Democratic Senators Announced Plans To Ban New Oil And Gas Drilling In Colorado By 2030. [Colorado Sun, 2/12/24]
Democracy
Democratic Lawmakers Advanced Legislation To Expand Access To Voting For People Confined To The County Jail Or Detention Center. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, SB-72, referred to Committee 2/29/24]
Economy
House Democratic Lawmakers Passed Legislation To Require Landlords To Show Cause Before Evicting Tenants. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1098, passed House 2/20/24]
Gun Safety
Senate Democrats Passed A Bill Appropriating Funds To Allow The Colorado Bureau Of Investigations To Investigate Illegal Activity Involving Firearms. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, SB24-003, passed 3/15/24]
Senate Democrats Passed A Bill To Attach Specific Vendor Codes To The Sale Of Firearms, Ammunition, And Similar Materials. [Denver Post, 2/5/24; Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, SB24-066, passed 2/21/24]
House Democrats Passed Legislation To Rework The Standards Required To Obtain A Concealed Carry Permit, Including Passing A Written Test And In-Person Exercise. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1174, introduced 3/11/24; Colorado Newsline, 2/14/24]
Democratic Legislators Advanced An Assault Weapons Ban. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1292, advanced 3/19/24; CPR News, 2/14/24]
Labor
Democratic Lawmakers Advanced Legislation To Provide More Transparency For Drivers Of Companies, Including Uber And DoorDash. [Denver Post, 2/5/24; Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, SB24-075, advanced 2/20/24; Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1129, advanced 2/29/24]
Democratic Lawmakers Plan To Introduce A Bill To Protect Construction Workers From Wage Theft. [Colorado Newsline, 1/5/24]
LGBTQ+ Rights
Democratic House Lawmakers Passed A Foster Care Bill Of Rights That Includes Protections To Freely Express Gender Identity. [9 News, 1/30/24; Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1017, passed 2/9/24]
Reproductive Rights
A Republican Representative Introduced Legislation Requiring Physicians To Provide Information Regarding Abortion Pill Reversals Prior To Providing An Abortion Or Abortion-Inducing Medication. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1106, introduced 1/25/24]
The Bill Was Indefinitely Postponed. [Colorado General Assembly, 2024 Regular Session, HB24-1106, postponed 3/5/34]
Colorado Key Legislation – 2023
Labor
Democratic Leaders Introduced A Bill To Strengthen The State’s ‘Equal Pay For Equal Work’ Law. “A new bill up for consideration in the state legislature intends to expand upon the original “Equal Pay for Equal Work Act,” which was passed in May 2019, before the pandemic. On Tuesday, legislators gathered to hear testimony for and against Senate Bill 105. Supporters said it’ll help ensure pay equality, especially for women of color. Opponents said there are some unintended consequences of laws like this.” [9news, 2/21/23; Colorado Legislature, SB23-105, introduced, 1/31/23]
Democrats In The Colorado Legislature Introduced A Bill To Expand Sick Leave To Include Caring For Children Due To School Closures And For Bereavement. [Colorado Legislature, SB23-017, introduced, 1/10/23]
Education
Democrats In The Colorado House Passed A Bill To Address Colorado’s Rural Teacher Shortage. “House Bill 1001 — the first bill introduced of the session — would update existing stipend programs to include student educators who have slightly higher family incomes and who teach outside of Colorado but within 100 miles of the state border. The bill would also change the state’s educator loan forgiveness program to include principals and special services providers. ‘We’re tackling Colorado’s teacher shortage through a multi-faceted approach, and that includes breaking down financial barriers future educators face while entering the workforce,’ said bill sponsor Rep. Barbara McLachlan, D-Durango. ‘Investing in our teachers strengthens our schools and supports our students.’” [Colorado Politics, 2/2/23]
Guns
Democratic Lawmakers In Colorado Introduced Multiple Firearm Reform Measures, Including Increasing The Age To Purchase A Firearm To 21 And Implementing Waiting Periods. “A proposal to limit all firearm purchases and possession to people 21 and older — including rifles and shotguns — will be the first in a slate of bills Democrats hope will curb gun violence in Colorado. […] Democratic leaders said their agenda would include a slew of stronger gun laws that included age restrictions, waiting periods and an expansion of the extreme risk protection order, or red flag, law.” [Denver Post, 2/22/23]
The Governor Signed The Bills Raising The Age Limit To Purchase A Gun And Implementing Waiting Periods For Firearm Purchases. “At the signing ceremony, Senate President Steve Fenberg, a Democrat and one of the bill’s sponsors, said Republicans and other gun control opponents often respond to mass shootings by saying it’s too soon to talk about restricting firearms. ‘It isn’t too soon. It’s too late for so many of the lost souls,’ Fenberg said. ‘We needed to have done more to prevent what happened.’” [AP, 4/28/23]
LGBTQ+ Rights
Republican Lawmakers In Colorado Introduced An Anti-Trans Sports Ban. “A bill that would ban transgender student athletes from participating in women’s sports is scheduled for a Monday hearing at the Colorado Legislature. House Bill 23-1098, the Women’s Rights in Athletics bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Byron Pelton of Sterling and Republican Reps. Lisa Frizell of Castle Rock and Brandi Bradley of Littleton, would require athletes to participate on teams according to their sex as assigned at birth, not their self-identified gender. Any intercollegiate, interscholastic, intramural or club athletic team would be required to designate teams as either male, female or coeducational.” [Colorado Newsline, 2/7/23]
The Bill Was Rejected Along Party Lines. “House Bill 1098: This bill, sponsored by Reps. Lisa Frizell, Brandi Bradley and Sen. Byron Pelton, would have required that student athletes only participate in sports based on their biological sex at birth. It was rejected 8-3 along party lines by the House State, Civic, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee on Feb. 13 after an hour and a half of testimony.” [Colorado Sun, 2/28/23]
Colorado Democrats Are Fighting To Shield People Seeking Gender-Affirming Care From Out-Of-State Legal Investigations. “State Sen. Julie Gonzales, a Denver Democrat and a lead sponsor of the bill, said the idea behind the legislation is to prevent investigations into things that are legal in Colorado. ‘Gender-affirming and reproductive health care services are lawful here in Colorado, so why would Colorado law enforcement agencies, courts or our governor investigate activity that is legal in this state?’ Gonzales said. Other lead sponsors of the bill are Sen. Sonya Jaquez Lewis, of Boulder County, Rep. Meg Froelich, of Englewood, and Rep. Brianna Titone, of Arvada. ‘Our fundamental freedoms are constantly under attack through hurtful transphobic rhetoric, anti-gay bills and egregious attempts to limit who we are. In Colorado, we say no more,’ Titone, Colorado’s first transgender lawmaker, said at a news conference at the Capitol.” [Colorado Sun, 3/9/23]
The Gov. Signed Legislation Making The State A Safe Haven For Gender-Affirming Care. “A trio of health care bills enshrining access in Colorado to abortion and gender-affirming procedures and medications became law Friday as the Democrat-led state tries to make itself a safe haven for its neighbors, whose Republican leaders are restricting care. The main goal of the legislation signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis is to ensure people in surrounding states and beyond can go to Colorado to have an abortion, begin puberty blockers or receive gender-affirming surgery without fear of prosecution. Bordering states of Wyoming and Oklahoma have passed abortion bans, and Utah has severely restricted transgender care for minors. Many states with abortion or transgender care bans are also criminalizing traveling to states for the purpose of accessing legal health care.” [Associated Press, 4/14/23]
Democrats In The Colorado House Introduced Legislation To Provide Amenities For All Genders In Public Buildings. [Colorado Legislature, 2023 Session, Introduced 1/13/23]
Democracy
Colorado Democrats Passed An Elections Bill To Expand Voting Access For Native Americans And Require Public Officials To Disclose Their Income Amount And Sources. “Colorado lawmakers approved a host of changes to the state’s election system with the passage of Senate Bill 276 on Saturday. […] One of the most significant components of the bill seeks to improve voting access for Native American tribes. If passed, the bill would expand the state’s automatic voter registration system to include tribal membership lists — making Colorado the first state in the country to do so, Fenberg said. It would also increase the number of in-person voting sites on tribal lands before and on Election Day. Another major portion of the bill would require candidates and elected officials to report their income, in addition to the existing requirement that they reveal their sources of income. This is already mandated for members of the U.S. Congress. The personal finance information would be publicly available online, and the bill would clarify enforcement and require candidates and elected officials who are consultants to provide a list of people who are contracting with them.” [Colorado Politics, 5/2/23]
Reproductive Rights
Republican Lawmakers Introduced 3 Anti-Abortion Bills In Colorado. “A Colorado House committee listened to hours of testimony Friday on three bills that aimed to limit abortions in the state. The first would have required abortion providers to administer painkillers during abortions if the fetus has reached 20-weeks of gestation with certain exemptions. The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Luck, R-Penrose, faced two forms of opposition Friday. Colorado Democrats look to further enshrine abortion access into law The first came from those who oppose abortions altogether and who argue this could further encourage abortions. The other form of opposition came from those who support abortion access, who said this would add significant dangers to the pregnant person and could limit abortions if providers are not able to administer the painkillers in utero. A second bill aimed to abolish abortions altogether in Colorado by defining an unborn child at all stages of gestation as a person. It would have also added homicide and assault provisions into state law for providing an abortion, and authorized the state to disregard any federal court decision to void that requirement. A third bill would have required information on abortion pill reversals to be prepared by the state and provided by clinicians to patients. The bill stipulated that the information must be provided within 24 hours before a clinician administers an abortion and levies civil penalties against those who refuse.” [Denver 7, 2/17/23]
All Three Anti-Abortion Measures Failed Along Party Line Votes. “Three Republican anti-abortion bills died at the Colorado Legislature during a committee hearing Friday. One of the bills would have abolished abortion altogether. […] Testimony during a hearing before the House Health & Insurance Committee began with Rep. Stephanie Luck, a Penrose Republican and the sole sponsor of House Bill 23-1097, which would require a health care provider who performs an abortion on a fetus 20 weeks gestational age or older to administer a painkiller to the fetus prior to an abortion, with exceptions if the pregnant person is allergic to anesthetics.[…] The bill failed the committee by a vote of 8-3, with all three Republicans voting ‘yes.’[…] House Bill 23-1119, which would ban abortion across the state of Colorado, and House Bill 23-1150, which would require physicians and other medical professionals that administer abortions to provide state-prepared information about how to reverse the effects of an abortion pill, were both sponsored by Rep. Scott Bottoms, a Colorado Springs Republican.[…] Both of Bottoms’ bills failed in committee, with an 8-3 vote along party lines.’” [Colorado Newsline, 2/18/23]
Democratic Lawmakers In Colorado Are Planning To Introduce 3 Bills To Further Enshrine Abortion Access, Including Expanding Privacy Protections And Requiring Insurance To Cover Reproductive Care. “Meanwhile, after passing the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA) last year, Democrats are planning on introducing three more bills this year to further enshrine abortion access into law. The first will codify protections and privacy for abortion providers as well as their patients, regardless of whether they came from out of state. It will also offer the same protections for gender-affirming care. The bill aims to protect patients and providers from any lawsuits or criminal charges stemming from those services. A second bill would require commercial insurers to cover abortions, as well as treatments for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV prevention. A third bill would put more rules in place around crisis pregnancy centers that are aimed at dissuading women away from getting an abortion.” [Denver 7, 2/17/23]
Climate
Democratic Legislators Announced A Slate Of Bills Intended To Incentivize Clean Energy Technology For Consumers Through Tax Breaks. “Heat pumps, electric vehicles, e-bicycles and other forms of clean technology could become cheaper for consumers under a slate of bills Democratic legislators and Gov. Jared Polis announced on Wednesday. The proposals also include measures to increase renewable energy generation in the state. Altogether, the bills would amount to as much as $120 million in new tax credits annually through 2032. […] The tax credits are just one portion of the clean energy package, which includes 13 pieces of legislation. Six of those bills have already been introduced. Another seven are still being drafted by lawmakers.” [CPR News, 3/8/23]
Democratic Lawmakers Sponsored Legislation To Promote Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction Measures. [SB-16, 2023 Regular Session, 1/10/23]
Republican Lawmakers Introduced Legislation To Declassify Carbon Dioxide As A Pollutant. [HB-1163, 2023 Regular Session, 2/2/23]
The Bill Was Blocked In Committee. [HB-1163, 2023 Regular Session, 2/2/23]
