2023 Legislative Wrap Up Article
LWVCO Legislative Action Committe
June 2023

 

Overview
The 2023 session adjourned on May 8. During the 120-day session, 617 bills were considered—486 of which were passed. By June 7 Governor Polis had vetoed 10 bills. This includes HB 1190 – Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal, which LWVCO supported. There was concern that a few other bills that LWVCO supported would also be vetoed (HB 1100 – Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention, HB 1120 – Eviction Protections for Residential Tenants, and SB 058 – Job Application Fairness Act), but LWVCO acted in coalition with other stakeholders to push for final signature and fortunately these bills were signed into law.

Read the full article here.

Policy Implementation & the Rulemaking Process
Andrea Wilkins, LWVCO Legislative Liason

 

Now that 2023 legislative session has adjourned, the LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will begin shifting our focus to implementation of new policy passed by the General Assembly and monitoring activity over the interim as emerging policy topics are discussed and new legislation is contemplated.

Read the full report here.

Collaboration with SOS & DOLA regarding Elections Data Reporting
Collecting & Archiving Summary of Activity May 2021 - May 2023

During the 2021 interim, LWVCO began having discussions with representatives from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, the Department of Local Affairs, and the Colorado State Demographer to explore changes to Colorado’s process for collecting, reporting, and archiving elections data. This information is needed by the state’s independent redistricting committees to fully comply with the mandates of Amendments Y and Z (2018) as they carry out work to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts. 

Read the full report here.

Correspondence with the Colorado Department of Education

Dear Ms. Smith,

My name is Kathy Wilson, and I am the Co-Director of Action & Advocacy for the League of Women Voters of Colorado. I also head the state League’s Legislative Action Committee Education Issues Group and am writing to you in those capacities. We in the Colorado League fully support public education and applaud the adoption of the newly revised Social Studies Standards because they reflect the diversity of our state and nation, honor our history in its many dimensions, and include aspects of the social studies that have not previously been taught equitably. 

Read the complete correspondence here.

Two Letters Recently Sent to Governor Polis

1.  Gun Safety

Dear Governor Polis,

The League of Women Voters strongly believes that our state’s laws should protect the health and safety of our citizens by limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Given the frequency of gun violence in both Colorado and the United States more broadly, we are pleased to see state policymakers take action to help prevent more senseless tragedies. 

Read the complete letter here.

2.  Affordable Housing

Dear Governor Polis,

The League of Women Voters is concerned about the significant negative impact metro districts have on affordable housing. Cost of the house is higher. Taxes are higher. The residents' access to information and representation on the governing board is challenging at best. Examples of routine voter suppression are astonishing. 

Read the complete letter here.

2023-2024 Long Bill Budget Heads to the Governor for Signature
Andrea Wilkins, LWVCO Legislative Liaison

April 17, 2023

The General Assembly has completed work on the 2023-24 state budget and SB23-214 – FY 2023-24 Long Bill, has been sent to Governor Polis for signature. While it is expected that Polis will approve the budget, it is the only legislation in which the Governor has line-item veto authority. 

Read more here.

What is Difference Between a Referendum and an Initiative?
Legislative Action Committee Member Gerry Cummins

Issues are placed on the ballot in one of two ways:

Referendum
A referendum is a proposal by the Legislature that is referred to citizens for a vote.

 

Initiative

An initiative is a proposal by citizens who have gathered the required number of signatures (five percent of the total number of votes cast for Secretary of State in the previous general election).

 

What is the difference between the Colorado Constitution and the

Colorado Revised Statutes?

 

The Colorado Constitution is the foundation of the laws and government of the State of Colorado. It establishes the basic framework of state government. Voters have the final approval of Constitutional proposals.

 

Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) are laws passed by the Colorado General Assembly consisting of the House of Representatives (65 members) and the Senate (35 members). The Colorado Revised Statutes are the codified general and permanent statutes of the General Assembly.

 

Statewide issues appearing on the ballot may be of two types:

 

Amendments to the Colorado Constitution

·      May be referred to the voters by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the General Assembly or may be proposed by citizens using the initiative process. Only the voters (not the legislature) can change the Colorado Constitution. These proposals are called amendments.

·      Amendments to the Constitution need 55% of the vote to pass.

 

Amendments to the Revised Statutes (Propositions)

·      May be referred to the voters by a majority vote of both houses of the General Assembly or may be proposed by citizens using the initiative process.  Although approved by voters, amendments to the Colorado Revised Statutes may subsequently be changed by the legislature. These proposals are called propositions and are changes to the statutes.

 

 

Signature Requirement for Statewide Initiative Petitions

 

An initiative is a proposal by citizens who have gathered the required number of signatures.

·      According to Article V, Section 1(2) of the Colorado Constitution, the number of signatures required for a statewide initiative petition is “at least five percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for the office of secretary of state at the previous general election”.

·      The total number of votes cast for all candidates for the office of secretary of state at the November 8, 2022 General Election was 2,484,758. As a result, the signature requirement for statewide initiative petitions and statewide referendum petitions for 2023 through 2026 is:
124,238 (required number was 124,632 for 2019-2022).

·      Initiatives that wish to make a change to the Colorado constitution must be signed by at least 2% of the total registered electors in each of the 35 Colorado state senate districts in addition to meeting the requirements outlined in (Article V, Section 1(4) of the Colorado constitution).

Potential Ballot Issues - 2023/2024

In the 2023 Election (off-year election), only fiscal measures may appear on the statewide ballot as established in TABOR. There are two Concurrent Resolutions that have been introduced in the House of Representatives. At present (March 2023), there are no concurrent resolutions filed in the Senate.

 

To be referred to the ballot as a referendum, the proposal must receive a 2/3 vote in each chamber.

 

House Concurrent Resolutions (introduced to date (3/23/2023)

1.        HCR23-1001: Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality

“……. judicial discipline, and, in connection therewith, establishing an independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, setting standards for judicial review of a discipline case, and clarifying when discipline proceedings become public.”

                   Sponsors: Reps. Weissman & Lynch and Sens. Gardner & Gonzales

                  Status: Sent to House for a floor vote on 3/24/2023.

2.        HCR23-1002:  Modest Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans with Disabilities

     “…… property tax exemption for veterans with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service-connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual unemployability status.”

Sponsors: Rep Marshall and Sen. Fields. 

Status: Passed House on 3^rd Reading, 3/20/23

 

Initiatives Filed/Title Set (as of 3/24/2023)

Establishment of a New Attainable Housing Fee

State Income Tax Rate Reduction

State Income Tax Rate Reduction

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate 

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate

Student Funding for K-12 Education

Limitations on Property Tax – numerous proposals are listed

 

Note: The complete text of the above proposed initiatives may be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.state.co.us

 

LAC Contact: Gerry Cummins

Local Governments in Colorado – Metro Districts
LAC Contact: Geoff Withers, Local Government Lobbying Team
March 2023

Colorado has a lot of local governments - currently 4,548. There are 334 general-purpose local governments: counties, towns, cities, and combined cities & counties. All the others are called a “district” or an “authority,” and are created to provide one or more services to the people living in their own distinct geographical jurisdiction.  Each is some kind of educational, health, natural resource, transportation or urban type of service provider (there are 77 different specific types).

Most of them have descriptive names, such as a water district or a football stadium district, but the greatest number of all those are metropolitan districts - 2302 of them, to be exact, almost half of the total number of local governments.  They’ve been relatively hot topics in the news for the past few years and are becoming a political headache for the state legislature.  A natural question often heard these days is “What is a Metropolitan District?”

To read the full article, click here.

Lessening Barriers to Housing Development - Lessons Learned from the Fort Collins Experience 
LWVCO Housing Task Force Member Julie Stackhouse 

This year, the Colorado General Assembly may consider bills to combat rising home prices by potentially offering incentives to encourage transit-oriented development, make it easier to build accessory dwelling units, and remove other barriers imposed by local governments, such as minimum parking requirements.  Governor Jared Polis, in his “State of the State” address, offered: “We have to break down government barriers, expand private property rights and reduce regulations to actually construct more housing to provide housing options at a lower cost so that all Coloradoans can thrive.”

To read the full article, click here.

LWVCO Supports Local Control of Rents (HB23 - 1115)

Legislative Action Committee Housing Team: Jo Feder, Kathy Smith, Kate Van Houten, and Trish Warner

Rent prices have soared in Colorado and many Coloradans are severely burdened by their housing rental costs.  There are over 700,000 renter households in Colorado, which represents 35% of all households in Colorado . According to the sponsors of this bill, “housing costs have increased statewide by approximately 92% since 2001.”  Currently, Colorado does not have any laws that can limit how much rent can increase each year.

Click here to read the full report. 

Governor Polis Releases 2023-2024 Budget Request

 

Andrea Wilkins, LWVCO Legislative Liaison

November 18, 2022

The Governor issued his 2023-2024 budget request on November 1 and met with the Joint Budget Committee (JBC) on November 15 to provide a briefing on the request.  The presentation also included analysis and remarks from the Office of State Planning and Budgeting director Lauren Larson.  The JBC is the legislative committee responsible for crafting the state’s operating budget. 

The budget request totals $42.7 billion in proposed spending and is divided into categories intended to support overarching priorities identified by the Governor including:

1.     Saving Families Money and Investing in Our Future

2.     Thriving Colorado Communities and Making Neighborhoods Safer and More Affordable

3.     Protecting our Land, Air, and Water

4.     Balanced Budget and Record Reserves

A copy of the Governor’s budget presentation can be access here.

Over the next several weeks the JBC will hear budget briefings specific to the various executive branch departments, leading up to the start of the 2023 session on January 9.  The public will have an opportunity to provide input on the state’s spending plans through public testimony before the JBC in February.  The state budget, or long bill, will be introduced for debate and amendment by the full legislature on March 31.

You can listen to the JBC committee hearings, or access archived recordings, through the link to the committee audio.

Colorado Youth Advisory Committee

2022 Interim Activity & Policy Procedure 

 

The Colorado Youth Advisory Committee (COYAC) is a program of the Colorado General Assembly and consists of 40 youth members tasked with examining, evaluating, and discussing issues, interest, and needs impacting Colorado youth now and in the future.  The overarching purpose of the work of the committee is to advise and make recommendations to elected officials regarding youth priorities and to provide a youth voice and perspective in our state’s lawmaking process.

 

COYAC members represent each senate district in the state and includes one voting member representing the Ute Mountain Ute tribe and one voting member representing the Southern Ute Indian tribe.  The committee also includes three non-voting at large members selected to help ensure diversity on the committee and adequate rural representation.  Members serve two-year terms. Legislative members of the committee include Sen. Dominick Moreno, Rep. Mandy Lindsay, Sen. James Coleman, Sen. Don Coram, and Rep. Hugh McKean.

 

COYAC has held hearings during the 2022 interim to discuss current policy proposals.  The committee is permitted to have up to six bills drafted and can recommend up to three bills be introduced during the upcoming legislative session.  The committee has requested drafts on the following bill topics: school psychologist recruitment, disordered eating prevention, secondary school student substance use, addressing youth exposure to HIV/AIDS, youth involvement to review education standards, and disproportionate discipline in public schools.

 

The next hearing of the committee is taking place on September 30 and proceedings can be monitored here.

LWVCO Climate Emergency Task Force

Legislator Discussion 

 

The LWVCO Climate Emergency Task Force hosted a legislator discussion with Rep. Cleave Simpson and Sen. Chris Hansen on September 14 to talk about anticipated legislation and priorities for the 2023 session. 

 

Rep. Simpson, who comes to the General Assembly with a farming and agriculture background, discussed a variety of areas where legislation is being contemplated including water security, agrivoltaics (use of land for both agriculture and solar photovoltaic energy generation), and development of microgrids.   Rep. Simpson emphasized the need for legislation to be thoughtful and include consideration of the cost of living and impact on Colorado citizens. 

 

Sen. Hansen discussed his intentions to develop legislation that addresses climate change and promotes conservation and environmental protection.  He notes that Colorado is a leader in climate change policy and that it is important that we continue our efforts here given the magnitude of the climate crisis.  He plans to revisit efforts undertaken in SB22-138, Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Colorado, during the 2023 session.

 

This forum also included discussion of the impact of rapid development in Colorado on our natural resources and environment, with Sen. Hansen highlighting the need for more density in our core metro-area neighborhoods and the necessity of locating high density development near transportation hubs.

 

Information on committee assignments and the legislation sponsored by both Rep. Simpson and Sen. Hansen can be found on their legislator pages on the General Assembly website.  The 2023 session begins on January 9.

LAC Member Testimony

We are grateful for the engaged participation of our Legislative Action Committee members. This list compiles bills of interest for which LAC members have provided testimony on behalf of LWVCO in support or opposition and in alignment with League positions.

HB23 - 1006: Employer Notice of Tax Credits - Support
HB23 - 1044: Second Amendment Preservation Act - Oppose
HB23 - 1050: Protection of Business from Unlawful Entry - Oppose
HB23 - 1063: Reduction of State Income Tax - Oppose 
HB23 - 1101: Ozone Season Transit Grant Program Flexibility - Support
HB23 - 1120: Eviction Protection for Residential Tenants - Support
HB23 - 1129: Tax Credit Lifebuoy Apparatus - Support
HB23 - 1185: Requirements for Recall Elections and Vacancies - Oppose
HB23 - 1186: Remote Participation in Residential Evictions - Support
HB23 - 1190:  Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal - Support
SB23 - 099: Special Education Funding - Support 
SB23 - 101: Candidate Ballot Access for Primary Elections - Oppose
HB23-1263: Translating Individualized Education Programs - Support 
SB23-287:  Public School Finance - Support
HB23-1272: Tax Policy that Advances Decarbonization - Support
SB23-276: Modification to Laws Regarding Elections - Support

2022 Legislative Action Committee Archive

Please review the 2022 Legislative Action Committee's archive.