We have reached the midpoint of session. I have introduced and presented all but one bill, and I'm waiting for
HB17-1201, my STEM diploma endorsement bill, to make its way to me in the Senate. We were fortunate to see off
SB17-123, the Seal of Biliteracy, to the Governor's desk this week. But my bill to end the practice of
corporal punishment in schools (
HB17-1038) died in committee on Monday. So where do we go from here?
Legislators are permitted to sponsor up to five bills per session. Often, members of the majority party request "late bills" allowing more than the permitted five. Those requests go to the Senate Committee on Delayed Bills, which consists of the President, the majority leader, and the minority leader. Two of three members must approve the request. Since I am not in the majority, it is doubtful I will have any late bills.
Even though we are limited to sponsoring five bills, legislators are allowed to carry an unlimited number of bills that originate in the opposite chamber, so we will see a high number of House bills make their way to the Senate in the latter half of session. That means we will see more bills in committee and our debates will become longer on the floor.
The next big item coming up is the introduction of the Long Bill, also known as the state budget. If you are interested in learning more about the state budget, please join us for "Pies and Charts" next Saturday. You can find more details on the sidebar. We have a number of decisions to make about how we plan to fund priorities such as K-12 education, health care, and even transportation.
Hearing testimony from the Kempe Foundation on HB17-1038 in Senate Judiciary Committee
Bills of interest: Daylight Savings Time, autonomous vehicles, & 'Move Over'
Monday morning came a little earlier than normal last week due to a practice known as Daylight Savings Time. Colorado will continue "springing forward" after a bill to exempt Colorado from the practice died in a House Committee last week. Colorado currently observes Mountain Standard Time (MST), except during the period of daylight saving time (i.e., the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November) when time is advanced one hour. Despite some interesting arguments, we won't see any changes this year.
One change we might see in Colorado, however, is a "driverless car" also known as an autonomous vehicle. You may have heard in the news last fall that CDOT kicked off their RoadX program where the director of CDOT made a trip from Fort Collins to Colorado Springs--without driving the truck! He was sitting back in the sleeper berth, as the big rig completed the world's first autonomous commercial shipment by a self-driving truck. We heard SB17-213 in the Transportation Committee that would establish some rules and guidelines for these types of vehicles.
And speaking of driving, we were honored to hear SJR17-017 designating of a portion of I-25 as the 'Trooper Donahue and Trooper Jursevics Move Over Safety Awareness Corridor'. The resolution memorialized two State Troopers who were killed by motorists who refused to 'move over'. According to state law, drivers must yield the right-of-way, move over when possible, and slow to a safe speed when approaching emergency, towing carrier, or maintenance vehicles on the side of the road. These precautions are essential to keeping roadside workers, emergency responders, and accident victims safe, and will prevent needless deaths on our state's roadsides.
Listening to SJR17-017 about Troopers Donahue and Jursevics and the 'Move Over' campaign
Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger won election to the Colorado State Senate, representing District 19, in November 2016. Previously, she served in the same capacity during the 2014 legislative session. During the upcoming, 71st General Assembly, she will serve on the Senate Education Committee, Transportation Committee and the Student Safety and Youth in Crisis Committee.
Special town hall event: "Pies and Charts"
If you didn't get enough budget talk at the joint townhall over the weekend, then plan to join me this coming Saturday, March 25 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm for a special presentation on how the State budget is sliced. Get your forks ready for the Colorado Fiscal Institute's annual "Pies and Charts" presentation. Guest speaker Tim Hoover will discuss what's baking for this year's 2017 legislative session. And since Tim is an expert on TABOR, plan to bring your questions on that topic too. We will even dish up some yummy pie to eat while listening. This event will take place at Convenant Village in Westminster.
SD19 citizens participating in ACLU lobby day at the Capitol
"What's brewing at the Capitol?" event
Mark your calendar for the next "What's brewing at the Capitol?" event on Wednesday, March 29 from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm at the Twenty Brew TapHouse, 11187 Sheridan Blvd #10, Westminster. This is an informal event where you can meet other constituents from the district and hang out at one of the district's fantastic local breweries. Bring your questions and other topics of interest and enjoy a discounted beer with your state legislator.
Jefferson County Business Lobby
day at the Capitol
Tracking your Senator
On Monday I presented
HB17-1038 to the Senate Judiciary Committee... Tuesday I met with officials from
CDOT to discuss autonomous vehicle legislation... I also met with a group of constituents attending the
ACLU citizen lobby day... And I was a guest speaker at the
Foster Elementary PTA... Wednesday I attended the
Urban Land Conservancy legislative breakfast where we discussed affordable housing and construction defects reform... It was also
Senior Lobby Day at the Capitol... I passed SB17-123 and it will now head to the Governor's desk... I also met with parents visiting the Capitol who were with
Stand For Children... I also met with the
Colorado Association of Auto Dealers... And I met with
Daniel Greenberg, a teacher from Boulder Valley School District... Thursday was the
Jefferson County Business Lobby day at the Capitol... We also welcomed Her Majesty's
Consul-General Stephen Bridges and
Consul Erin Kuhn to the Capitol and celebrated the presence of Great Britain House in Denver with lunch at the Capitol... I also met with the
Clear Creek Valley Medical Society... And I attended the
Colorado Health Care Association's legislative reception... On Friday, I attended the Arvada Chamber of Commerce Third Friday Breakfast... Also, I attended the
JBC quarterly forecast and budget presentation... I also met with the
Jeffco Associates Legislative Forum consisting of the
PTA, JCEA, JCAA and
ESP... Saturday we hosted our joint
Arvada/Westminster Legis-lative Town Meeting... and I attended the
Arvada Festival Commission High Tea for Seniors, honoring seniors 90+ years old!
Celebrating High Tea for Seniors
If there is an event you think I should attend, please notify me!
Donations
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