Senate District 19 Newsletter
July 3, 2022
Freedom still rings in Colorado

As we head into the Independence holiday, I can't help but feel enormously grateful to live in Colorado. We have beautiful mountains, championship sports teams, and freedom over our own bodies.

Yes, in that last item, I am referring to the Reproductive Health Equity Act. Like many people in Colorado and across the country, I was stunned when the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. I agree with Noah Feldman who wrote, "It’s no exaggeration to say that the abortion decision, written by Justice Samuel Alito and joined by four other conservatives, is one of the worst decisions in the court's history."

It has taken me well over a week to process the Supreme Court's decision, and I am not yet in a place where I think I can fully discuss all the emotions and thoughts I have on the subject. Nevertheless, I am glad that Colorado took action last session to ensure that woman in Colorado still have the power and freedom to make their own health care decisions. I believe that every single American should have the freedom to decide when they want to start a family, and the liberty to seek out critical, often life-saving medical care, without interference from politicians.

Our country was founded on the principles of freedom and liberty--the whole point of tomorrow's celebration--therefore, I wish you all a very Happy 4th of July! I hope you stay safe and enjoy celebrating our freedoms in Colorado!
Community News
Arvada celebrates Independence Day: There will be a number of activities available during the Fourth of July holiday. The City of Arvada is hosting its annual 4th of July fireworks display on Monday, July 4, at Stenger Sports Complex (W. 58th Ave. and Oak St.). Gates open to vehicles at 7 p.m., Fireworks begin approximately 9 p.m. West 58th Avenue will shut down to traffic beginning 8 p.m. Please be advised that NO recreational vehicles (RVs), drones, alcohol, personal fireworks, charcoal grills, or pets are allowed. Food trucks will be onsite approx. 7 - 9 p.m. There will be first-come, first-serve parking. Handicap parking available in Stenger northeast lot. For more information on the Arvada celebration, click HERE.

Westminster 4th of July Celebration: Don’t miss the best fireworks display in the north metro area! July 4 from 4 pm - 10 pm. The free fireworks will begin at 9:15 pm at the Westminster City Park. Please note the pedestrian detour will remain in place along Big Dry Creek Trail near City Park during the event, as sewer construction continues in the area. Golf cart shuttles will be available for patrons who need assistance. To view the shuttle schedule and event FAQs, click HERE.

The use of personal fireworks are not allowed: It's the law: The possession, manufacture, storage, sale, handling and use of Fireworks is prohibited (Sec 62-43). In the City of Arvada, the possession and use of any firework (including sparklers) is illegal. REMEMBER: Fireworks have the potential to start fires. They injure many people and cause stress to pets and other animals. Illegal fireworks can slow officers from responding to life-safety calls DO NOT use personal fireworks in Arvada. To report the use of illegal fireworks, please call the Fireworks Hotline at 303-980-7340. The hotline will be staffed from July 2 through July 4. ONLY call 9-1-1 if it is a life-safety emergency.

Pegasus and Bustang Services Cut Fares in Half for Summer: The Polis-Primavera administration and the Colorado Department of Transportation announced that the new express shuttle service, Pegasus, is continuing its half-fare promotion through Labor Day Weekend, providing a low-cost travel alternative to the mountain towns along Interstate 70. Bustang and Bustang Outrider routes will also be half-off from July 1 through Labor Day Weekend. For more information on all Bustang services, including routes, maps, schedules and tickets, click HERE.

Colorado Youth Advisory Countil application period extended: Do you know a youth aged 14-19 who loves Colorado and wants to make it better? Encourage them to apply for the Colorado Youth Advisory Council by July 10 if they live in Senate District 1, 3, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 19, 21, 34 or are a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe or Southern Ute Indian Tribe. The Colorado Legislature created the Colorado Youth Advisory Council (COYAC) in 2008 to give Colorado’s youth a voice in the lawmaking process. Youth members, ages 14-19, serve two-year terms. There are openings for new members across the state. Apply by July 10. For more details, click HERE.  

Arvada Days coming up in August: Mark your calendar now for the Arvada Days festival on Saturday, August 20. Arvada Days is a festival dedicated to family fun featuring games for the whole family, kids fishing derby , vendors, live music, and more! For the adults, quench your thirst at the beer garden! Proceeds from the beer garden will benefit Ralston House. For more information, click HERE.
During the Interim
Even though we are no longer meeting down at the Capitol every day, we continue our legislative work during the interim by participating on various committees. Here is an update on the meetings that I have attended so far this interim:

Joint Budget Committee: The JBC met on June 21 to receive the quarterly revenue forecast from our economic analysts. The forecast showed that our economy is making a bold recovery with unemployment rates falling to pre-pandemic levels, nearly all sectors thriving, and Colorado’s employment gains outpacing the nation. The unemployment rate continued to fall in Colorado to 3.5 percent in May, led mostly by gains in the food and accommodations sectors. The state exceeds pre-pandemic jobs by 35,000 and continues to outpace the rest of the country. Inflationary pressures, however, will impact near term budget priorities and state departments. Geopolitical disruption and monetary policy decisions at the federal level in response to inflation were also presented as risks to the forecast. Extraordinary state and federal action to help Coloradans weather the disruption of the pandemic ensured a stronger and faster recovery than previous recessions. To learn more about the economic outlook presented, click HERE.

Colorado Housing and Finance Authority: The CHFA Board met on 23 and discussed a number of items related to housing. There was one conversation in particular about a potential houisng initiative cominng forward by Gary Community Ventures. I can't find any details online yet, but it is my understanding through our Board discussion that the nonprofit organization is currently collecting signatures for a ballot initiative to create a new affordable housing fund that would come from money over the TABOR budget cap. I am anxious to see details in order to determine if this would be a good proposal. We also discussed a number of CHFA housing initiatives that have gotten off the ground in the last few months, including one on neurodiverse housing. For more information and details on our board discussions, click HERE.
Events
Legislative Town Hall Meeting: Public Safety

Please join us for our monthly legislative town hall meeting on Saturday, July 16 to discuss public safety. We are hosting three guest speakers: Link Strate, Arvada Police Chief, Norm Haubert, Interim Westminster Police Chief, and Alexis King, Jeffco District Attorney. Join us at the Standley Lake Library at 10:30 am. For details, click HERE.
2022 Zenzinger Legislation
SB22-008 Higher Education Support for Foster Youth: Concerning postsecondary education support for certain students who have been in out-of-home placement.

SB22-011 America 250 - Colorado 150 Commission: Concerning the establishment of the America 250 - Colorado 150 commission.

SB22-017 Fluid Milk Products Not Divisible Load: Concerning the determination that a load of fluid milk products hauled by a vehicle is not a divisible load under the vehicle weight limits permitted by law.

SB22-054 Recommend Community School for Turnaround Plan: Concerning the addition of a recommendation that a district public school be converted to a community school if the district public school fails to make substantial progress under its turnaround plan.

SB22-064 Neighborhood Youth Organizations: Concerning requirements for neighborhood youth organizations that provide services designed for the development of youth.

SB22-085 Colorado Safe Student Protection Program: Concerning creating the Colorado safe student protection program. Postponed Indefinitely

SB22-121 Tuition Revenue Pledged by Institution Higher Education: Concerning increasing the amount of tuition revenues pledged by an institution of higher education.

SB22-127 Special Education Funding: Concerning funding for special education services.

SB22-137 Transition Back to Standard K-12 Accountability: Concerning measures related to the transitional return to standard education.

SB22-142 Repeal Municipal Bond Supervision Advisory Board: Concerning the repeal of the municipal bond supervision advisory board.

SB22-144 Public and Nonprofit Entities Rideshare Contracts: Concerning the provision of transportation services by a transportation network company not in connection with a business operated for profit.

SB22-146 Middle Income Access Program Expansion: Concerning the expansion of the Colorado housing and finance authority's middle income access program.

SB22-159 Revolving Loan Fund Invest Affordable Housing: Concerning the creation of a revolving loan fund within the division of housing in the department of local affairs to make investments in transformational affordable housing.

SB22-162 Administration Organization Act Modernization: Concerning the modernization of the terminology used in the Colorado Revised Statutes relating to the organization of Colorado state governmental agencies without altering the status of the powers assigned to those agencies pursuant to the "Administrative Organization Act of 1968."

SB22-164 Correction Property Tax Disclosure Information Metropolitan District: Concerning the substitution of the word "treasurer's" in place of the word "assessor's" in a statutory provision requiring disclosure of property tax information for purchasers of newly constructed residences within the boundaries of a metropolitan district.

SB22-192 Opportunities for Credential Attainment: Concerning the creation of opportunities for credential attainment, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-202 State Match for Mill Levy Override Revenue: Concerning providing state matching money for property tax revenue collected by school districts.

SB22-210 License Supplemental Health-care Staffing Agencies: Concerning the regulation of supplemental health-care staffing agencies by the department of public health and environment.

SB22-215 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Cash Fund: Concerning the creation of the "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act" cash fund to be used for non federal match funding requirements for infrastructure projects eligible to receive federal funding under the federal "Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act."

SB22-216 Reallocation Of Limited Gaming Revenues: Concerning the reallocation of the limited gaming tax revenues for fiscal years following a significant decrease in the revenues, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-217 Programs That Benefit Persons With Disabilities: Concerning motor vehicle related programs that benefit persons with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SB22-225 Ambulance Service Sustainability And State Licensing: Concerning emergency medical services in the state, and, in connection therewith, creating an emergency medical services system sustainability task force and requiring ambulance services to obtain a state license from the department of public health and environment.

SB22-235 County Administration of Public Assistance Programs: Concerning county administration of public assistance programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

SR22-003 Single Parent Day: Concerning recognition of Single Parent Day in Colorado.

SJR22-006 Police Week and Peace Officers' Memorial Day: Concerning declaring the week of March 11-16, 2022, as Police Week, and in connection therewith declaring March 15, 2022, as Peace Officers' Memorial Day.

HB22-1009 Continue Workforce Diploma Pilot Program: Concerning continuing the workforce diploma pilot program as the workforce diploma program. Postponed Indefinitely

HB22-1031 Consumer Right to Repair Powered Wheelchairs: Concerning a requirement that a powered wheelchair manufacturer facilitate the repair of its powered wheelchairs by providing certain other persons with the resources needed to repair the manufacturer's powered wheelchairs.

HB22-1051 Mod Affordable Housing Tax Credit: Concerning modification of the Colorado affordable housing tax credit, and, in connection therewith, extending the time during which the credit may be claimed and increasing the yearly amount of credits that can be allocated.

HB22-1057 Public Employees' Retirement Association Employment After Teacher Retirement: Concerning public employees' retirement association employment after retirement limitations.

HB22-1093 Updates to Bingo and Raffles Law: Concerning the conduct of charitable gaming activity, and, in connection therewith, modernizing the "Bingo and Raffles Law" to accommodate the use of improved electronic aids and devices in the conduct of games of chance and making an appropriation.

HB22-1099 Online Marketplaces and Third-party Sellers: Concerning mandatory disclosures of third-party sellers selling through online marketplace.

HB22-1101 Public Employees’ Retirement Association Service Retiree Employment in Rural Schools: Concerning the expansion of a program that allows a public employees’ retirement association service retiree to work full-time without any reduction in the service retiree’s retirement for benefits for a rural school district that has a critical shortage of qualified individuals with specific experience, skills, or qualifications that the service retiree has.

HB22-1114 Transportation Services For Medicaid Waiver Recipients: Concerning authorizing a transportation network company to provide nonmedical transportation services to persons who are enrolled in certain medicaid waiver programs, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1162 Motor Vehicle Digital Number Plates: Concerning authorization to use digital number plates in lieu of metal number plates on a vehicle.

HB22-1202 At-risk Student Measure For School Finance: Concerning the creation of a new measure in the public school funding formula for identifying at-risk students, and, in connection therewith, creating a working group in the department of education to implement the new measure in a future budget year.

HB22-1220 Removing Barriers To Educator Preparation: Concerning removing barriers in educator preparation to support educator candidates entering the educator workforce.

HB22-1245 Foster Youth in Transition Program Clarifications: Concerning clarifications related to the foster youth in transition program.

HB22-1248 Extend School Leadership Pilot Program: Concerning continuation of the school leadership pilot program, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1250 Nonsubstantive Changes to Title 7 of Colorado Revised Statutes: Statutes: Concerning nonsubstantive changes to title 7 of the Colorado revised statutes.

HB22-1255 Improve Higher Education for Students With a Disability: Concerning measures to improve postsecondary education outcomes for students with a disability.

HB22-1258 Essential Services For Youth Special Districts: Concerning the creation of an essential services for youth special district in each judicial district in the state. Lost on Third Reading in the House.

HB22-1290 Changes to Medicaid for Wheelchair Repairs: Concerning changes to medicaid to allow for expedited repairs to complex rehabilitation technology.

HB22-1293 Medical Record Requests By Attorneys: Concerning the provision of medical records in the custody of a health-care facility. Laid over in the House on Second Reading.

HB22-1294 Special Education Services in Charter Schools: Concerning additional pathways to provide special education services to children with disabilities in charter schools.

HB22-1320 Achieving a Better Life Experience Savings Accounts: Concerning the achieving a better life experience (ABLE) savings program for individuals with disabilities, and, in connection therewith, modifying who may create and control an ABLE program account, preventing the state from filing certain claims against an ABLE program account upon the death of the designated beneficiary, and allowing contributions to an ABLE program account that are withdrawn for qualified disability expenses to be deducted from a taxpayer's federal taxable income for purposes of determining the taxpayer's state taxable income.

HB22-1329 2022-23 Long Bill: Concerning the provision for payment of the expenses of the executive, legislative, and judicial departments of the state of Colorado, and of its agencies and institutions, for and during the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2022, except as otherwise noted.

HB22-1331 Supplemental Funding for Facility Schools: Concerning supplemental funding for facility schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. 

HB22-1333 Increase Minimum Wage for Nursing Home Workers: Concerning an increase in the minimum wage for nursing facility employees, and, in connection therewith making an appropriation. 

HB22-1334 Food Distribution Program Administrative Fee: Concerning the collection of an administrative fee from an agency that receives commodities through a food distribution program.

HB22-1336 Streamline Processing of Judicial Department Collections: Concerning the streamlining of the processing of certain money collected by the judicial department. 

HB22-1339 Merge Department of Revenue Division of Motor Vehicles Cash Funds: Concerning the Colorado DRIVES vehicle services account of the highway users tax fund, and, in connection therewith, merging the licensing services cash fund into the account and requiring account investment earnings to be credited to the account. 

HB22-1340 Capital-related Transfers of Money: Concerning capital-related transfers of money.

HB22-1341 Marijuana Tax Cash Fund: Concerning measures to ensure that the marijuana tax cash fund is in balance.

HB22-1390 Public School Finance: Concerning the financing of public schools, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation.

HB22-1395 Transportation Innovation Grant Program: Concerning creating the competitive transportation innovation grant program to address the public school transportation shortage. Laid over in the House in the Appropriations Committee.

HB22-1415 Repeal Registered Manager Requirement Liquor Licensees: Concerning elimination of the requirement that certain businesses licensed to sell alcohol beverages for consumption on the licensed premises register a manager of the licensed premises with the state licensing authority.

HB22-1418 Extension Of Certain Unused Tax Credits: Concerning the extension of the period for which unused and expiring Colorado job growth incentive and enterprise zone income tax credits may be carried forward to subsequent years.

HJR22-1002 Study State and Interstate Highway Vehicle Weight: Concerning a request that Congress allow the state of Colorado to conduct an analysis of and possibly move forward on harmonizing the gross vehicle weight for trucks on the Interstate Highway System in Colorado with that of other state highways.

HJR22-1006 Military, Veterans, Missing in Action/Prisoner of War Appreciation Day: Concerning recognition of military, veterans, and MIA/POW Appreciation Day.
COVID-19 & Vaccine Resources
About Senator Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger (D-Arvada) was re-elected to a second term in the Colorado State Senate, representing District 19 (Arvada & Westminster) in November 2020. Previously she served on the Arvada City Council. Midway through the 2022 legislative session, Senator Zenzinger was elected to fill a vacancy on the Joint Budget Committee. She is also Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a member of the Education Committee and Statutory Revision Committee.

200 East Colfax, Denver, CO 80203
SenatorRachelZ@gmail.com
303-866-4840 office
303-748-0770 cell