Legislative Session Begins!

It's been an incredibly busy start to the legislative session, from being sworn in on Monday morning to the MLK day resolution this morning, and all the legislation of ours that has already been introduced. Off to a running start! As co-chair of the Women's Caucus Senator Cutter is especially excited that Colorado is now the second state in the country to have a female majority in their legislative body.

from the desk of Senator Lisa Cutter

It is exciting to be back under the gold dome, and I remind myself every day what a privilege it is to work here on behalf of my constituents and all of Colorado. We are a diverse body, with 14 Latino members, 50 women and 11 black members. This felt especially significant today, as we joined the House for a joint resolution in honor of Martin Luther King day. The eloquence of all members who spoke, but particularly those from our black caucus, was inspiring. There are so many MLK quotes that resonate with me, but in seeking them for reference, I found the one below. Given the work we do here at the legislature, it felt right.

"I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits."

Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech, Oslo, Norway, 1964

A bunch of our bills have already been introduced.

• House bill,  23-1003, which creates a Mental Health Assessment Program for Colorado students in grades sixth through twelfth. This promotes student behavioral health and builds upon our previous legislation such as SB22-181 to bolster Colorado’s behavioral health system. More info
• Senate Bill, 23-005. Democrats are committed to reducing the frequency of devastating wildfires and protecting Colorado’s people, homes, and property. This legislation will bolster Colorado’s forestry workforce by directing the Colorado State Forest Service to develop educational materials on career opportunities in the industry and creating a workforce development program in the State Forest Service. The bill will also bolster the state’s wildfire mitigation capacity development fund and expand existing forestry programs while creating a new forestry program within the community college system at Colorado Mountain College. Finally, the bill will work to increase the number of qualified educators at colleges that deliver a wildfire prevention and mitigation program or course. More info
• SB 23-027, which provides food pantries with grants so that they can better serve their clients and feed more people. With the increased emergency SNAP (supplemental nutrition assistance program) benefits due to expire in March, this bill will help local pantries feed the many people who will be impacted by this. More info
• SB 23-031, which improved Heath-care access for older Coloradans. This would increase access to trained geriatric specialists. This partners with CU Anschutz to serve older Coloradans. More info
• a bi-partisan bill with Sen. Pelton, SB 23-036, which would help Veterans with Disabilities access their property tax exemptions. It would reduce red tape and level of bureaucracy in this process which would increase access to this program for those who have served the country so well. More Info
• SB 23-037, a bill that would regulate deceptive solicitations around new business filings. When someone files for a new business in CO, the fee is only $1, but that open information means that lots of companies immediately try to sell their services for help in filing this paperwork. Their advertisements often look like official documents and trick new business owners into paying them for things that could be free. More Info

JeffCo Town Hall
Sat. Jan. 21st

• the Colorado Channel Authority Board
• the Forest Health Advisory Council
• the Wildfire Matters Review Committee