Hello everyone,
The session is more than one quarter over! This past week was supplementals week in the House. Supplementals are the name given to bills that amend the current year budget (FY 2021-22). After spending most of January discussing and analyzing requests from Executive Branch departments, on Monday the JBC introduced 16 supplemental bills amending the current year budget. The supplemental bill for the Department of Public Safety (HB 22-1180) includes increased funding for comm officer salaries and Capitol Complex Executive Security Unit overtime. On Tuesday, the House Appropriations Committee considered the bills and passed them all onto the full House. On Wednesday, the House debated the bills on second reading and on Thursday passed the bills on third reading. The House passed the Department of Public Safety supplemental on a vote of 63 to 2.
In other news, the Senate Democrats met to elect the next Senate President. As I mentioned last week, Senate President Leroy Garcia (D-Pueblo) announced his resignation from the Senate effective February 23rd. On Wednesday, Senate Democrats chose Majority Leader Steve Fenberg (D-Boulder) to be the next Senate President. That set off a cascade of leadership changes as JBC Vice Chair Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City) was elected to replace Senator Fenberg as Majority Leader, and House Education Committee Chair Rachel Zenzinger (D-Arvada) was elected to replace Senator Moreno on the JBC. Both President-elect Fenberg and Majority Leader-elect Moreno will have to be officially elected by the full Senate on or about February 23rd.
On Thursday, Governor Polis held a press conference with Democratic lawmakers to announce a public safety package aimed at making Colorado one of the top 10 safest states in the nation. The package of bills is aimed at improving community involvement, addressing law enforcement officer shortages, and increasing mental and behavioral health resources. Ahead of the press conference, law enforcement groups sent Governor Polis a letter indicating that proposals passed by Democrats and signed by the Governor have contributed to crime in Colorado and made prevention more difficult.
Also on Thursday, the CSPA Board voted to take positions on several bills. These include the following: opposing HB 1142 that would authorize an extended service hours permit for the sale of alcohol; supporting HB 1150 that would eliminate the defendant’s signature requirement on certain citations; supporting HB 1180, the Department of Public Safety Supplemental bill; and supporting SB 005 that would create the Peace Officer Behavioral Health, Recruitment & Retention Pilot Grant Program. In addition to supporting, recruiting, and retaining law enforcement officers, SB 005 would also modify and increase the funding for the Behavioral Health Support & Community Partnership Grant Program.
As of Friday, there have been 366 bills introduced – 235 in the House and 131 in the Senate. Only 87 days until the General Assembly is required to adjourn sine die.
Bill Skewes
Lobbyist