I can't believe the 2023 legislative session will wrap up in a mere eight days! We are in the final countdown to Sine Die, which will take place on Monday, May 8. Given the timing, I expect the coming week will be filled with long days on the floor. All remaining bills must pass by next Monday, or they will have to wait until the next session in January 2024.

So what's left? For me, here are the bills that are in the Senate awaiting final action:

Here are my bills in the House awaiting final action:

To follow the progress on a certain bill, I recommend going to our website and click on "Bills" in the menu. Also, you can watch or listen to the debate in committee or on the floor by clicking HERE. And even though we are often debating bills late into the evening or early morning, please feel free to send an email or call my office if you have questions about a particular bill. Lastly, I hope you will join me for a session wrap-up at our regularly scheduled town hall meeting on May 20. Click HERE for more details.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month: Mental Health Awareness Month has been observed in the U.S. since 1949. Every year during the month of May, Mental Health Colorado calls attention to efforts underway that help elevate mental health issues. On May 1, Gov. Polis will issue a proclamation recognizing the month. Here is an excerpt from the Proclamation: "Whereas, prioritizing and providing culturally competent health care means being responsive to the unique needs and challenges of our underrepresented, marginalized communities and it is critical to address health equity and improve long-term health outcomes for all Coloradans."

Major land use bill passes out of Senate with changes: I want to thank the many people who contacted my office to lend their thoughts on Senate Bill 23-213 concerning land use. While I agreed with many of the tenets and practices outlined in the bill, I could not go along with the introduced version as I believed it was unconstitutional. I worked with the Senate sponsor and the Governor to improve the bill, and we were able to get to a good place. The bill will implement a statewide housing needs assessment and set housing goals at the statewide, regional, and local levels to create a framework that encourages housing and sustainable growth near jobs and transit. The bill passed out of the Senate and now moves to the House for further consideration. You can track the bill’s progress HERE.

Property value increases prompt concerns about taxes: Last week, metro area assessors issues a stark warning about this year's increased property values and how their assessments will lead to higher property taxes. Because these increases appear to be significant, I expect to see some kind of legislative proposal come out this week to help address the concerns. We obviously don’t have that much time left, but I do forsee some sort of measure that will help provide relief. For more information, I recommend this article by The Denver Post.

Bills to address high cost of utilities clears Senate: Legislation sponsored by Democratic members of the Joint Select Committee on Rising Utility Rates Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, and Lisa Cutter, D-Jefferson County, that would improve transparency and accountability for utilities and save people money on their energy bills cleared the Senate today. SB23-291 presents a package of reforms to lower utility bills now and in the future. It rebalances what kinds of expenses are paid by utility shareholders vs. ratepayers, aligns incentives on fuel cost control, and levels the playing field at Public Utilities Commission (PUC) proceedings, where infrastructure plans are proposed and approved. SB23-291 now heads to the House for further consideration. You can track the bill’s progress HERE.

Governor signs package of gun safety bills into law: Last week, Governor Polis signed into law several bills aimed at addressing public safety and to reduce gun violence. The four bills were: HB23-1219 Waiting Period to Deliver a Firearm, SB23-168 Gun Violence Victims’ Access to Judicial System, SB23-169 Increasing Minimum Age To Purchase Firearms, SB23-170  Extreme Risk Protection Order Petitions. To learn more about the new measures, click HERE.

April 30, 2023 The Denver Post: Big property tax hikes in '24

April 29, 2023 The Colorado Sun: Opinion: Let's define “high quality" education so we can build it

April 28, 2023 Chalkbeat Colorado: Parents could request translated IEP documents under Colorado bill

April 27, 2023 Colorado Newsline: Major Colorado land-use reform bill stripped of upzoning requirements

April 27, 2023 Colorado Public Radio: Colorado's upzoning bill doesn't include upzoning anymore

April 27, 2023 Ark Valley Voice: Legislation to Make Record Investment in K-12 Public Schools, Boost K-12 Funding Clears Senate

April 27, 2023 The Fort Morgan Times: Democrats prepare to gut key provisions of Gov. Jared Polis' sweeping land-use reform plan

April 27, 2023 Real Vail: Land-use bill championed by Polis, opposed by ski towns, gutted of upzoning requirements

April 26, 2023 Colorado Public Radio: ‘Hard no!’ Who will Democrats listen to in the great land-use battle?

April 26, 2023 Colorado Politics: Lawmakers to remove state control from Polis' housing plan

April 26, 2023 The Colorado Sun: Major land-use bill from Colorado governor, Democrats is gutted to remove all upzoning requirements

April 27, 2023 RELEASE: Governor Polis Signs Bills Into Law

April 26, 2023 RELEASE: Legislation to Make Record Investment in K-12 Public Schools, Boost K-12 Funding Clears Senate

April 25, 2023 RELEASE: Boosting Colorado’s Strong Agriculture Industry: Governor Polis Signs Bipartisan Legislation Into Law

Mark your calendars now for next month's town hall meeting. Please plan to join us on Saturday, May 20 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm. We will be returning to the Standley Lake Library. The legislative session ends on May 8, so we will provide a wrap-up of what occurred. For more information, click HERE.

Below is a list of bills that I am sponsoring that have been introduced and are awaiting action from either the House or Senate. For a full list of bills, click HERE.

NEW! SB23-297 America 250 Colorado 150 Commission: Concerning the expansion of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed out of the Senate and headed to the House.

SB23-287 Public School Finance: Concerning the financing of public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. The bill passed out of the Senate unanimously and headed to the House.

SB23-289 Community First Choice Medicaid Benefit: Concerning seeking an amendment to the medicaid state plan to implement the community first choice optional benefit. The bill passed out of the Senate and headed to the House.

SB23-294 Increase General Fund Transfers To Capital Construction Fund: Concerning increases in the amount of transfers from the general fund to the capital construction fund to be made on July 1, 2023. The bill will passed out of the Senate unanimously and headed to the House.

HB23-1295 Audits Of Department Of Health Care Policy And Financing Payments To Providers: Concerning the review of payments made by the department of health care policy and financing to providers. The bill passed out of the House Appropriations Committee.

HB23-1300 Continuous Eligibility Medical Coverage: Concerning extending continuous eligibility medical coverage for certain individuals, and, in connection therewith, seeking federal authorization and making an appropriation. The bill passed out of the Senate unanimously.

HB23-1305 Continue Health Benefits In Work-related Death: Concerning the program to provide the continuation of health benefits for dependents of certain local government public safety employees who die in a work-related death. The bill passed out of the Senate unanimously.

SB23-281 Limited Transferability Of College Credits Notice: Concerning a required notice of limited transferability of college credits from a private occupational school. The bill passed out of the Senate and headed to the House.

SB23-283 Mechanisms For Federal Infrastructure Funding: Concerning mechanisms to utilize federal funding under federal infrastructure-related acts. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate and heads to the House.

PASSED! SB23-001 Authority Of Public-private Collaboration Unit For Housing: Concerning additional functions of the public-private collaboration unit for public projects that provide housing. Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! SB23-007 Adult Education: Concerning enhancing adult education in Colorado, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! SB23-049 Special Mobile Machinery Registration Exemption: Concerning the registration exemption for special mobile machinery, and, in connection therewith, eliminating the requirement that an owner of such machinery regularly have at least one thousand items of such machinery in the state to obtain a registration exempt certificate for the machinery. Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! SB23-082 Colorado Fostering Success Voucher Program: Concerning creation of the Colorado fostering success voucher program to assist foster youth. PASSED! On to the Governor. Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! SB23-094 School Transportation Task Force: Concerning the creation of a task force to report on measures to improve school transportation. Passed! On to the Governor. Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! HB23-1061 Alcohol Beverage Retail Establishment Permit: Concerning permitting a retail establishment to serve complementary alcohol beverages at a place of business, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.Passed! On to the Governor.

PASSED! SB23-220 Public School Capital Consrtuction Assistance Grants: Concerning the use of money previously allocated for public schools, and, in connection therewith, reducing an appropriation. Passed! On to the Governor.

In an effort to be transparent and accessible, here are the events and meetings that I have attended in the last week as your state senator: