9 Calendar Days left until May 6 – 664 bills introduced – 384 House – 280 Senate – 359 Bipartisan – 208 bills postponed indefinitely – 138 signed by the Governor
The end is near!!
Presidential Primary – a group of bi-partisan legislators are considering a bill to replace the current presidential non-binding straw poll at local caucuses with a Presidential Primary in 2016. The purpose is to give voters more of a voice in selecting Presidential candidates especially since Colorado has become a swing state in national elections. It wouldn’t impact the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries, long recognized as the leading states in the presidential nominating process, because national parties would still decide the order of primaries. Both Colorado political party chairs have publicly endorse the concept. While it may be attractive to many, there is a cost to the state of mailing out ballots for a new election.
Affordable Housing Bills Introduced – House Democrats are countering the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance (HOA) claims that SB 177 would address housing affordability by reducing the risk of litigation on builders of for sale multi-family housing. They have introduced HB 1383 Modifications to the Low Income Housing Tax Credit and HB 1384 Use of Moneys in the Unclaimed Property Trust Fund to Promote Affordable Housing. HB 1383 extends the low-income tax credit (administered by the Colorado Housing Finance Authority (CHFA)) period from two to five years ending in 2019 and adds a provision to transfer the credits. HB 1384 transfers for the next four years money from the unclaimed property trust fund to an affordable housing assistance fund also administered by CHFA. It would provide low income rental assistance and the promotion of construction, acquisition or rehabilitation of low-income rental or owner-occupied housing.
Homeowner Opportunity Alliance Rally Scheduled for Monday at the Capitol –
Make Your Voice Heard on SB177
Join the Homeownership Opportunity Alliance for a Press Conference and Rally inside the State Capitol
This Monday is Senate Bill 177’s Day at the Capitol. We need your support!
Monday is our opportunity to show the wide support for SB177 and to call Speaker Hullinghorst to give SB177 a fair hearing in committee and a vote by the full House.
Please plan to attend the press conference and rally at 11:30 a.m. in the West Foyer of the State Capitol, 1st floor. Then please talk to as many House members as possible about SB177 and attend the House State Affairs Committee hearing for SB177-starting after 1:30 pm.
Governors Speak Out on Standards and Assessments – Governor Hickenlooper (D) and former Governors Bill Owens (R) and Roy Romer (D) spoke to the media about their concerns with the legislative battle over state assessments. All three have been leaders in assuring that Colorado has adequate standards and assessments for teacher accountability and student growth.
Denver Post and Chalkbeat coverage of Hickenlooper/Owens/Romer press event:
Final Countdown has Many Big Issues in Process or Rumored to be on Their Way – the Denver Post reports that the legislature has sent the fewest bills to the Governor for signature in his five years in office. Denver Business Journal Editor Neal Westergaard parallels the political and legal battle on the proposed Aurora Gaylord Hotel project with the political intrigue of the Netflix hit political show “House of Cards”.
Issues left include or may still be introduced: Gaylord, PERA bonding, transportation funding, TABOR refunds, police reforms, reductions in testing and assessments, continuation of the utility consumer advocate, fetal homicide, school lawsuit liability, Urban Renewal, marijuana, EPA rule oversight, workforce development, Western complex funding, ballot reform, felony DUI, minimum wage, and many more.
Pete Kirchhof
[email protected]
303 507-9587 (C)
