Following Weekend Holiday, Senate Democrats Get Back to Work – Keeping Their Mom-entum With Legislative Initiatives

Stimulus bills to support workforce development, affordable housing, and tourism, as well as bills on transportation funding, gun safety, and paid family leave all head to committees this week

DENVER, CO - Senate Democrats hit the motherlode with their legislative priorities in committees this week. 

Five of the bills being heard are a part of Colorado’s recovery package:

HB21-1271: Department Of Local Affairs Innovative Affordable Housing Strategies, sponsored by Senator Gonzales.

• Local governments are often on the forefront of affordable housing efforts, but can lack the tools and resources to increase the available housing stock. This bill provides $13 million in incentives and technical assistance to local governments for the rapid deployment of affordable housing projects – ensuring local communities have the tools and resources necessary to identify and meet their unique housing needs.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Local Government Committee at 2:00PM on Tuesday May 11th in Senate Committee Room 352.

HB21-1262: Money Support Agricultural Events Organization, sponsored by Senate President Garcia & Senator Sonnenberg.

• The Colorado State Fair and Stock Show are vital economic drivers for the agriculture industry in Colorado, but sadly both have suffered critical blows from the pandemic. With this stimulus bill, the state hopes to help them to not only recover but build back stronger. The bill provides $3.5 million to the Colorado State Fair – a staple to the state’s agricultural economy – as well as $3.5 million for the Stock Show and $2 million to agricultural events organizations across the state.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee upon adjournment of morning floor work on Wednesday May 12th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

HB21-1260: General Fund Transfer Implement State Water Plan, sponsored by Senators Donovan & Simpson.

• Ensuring that Colorado can meet its future water needs is critical in maintaining our state as a competitive place to work, play, and live. After facing one of the worst drought years in Colorado history, growing water demands will continue to strain our limited resources. To help address these needs, the Colorado Water Plan has been established as the state’s framework for solutions to preserve our water values of a productive economy, healthy agricultural sector, and robust recreation industry. However, the state Water Plan is woefully underfunded and desperately needs investments to ensure the long-term prosperity of our citizens, economy, and natural environment. This bill provides $20 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board to implement the Colorado Water Plan, which will help fund a wide array of projects across the state.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee upon adjournment of morning floor work on Wednesday May 12th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

HB21-1264: Funds Workforce Development Increase Worker Skills, sponsored by Senators Kolker & Hisey.

• Building back stronger means making sure that Colorado’s workers have the tools they need to thrive. This bill invests $25 million to create an initiative within the state Workforce Development Council to reskill, upskill, and “next-skill” workers during periods of substantial unemployment.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee at 1:30PM on Wednesday May 12th in Senate Committee Room 352.

HB21-1263: Meeting And Events Incentive Program, sponsored by Senators Rodriguez & Hisey.

• Colorado typically has a robust tourism industry and with the vaccine becoming more widely available, it’s time to bring people back for the weddings, vacations, conferences, and festivals that have haulted since COVID. Therefore, in an effort to incentivize more local tourism and business, this bill creates a program to provide organizations and businesses up to 10% rebates for holding an event in the state. The program also offers rebates of up to 25% for hard costs of complying with COVID-19 associated public health orders for the event.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee at 1:30PM on Wednesday May 12th in Senate Committee Room 352.

Other legislative priorities headed to committee this week include:

SB21-260: Sustainability Of The Transportation System, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Fenberg & Senator Winter.

• Colorado’s gas tax was created in 1991, and its value has significantly eroded since then, leaving Colorado’s roads and transportation system drastically underfunded. This proposal will provide $5.268 billion in funding to fix roads and bridges, improve transit options, meet Colorado’s climate goals, and future-proof the state’s transportation system. The funding will come from a fair and responsible mix of state, federal, and user-generated fee revenue. Overall, the bill will create a sustainable funding source for transportation infrastructure that will support a dynamic economy, improve air quality, create jobs, and ensure Colorado is positioned to compete.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Finance Committee at 1:30PM today, Monday May 10th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

SB21-256: Local Regulation Of Firearms, sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Fenberg & Senator Moreno.

• Just ten days before the King Soopers shooting, courts struck down Boulder’s citywide assault weapons ban. This was the culmination of years of advocacy and bravery from community members to help keep residents safer. It’s time we give the power back to our localities so they are able to craft their own tailored, community-based responses to gun violence. This bill allows local governments to implement laws around gun ownership that are broader than state statutes – granting municipalities the right to decide regulations befitting their community.

This bill will be heard by the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee at 2:00PM on Tuesday May 11th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

SB21-251: General Fund Loan Family Medical Leave Program, sponsored by Senators Winter & Moreno.

• In last November’s election, Colorado reaffirmed its place as a leader in modernizing the workforce by passing Proposition 118, a ballot initiative that requires employers to provide 12 weeks of paid time off for the birth of a child and family emergencies, with an additional four weeks for pregnancy or childbirth complications. Although the Department of Labor & Employment will not begin collecting fees from employees and employers until 2023 and benefits will not kick in until 2024, the Department needs some funding to begin setting up the Paid Family & Medical Leave program and implementing the will of the voters. This bill loans the Department $1.5 million to begin setting up the program, with a pay-back date of December 2023.

This bill will be heard by the Senate Finance Committee at 1:30PM on Wednesday May 12th in the Old Supreme Court Chambers.

To listen to committee hearings, visit leg.colorado.gov/watch-listen. The full Senate calendar for the week can be found at http://leg.colorado.gov/session-schedule?type=senate.