Two press releases arrived yesterday, January 10, marking the first day of the Colorado Legislature’s 2024 session.
From the Colorado House Republicans, sent by Alec J. Hanna, Director of Communications & External Affairs:
House Minority Leaders Vision for 2024 Session
Today, leaders of the House Minority Caucus announced their vision at the start of the 2nd Regular Session of the 74th General Assembly.
“Coloradans want freedom from more government; they want their communities to be safe; and they expect the Legislature to adhere to the Constitution, we plan to make sure these happen,” said Minority Leader Mike Lynch (R-Wellington). “We plan to work with the majority party on our shared goals but expect them to listen, collaborate, and share that willingness to work together,” added Lynch.
“While this is the start of a new year and a new legislative session, the issues faced by Coloradans are not,” said Assistant Minority Leader Rose Pugliese (R-Colorado Springs). “We are willing to work alongside the majority to tackle the ongoing cost of living battle and help our Colorado families not just survive but to thrive,” Pugliese noted.
During the 2023 legislative session and the November special session, tension between the Republican caucus and the majority often flared including the repeated use of Rules 14 & 16 which limited debate on hyper-partisan legislation. The Republican caucus has worked hard to mend these bridges and work toward more bipartisanship.
Bipartisan solutions will only be possible if the majority can overcome their inter-party organizational crisis and allow for those who share in the desire for civility and decorum to prevail throughout the chamber. The majority must also acknowledge there are sixty-five members of the Colorado House of Representatives who come from all corners of the state; the policies coming out of Denver need to be beneficial to all Coloradans, not just the front range.
Republicans’ focus will be on security. This includes security with our pocketbooks by tackling the persistent affordability crisis, which remains unaddressed despite being the primary concern for Coloradans. Security at home and on the streets ensures the rule of law is followed and security with property taxes so hard-working Coloradans are not priced out of their own homes.
The Colorado House Republicans have rolled up their sleeves and come to work this legislative session. We call on the majority to make room at their table and not shut us out of the process to push through partisan agendas as we saw last session.
From the House Democrats, sent by Deputy Communications Director Mallory Feeney:
House Democrats Introduce First Ten Bills
Colorado House Democrats today introduced the first ten House bills of the Second Regular Session of the 74th General Assembly.
“This session, we’re excited to continue our work to make our state more affordable, increase funding for K-12 education, and deliver results for hardworking families,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Our first ten bills will create jobs in rural parts of our state and save Coloradans money on housing, health care and prescription drugs. House Democrats will improve wildfire mitigation efforts, increase access to early childhood education, and expand our behavioral health workforce to build a stronger, safer and healthier Colorado. We are ready to get to work.”
“Colorado Democrats are ready to get to work to save people money, improve access to health care and create safer communities,” said Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge. “With our first ten bills, we’re ramping up our efforts to help combat wage theft, create housing options for every budget and reduce the cost of prescription drugs. It is an honor to continue our work to make our great state more equitable, affordable and safer for all.”
Creating jobs in rural Colorado (HB24-1001; Representatives Meghan Lukens, D-Steamboat Springs, and Rick Taggart, R-Grand Junction; Senators Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco and Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa). This legislation reduces the costs of starting a new business or hiring new employees in rural economic jumpstart zones, boosting rural economies, supporting small businesses, and creating jobs.
Boosting the behavioral health care workforce (HB24-1002; Representatives Emily Sirota, D-Denver and Matthew Martinez, D-Alamosa; Senators Janice Marchman, D-Loveland and Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction). This legislation will expand access to behavioral health care by increasing the number of licensed social workers in Colorado, reducing barriers for social workers to enter the profession and serve people in need.
Preventing overdoses in schools (HB24-1003; Representatives Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango and Mary Young, D-Greeley; Senators Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City and Cleave Simpson, R-Alamosa). By encouraging schools to make opiate antagonists and drug testing strips more available to students, this bill will prevent drug overdose deaths and save lives in Colorado schools and on school buses.
Reducing recidivism by expanding workforce opportunities (HB24-1004; Representatives Jennifer Bacon, D-Denver and Shannon Bird, D-Westminster; Senator James Coleman, D-Denver). This legislation strengthens our workforce and reduces recidivism by ensuring Coloradans who have served their time can re-enter our workforce, acquire professional credentials, support their families and succeed in their careers.
Saving Coloradans money on health care (HB24-1005; Representatives Chris deGruy Kennedy, D-Lakewood and David Ortiz, D-Littleton; Senators Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco and Rhonda Fields, D-Aurora). This bill saves Coloradans money on health care by increasing access to primary care and requiring insurance carriers to include a primary care provider as a participating provider in all networks, which can allow patients to continue to see their preferred doctor.
Improving wildfire mitigation efforts in rural communities (HB24-1006; Representatives Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs and Marc Snyder, D-Manitou Springs; Senators Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County and Perry Will, R-New Castle). By making it easier to find and apply for state and federal wildfire mitigation grants, this bill helps rural communities better combat wildfires through prevention, response, and risk management.
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Expanding access to housing (HB24-1007; Representatives Manny Rutinel, D-Commerce City and Javier Mabrey, D-Denver; Senators Tony Exum, D-Colorado Springs and Julie Gonzales, D-Denver). Arbitrary residential occupancy limits drive up housing costs and make it harder for Coloradans to find and afford housing in their communities. This bill saves Coloradans money on housing by prohibiting these unnecessary limits unless they are explicitly to protect the safety, health and welfare of tenants.
Preventing wage theft from vulnerable workers (HB24-1008; Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge and Representative Meg Froelich, D-Englewood; Senators Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge and Sonya Jaquez Lewis, D-Longmont). This bill helps secure economic justice for Coloradans by holding employers accountable and ensuring workers are paid their full wage in the construction industry.
Expanding access to early childhood programs (HB24-1009; Representatives Junie Joseph, D-Boulder and Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango; Senators Joann Ginal, D-Fort Collins and Janice Rich, R-Grand Junction). HB24-1009 will 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.
Saving Coloradans money on prescription drugs (HB24-1010; Representative Iman Jodeh, D-Aurora and Matt Soper, R-Delta; Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, D-Commerce City). This bill streamlines prescription drug access for Coloradans with chronic, complex, rare or life threatening medical conditions so they can receive the medication they need, when they need it.