General Assembly Reconvenes
Andrea Wilkins, Legislative Liaison
The Colorado General Assembly reconvened the 2021 legislative session on Tuesday February 16, following a month-long temporary adjournment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is unclear exactly when policymakers will conclude business, though if the General Assembly meets for the full 120-day session, some die will fall on June 12.
Since the January 15 adjournment, a lot of work has been underway with the Joint Budget Committee receiving budget briefings from the various state departments and engaging in figure-setting discussions, while the General Assembly as a whole has continued developing legislation and engaging in stakeholder meetings and discussions. Policymakers introduced well over 200 bills upon reconvening this week.
Introducing SB 108
Amy Sherwood
SB21-108: Public Utilities Commission Gas Utility Safety Inspection Authority (Sen. Story) introduced Feb. 18 and assigned to Transportation and Energy. (Support)
This bill increases and clarifies the rulemaking and enforcement authority of the Public Utilities Commission and will eliminate a gray area that gathering gas lines fall into, where neither the Public Utilities Commission nor the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission were inspecting. This bill will give the PUC authority to do so by protecting homeowners and businesses close to pipelines.
Read more here
Income Assistance
Debby Vink
The League of Women Voters of Colorado supported SB20-200 Implementation of Colorado Secure Savings Program, which passed in the 2020 Legislative Session and set up a required retirement program for Colorado’s Private Sector Workers whose employers are not currently offering their employees a retirement savings plan. Our support is based on League positions which support help to achieve income independence and promote economic justice. Over half of Colorado workers in the private sector lack an employer-sponsored retirement program, and adequate individual savings. Without retirement assets, our aging population will suffer and could potentially cost the State of Colorado ten billion dollars within the next fifteen years. The lack of savings affects the most vulnerable of our population the most severely, a shortfall made so much worse by COVID.