Hello everyone,
A short update this week as the session enters its fourth full week. While there still have not been many bills debated on the floor of the House or Senate, committees are starting to consider bills and the halls of the Capitol are getting busier. However, no bills impacting CSPA members have been heard in committee yet.
On Wednesday, like most other state offices in the Denver Metro Area, the legislature cancelled work due to the snow. On Thursday, Senate President Leroy Garcia (D-Pueblo) announced he would be resigning from the Senate on February 23rd to become special assistant to the assistant secretary of the Navy for Manpower and Reserve Affairs at the Pentagon. President Garcia is a Marine Corps veteran who served in Iraq. His resignation sets off a cascade of musical chairs as senators consider who should lead the chamber as President until a new general assembly is seated in January 2023. In addition, a vacancy committee will pick President Garcia’s successor to serve out the reminder of his term as the senator for Senate District 3 which also expires in January 2023. So far, three candidates have announced their intention to seek the vacancy appointment.
As of Friday, there have been 295 bills introduced – 169 in the House and 126 in the Senate. Only 94 days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist