs & Labor Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 18, 2026 12:15 PM Joint Budget Committee and Leadership Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 17, 2026 8:30 AM Health and Human Services Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes February 17, 2026 9:00 AM Judiciary Caucus Meeting Meeting Notice Meeting Minutes

43 House Democrats fighting for hardworking Coloradans at the Capitol and across our state by saving you money, building a healthier Colorado and preparing our students for success. COLORADO HOUSE DEMOCRATS Colorado Democrats fighting for hardworking Coloradans at the Capitol and across our state LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS LATEST NEWS MEET YOUR COLORADO HOUSE DEMOCRATS CAREERS During the productive 2025 Legislative Session, we passed legislation to save people money, improve public safety and protect the Colorado way of life in the face of threats from the Trump Administration and significant budget constraints. 2025 LEGISLATIVE ACHIEVEMENTS Latest News House Advances Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money February 20, 2026 The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. Read All Lukens, Mauro Bill to Prioritize Good-Paying Jobs in Rural Colorado Advances February 20, 2026 The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to reduce barriers to new, good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities. Read All House Advances Bill to Improve Support for Vulnerable Colorado Kids February 20, 2026 The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, on a preliminary vote that would improve support for children as they navigate trauma, maltreatment, and abuse. Read All McCluskie, McCormick Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money Passes Committee February 19, 2026 The Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. Read All Visit Our Newsroom Press Releases WE ARE COLORADO HOUSE DEMOCRATS CONTACT US FIND MY REP SEARCH

Latest press releases and op-eds from Colorado House Democrats. NEWSROOM PRESS RELEASES > OP-EDS > House Advances Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money February 20, 2026 The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. House Advances Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money Lukens, Mauro Bill to Prioritize Good-Paying Jobs in Rural Colorado Advances February 20, 2026 The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to reduce barriers to new, good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities. Lukens, Mauro Bill to Prioritize Good-Paying Jobs in Rural Colorado Advances House Advances Bill to Improve Support for Vulnerable Colorado Kids February 20, 2026 The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, on a preliminary vote that would improve support for children as they navigate trauma, maltreatment, and abuse. House Advances Bill to Improve Support for Vulnerable Colorado Kids

Press Releases Feb 20, 2026 House Advances Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. Read More Feb 20, 2026 Lukens, Mauro Bill to Prioritize Good-Paying Jobs in Rural Colorado Advances The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to reduce barriers to new, good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities. Read More Feb 20, 2026 House Advances Bill to Improve Support for Vulnerable Colorado Kids The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, on a preliminary vote that would improve support for children as they navigate trauma, maltreatment, and abuse. Read More Feb 19, 2026 McCluskie, McCormick Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money Passes Committee The Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. Read More Feb 19, 2026 Phillips, Hamrick Bill to Expand PERA Benefits Passes Committee Legislation would expand retirement benefits to teachers and school staff who serve Colorado’s most vulnerable students Read More Feb 19, 2026 Bill to Support Older Coloradans in the Workforce Passes Committee The Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed legislation to support older Coloradans in the workforce. Read More Feb 19, 2026 Committee Passes Bill to Prohibit 3D Printing of Ghost Guns The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to prevent gun violence by prohibiting the three-dimensional printing of firearms, large-capacity magazines or other firearm components. HB26-1114, sponsored by Representatives Lindsay Gilchrist and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, passed by a vote of 7-4. Read More Feb 18, 2026 Duran Bill to Bolster Protections for Victims of Domestic Violence Passes Committee The House Judiciary Committee today passed bipartisan legislation sponsored by Majority Leader Monica Duran. The bill, which passed unanimously by a vote of 11-0, would require lethality assessments to be conducted when law enforcement responds to domestic violence incidents to better protect survivors from harm. Read More Feb 18, 2026 Bill to Build More Housing that Hardworking Coloradans Can Afford Passes Committee The House Transportation, Housing and Local Government Committee today passed legislation to remove restrictions that require minimum lot sizes of over 2,000 square feet for single-family homes. HB26-1114, sponsored by Representatives Rebekah Stewart and Steven Woodrow, passed by a vote of 9-4. Read More Feb 18, 2026 Bipartisan Bill to Save Farmers Money, Prevent Livestock Disease Passes House The House today passed a bipartisan bill, sponsored by Representative Karen McCormick, to save farmers money and prevent livestock harm. Read More Feb 18, 2026 Legislation to Strengthen Career Pathways Passes Committee The Education Committee today passed legislation to strengthen career pathways for public service. Read More Feb 18, 2026 Colorado Democrats Defeat Dangerous GOP Gun Bill GOP bill would have repealed nearly every gun violence prevention law passed by Colorado Democrats since 2013 including universal background checks, Colorado’s Red Flag law and laws that prevent perpetrators of domestic violence from possessing a firearm Read More 1 2 3 4 5 1 ... 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 ... 206

The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to reduce barriers to new, good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities. < Back February 20, 2026 Lukens, Mauro Bill to Prioritize Good-Paying Jobs in Rural Colorado Advances DENVER, CO – The House today passed legislation on a preliminary vote to reduce barriers to new, good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities. SB26-052 makes important modifications to the Office of Just Transition to prioritize coal-transition workers in hiring and community investment. “Over the years, we’ve taken action to jumpstart economic development and good-paying jobs in Northwest Colorado by investing in and prioritizing coal-transitioning communities,” said Rep. Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs. “This bill puts qualified coal-transition workers first in line for new and upcoming jobs in their communities and allows our coal-transitioning counties to immediately maximize settlement investments. Strengthening pathways into good-paying jobs is important for rural Colorado, local economies and hardworking families, and I’m proud to sponsor this bill.” “Coal-transition communities in my district face unique economic impacts, and this bill maximizes investments in good-paying jobs and rural economies,” said Rep. Tisha Mauro, D-Pueblo. “Our bill makes sure workers transitioning from coal jobs are considered first for new and emerging jobs in their communities. Together, we’re establishing strong career pathways for workers in rural Colorado, so we can do right by our coal-transitioning communities and local businesses.” SB26-052 prioritizes workers transitioning from coal jobs, making them first in line for emerging jobs in their communities. This bill makes important modifications to the Office of Just Transition to ensure coal-transition workers directly benefit from ongoing and future community and economic development. Specifically, SB26-052 provides coal-transitioning communities the flexibility to invest Just Transition settlement dollars in a wider range of investment opportunities. To help ensure no worker is left behind, this bill helps direct workers toward new jobs, including in the transportation, infrastructure, clean energy, manufacturing, and industrial fields. The goal of SB26-052 is to maximize the impact of state investments in coal-transitioning communities and ensure their workers are prioritized in the hiring process for new, future jobs in their neighborhoods. Established in 2019, the Office of Just Transition works to assist local governments in retaining and developing good-paying jobs in coal-transitioning communities, creating new career pathways for workers, and boosting economic growth. This bill makes necessary changes to improve the Office of Just Transition to better meet the needs of workers in rural communities. Previous Next

The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. < Back February 20, 2026 House Advances Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money DENVER, CO – The House today advanced legislation on a preliminary vote sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. “Family farmers and smaller ranches strengthen rural economies, and this bill supports our local ag producers,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “At a time when trade wars, tariffs and imported Argentine beef are driving up costs for Colorado farmers and undercutting our ranchers, we’re doing more to save our hardworking ag producers money. With this bill, we’re extending the property tax exemptions for smaller farming and ranching operations that use their land for pasture-based grazing. “We’re putting Colorado farmers and ranchers first by lowering property taxes for smaller operations,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “Trade wars and tariffs have hurt the bottom line of many of our farmers and ranchers in Colorado, and this bill helps save them money. By reducing property taxes for smaller operations that use their land for grazing, we’re supporting the hardworking people who keep Coloradans fed.” SB26-010 would save Colorado farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes by broadening the definition of "ranch" and “farm” in statute. First unanimously approved by the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee, this bill would modify the definitions used to classify land as agricultural for property tax purposes. Under this bill, the new definition would allow small and family-owned ranches and farms to benefit from existing property tax exemptions. It would also specify that a farm is primarily used to produce agricultural products, while a ranch is primarily used for grazing livestock through pasture-based operations. Agricultural land is generally valued lower than other property classifications, and this bill only expands the property tax benefits to producers. The Trump Administration’s tariffs have driven up costs for Colorado’s businesses, farmers, ranchers, and consumers and limited the available international markets for producers to sell their products. An announcement from the Trump Administration last year to quadruple the amount of beef the U.S. imports from Argentina drastically undermined Colorado beef producers during peak season. Previous Next

The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, on a preliminary vote that would improve support for children as they navigate trauma, maltreatment, and abuse. < Back February 20, 2026 House Advances Bill to Improve Support for Vulnerable Colorado Kids DENVER, CO - The House today advanced legislation, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, on a preliminary vote that would improve support for children as they navigate trauma, maltreatment, and abuse. “Colorado kids deserve to have a strong foundation to build a successful future, and our bill would strengthen their support system within child advocacy centers so we can build on the trauma-informed care that they receive,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins. “Child advocacy centers are a crucial lifeline for kids who are facing alleged abuse, and by defining them in statute, we can better connect kids with the services they need in critical moments. This bipartisan bill would ensure consistency, transparency and accountability across the state and improve protections for children and their hardworking advocates.” HB26-1142 , also known as the Colorado Child Advocacy Center Act, would reinforce the expectations that child advocacy centers (CAC) coordinate with law enforcement and adopt trauma-informed practices as they move through investigation, treatment, and prosecution processes. Further, the bill moves CACs to a multidisciplinary investigative board that must include a member of a law enforcement agency, a district attorney or assistant district attorney, a member of the county department’s child protective services unit, a local mental health provide, a local health care provider, a victim advocate and a CAC staff. The bill would also allow county departments of human services and CAC multidisciplinary team members to share relevant information with the purpose of protecting a child in a maltreatment case. It would also offer civil and criminal immunity for CAC advocates for sharing relevant information between multidisciplinary teams and county departments and civil immunity for CAC board members, staff and volunteers for actions taken in good faith. Adding clarity around information sharing and confidentiality would boost advocates’ confidence and help encourage collaboration while protecting children. CACs provide services to children and their families in the case of abuse. These services can include medical evaluations, mental health treatment, assistance navigating the judical system and child abuse prevention. There are 19 CACs across the state that have served nearly 6,000 Colorado kids . The bill was also sponsored by Representative Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction. Previous Next

The Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed legislation to support older Coloradans in the workforce. < Back February 19, 2026 Bill to Support Older Coloradans in the Workforce Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The Business Affairs and Labor Committee today passed legislation to support older Coloradans in the workforce. HB26-1010 passed committee by a vote of 10-3. “Our economy works best when we equip workers with the tools and skills they need to succeed in our workforce,” said Rep. Jenny Willford, D-Northglenn. “Colorado Democrats are taking the steps now to ensure that older Coloradans have more opportunities to take on new roles and participate in workforce development recommendations. From specialized training to employment access, older Coloradans deserve resources tailored to them, and this bill helps create a clearer path to support their workforce needs.” “The talent, knowledge and lived-experience of older workers is extremely beneficial to our growing workforce needs,” said Rep. Jamie Jackson, D-Aurora . “This bill prioritizes the participation, representation and support of older Coloradans in the workforce. We know that when workers have the skills they need to thrive, our economy benefits. HB26-1010 spotlights new opportunities for older workers and studies their workforce participation in Colorado to help meet our ever-evolving workforce.” HB26-1010 would modify Colorado’s workforce policy to ensure older Coloradans have direct input regarding workforce support and resources. This bill prioritizes representation by placing a worker who is 55-years-old or older on several commissions to ensure their perspectives and needs are considered in the workforce. HB26-1010 also requires the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Commission on Aging, and others to work collaboratively to support workforce development and examine issues related to employment access, training, support and services for older adults. Older adults are one of the fastest growing segments of Colorado’s workforce, yet they often report struggling to find employment opportunities and are looking for upskilling opportunities. While some data is available on older adults in the workplace, there are significant gaps in reporting. HB26-1010 would require data collection and reporting of Coloradans' participation in the workforce. Previous Next

Legislation would expand retirement benefits to teachers and school staff who serve Colorado’s most vulnerable students < Back February 19, 2026 Phillips, Hamrick Bill to Expand PERA Benefits Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The Education Committee today passed legislation to expand Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) benefits to teachers, administrators and school staff employed at facility schools. “Facility schools sometimes can’t compete with traditional schools when it comes to educator recruitment and retention. This bill helps align retirement benefits to better support our facility teachers,” said Rep. Jacque Phillips, D-Thornton. “Educators at facility schools are multi-talented, often going above and beyond to meet the needs of their students. This bill makes sure the talented pool of facility educators and staff can access PERA benefits.” “All Colorado students need supported and valued educators. Currently, our teachers, administrators and staff who work at facility schools in Colorado are missing out on state retirement benefits, which results in high turnover, impacting our most vulnerable students,” said Rep. Eliza Hamrick, D-Centennial. “This bill expands PERA benefits to state-approved facility schools so that our dedicated facility educators can receive the benefits extended to other educators in the state. Facility schools often serve our most vulnerable students with complex needs, and this bill supports our teachers, improves retention and prioritizes our students.” HB26-1146 passed committee by a vote of 11-1. Facility schools serve students with behavioral or special education needs. These state-approved facilities specialize in high-needs academic and therapeutic services for their students and are often located outside of a traditional school setting. This bill ensures that teachers and school staff employed by certain state-approved facility schools can receive PERA benefits. This bill aims to strengthen educator recruitment, create parity and improve employee retention. To accomplish this, HB26-1146 would expand the definition of “employer” to include facility schools. Facility schools would still be required to apply with PERA for approval. This bill would apply to more than 30 state-approved facility schools that serve approximately 3,000 students. According to the Colorado Department of Education , facility program types include residential, day treatment, hospitals and specialized day schools. Additionally, between the 2021-2022 and 2024-2025 school years, staff numbers at facility schools have increased by 19 percent. Previous Next

The Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. < Back February 19, 2026 McCluskie, McCormick Bill to Save Farmers and Ranchers Money Passes Committee DENVER, CO – The Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources Committee today passed legislation sponsored by Speaker Julie McCluskie and Representative Karen McCormick to save small farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes. “Family farmers and smaller ranchers in my district have shaped Colorado’s agriculture economy and boosted rural communities for generations,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “The Trump Administration’s tariffs, imported Argentinian beef, and trade wars are driving up costs for our farmers and ranchers at a time when profit margins are razor-thin, and this bill puts more money back into the pockets of the hardworking people who keep Coloradans fed. This bill extends the property tax exemptions for smaller operations that use their land for pasture-based grazing.” “With trade wars hurting our ag community, we’re stepping up to save our farmers and ranchers money,” said Rep. Karen McCormick, D-Longmont. “Our bill puts our local farmers and ranchers first by lowering property taxes for smaller operations that use their land for grazing. Family farms strengthen and diversify Colorado’s economy, and this bill helps save our hardworking farmers and ranchers money.” SB26-010 passed committee by a vote of 12-0. This bill would save Colorado farmers and ranchers money on their property taxes by broadening the definition of "ranch" and “farm” in statute. First unanimously approved by the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee, this bill would modify the definitions used to classify land as agricultural for property tax purposes. Under this bill, the new definition would allow small and family-owned ranches and farms to benefit from existing property tax exemptions. It would also specify that a farm is primarily used to produce agricultural products, while a ranch is primarily used for grazing livestock through pasture-based operations. Agricultural land is generally valued lower than other property classifications, and this bill only expands the property tax benefits to producers. The Trump Administration’s tariffs have driven up costs for Colorado’s businesses, farmers, ranchers, and consumers and limited the available international markets for producers to sell their products. An announcement from the Trump Administration last year to quadruple the amount of beef the U.S. imports from Argentina drastically undermined Colorado beef producers during peak season. Previous Next

The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to prevent gun violence by prohibiting the three-dimensional printing of firearms, large-capacity magazines or other firearm components. HB26-1114, sponsored by Representatives Lindsay Gilchrist and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, passed by a vote of 7-4. < Back February 19, 2026 Committee Passes Bill to Prohibit 3D Printing of Ghost Guns DENVER, CO - The House Judiciary Committee today passed legislation to prevent gun violence by prohibiting the three-dimensional printing of firearms, large-capacity magazines or other firearm components. HB26-1114, sponsored by Representatives Lindsay Gilchrist and Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, passed by a vote of 7-4. “Ghost guns circumnavigate Colorado’s gun violence prevention laws like universal background checks, the three-day waiting period and laws that prevent domestic violence abusers from accessing a gun,” said Rep. Lindsay Gilchrist, D-Denver. “These ghost guns are increasingly found at crime scenes, making it harder for law enforcement to track down a suspect because the gun isn’t traceable. This bill would help keep these dangerous weapons out of our communities and save countless Colorado lives.” “Colorado Democrats have passed life-saving gun violence prevention legislation to keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people, and our bill would strengthen those protections to save lives,” said Speaker Pro Tempore Andy Boesenecker, D-Fort Collins. “Background checks and high-capacity magazine limits are required in Colorado law to prevent gun deaths, and 3D printing guns or gun parts completely evades these safeguards. By cracking down on these ghost guns, we can better protect our communities and limit access to these dangerous, untraceable firearms.” HB26-1144 would prohibit the use of a three-dimensional printer, or similar technology, to make a firearm or a firearm component. The bill would also prohibit the possession of instructions and the sale or distribution of instructions on how to use a three-dimensional printer to create a firearm or a firearm component. HB26-1144 would not apply to federally licensed firearms manufacturers. Since 2016, the number of ghost guns used in crimes throughout the country increased by 1000-percent , yet over 99-percent of those guns cannot be traced back to a user, owner or producer. Between 2016 and 2021, law enforcement reported recovering over 45,000 privately-made firearms, including in nearly 700 homicide or attempted homicide investigations. When an untraceable gun is used in a crime, it can be impossible for a gun violence victim and their family to seek accountability. Speaker Pro Tem Boesenecker passed the original “ghost guns” law back in 2023, which prohibited the possession, sale or transfer of unserialized firearms, frames and receivers. Previous Next