Opinion / Straight From The Senate
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SB21-182: Bully Empowerment Bill
The working title is actually CONCERNING SCHOOL DISCIPLINE, AND, IN CONNECTION THEREWITH, ADDRESSING DISPROPORTIONATE DISCIPLINARY PRACTICES AND CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND SUPPORTING... — Updated 4/6/2021
Jail population reduction bill
A jail (not prison) population reduction bill (SB21-062) made it through committee that will be on the floor soon. District attorneys weighed in on both sides. No surprise there,... — Updated 3/30/2021
Illegals and Foreign Money
Many thanks to everyone who attended the BBQ in Calhan where we fed over 300 and raised a few thousand dollars for the homeless. Hope you were able to make it to one of the dozens... — Updated 3/23/2021
Free burgers and bill updates
Announcements first: Free Burgers Saturday, March 20, at the El Paso County Fairgrounds, 366 10th St. in Calhan, beginning at noon. Help us celebrate Meat In Day and Colorado's... — Updated 3/16/2021
Stimulus funds headed our way
Looks like Congress will be sending another round of federal stimulus funds to our personal checking accounts and truckloads of cash will be delivered to every state. However,... — Updated 3/9/2021
Picking up some steam
This doesn't feel like the second week of the session, or even the third if you count those three days in January. More bills have been introduced in a shorter time than would... — Updated 3/2/2021
Back at the Capital - Finally
The Legislature is back in session after a month break, made possible by legislative rules pertaining to a "declared health emergency" and a judge's ruling. Given the good news of... — Updated 2/23/2021
Department hearings and the vaccine
Even with the legislators back in their districts, we're managing to get some items checked off the legislative agenda. Every session each department is required to report to the... — Updated 1/26/2021
Three days at the Capital
The First Session of the 73rd General Assembly began with guests limited to the newly elected senators who were sworn in standing at their desks with family and guests watching... — Updated 1/19/2021
73rd Legislative Session Oulook
This from Senate Leadership: Gavel in on January 13, take care of some constitutional duties, pass a few/some/many bills that are deemed time sensitive and critical. That's a... — Updated 1/12/2021
Highlights from the special session
With the results of this recent special session pretty widely reported I was hesitant to just repeat the final outcome but some of those bills could use little commentary. However,... — Updated 12/15/2020
Special session called by Polis
Finally! When the Senate Republicans called for a special session on July 28 to address COVID-19's impact on schools, the students and their parents, it was called a "political stun... — Updated 11/25/2020
Now it is up to the voters
With the session over, the decision-making shifts to the voters who will decide at the ballot box. The legislature referred three measures to ballot, two constitutional changes and... — Updated 6/24/2020
Some good news in the final week
First: good news for parental rights and homeschoolers as well as a mea culpa from me. I wrote earlier that there was a homeschool exemption in SB20-163 as it left the Senate for th... — Updated 6/17/2020
Progress and surprises
Budget approved by both chambers! It took a Saturday session, but the budget is on its way back to the Joint Budget Committee to iron out the differences between the House and Senat... — Updated 6/10/2020
A strange week at the capital
Session got off to a good start after the Memorial Day weekend. The Senate spent Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday in committees or in session on the floor basically clearing the... — Updated 6/3/2020
Back in session, finally
I have high hopes for Part II of the Second Regular Session of the 72nd General Assembly. Word on the street is we're going to wrap everything up in three weeks as opposed to the... — Updated 5/27/2020
Business, the key to the budget
It's official: We're looking to cut $3.3 million out of the budget. Pretty safe to say the pain will be spread throughout the budget. The Joint Budget Committee (JBC) is still at... — Updated 5/20/2020
Straight from the Senate: New start date and cash funds
Looks like leadership has decided May 18 isn't really the best day for the legislature to come back into session. We are now targeting May 26. Haven't heard their reasoning and prob... — Updated 5/13/2020
Working toward that elusive balanced budget
The Legislative and Governor's budget gurus (we do have separate budget staff – it's that whole check and balance thing) have been crunching numbers for weeks. Actually, months,... — Updated 5/6/2020
Relief for businesses, workers, local government
By the time you read last week's column, the Governor had already announced he agreed with me that it was time to open up more businesses. He phrased it a little differently and in... — Updated 4/29/2020
A positive outlook for the future, despite obstacles
The news on the coronavirus front in Colorado and much of the rest of the country is more encouraging than it has been for weeks or possibly months. Let's just take that happy fac... — Updated 4/22/2020
Session's future uncertain
Not sure when we will be returning to finish the legislative session. Not sure if it will be in person or "remotely." Not sure if we are legitimately in adjournment. Not sure when... — Updated 4/22/2020
COVID's effect on session
First update would be the Colorado Supreme Court's 4-3 decision that during times of crisis the legislature can adjourn for extended periods and it will not be counted against their... — Updated 4/8/2020
Possibly back in session?
Let's start with what may be happening at the legislature in the near future, emphasis on may. Latest rumblings are a short adjournment of 3 days (Senate and House rules help dictat... — Updated 4/1/2020
