What's Happening in Policy & Advocacy |
|
State-Level Action on Housing
Members of Rocky Mountain Partnership contacted the Backbone Team the week of July 19 to request that the Partnership sign on to a letter urging Gov. Polis to issue an executive order that makes a tenant’s good faith effort to obtain rental assistance a full defense against eviction for nonpayment, effective Aug. 1 through Sept. 30.
After conversation with leadership for the Policy & Legislative Advisory Network and the full Partnership, it was determined that Rocky Mountain Partnership would join dozens of signers from the area.
Since that time, Governor Polis has extended state protections, ensuring that tenants who are applying for rental assistance cannot be evicted for at least 30 days after the moratorium ended on July 31.
|
|
Want more information about the Policy & Legislative Advisory Network and who is involved? Click HERE.
|
|
Statewide & National Updates |
|
#1: Polis Orders Unvaccinated Employees To Get Tested, Wear Masks, But Won’t Require Shots
Gov. Jared Polis announced that state employees who remain unvaccinated against the coronavirus are required to get tested twice a week and continue wearing masks in indoor public areas, but he stopped short of issuing a mandate that workers get immunized. The governor’s announcement comes after President Joe Biden revealed new rules for federal civilian employees, which require them to get a COVID-19 vaccine or face regular testing, masking and other social distancing measures. There’s been a growing push nationally to get more Americans vaccinated, with hospitals and other businesses requiring their employees to get the shots. Earlier this week, UCHealth and Denver Health announced they will require their staff to get vaccinated by this fall. So far, 62% of eligible Coloradans are fully vaccinated.
|
|
#2: Denver employees, school and health care workers required to get COVID-19 vaccination
Denver’s more than 10,000 employees must get vaccinated against COVID-19, as well as first responders, people who work in health care, correctional facilities and schools, Mayor Michael Hancock announced Monday. The change comes amid rising concerns over the fast-spreading delta variant of COVID-19, leading to a rise in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations across the country. Hancock said masks and social distancing aren’t enough to protect the city and keep its economy moving forward. The order will also apply to teachers and school staff members in Denver. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and prevention recommended late last month that vaccinated people wear masks in indoor public places in counties with “high” or “substantial” spread of the virus, which covers the majority of Colorado.
|
|
#3: $1 trillion infrastructure deal scales Senate hurdle
The Senate voted Wednesday to take up a $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill that would make far-reaching investments in the nation’s public works system, as Republicans joined Democrats in clearing the way for action on a crucial piece of President Biden’s agenda. The 67-to-32 vote, which included 17 Republicans in favor, came just hours after centrist senators in both parties and the White House reached a long-sought compromise on the bill, which would provide about $550 billion in new federal money for roads, bridges, rail, transit, water and other physical infrastructure programs.
|
|
#4: Democrats fall short of votes for extending eviction ban
House Democratic leaders failed to round up enough votes Friday to pass legislation extending the federal ban on evictions just two days before it was set to expire. “We don’t have the votes,” a Democratic aide said. But when Speaker Nancy Pelosi was asked if she had pulled the bill, she said, “No.” Democrats were caught by surprise the day before when President Biden urged Congress to extend the eviction ban, which has been in place since September. Biden insisted that his administration no longer has the authority to unilaterally extend the moratorium due to a Supreme Court ruling last month.
|
|
Adam Burg, Senior Advisor, Legislative and Government Affairs, Adams County Government
PLAN Chair
|
|
|
Kayah Swanson, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy, RMP Backbone
|
|
|
|
|
Ryan McCoy, Executive Director, Front Range Community College Foundation | President, Westminster Public Schools Board of Education
PLAN Co-Champion
|
|
We've gotta say it: This information is subject to change. In addition, some updates may be sourced from organizations that have read limits or limits on how many articles you can access in a given time period.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
