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Lutheran Advocacy Ministry–2016 Colorado Legislative Roundup

2016 Legislative Session Ends

The 2016 session of the Colorado General Assembly came to an end on May 11. Although legislators were unable to reach agreement on several big issues, including the Hospital Provider Fee, there were notable moments of compromise that resulted in the passage of legislation we supported.

Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado worked to actively support 12 bills this session. Six of them were passed by both chambers and sent to the governor. We also opposed two bills that ended up being killed in committee. Below is a snapshot the bills we supported that passed:

Passed

SB 190 – Improve County Administration of Public Assistance Programs (Steadman, Rankin). This will help incentivize counties to raise enrollment of eligible families in food assistance and will add staff to CDHS in order to assist those efforts.

SCR 006 – No Exception to Involuntary Servitude Provision (Ulibarri, Salazar/Melton). A referred measure that will appear on the fall ballot, asking Colorado voters to strike the line in Article II, Section 26 of the state constitution which provides an exception to the state’s ban on slavery for those convicted of a crime.

HB 1227 – Exemptions to Child Support Requirements for Child Care Assistance (Kagan/DelGrosso, Hill/Crowder). A bill to exempt certain vulnerable populations from fulfilling overly-burdensome requirements in order to receive child care assistance through the CCCAP program.

HB 1386 – Necessary Document Program (Kraft-Tharp, Steadman). The state will provide $300,000 for a non-profit to administer a necessary document program, helping low-income, disabled, homeless, and otherwise vulnerable Coloradans to access driver’s licenses, Social Security cards, and other vital documents.

HB 1438 – Employer Accommodations Related to Pregnancy (Winter, Martinez Humenik). The bill directs Colorado employers to provide reasonable accommodations to workers who become pregnant, such as more frequent restroom breaks or the ability to sit rather than stand. It also prevents employers from discriminating against potential employees who are pregnant or taking action against current employees who become pregnant.

HB 1465 – Modifications to Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (Duran/Becker J, Ulibarri/Cooke). The state Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program will be extended to 2019, allowing developers to access tax credits that incentivize the construction of housing available to low-income people.

Thank You, Advocates!

Advocates throughout our network took action on alerts this session and helped make the voice of the Lutheran faith community heard. A big “Thank you!” goes out to all those who sent messages and called legislators about these bills. Making your voice heard is critical and we couldn’t do it without you.

Upcoming Events

  • Interfaith Alliance Collective: Tuesday, May 17, 6:30 p.m. and Wednesday, May 18, 1:00 p.m. See their website for more details: interfaithallianceco.org.
  • Colorado Families for a Fair Wage campaign kick-off: Wednesday, May 18, 12 p.m., Vine Street Pub (1700 Vine St, Denver).
  • Amendment 69 pro/con panel, sponsored by Colorado Consumer Health Initiative: Thursday, June 2, 9:00 a.m., Mile High United Way (711 Park Ave W, Denver).

 

Thank you for your partnership in advocacy. Peace,

Peter Severson

Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry-Colorado

7375 Samuel Drive, Denver, CO 80221 | www.lam-co.org | 303-777-6700