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And the award goes to...
For the past couple of years, I have used the annual Academy Awards ceremony as an opportunity to highlight various bills that are making their way through the Capitol by giving out awards of my own. Since this is my last session, I figured why not continue the tradition one last time? (Note: these awards are not meant to be serious, so please don't take offense!)
Best Foreign Language Film: HB24-1009 Bilingual Child Care Licensing Resources: Concerning requiring the department of early childhood to provide child care licensing resources in prevalent languages. There were several nominees--er, bills--this year, dealing with language access, but the award clearly goes to HB24-1009. Early care and education programs are a cornerstone of child development, and language should not be a barrier to access to care for children. With this bill, the general assembly affirms the vital role of a culturally and linguistically diverse child care provider population in addressing the multifaceted needs of Colorado's diverse communities, and therefore wins the top prize.
Best Costume Design: HB24-1070 Allowing Certain Items at School Graduation: Concerning the manner of dress during school graduation ceremonies. The bill allows a preschool, public school, or public college or university student to wear and display religious or cultural regalia at a graduation ceremony. This bill expands the law that permits certain tribes and their descendants the ability to wear "Tribal regalia" during graduation ceremonies, by adding certain objects of cultural or religious significance as an adornment during the student's graduation ceremony.
Best Drama: SB24-106 Right to Remedy Construction Defects: Concerning legal actions based on claimed defects in construction projects. Last week I wrote about the lack of affordable housing choices in Colorado, particularly when it comes to condominiums. I also stressed the need for a more balanced construction defect litigation process in order to help address the problem. In one of the most dramatic hearings of the year, Senator Coleman and I presented our solution, Senate Bill 106, to the Local Government & Housing Committee. For over seven hours, the Committee listened to the passionate and sometimes tearful testimony of 88 witnesses. The hearing ended on a cliffhanger, though, as the chair delayed voting on the bill until the following week. Stayed tuned for the exciting and dramatic conclusion when the sequel debuts on Tuesday, March 12. Five stars!
Best Sequel: SB24-051 Adult Education: Concerning modifications to enhance adult education in Colorado. Last year, the legislature passed Senate Bill 007 that updated and expanded adult education opportunities by increasing state funding, adding digital literacy as an eligible program, and giving community and local district colleges the ability to award high school diplomas. Howver, when it came to the last item--the ability for colleges to grant high school diplomas--we unintentionally created some barriers in statute that prevented the colleges from implementing their new authority. As a result, we had to come forward again this year to address those barriers, hence Adult Education The Sequel. The bill passed quickly and has already been signed into law by the Governor.
Best Short "Film": HB24-1179 2023 Property Tax Year Updated Abstract: Concerning the creation of an updated abstract for the 2023 property tax year. The bill's summary (which you can read HERE) was longer than the bill itself. Essentially, due to changes made during the special session in November, the bill requires county assessors to prepare an updated property tax abstract for the 2023 property tax year no later than February 20, 2024. The bill was a page and a half long, thus earning the award for being the shortest so far this session.
Lifetime Achievement Award: FY 2024-25 School Finance Act. Although this bill has yet to be introduced, we stated in last year's SFA (see link) that we would finally buy down the Budget Stabilization Factor to zero in the 2024-25 School Finance Act, thereby fully funding our schools for the first time in 14 years! This means we will no longer reduce school funding through the BSF, which has been a goal of mine ever since I became a state legislator. You can read all about the buydown of the Budget Stabilization Factor and what that means for public school funding HERE. Suffice it to say, this was a significant achievement and I'm happy that the state legislature has finally achieved this milestone.
Since there is no music to usher me off the stage, I'll wrap up here. I hope you enjoy the Oscar awards program this evening. Also, just like they do during the Oscars, I'll leave you with a list of few more awards (see below) that just like the actual ceremony were presented off camera earlier in the evening. Enjoy!
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