Now that we have passed the state budget, a number of bills that have been held back in the Appropriations Committee have started to flow, and the pace down at the Capitol has rapidly picked up. A high number of bills that I am carrying were approved this week. Here is the breakdown:

Monday: SB21-039, a bill that will eliminate the subminimum wage for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, passed unanimously out of the Senate with 18 bipartisan co-sponsors. This is an economic justice issue for these individuals, and by passing this bill we are enhancing the self-sufficiency of individuals with disabilities. You can read more HERE, and to follow other bills related to IDD, here is the Alliance Colorado bill tracker.

Unrelated to the previous bill, I also passed SB21-239 on the 2-1-1 Statewide Human Services Referral System with a unanimous vote out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. The bill expands the necessary human referral services authorized by the 2-1-1 Colorado collaborative to also include referrals for behavioral health services, particularly for individuals who are unemployed.

Tuesday: On Tuesday, the Senate President and myself presented and passed SB21-238 on the creation of the Front Range Passenger Rail district. We had a very robust discussion during the Committee hearing, and many of the issues and questions that were brought to light will be addressed once the district is created. But passing this bill and creating the district is the next step in getting the Front Range Rail Commission to stand on their own, develop a path for governance, and allow them to carry out our vision for rail. There were numerous articles that covered the hearing including this one from the Denver Business Journal or this one from the Denver Gazette.

Wednesday: One of the bills that passed out of the Senate, SB21-135 on prohibiting certain wild animals in a traveling circus, was amended in the House. Unfortunately, the amendments could have created unintended negative consequences, so we formed a Conference Committee to hammer out the details. I chaired the conference and we were able to find agreement on how to explicitly exempt rodeos from the legislation. The bipartisan conference committee adopted the conference report unanimously, and the Senate repassed the bill on Friday. For more information, visit the Colorado Voters for Animals webpage.

Thursday: We saw action on a few bills on Thursday, but the most gratifying was HB21-1099 on Policies and Procedures to Identify Domestic Abuse. The bill will implement best practices for child welfare caseworkers to recognize domestic abuse as a form of child abuse or neglect. Jennifer Kovaleski of Denver's Channel 7 brought this issue to light in her report on the tragic murder of Ty Tesoriero. Each year, approximately 15 million children nationwide are exposed to domestic abuse and child abuse. In Colorado, roughly 40% of child fatality cases between 2014 and 2019 found domestic abuse to be a stressor. The bill passed the Senate 34-1, and Jennifer Kovaleski captured the moment HERE.

In addition, SB21-179 on changes to the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship advisory board, passed the House and was sent to the Governor, and HB21-1146 on Auricular Acudetox Professional Practice was signed into law.

Friday: Two of my bills passed unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Committee and were later taken up on Special Orders later in the day and passed unanimously on Second Reading. The first bill was SB21-185 on Supporting Educator Workforce. The bill was featured in this extensive article by Erica Breunlin of the Colorado Sun. As she notes in the article, "Senate Bill 185 takes an all-encompassing approach to bulking up the educator workforce, pulling people into the teaching pipeline from a variety of entry points: from middle and high school students to college students, former military personnel and seasoned professionals who might be seeking a career change."

Also passing unanimously was SB21-232 concerning the Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative's Displaced Worker grant program. The displaced workers grant supports Coloradans displaced by the COVID-19 pandemic who have completed a portion of their higher education by have not earned or completed a credential or who have the need to reskill or upskill due to loss of employment. This bill is part of the Colorado Recovery Plan and will serve at least three thousand displaced Colorado workers.

Conclusion: The week ended with the introduction of several new bills that I am sponsoring (see list below). Several of these bills will see action this coming week, along with HB21-1104 on Professional Educator Licensure Renewal Period, and HB21-1021 on Peer Support Professional Behavioral Health. In fact, next week looks to be another exciting week of action!

BREAKING NEWS--Governor amends and extends mask order: Governor Polis announced today that he has amended and extended the statewide mask Executive Order. While the order remains in effect for all schools statewide and certain other settings, for indoor areas of more than 10 people are present can go without masks, so long as 80% of the people are fully vaccinated. For more information, click HERE.

Partnering with community-based orgs to host vaccine clinics: As part of the Governor's Vaccines for All efforts, the State will be allocating vaccines to several community-based organizations throughout Colorado. The goal is to focus vaccinating underserved Coloradans and to increase vaccinations in diverse communities. Once such location is Iora Primary Care, a doctor's office in Arvada for adults on Medicare. They will be hosting a vaccine clinic on Wednesday, May 5. If you are interested, you must check availability directly with Iora Primary Care and schedule an appointment in advance.

All Coloradans 16+ eligible for COVID-19 Vaccine: As part of the Vaccines for All effort, the Governor has launched several State Community Vaccination Sites, including one at Dick's Sporting Good Park in Commerce City. All vaccines are free with no co-pay. The drive-through clinic will run Sunday through Wednesday, from 9 am - 5 pm. Individuals who are eligible to receive the vaccine can register HERE or by calling 720-263-5737. To learn more about where you can get vaccinated visit: https://covid19.colorado.gov/for-coloradans/vaccine/where-can-i-get-vaccinated. Call the vaccine hotline at 1-877- CO VAX CO (1-877-268-2926).

Below you will find a list of bills that were introduced or acted upon last week. Updates and new bills are highlighted in red text. For a complete list of bills, you can find a list on my website HERE or on the state's legislative website HERE.

SB21-257 Special Mobile Machinery Registration: Concerning an exemption from motor vehicle registration requirements for certain special mobile machinery. The bill was introduced will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 12 at 1:30 pm.

SB21-254 Eliminate Obsolete Committee Child Care Licensing: Concerning the elimination of the obsolete advisory committee on the licensing of child care facilities.

SB21-253 Women Veterans With Disabilities License Plate: Concerning license plates for veterans who have disabilities, and, in connection therewith, creating a license plate to honor women veterans with disabilities. This bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 5 at 1:30 pm.

HB21-1300 Health-care Provider Liens for Injured Persons: Concerning health-care provider liens related to charges for health care provided to a person injured as a result of the negligence or wrongful acts of another person.

HB21-1274 Unused State-owned Real Property Beneficial Use: Concerning the beneficial use of unused state-owned real property, and, in connection therewith, directing the department of personnel to inventory such property and use such property to promote affordable housing and renewable energy development.

HB21-1104 Professional Educator Licensure Renewal: Concerning extending the renewal period for professional educator licenses from five to seven years, and, in connection therewith, making and reducing an appropriation. The bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 5 at 1:30 pm.

HB21-1021 Peer Support Professionals Behavioral Health: Concerning supporting the peer support professional workforce, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday, May 5 at 1:30 pm.

On Monday... I presented and passed SB239 on 2-1-1 Funding unanimously... I met with a reporter from Colorado Politics to discuss the Supreme Court interrogatory on my bill HB21-1164... I met with education stakeholders to discuss upcoming legislation... I met with Commissioner Matt Jones of Boulder to discuss Front Range Rail... I passed SB039 on subminimum wage out of the Senate unanimously... On Tuesday... I presented and passed my bill SB238 on Front Range Passenger Rail... I met with transportation stakeholders to discuss upcoming legislation... I attended the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee... On Wednesday... I chaired the Senate Education Committee... I chaired the conference committee on SB135 regarding circus animals... I met with education stakeholders to discuss upcoming legislation... I met with the Department of Personnel to discuss HB1274... I met with representatives of Mental Health Colorado to discuss HB1021... The Senate wore denim for "Denim Day" to bring awareness to the issue of sexual assault... On Thursday... I passed HB1099 on domestic abuse and child welfare... I attended the Senate Transportation & Energy Committee... I chaired the Senate Education Committee... I met with Colorado Wins representatives to discuss bills that relate to state workers... On Friday... I presented and passed SB232 and SB185 unanimously out of the Senate Appropriations Committee... I attended a meeting on Innovation Schools and Zones... I attended a meeting to discuss federal stimulus money and housing... In honor of "Decision Day" the Senate wore clothing to represent our college alma mater (mine was Regis University).

The Colorado Sun: Colorado’s teacher shortage may worsen coming out of the pandemic. Could $13M stop the trend?

EIN News: Connecting Colorado: Front Range Passenger Rail Legislation Clears Committee!

The Denver Gazette: Colorado Senate committee advances bill paving way for Front Range rail service

The Center Square: Colorado Senate committee advances bill paving way for Front Range rail service

Patch.com: Front Range Rail District Bill Wins Bipartisan Support In First Hearing

The Chronicle News: Colorado Senate committee advances bill paving way for Front Range rail service

Denver Business Journal: Formation of Front Range Passenger Rail district gets wide-ranging support

Patch.com: Colorado's 2-1-1 Hotline Would Ramp Up Mental Health, Substance Use Referrals Under

EIN News: PASSED! Bills to Enhance Equity for Marginalized Communities in Colorado

EIN News: Colorado Comeback Legislation Clears Committee, Increasing Access to State Resources

Mark your calendars for the next legislative town hall meeting hosted by Representatives Brianna Titone, Lindsey Daugherty, and myself, on May 15 at 10:30 am. We will be discussing Transportation bills making their way through the legislature.