Over the past week, I've had to call 9-1-1 three times to report a crime in my neighborhood. Like many people in Colorado, I've become increasingly worried about public safety. According to new statewide data, crime in almost all categories has gone up. While Colorado is not unique in this regard, I am still disturbed by this trend. People deserve to feel safe in their community. That is why I was pleased to support a number of bills focussed on improving public safety this session.

The legislature passed a number of bills to address public safety concerns, including bills to cut down on catalytic converter thefts, increase support and resources for law enforcement, and help local governments make improvements to their neighborhoods to help prevent crime and build safer communities. Here is a short list of some of the more notable bills this session:

These bipartisan pieces of legislation will provide critical resources to help communities cut down on crime, address law enforcement workforce shortages, and get folks in crisis the help they need to prevent crime from occurring in the first place. To learn more and to see a longer list of bills addressing public safety, click HERE.

In addition to these statewide efforts, we are also hosting three public safety officials at our town hall meeting this coming Saturday to discuss local public safety efforts. Please join us to hear from Arvada Police Chief Link Strate, Interim Westminster Police Chief Norm Haubert, and Jefferson County District Attorney Alexis King. at the Standley Lake Library on Saturday, July 16. For more details about the town hall, click click HERE.

Please join us for our monthly legislative town hall meeting on Saturday, July 16 to discuss public safety. We are hosting three guest speakers: Link Strate, Arvada Police Chief, Norm Haubert, Interim Westminster Police Chief, and Alexis King, Jeffco District Attorney. Join us at the Standley Lake Library at 10:30 am. For details, click HERE.

Even though we are no longer meeting down at the Capitol every day, we continue our legislative work during the interim by participating on various committees. Here is an update on the meetings that I have attended so far this interim:

Early Childhood & School Readiness Legislative Commission: I am pleased to announce that I received a new appointment to the Early Childhood Commission. The commission studies issues concerning early childhood and school readiness, including health care, mental health, parental involvement, family support, child care, and early learning. Our group met last week and we had an opportunity to visit with a variety of folks who updated us on the transition to the new Department of Early Childhood, which officially kicked off on July 1. To view our agenda and meeting materials, click HERE. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, July 26 at 9 am. The focus of that meeting will be primarily on workforce issues related to early childhood.

Young Invincibles Colorado seeking applicants: YI Colorado is now accepting applications for the Young Advocates Program, a paid opportunity for Colorado youth to gain professional experience and skills relating to advocacy, policy research, event planning, networking (with both community leaders and state legislators), and community outreach. This year, their four-month program meets every Friday from 9:00am-1:00pm MT, and pays $16/hr. Interested applicants should apply by Wednesday, July 20. To learn more, click HERE.

Arvada Days coming up in August: Mark your calendar now for the Arvada Days festival on Saturday, August 20. Arvada Days is a festival dedicated to family fun featuring games for the whole family, kids fishing derby , vendors, live music, and more! For the adults, quench your thirst at the beer garden! Proceeds from the beer garden will benefit Ralston House. For more information, click HERE.

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.