Below you'll find the Policy and Legislative Advisory Network's (PLAN) highlights on what's happening in the world of policy that most impacts economic and social mobility within Adams County, Broomfield County, and the City of Aurora.

By 2025, 50% (est. n= 193,000) of adults in Adams and Broomfield Counties will earn a post-high school certificate, credential, or degree. This includes eliminating equity gaps between all racial and ethnic groups.

That is an increase of an estimated 45,800 people in 5 years!

This work is about reduction of poverty and improving the overall well-being of individuals and industry across the region. Credential attainment is one measurement the community can utilize to monitor progress towards economic and social mobility. Learn more HERE.
This week in policy was provided by:
Adam Burg, Senior Advisor, Legislative and Government Affairs, Adams County Government
PLAN Chair
Kayah Swanson, Senior Director of Policy & Advocacy, RMP Backbone
With ongoing input from:
Matthew La Crue, Managing Director, Dentons
PLAN Co-Champion
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.

The information below is in line with the Rocky Mountain Partnership's formal policy priorities for 2021. Learn more and check those policies out for yourself HERE.
This Week in State Policy
Partnership Supports New Bill

Last week, the Policy & Legislative Advisory Network recognized the opportunity to take action on one additional piece of legislation before the state session ends.

After a vote, the Partnership is now in support of HB21-1330 Higher Education Student Success! This bill is moving quickly, so the Backbone Team is actionizing rapidly to communicate this support to our legislative delegation.
State Session Racing to a Close

The 2021 Colorado legislative session is entering its final days with some of the landmark bills still making their way through the General Assembly. Click HERE to view some of the major pieces of outstanding legislation lawmakers are trying to take up before they’re forced to adjourn at 11:59 p.m. on June 12.

Plus, another one of the bills supported by Rocky Mountain Partnership has passed! HB21-1134 Report Tenant Rent Payment Information To Credit Agencies has passed and is on its way to Governor Jared Polis for a signature. This joins three other bills the Partnership supports that have passed so far this legislative session:

  • HB21-1117 Local Government Authority Promote Affordable Housing Units
  • HB21-1222 Regulation Of Family Child Care Homes
  • SB21-148 Creation Of Financial Empowerment Office

The Partnership is still in support of five additional pieces of legislation moving through the statehouse. Each of the five bills is listed below. You can click on them to learn more, or view the Master Bill Tracker to see what else the Partnership is keeping an eye on.

Is there another bill you want us to track? Let us know by clicking HERE!
Statewide & National Updates
#1: CDC Urges Teen Vaccinations

Citing increased hospitalization rates of teenagers with COVID-19 in March and April, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky urged parents to vaccinate their teens to protect them from an illness that can be severe even among young people. “I am deeply concerned by the numbers of hospitalized adolescents and saddened to see the numbers of adolescents who required treatment in intensive care units or mechanical ventilation,” Walensky said in a statement that was released Friday alongside a new study looking at trends in hospitalization among adolescents with the disease.
#2: US Adds 559,000 Jobs in May

Hiring accelerated in May, with the government reporting on Friday that employers added 559,000 workers, about twice the previous month’s gains. The unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent, the Labor Department reported. As infections ebb, vaccinations spread and businesses reopen, the economy has started to regain its footing, but the path has not been smooth. Job growth bounced up and down in recent months, and may continue its uneven progress throughout the summer, analysts said. “It’s probably going to be a bumpy ride from here till September,” said Rubeela Farooqi, chief U.S. economist at High Frequency Economics.
#3: CO Lawmakers Pass Bill Making Evictions Harder

The Colorado legislature has passed a Democratic bill that would make it easier for financially struggling tenants to stave off eviction. SB21-173 will head to Gov. Jared Polis, whose office has not responded to a request for comment on whether he’ll sign it into law. The bill guarantees renters a weeklong grace period before they could be charged late fees. At present landlords can charge late fees after just one day, without a cap on how high those fees can rise. The bill would also restrict late fees to either $50 or 5% of overdue rent — whichever is higher — and landlords could only charge late fees once per late rent payment.
#4: House Democrats Announce Infrastructure Bill

House Democrats unveiled their own infrastructure bill on Friday that would address parts of President Biden's American Jobs Plan, as negotiations between the president and Senate Republicans slow down. The proposal announced by House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chair Peter DeFazio would cost $547 billion over five years, encompassing the portions of Mr. Biden's $1.7 infrastructure proposal that are covered by the committee. The legislation will be marked up by the committee next week. DeFazio called the legislation a "once-in-a-generation opportunity."
The Tea on Rocky Mountain Partnership

The Rocky Mountain Partnership is a coalition of cross-sector stakeholders who are working together to collectively improve economic and social mobility across the Adams County, Aurora and Broomfield region by:
  • utilizing data to set shared targets and as a scorecard to measure progress towards this;
  • advocating for and aligning policies, funding, and resources to remove barriers and accelerate progress;
  • better coordinating and improving the work happening on the ground to achieve this.
Rocky Mountain Partnership | rmpartnership.org