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2024 Legislative Wrap Up

 

The 2024 session adjourned on May 8.  During the 120-day session, 705 bills were considered – 525 of which were passed.  Additionally, there were 44 resolutions introduced, nine memorials, and seven referred measures which will appear on the 2024 ballot.  As of June 7, Governor Polis had vetoed 6 bills.  Among these was SB24-150 – Processing of Municipal Solid Waste, which LWVCO supported.  The effective date for bills enacted without a safety clause (i.e. those bills not subject to the power of referendum) is August 7.

 

The LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC) currently consists of 33 citizen lobbyists that monitor and advocate for bills that further LWVCO positions and priorities in 12 issue areas.  LAC members attend stakeholder meetings, communicate with legislators, provide testimony, and act in coalition with other organizations to achieve common legislative goals. 

View the June 12, 2024 Advocacy Training here.

DOWNLOAD THE 2024 LEGISLATIVE WRAP UP

2024 Testimony

 

Testimony Supporting SCR24-003 Protecting the Freedom to Marry

Thank you Members of the Committee,

My name is Jerry Wilson. I am a retired attorney, having spent 40 years in private practice, and am now acting as a volunteer lobbyist representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado. As a nonpartisan organization the League encourages citizen participation in government through education and advocacy. The League’s 19 local Leagues span the state.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Opposing HB24-1065 Reduction of State Income Tax Rate

Thank you, Mr. Chairman and members of the Committee:

I am Geoff Withers, a volunteer lobbyist with the League of Women Voters of Colorado.

The League is opposed to this bill that is intended to reduce the Colorado income tax rate from 4.4% to 4.0%.  Projections indicate it would reduce general revenue by $1.32 billion in FY  2025-26. 

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting HB24-1057 Prohibit Algorithmic Devices Used for Rent Setting

Dear Members of the House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee:

I am testifying in support of HB24-1057, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Colorado 

The League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO) has been a nonpartisan organization for 104 years, encourages informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Our membership spans the state of Colorado with 19 local leagues operating in many regions around the state.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting HB24-1078 Regulation of Community Association Managers

Dear Members of the House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee:

I am testifying in support of HB24-1078, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Colorado

The League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO) has been a nonpartisan organization for 104 years, encourages informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Our membership spans the state of Colorado with 19 local leagues operating in many regions around the state.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting HB24-1098 Cause Required for Evection of Residential Tenant

Dear Members of the House Transportation, Housing & Local Government Committee:

I am testifying in support of HB24-1098, on behalf of the League of Women Voters of Colorado.

The League of Women Voters of Colorado (LWVCO) has been a nonpartisan organization for 104 years, encourages informed and active participation in government, and influences public policy through education and advocacy. Our membership spans the state of Colorado with 19 local leagues operating in many regions around the state.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting HB24-1052 Senior Housing Income Tax Credit

Thank you Mr. Chair and members of the House Finance Committee:

My name is Geoff Withers and I represent the League of Women Voters of Colorado.

The League supports an equitable tax system that is progressive and incorporates social, environmental, and economic goals. With the means testing which is included in this bill, we believe that the support the bill would provide to needy senior citizens would be a small step to accomplish those goals, if even if it’s only I effect for one year.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting SB24-053 Racial Equity Study

Dear Members of the Senate State, Veterans; Military Affairs Committee:

My name is Andrea Wilkins and I am the Legislative Liaison with the League of Women Voters of Colorado.  The League is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.  Our membership spans the state of Colorado with 19 local leagues operating in several regions of the state.  I am here today to testify in support of SB 053, on behalf of our state league’s legislative action committee.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting SB24-066 Firearms Merchant Category Code

Dear Members of the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee:
 
My name is Rionda Osman, and I am the head of the Task Force on Gun Violence Prevention of the League of Women Voters of Colorado.  The League is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government and influences public policy through education and advocacy.  I submit this letter as testimony in support of SB24-066  – Firearms Merchant Category Code on behalf of our state league’s Legislative Action Committee.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting SB24-069 Clarify Individualized Education Program Information

Madam Chair and Members of the Senate Education Committee:

My name is Dr. Kathy Wilson, and I live in Loveland. As Co-Director of Action & Advocacy and the Chair of the Education Task Force for the League of Women Voters of Colorado, I am representing the League regarding SB24 069 Clarify Individualized Education Program Information. The League is a nonpartisan organization that encourages citizen participation in government. The Colorado League has over 2300 members in 19 local Leagues spanning the state. We urge you to vote in SUPPORT of SB24 069 Clarify Individualized Education Program Information.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting SB24-072 Voting for Confined Eligible Electors

Good afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Committee Members,

My name is Peggy Leech and I am representing the League of Women Voters of Colorado. The League is a nonpartisan political organization, with membership in 19 local leagues that span the state.

Read the full testimony here.

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Testimony Supporting SB24-072 Voting for Confined Eligible Electors

Good Afternoon, Mr Chairman and Committe Members,

My name is Linda Thomas and I am the voter registration organizer for the Larimer LWV. Our Larimer League is in support of Senate Bill 72.

Read the full testimony here.

Articles

 

Legislative Support for Passenger Rail and Other Transit Services

 

A funding boost from SB24-230 Oil & Gas Production Fees estimated at $169 million for fiscal years 2025-26 and 2026-27 will primarily support local transit operations through the existing Clean Transit Enterprise created in 2021. Passenger rail projects will be funded at approximately $33.8 million with priority given to completion of the northwest rail line to Longmont.

The Clean Transit Enterprise was created by passage of SB21–260 Sustainability of Transportation System, supported by LWVCO.  The primary business purpose of the enterprise and the cash fund is to reduce and mitigate the adverse environmental and health impacts of air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions produced by motor vehicles used to make retail deliveries and supporting the transition to electric vehicles. SB 230 establishes three additional cash funds including rail funding.

 

Read the full article here.

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Why So Many Tax Credit Bills?

Why are there dozens of tax credit bills this session?

TABOR. TABOR who?

 

Suppose there are no taxes, and nothing deducted from your paycheck, so the $5,000 your employer pays is exactly what lands in your bank account each month. Further, suppose you want to give $10/month to the League of Women Voters of Colorado, added to your credit card bill. This will leave you $4990 each month for everything else.

Suppose, instead, your employer offers to withhold $10 each month from your paycheck, and forward your donations (along with all other employees’ League donations) to LWVCO. Then $4990 will land in your bank account each month. Since we’re assuming no taxes or other deductions, the League gets $10 and you have $4990 to spend on everything else whether your employer deducts the League donation before you get paid or you get your full paycheck and donate to the League through your credit card.

 

For any state or local government with a normally functioning fiscal system, that’s how tax credits work. There’s the same effect on what the state can spend on everything else if the state gives one person a $10 tax credit, or directly gives the person $10 from the budget. Tax credits are called tax expenditures because they have the same effect on the budget as direct expenditures. Colorado’s tax expenditure reports are here.

 

However, Colorado does not have a normally functioning fiscal system. It has TABOR, the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

Read the full article here.

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The Critical Role That Housing Tax Credits Play In Financing Affordable Housing

By Kathy Smith

The League of Women Voters of Colorado strongly supports HB24-1434 (Expand Affordable Housing Tax Credit), a bill introduced this legislative session that would expand the Colorado Affordable Housing Tax Credit (AHTC) by allowing the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority (CHFA) to allocate additional tax credits through 2031.

The bill increases the amount CHFA can allocate for the following tax years:

•  $20 million in credits for 2024-2026;
•  $16 million in credits for 2027-2029; and
•  $10 million in credits for 2030-2031.

Read the full article here.

 

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An Historical View of Ballot Measures in Colorado

To make informed decisions in elections, the public needs accurate information.
By Gerry Cummins

Colorado has a long history of citizen activism often demonstrated at the ballot box. Prior to the 1912 election, all measures on the ballot were referred by the General Assembly.  A 1910 referendum on the ballot was approved by voters giving the power of citizen initiative and referendum to Colorado citizens.

In the 1912 election, there were 33 measures on the ballot. Eight measures were referred by the legislature and the remaining measures were citizen initiatives. Since that time we have continued to see numerous measures on the ballot. Certain topics have been repeated on the ballot over the years – taxation, funding for education, highways and other roads, state government, and elections.

Read the full article here.

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An Overview of Artificial Intelligence Concepts With An Eye Towards How AI Impacts Political Communication

To make informed decisions in elections, the public needs accurate information.
By Gaythia Weis

Deepfake AI:  What is referred to in the proposed legislation, HB24 1147, by the buzzword “deepfake AI” is actually a whole suite of technologies, including very realistic computer generated graphics, online social media which allows rapid and long distance spread of information or disinformation, as well as compositional techniques that can be based on generative large language model (LLM) artificial intelligence.

Read the full article here.

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What Is Proportional Representation?
– And How to Improve HB24-1177 County Commissioner Elections
By Celese Landry; Peggy Leech, LAC; Elections Lobbyists

“Better voter representation” is often promoted as a desirable goal by sponsors of election bills. LWV is a strong proponent of better voter representation – specifically, proportional representation.

Read the full article here.

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Legislative Preview 2024: Interim Committee Legislation, Governor’s Budget Request & the December 20, 2023 Revenue Forecast
January 8, 2024

As the General Assembly prepares to convene for the 2024 session in the next few days, work taking place throughout the 2023 interim is wrapping up. The Governor’s budget proposal was presented to the General Assembly on November 1, the interim committees presented their bill recommendations to the Legislative Council Committee on November 15 and the Joint Budget Committee was briefed on the 4th quarter revenue forecast on December 20th.

Read the full article  here.

 

2023 Articles

 

Letter to Transportation Secretary Buttigieg
LWVCO Legislative Action Committee - July 2023

 

Dear Mr. Secretary,
On behalf of the League of Women Voters of Colorado, I’m writing in support of the letter
you received from Colorado Representatives Diana DeGette, Brittany Pettersen, and
Jason Crow stating their concerns regarding the Uinta Basin Railway Project.

Read the full letter here.

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2023 Legislative Wrap Up Article
LWVCO Legislative Action Committee - June 2023

 

The 2023 session adjourned on May 8. During the 120-day session, 617 bills were considered—486 of which were passed. By June 7 Governor Polis had vetoed 10 bills. This includes HB 1190 – Affordable Housing Right of First Refusal, which LWVCO supported. There was concern that a few other bills that LWVCO supported would also be vetoed (HB 1100 – Restrict Government Involvement in Immigration Detention, HB 1120 – Eviction Protections for Residential Tenants, and SB 058 – Job Application Fairness Act), but LWVCO acted in coalition with other stakeholders to push for final signature and fortunately these bills were signed into law.

Read the full article here.

 

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Policy Implementation & the Rulemaking Process
Andrea Wilkins, LWVCO Legislative Liason

 

Now that 2023 legislative session has adjourned, the LWVCO Legislative Action Committee (LAC) will begin shifting our focus to implementation of new policy passed by the General Assembly and monitoring activity over the interim as emerging policy topics are discussed and new legislation is contemplated.

Read the full report here.

 

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Collaboration with SOS & DOLA regarding Elections Data Reporting
Collecting & Archiving Summary of Activity May 2021 - May 2023

During the 2021 interim, LWVCO began having discussions with representatives from the Colorado Secretary of State’s office, the Department of Local Affairs, and the Colorado State Demographer to explore changes to Colorado’s process for collecting, reporting, and archiving elections data. This information is needed by the state’s independent redistricting committees to fully comply with the mandates of Amendments Y and Z (2018) as they carry out work to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional districts. 

Read the full report here.

 

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Correspondence with the Colorado Department of Education

Dear Ms. Smith,

My name is Kathy Wilson, and I am the Co-Director of Action & Advocacy for the League of Women Voters of Colorado. I also head the state League’s Legislative Action Committee Education Issues Group and am writing to you in those capacities. We in the Colorado League fully support public education and applaud the adoption of the newly revised Social Studies Standards because they reflect the diversity of our state and nation, honor our history in its many dimensions, and include aspects of the social studies that have not previously been taught equitably. 

Read the complete correspondence here.

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Two Letters Recently Sent to Governor Polis

#1 – Gun Safety

Dear Governor Polis,

The League of Women Voters strongly believes that our state’s laws should protect the health and safety of our citizens by limiting the accessibility and regulating the ownership of handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Given the frequency of gun violence in both Colorado and the United States more broadly, we are pleased to see state policymakers take action to help prevent more senseless tragedies. 

Read the complete letter here.

#2 –  Affordable Housing

Dear Governor Polis,

The League of Women Voters is concerned about the significant negative impact metro districts have on affordable housing. Cost of the house is higher. Taxes are higher. The residents' access to information and representation on the governing board is challenging at best. Examples of routine voter suppression are astonishing. 

Read the complete letter here.

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2023-2024 Long Bill Budget Heads to the Governor for Signature
Andrea Wilkins, LWVCO Legislative Liaison

April 17, 2023

The General Assembly has completed work on the 2023-24 state budget and SB23-214 – FY 2023-24 Long Bill, has been sent to Governor Polis for signature. While it is expected that Polis will approve the budget, it is the only legislation in which the Governor has line-item veto authority. 

Read more here.

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What is Difference Between a Referendum and an Initiative?
Legislative Action Committee Member Gerry Cummins

Issues are placed on the ballot in one of two ways:

Referendum
A referendum is a proposal by the Legislature that is referred to citizens for a vote.

Initiative

An initiative is a proposal by citizens who have gathered the required number of signatures (five percent of the total number of votes cast for Secretary of State in the previous general election).

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What is the difference between the Colorado Constitution and the Colorado Revised Statutes?

The Colorado Constitution is the foundation of the laws and government of the State of Colorado. It establishes the basic framework of state government. Voters have the final approval of Constitutional proposals.

Colorado Revised Statutes (C.R.S.) are laws passed by the Colorado General Assembly consisting of the House of Representatives (65 members) and the Senate (35 members). The Colorado Revised Statutes are the codified general and permanent statutes of the General Assembly.

Statewide issues appearing on the ballot may be of two types:

Amendments to the Colorado Constitution

· May be referred to the voters by a two-thirds vote of both houses of the General Assembly or may be proposed by citizens using the initiative process. Only the voters (not the legislature) can change the Colorado Constitution. These proposals are called amendments.

· Amendments to the Constitution need 55% of the vote to pass.

Amendments to the Revised Statutes (Propositions)

· May be referred to the voters by a majority vote of both houses of the General Assembly or may be proposed by citizens using the initiative process.  Although approved by voters, amendments to the Colorado Revised Statutes may subsequently be changed by the legislature. These proposals are called propositions and are changes to the statutes.

Signature Requirement for Statewide Initiative Petitions

An initiative is a proposal by citizens who have gathered the required number of signatures.

· According to Article V, Section 1(2) of the Colorado Constitution, the number of signatures required for a statewide initiative petition is “at least five percent of the total number of votes cast for all candidates for the office of secretary of state at the previous general election”.

· The total number of votes cast for all candidates for the office of secretary of state at the November 8, 2022 General Election was 2,484,758. As a result, the signature requirement for statewide initiative petitions and statewide referendum petitions for 2023 through 2026 is:
124,238 (required number was 124,632 for 2019-2022).

· Initiatives that wish to make a change to the Colorado constitution must be signed by at least 2% of the total registered electors in each of the 35 Colorado state senate districts in addition to meeting the requirements outlined in (Article V, Section 1(4) of the Colorado constitution).

Potential Ballot Issues - 2023/2024

In the 2023 Election (off-year election), only fiscal measures may appear on the statewide ballot as established in TABOR. There are two Concurrent Resolutions that have been introduced in the House of Representatives. At present (March 2023), there are no concurrent resolutions filed in the Senate.

To be referred to the ballot as a referendum, the proposal must receive a 2/3 vote in each chamber.

House Concurrent Resolutions (introduced to date (3/23/2023)

1.        HCR23-1001: Judicial Discipline Procedures and Confidentiality

“……. judicial discipline, and, in connection therewith, establishing an independent judicial discipline adjudicative board, setting standards for judicial review of a discipline case, and clarifying when discipline proceedings become public.”

                   Sponsors: Reps. Weissman & Lynch and Sens. Gardner & Gonzales

                  Status: Sent to House for a floor vote on 3/24/2023.

2.        HCR23-1002:  Modest Property Tax Exemptions for Veterans with Disabilities

     “…… property tax exemption for veterans with a disability to include a veteran who does not have a service-connected disability rated as a one hundred percent permanent disability but does have individual unemployability status.”

Sponsors: Rep Marshall and Sen. Fields. 

Status:Passed House on 3^rd Reading, 3/20/23

Initiatives Filed/Title Set (as of 3/24/2023)

Establishment of a New Attainable Housing Fee

State Income Tax Rate Reduction

State Income Tax Rate Reduction

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate 

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate

Reduction in State Income Tax Rate

Student Funding for K-12 Education

Limitations on Property Tax – numerous proposals are listed

Note: The complete text of the above proposed initiatives may be found on the Secretary of State’s website at www.sos.state.co.us

LAC Contact: Gerry Cummins