The Senate closed early last week so that rural legislators could get home to their families for the holiday weekend. When we return tomorrow, there will be 23 days left of the 120 day legislative session. So far, over 600 bills have been introduced and approximately 300 bills are still in play.
Often, the most controversial bills are the last ones to make their way through the legislature, and that is certainly the case this year. Two significant bills passed out of committee this week, but have yet to be heard on the floor:
SB17-267 concerning the sustainability of rural Colorado, and HB17-1242, the referred measure for new transportation funding.
The transportation bill (HB17-1242) has changed significantly since it was introduced, with over 139 proposed amendments and over 50 amendments added. The most dramatic changes came this week in the Senate Transportation Committee, of which I am a member. For example, the proposed tax increase has decreased from .62% to .50% and a $100 million commitment from the general fund was added.
While the title for SB17-267 is about the sustainability of rural Colorado, the real crux of the bill is the reclassification of the Hospital Provider Fee. To better understand the issue, click HERE. As the Denver Post article notes, reclassifying the fee would remove the revenue from the state's constitutional limits on spending under the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. This would help avoid major cuts to the state's hospitals.
Even though the budget has made its way through both chambers, things have stalled until the fates of SB17-267 and HB17-1242 are known. We have yet to see the School Finance bill either, and debates on construction defects, liquor and a whole host of other items are all outstanding...which means the next couple of weeks will certainly be filled with drama!
Hearing HB17-1242 in Transportation Committee
Two more bills added
With the
urban renewal bill heading to the House and my
STEM diploma endorsement bill about to head to the Govenor's desk, I had room to tackle one final issue: campaign finance reform.
HB17-1261 and
HB17-1262 are aimed at creating more transparency in our elections. The first bill would require any electioneering expenses that exceed $1000 to list who paid for it. Seems simple enough, doesn't it? Unfortunately, the bill encountered some pushback in the House which you can read more about in this
Colorado Independent article.
The second bill deals with the reporting of electioneering communications to the Secretary of State. Right now entities must only report electioneering expenses that occur 30 days prior to the primary and 60 days prior to the election. But we all know that campaign activity doesn't stop in the months of July and August. This bill would close that reporting gap.
These two bills left the House on Thursday and have yet to be introduced in the Senate, but I'll be sure to keep you abreast of our efforts to close these 'dark money' loopholes!
Experiencing the 'Minority Leader' role for the week
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.
Save the date for next 'What's Brewing' event
Last month, when the budget debate ran long, we had to cancel our 'What's brewing at the Capitol?' event. We hope nothing will impede this month's event, scheduled for this coming Wednesday, April 19 at 6:30 pm. We will meet up at the Twenty Brew Tap House, located at 11187 Sheridan Blvd #10, Westminster, 80020. This is an informal event where you can hang out and sample some craft beer and chat with your Senator. See you then!
Welcoming Jack Van Ens as
Thomas Jefferson to the Senate
Tracking your Senator
On Monday, I met with representatives of the
Naturopathic Doctors... I also met with
Denver Water...On Tuesday, I got to be the '
Acting Minority Leader' on the floor... We passed a resolution on '
Equal Pay Day'... And we heard the big transportation bill in committee... On Wednesday, I attended the
Jeffco Libraries presentation... On Thursday I attended the
Metro North Chamber's State of the Region Showcase... Two activists from the
GLBT Community Center of Colorado, Rachel Lucas and Kristen Small, shadowed me for the day... We celebrated
President Thomas Jefferson's birthday with an appearance from constituent Jack Van Ens... I was interviewed by Corey Hutchins of the
Colorado Independent... We were closed on Friday... And on Saturday we hosted our monthly
Legislative Town Hall where the topic was liquor.
Rachel Lucas and Kristen Small from the GLBT Community Center of CO
If there is an event you think I should attend, please notify me!
Donations
Can you help us with a contribution? While the campaign activity has concluded, we still need your help so that we may continue keeping in touch with SD19 voters. Your contribution helps us pay for brochures, direct mail, the website, newsletter, and other tools to help make voters aware of what is happening down at the State Capitol. THANKS!
