Senate District 19 Newsletter
November 6, 2022
Too late to mail, still time to drop!

If the constant commercials and political fliers are doing their job, you are probably well aware that Election Day is right around the corner. If you have not submitted your ballot yet, here are a couple of important voting tips that can assist you. If you have already voted, then I recommend you share this information with your friends and neighbors.

First, it is too late to mail in your ballot. The Clerk's office must receive your ballot by 7 pm on Election Day (Tuesday, November 8). But that doesn't mean it is too late to vote! You can still drop off your ballot in person at a Voter Service and Polling Center and/or secure drop box. Many (if not all) of the drop boxes are available 24 hours, and some even allow drive-thru. You should plan on dropping off your ballot as soon as possible to avoid lines. If you prefer to vote in person, the polling centers will be open from 8 am - 5 pm on Monday, and 8 am - 7 pm on Tuesday.

Second, if you never received your ballot, or something happened to your ballot and you need a replacement, don't worry because you can still vote. All you need to do is go to a Voter Service and Polling Center (see above) to get a replacement ballot. You will have to vote on site, though, so plan ahead. If you moved and haven't re-registered, or need to register for the first time, you can still do that as well. Just be sure to look up the requirements so that you have the proper documentation. For more information about registering to vote, click HERE.

Third, if you are feeling nervous about all the ballot issues or undecided about whether or not to retain those judges, here is a helpful voter guide by the The Colorado Sun. Also, the Colorado Blue Book is another good source for digging into the ballot issues, and it comes in many different forms (audio, Spanish, etc.). As far as the judges are concerned, here is a link to the 2022 Judicial Performance Evaluations to learn more about how each judge is performing.

Lastly, if you have any other questions or concerns about voting, I recommend you contact the Jefferson County Clerk and Recorder's Office or visit GoVoteColorado.gov. Also, if you are interested in a behind-the-scenes look at how the elections are conducted, the Jeffco Clerk's office will host a virtual tour at 10:30 am on Monday, November 7. The virtual tour will be live on their Facebook page. They will show you each step ballots go through after they receive them and will take questions in real time.

Currently, Jefferson County leads the state in ballots returns. Let's continue that trend and get those ballots in! Thank you for taking the time to educate yourself on the candidates, ballot issues, and the process. Most importantly, thank you for being a voter!
Community News
Minority Leader Hugh McKean: I was shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden and tragic loss of House Minority Leader Hugh McKean, a dedicated public servant and devoted father. He was the prime co-sponsor of many of my bills and a true partner when it came to legislation. Funeral services for Minority Leader McKean will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, November 12 at Resurrection Fellowship Church, 6502 E. Crossroads Blvd., Loveland. Services are open to the public. Minority Leader McKean will lie in state at the Colorado Capitol Rotunda on Thursday, November 10 starting at noon.
Seeking Legislative Interns: The Office of Senator Rachel Zenzinger is looking for talented interns for the upcoming 2023 legislative session. Being a legislative intern is an exciting position that puts you in the middle of Colorado’s political action. Interns help in the implementation of the Senator's policy goals by providing administrative, written, and logistical support. Interns will work alongside the Senator's aide, Aaron Silverstein, and will assist with many duties. If you are interested, or know of someone, send an email to SenatorRachelZ@gmail.com.
Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program: On November 15, the Colorado Emergency Rental Assistance Program will stop accepting new applications. If you are interested in the program, please fill out an application immediately. The Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program, however, is not ending. This program uses federal Homeowner Assistance Funds to help homeowners get caught up on past-due housing payments, property taxes, insurance and housing utilities. The program is absolutely free and the funds do not need to be repaid. For more information on either program, click HERE.
Governor Unveils Budget Proposal: On November 1, as required by statute, Governor Jared Polis released his balanced budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2023-24. The Governor will formally present his proposal to the Joint Budget Committee on Tuesday, November 15. The Governor’s budget proposal is focused on addressing the issues Coloradans face today while saving families money and investing in our future. The JBC will use the Govenor's budget proposal as a starting point for their deliberations on the state budget. The JBC is slated to begin their hearings on Monday, November 14. To view a summary of the proposal, click HERE.
Support for People with Substance Use Disorders: Over the summer, the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline became a resource for the public to reach trained crisis counselors who can assist with struggles or emergencies related to substance use as well as mental health. The trained crisis counselors can provide information, support and treatment referrals, and immediate linkages to Peer Support Services. Given the new 9-8-8 hotline for substance use and mental health crises, here is a link to a fact sheet to some additional helplines. Both of these offer important support for people with substance use disorders beyond clinics and in-patient facilities.
Developing Colorado’s Turf Replacement Program: Several people have approached me over the summer and into the fall to learn more about Colorado's turf replacement program. Recently, Legislative Council Staff wrote an excellent issue brief that looks at the state's efforts to incentivize the voluntary replacement of nonessential irrigated turf across the state. The brief reviews the state and local programs and discusses eligibility and funding. In addition to the brief on turf replacement, the main page displays links to several other issue briefs that are connected to turf replacement, such as the state's water policies. To read the brief and view the other links, click HERE.
Zenzinger Earns Four New Awards
CAMES Walking Stick Award: The Colorado Association for Medical Equipment Services hosted their 2022 Annual Conference in October. CAMES honored the following House Representative's and Senator's with the "Walking Stick Award" for all the support and dedication to CAMES and Coloradoans: Rep. Colin Larson, Rep. Julie McCluskie, Rep. David Ortiz, Sen. Bob Rankin, and Sen. Rachel Zenzinger. For more information about CAMES, click HERE.

CIADA Champion of Industry: The Colorado Independent Automobile Dealers Association has chosen Sen. Rachel Zenzinger for a CIADA Legislative Award in recognition of her efforts as a champion of the industry. The award will be presented on Saturday, November 12 at their 2022 Charity Fund Gala: Providing Hope & Impacting Lives Charity Gala. For more information on CIADA, click HERE.

Colorado BioSciences Legislator of the Year: The Colorado BioScience Association champions a collaborative, pro-business environment where health innovation thrives. They will recognize Senator Rachel Zenzinger as their "Legislator of the Year" on November 16 at the CBSA 19th Annual Awards Celebration Presented by AGC Biologics. For more information, click HERE.

EMSAC Golden Ambulance Award: The Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado, has named Sen. Rachel Zenzinger their 2022 Golden Ambulance Award Winner. The award will be presented at the Annual State EMS Conference at the Keystone Conference Center, culminating in the Awards Reception and Presentation on Saturday, November 12. For more information on EMSAC, click HERE.
Home Depot Walk Through
The Home Depot Walk Through: Last month, I had the great pleasure of doing a walk-through tour of The Home Depot store in Arvada. The store, located near 52nd and Wadsworth, is a valuable business within Senate District 19 and contributes quite a bit of taxable revenue to our local and state economy. The store I toured in Arvada is very busy year round and generates over $111 million in revenue. Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement retailer with approximately 500,000 associates and 2,300 stores in North America.

We began the visit with several employees demonstrating their team cheer, used to inspire the associates and get them pumped up for the day. They are very invested in developing and supporting their workforce. They also presented me with a personalized "signature" orange apron. During the visit I toured their indoor retail space, garden center, and tool rental departments. I learned about their e-commerce business, some of the challenges they are experiencing with retail theft, and we discussed two pieces of legislation that I sponsored--legislation that Home Depot supported--which includes: HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers and SB21-257 Special Mobile Machinery Registration Exemption.

I met sevearal employees from many different sectors including Seasonal Gardening, Tools and Hardware, Security, and more. Home Depot has a recognition program for their associates that go above and beyond called the "Homer Awards." It was my honoor to present these awards to the associates during the walk. I also participated in a very fun product demo at the end of the tour. I am grateful to John Dillon, the State and Local Government Relations Manager, Steven Gandy, the Store Manager, for setting up the tour and introducing me to their fantastic team.
During the Interim
Jeffco EDC Gateways Celebration: I was pleased to attend the second annual Jeffco EDC Gateways awards celebration. Over 250 Jeffco leaders came together to celebrate eleven Jefferson County businesses. The Community Partner of the Year was Manufacturer’s Edge. The Sustainability Partner of the Year was Martin/Martin Consulting Engineers. The Entrepreneur of the Year was PharmaJet. And the Project of the Year was Lutheran Medical Center. Congratulations to all the finalists for their continued success and contribution to Jeffco. For more information on Jeffco EDC, click HERE.
Consortium of Special Education Directors: I was honored to join the Consortium of Special Education Directors for their annual planning retreat where I was presented with a token of their appreciation. They presented me with a framed picture of Tim, a child with special needs, as well as handwritten notes of thanks from each of the directors from across the state. We had a nice discussion about the importance and positive benefits of our collective work on behalf of special education, and we discussed ideas for future action. The conversation was a good reminder to never forget the children who ultimately benefit from our advocacy.
Standley Lake High School Political Science Fair: Standley Lake High School hosted their annual Political Science Fair, featuring projects produced by students on the 2022 ballot issues, as well as candidates running for local, state, and national office. The students did a good job of researching their issues and/or candidates, including the opposing sides of ballot issues and even minority party candidates. The Political Science Fair even caught the attention of The Denver Channel 7 News. To view the story, click HERE.
TeachPlus Fellowship Zoom: Last week, I met over Zoom with several practicing educators who are also members of the TeachPlus Fellowship program. The mission of TeachPlus is to empower excellent, experienced, and diverse teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that advance equity, opportunity, and student success. We discussed policies from last session that impacted their classrooms, as well as ideas for legislation for the upcoming session that they would like to see. Many of the educators spoke about the impact of the pandemic on both the students, as well as the teaching profession. And many expressed an interest in having the National Board Certified Teacher Stipend program restored. To learn more about TeachPlus, click HERE.
Events
Legislative Town Hall Meeting

Due to the holidays, we will not be meeting on the third Saturday for our monthly town hall meeting during the months of November or December. We will resume our town hall schedule in January 2023. But, you can mark your calendar now for January 21 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. For more, click HERE.
2022 Zenzinger Legislation
SB22-008 Higher Education Support for Foster Youth: Concerning postsecondary education support for certain students who have been in out-of-home placement.

SB22-011 America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission: Concerning the establishment of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission.

SB22-017 Fluid Milk Products Not Divisible Load: Concerning the determination that a load of fluid milk products hauled by a vehicle is not a divisible load under the vehicle weight limits permitted by law.

SB22-054 Recommend Community School for Turnaround Plan: Concerning the addition of a recommendation that a district public school be converted to a community school if the district public school fails to make substantial progress under its turnaround plan.

SB22-064 Neighborhood Youth Organizations: Concerning requirements for neighborhood youth organizations that provide services designed for the development of youth.

SB22-085 Colorado Safe Student Protection Program: Concerning creating the Colorado safe student protection program. Postponed Indefinitely

SB22-121 Tuition Revenue Pledged by Institution Higher Education: Concerning increasing the amount of tuition revenues pledged by an institution of higher education.

SB22-127 Special Education Funding: Concerning funding for special education services.

SB22-137 Transition Back to Standard K-12 Accountability: Concerning measures related to the transitional return to standard education.

SB22-142 Repeal Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board: Concerning the repeal of the municipal bond supervision advisory board.

SB22-144 Public and Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Contracts: Concerning the provision of transportation services by a transportation network company not in connection with a business operated for profit.

SB22-146 Middle Income Access Program Expansion: Concerning the expansion of the Colorado housing and finance authority's middle income access program.

SB22-159 Revolving Loan Fund Invest Affordable Housing: Concerning the creation of a revolving loan fund within the division of housing in the department of local affairs to make investments in transformational affordable housing.

SB22-162 Administration Organization Act Modernization: Concerning the modernization of the terminology used in the Colorado Revised Statutes relating to the organization of Colorado state governmental agencies without altering the status of the powers assigned to those agencies pursuant to the "Administrative Organization Act of 1968."

SB22-164 Correction Property Tax Disclosure Information Metropolitan District: Concerning the substitution of the word "treasurer's" in place of the word "assessor's" in a statutory provision requiring disclosure of property tax information for purchasers of newly constructed residences within the boundaries of a metropolitan district.

SB22-192 Opportunities for Credential Attainment: Concerning the creation of opportunities for credential attainment, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-202 State Match for Mill Levy Override Revenue: Concerning providing state matching money for property tax revenue collected by school districts.

SB22-210 License Supplemental Health-care Staffing Agencies: Concerning the regulation of supplemental health-care staffing agencies by the department of public health and environment.

SB22-215 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Cash Fund: Concerning the creation of the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund to be used for non federal match funding requirements for infrastructure projects eligible to receive federal funding under the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act."

SB22-216 Reallocation Of Limited Gaming Revenues: Concerning the reallocation of the limited gaming tax revenues for fiscal years following a significant decrease in the revenues, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-217 Programs That Benefit Persons With Disabilities: Concerning motor vehicle related programs that benefit persons with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-225 Ambulance Service Sustainability And State Licensing: Concerning emergency medical services in the state, and, in connection therewith, creating an emergency medical services system sustainability task force and requiring ambulance services to obtain a state license from the department of public health and environment.

SB22-235 County Administration of Public Assistance Programs: Concerning county administration of public assistance programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SR22-003 Single Parent Day: Concerning recognition of Single Parent Day in Colorado.

SJR22-006 Police Week and Peace Officers' Memorial Day: Concerning declaring the week of March 11-16, 2022, as Police Week, and in connection therewith declaring March 15, 2022, as Peace Officers' Memorial Day.

HB22-1009 Continue Workforce Diploma Pilot Program: Concerning continuing the workforce diploma pilot program as the workforce diploma program. Postponed Indefinitely

HB22-1031 Consumer Right to Repair Powered Wheelchairs: Concerning a requirement that a powered wheelchair manufacturer facilitate the repair of its powered wheelchairs by providing certain other persons with the resources needed to repair the manufacturer's powered wheelchairs.

HB22-1051 Mod Affordable Housing Tax Credit: Concerning modification of the Colorado affordable housing tax credit, and, in connection therewith, extending the time during which the credit may be claimed and increasing the yearly amount of credits that can be allocated.

HB22-1057 Public Employees' Retirement Association Employment After Teacher Retirement: Concerning public employees' retirement association employment after retirement limitations.

HB22-1093 Updates to Bingo and Raffles Law: Concerning the conduct of charitable gaming activity, and, in connection therewith, modernizing the "Bingo and Raffles Law" to accommodate the use of improved electronic aids and devices in the conduct of games of chance and making an appropriation.

HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers: Concerning mandatory disclosures of third-party sellers selling through online marketplace.

HB22-1101 Public Employees’ Retirement Association Service Retiree Employment in Rural Schools: Concerning the expansion of a program that allows a public employees’ retirement association service retiree to work full-time without any reduction in the service retiree’s retirement for benefits for a rural school district that has a critical shortage of qualified individuals with specific experience, skills, or qualifications that the service retiree has.

HB22-1114 Transportation Services For Medicaid Waiver Recipients: Concerning authorizing a transportation network company to provide nonmedical transportation services to persons who are enrolled in certain medicaid waiver programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1162 Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates: Concerning authorization to use digital number plates in lieu of metal number plates on a vehicle.

HB22-1202 At-risk Student Measure For School Finance: Concerning the creation of a new measure in the public school funding formula for identifying at-risk students, and, in connection therewith, creating a working group in the department of education to implement the new measure in a future budget year.

HB22-1220 Removing Barriers To Educator Preparation: Concerning removing barriers in educator preparation to support educator candidates entering the educator workforce.

HB22-1245 Foster Youth in Transition Program Clarifications: Concerning clarifications related to the foster youth in transition program.

HB22-1248 Extend School Leadership Pilot Program: Concerning continuation of the school leadership pilot program, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1250 Nonsubstantive Changes to Title 7 of Colorado Revised Statutes: Statutes: Concerning nonsubstantive changes to title 7 of the Colorado revised statutes.

HB22-1255 Improve Higher Education for Students With a Disability: Concerning measures to improve postsecondary education outcomes for students with a disability.

HB22-1258 Essential Services For Youth Special Districts: Concerning the creation of an essential services for youth special district in each judicial district in the state. Lost on Third Reading in the House.

HB22-1290 Changes to Medicaid for Wheelchair Repairs: Concerning changes to medicaid to allow for expedited repairs to complex rehabilitation technology.

HB22-1293 Medical Record Requests By Attorneys: Concerning the provision of medical records in the custody of a health-care facility. Laid over in the House on Second Reading.

HB22-1294 Special Education Services in Charter Schools: Concerning additional pathways to provide special education services to children with disabilities in charter schools.

HB22-1320 Achieving a Better Life Experience Savings Accounts: Concerning the achieving a better life experience (ABLE) savings program for individuals with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, modifying who may create and control an ABLE program account, preventing the state from filing certain claims against an ABLE program account upon the death of the designated beneficiary, and allowing contributions to an ABLE program account that are withdrawn for qualified disability expenses to be deducted from a taxpayer's federal taxable income for purposes of determining the taxpayer's state taxable income.

HB22-1329 2022-23 Long Bill: Concerning the provision for payment of the expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, except as otherwise noted.

HB22-1331 Supplemental Funding for Facility Schools: Concerning supplemental funding for facility schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. 

HB22-1333 Increase Minimum Wage for Nursing Home Workers: Concerning an increase in the minimum wage for nursing facility employees, and, in connection therewith making an appropriation. 

HB22-1334 Food Distribution Program Administrative Fee: Concerning the collection of an administrative fee from an agency that receives commodities through a food distribution program.

HB22-1336 Streamline Processing of Judicial Department Collections: Concerning the streamlining of the processing of certain money collected by the judicial department. 

HB22-1339 Merge Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles Cash Funds: Concerning the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account of the highway users tax fund, and, in connection therewith, merging the licensing services cash fund into the account and requiring account investment earnings to be credited to the account. 

HB22-1340 Capital-related Transfers of Money: Concerning capital-related transfers of money.

HB22-1341 Marijuana Tax Cash Fund: Concerning measures to ensure that the marijuana tax cash fund is in balance.

HB22-1390 Public School Finance: Concerning the financing of public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1395 Transportation Innovation Grant Program: Concerning creating the competitive transportation innovation grant program to address the public school transportation shortage. Laid over in the House in the Appropriations Committee.

HB22-1415 Repeal Registered Manager Requirement Liquor Licensees: Concerning elimination of the requirement that certain businesses licensed to sell alcohol beverages for consumption on the licensed premises register a manager of the licensed premises with the state licensing authority.

HB22-1418 Extension Of Certain Unused Tax Credits: Concerning the extension of the period for which unused and expiring Colorado job growth incentive and enterprise zone income tax credits may be carried forward to subsequent years.

HJR22-1002 Study State and Interstate Highway Vehicle Weight: Concerning a request that Congress allow the state of Colorado to conduct an analysis of and possibly move forward on harmonizing the gross vehicle weight for trucks on the Interstate Highway System in Colorado with that of other state highways.

HJR22-1006 Military, Veterans, Missing in Action/Prisoner of War Appreciation Day: Concerning recognition of military, veterans, and MIA/POW Appreciation Day.
COVID-19 & Vaccine Resources
About Senator Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger (D-Arvada) was re-elected to a second term in the Colorado State Senate, representing District 19 (Arvada & Westminster) in November 2020. Previously she served on the Arvada City Council. Midway through the 2022 legislative session, Senator Zenzinger was elected to fill a vacancy on the Joint Budget Committee. She is also Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Education Committee and Statutory Revision Committee.

200 East Colfax, Denver, CO 80203
SenatorRachelZ@gmail.com
303-866-4840 office
303-748-0770 cell