Hello everyone,
It was another slow week at the Capitol as the legislature finished its second partial week. Committees continued to focus on SMART Act hearings. During these SMART Act hearings executive branch departments present specific information to their legislative committee of reference. The hearings are designed to allow the legislators on the oversight committee to better understand the responsibilities and areas of concern for each of the executive branch departments they oversee. Things should start to move a little faster this week as committees are scheduled to start hearing bills.
On Tuesday afternoon, the department appeared before the Joint House & Senate Judiciary Committee for its SMART Act hearing. Chief Packard gave an overview of the State Patrol. He talked about the Patrolโs successes โ e.g., increase in hands-free/cell phone citations, decline in auto thefts, DUI enforcement and the rolling academy schedule. He also discussed the Patrolโs Wildly Important Goals (WIGs) โ e.g., reduce traffic fatalities, reduce impaired driving, reduce commercial motor vehicle-caused crashes, and reduce auto theft. Committee members asked the Chief about the following: traction-control device enforcement along I-70; impaired driving; auto theft grant funding; auto theft best practices; street racing; motorcycle safety, including lane splitting; and assessments of threats against legislators.
On Wednesday, the CSPA Board held its January board meeting and took positions on two bills. The Board voted to support SB 026 Weight for Vehicles with Child Restraint System (Catlin / Lieder & Winter). SB 026 is a State Patrol agenda bill that increases the gross vehicle weight rating for certain passenger vehicles required to have a child restraint system from less than 10,000 pounds to less than 16,000 pounds. The Board voted to oppose HB 1037 Ban Govโt Purchase of Personal Data from Third Party (Bacon & DeGraaf / Cutter). HB 1037 would prohibit law enforcement from purchasing or sharing certain personal data from third parties without a warrant, subpoena, or court order. The Board also took a monitor position of the following bills: HB 1026 Expanding Plan Options for PERA; HB 1009 Colorado Mandatory Lethality Assessment Act; HB 1020 Colorimetric Field Drug Tests in Drug Possessions; and SB 024 State & Local Unmanned Aircraft Regulation.
So far, there have been 99 bills introduced โ 68 in the House and 31 in the Senate. Only 108 more days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist