Colorado lawmaking session ends with bipartisan celebrations and new policies on housing, education
Philip B. Poston/Sentinel Colorado via AP
The Colorado legislature wrapped up its work for the year on Wednesday with lawmakers from both sides of the aisle celebrating, marking a return of camaraderie and civility in a building that has, at times, lacked both.
The final day of the 120-day lawmaking session was distinctly different from the previous year’s finish when the entire Republican caucus walked out of the House to protest a property tax measure introduced in the final three days of the legislative session.
This year, even though there was another major property tax policy going through the process in the final three days, many Republicans were not only in support of it, but some were also sponsors of it.
“Most of us from the Western Slope in both parties have prided ourselves on sticking together as a team and focusing on the issues,” said Sen Dylan Roberts, D-Frisco. “But I think as a whole, that happened a lot more this year. We can honestly go back to our constituents and say ‘We are much more functional than Washington D.C.'”
In the session’s final hours, lawmakers approved bills covering several key issues including ones to create a new property tax mechanism, require statewide and local housing needs assessments and change the state’s school finance formula.
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The final day also saw the end of a debate between two Western Slope lawmakers over a bill that would create a fine of up to $100 for leaving an unsecured firearm in an unattended vehicle.
After the House approved House Bill 1348, introduced by Rep. Elizabeth Velasco, D-Glenwood Springs, the Senate voted to add increased penalties for those stealing a firearm under the bill. Roberts was the member who suggested one of those increased penalties.
But Velasco and the other prime sponsor in the House, Rep. Lorena Garcia of Denver, opposed that change, setting off a schism between the Senate and House chambers. Representatives from both chambers met to find a compromise on the bill. They ultimately decided to remove the added punishments for gun theft and reduce the fee for leaving a firearm unsecured to $100 from $500.
When that compromise returned to the full Senate for approval, Roberts ultimately decided to support the measure because of the lowered fee and it was passed.
A focus on housing
In a press conference the day after the session ended, leadership from both chambers and the governor celebrated policy wins from the past 120 days, including on housing, gun, water and tax policies.
Gov. Jared Polis called the session “the most significant by far” compared to the five other sessions he has seen in the role.
Polis emphasized the passage of several bills related to housing policy in the state, including ones to boost housing near transit centers, make accessory-dwelling units easier to build and eliminate locally-imposed parking minimums. Many of the housing bills only impact the Front Range.
When asked about the bills’ focus on the Front Range, Polis said Thursday he had supported versions of the bills that included “more communities.”
“But I’m very happy that we made the progress that we did,” he said.
In an interview, Roberts noted that this year’s land use bills have “varied impacts” on mountain communities.
“But I think a rising tide lifts all boats,” he said. “If we can build more housing in all parts of the state we’re going to help with the affordability.”
One housing bill that will impact the Western Slope is Senate Bill 174, which was approved on the final day and will require almost all local governments in the state to complete housing needs assessments before 2027 and create an action plan to address those needs by 2028.
Western Slope takeaways
Reflecting on the legislative session, several lawmakers from the Western Slope celebrated the “full funding” of the state’s education system for the first time since the Great Recession and the new school finance formula.
“Education has been at the heart of my policy career,” said House Speaker Julie McCluksie. “For more than a decade, solutions have been elusive on one intractable problem and that has been how do we drive more equity into our schools.”
Rep. Meghan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat, pointed to education funding as one of the reasons she ran for office.
“That’s the biggest category of success in my book,” she said. “I’m feeling really proud that we were able to turn those promises into results this legislative session.”
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Both chambers took time to honor their members who, for one reason or another, will not return to the Capitol next year. Sen. Perry Will, a New Castle Republican, was one of them. Will is running for county commissioner instead of running for re-election to the state Senate.
Will said he had mixed feelings about leaving his job at the Capitol.
“It’s kind of emotional,” he said. “But I’m very excited to go home. I’m extremely excited about being around my family.”
Will said he’s been most proud of the work he’s done at the Capitol focused on issues related to sportsmen, ranchers and wildlife.
Returning lawmakers, such as Roberts, and those hoping to win re-election, like McCluskie, Lukens and Velasco, will soon begin conducting town halls throughout their districts.
Lukens and Roberts will hold their first town hall on Monday in Eagle County.
