The First Regular session of the Seventy-third General Assembly adjourned on June 8, 2021 and the Second Regular session of the Seventy-third General Assembly will convene this coming Wednesday, January 12, 2022. I am hopeful that despite the rise in COVID cases, we will begin our 120-day session like normal, and that we will end on May 11th as planned. But if anything the last two years have taught me, it's best to just be flexible. Usual or unusual, normal or not, I am ready to get to work for the people of Colorado!

For those of you who are new readers to my newsletter, or seasoned readers who may have forgotten, I will begin distributing this newsletter on a weekly basis, versus monthly, once the session starts. I will provide updates on the bills that I am sponsoring, as well as other legislation making its way through the process. You can also find these newsletters, press releases, news articles, and other information on my website rachelforcolorado.com.

The State Senate will convene at 10:00 am for the first three days of session. After that, we will convene at 10:00 am on Mondays, and 9:00 am Tuesday through Friday. The Governor will deliver his "State of the State" address on Thursday, January 13. And the State Senate will be closed on January 17 for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, as well as February 21 for Presidents' Day. For more information on how to watch or listen to the Colorado Legislature, click HERE.

With the lingering pandemic, we must continue to take precautionary measures to ensure everyone's safety down at the Capitol. If you choose to visit us in person, please note that masks will be required. The Senate chamber, gallery and lobby areas will be open to members of the public, but we encourage social distancing. Similar to last year, remote testimony will continue to be available for committee hearings. For information on committee hearings and remote testimony, click HERE.

Lastly, I conducted a poll via this newsletter a few months ago to get an idea on the type of legislation you would like to see me work on this session. Not surprisingly, the top issues for our district were mostly the same as in prior years. Those priorities include Education, the Economy (including affordable housing), and the Environment. You can learn more about the legislation I will be sponsoring later this month at our virtual town hall meeting. See below for details. You can also track my bills on the state's legislative website or on my website.

I am very pleased to welcome back my seasoned aide, Aaron Silverstein, as well as a few new interns who will be joining our team. I will be sure to feature the members of our team in future editions of the newsletter. All our contact information remains the same. You can find me in room 337 on the third floor of the Capitol building, reach me by phone at 303-866-4840, or by email at SenatorRachelZ@gmail.com. I look forward to hearing from you this coming session!

Gift Card Drive to support fire victims: Arvada Councilmembers Lisa Smith and Lauren Simpson have teamed up with the Arvada Resiliency Taskforce to collect gift cards to support victims of the Marshall Fire. This drive will run until Friday, January 14th. Your gift card donation is a simple but very effective way to help others begin to replace items they’ve lost and get back on their feet. The gift card drive is now accepting donations at 15 locations across the metro region. E-gift cards may also be sent to: Info@ArvadaChamber.org.

Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force: Last week, the committee finalized its draft report on recommendations for utilizing $400 million in American Rescue Plan (ARPA) funds to address Colorado's housing crisis. For months, we have been working hard to understand the factors driving the affordable housing crisis throughout our state so that we can make the best us of the ARPA funds to make transformational changes that will save people money and improve access to housing. To see the Task Force recommendations, click HERE.

School Finance Interim Committee: In addition to the Housing Task Force, I also served on the School Finance Interim Committee during the interim. We were tasked with studying issues related to school finance and to consider changes to the Public School Finance Act of 1994. Our last meeting prior to the start of session will be on Monday, January 10. For more information, including the agenda and how to join us, click HERE.

1330 Recommendations for Higher Education: The COVID-19 pandemic caused disruption of to the lives of students and their families, the operations of the state's colleges and universities, workforce, and economy. HB21-1330, a bill that I sponsored and successfully passed, authorizes federal American Rescue Plan dollars for students, postsecondary institutions, and other entities that fit into the postsecondary pipeline, with a focus on re-engaging students to earn the degrees they started. The bill also implemented a taskforce that met over the interim to develop recommendations on how institutions of higher education operate in a post-pandemic world. The Colorado Trustee Network will host a briefing on the 1330 Task Force report recommendations. To register, click HERE.

Marshall Fire Response Guide: As you know, the Marshall Fire in Boulder County last week forced over 35,000 people to evacuate and destroyed or severely damaged over 1,000 homes. We wanted to let you know there are resources available to those impacted by the fires, as well as tips and suggestions for people who would like to assist those affected by the fires. Below, you will find information on how to access mental health support and the next steps to take related to insurance and financial assistance:

Chalkbeat Education Legislative Preview: On Tuesday of this week, I will have the honor of participating as a panelist at Chalkbeat Colorado's legislative preview event. This is an annual discussion of key education topics likely to surface during the upcoming legislative session. We will discuss possible changes to K-12 funding, efforts to expand college access, the rollout of universal preschool, parental rights in the classroom, next steps for school accountability, the state's role in addressing staffing shortages, and more! This year's conversation will be held virtually on Zoom Webinar from noon - 1:30 pm on Tuesday, January 11. To RSVP for the event, click HERE.

Since the last edition of the newsletter, the following is a list of important meetings, conversations, or events that I have attended as part of my work as your state legislator.

Here are the latest press articles that touch on legislative issues from the past few weeks. You can view the full list on my website by clicking HERE.

Denver Post: Lawmakers expect busy year

Colorado Politics: Legislative leaders set agenda, priorities for 2022 session

Due to the rise in COVID cases, we have decided to return to our virtual town hall format. Also, due to a conflict with several memorial services, we are pushing our town hall to the fourth Saturday in January. Our topic this month will be a Legislative Preview. We hope to "see" you there! For more information, including the Zoom link to participate, click HERE.