HB1062 – Penalty for Theft of Firearms
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. This bill makes theft of a firearm a class 6 felony, regardless of the firearm’s value. Subsequent violations, including multiple firearms stolen in the same criminal incident, are separate class 5 felonies. The theft of a firearm is particularly egregious because it robs the owners of their 2nd amendment rights and will probably end up being used in the commission of another crime. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Ryan Armagost (R), Monica Duran (D), Nick Hinrichsen (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1140 – Disclosing Information to Immigration Authorities
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. CUT believes that a bill like this is long overdue. Our only quibble is that we would have preferred that notification to Immigration be REQUIRED, not simply allowed; and we would have liked to see more offenses included. But this bill represents true progress in ridding our communities of violent offenders. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Jarvis Caldwell (R), Rod Pelton (R), Carlos Barron (R)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1143 – Open-Source Software in Voting Systems
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. We have some concern about the unfunded mandate on counties. But overall, we see this as an enhancement of election integrity. Our election results must never be doubted by a significant portion of the voting public. Open Source does not mean Open Access….it simply means that the code being used can be seen and verified for neutrality but not altered by anyone.
Sponsors: Max Brooks (R)
Bill Status: Dead
SB054 – Mining Reclamation & Interstate Compact
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. This bill would make reclamation a little easier by “removing regulatory barriers while maintaining environmental protections.” Past years of lax efforts have caught up to us, and we must now go about the work of reclaiming and de-toxifying those mines. This bill does not involve the federal government. The effect of this bill on funding and expenditures is negligible.
Sponsors: Jeff Bridges (D), Cleave Simpson (R), Matt Martinez(D), Karen McCormick (D), Byron Pelton (R), Ty Winter (R)
Bill Status: In Committee
SB074 – Highly Specialized Employment Leave Protection Exemption
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. The FAMLi act puts a huge burden on employers and this is a step to help keep production or that special needed employee available. This bill could help small companies survive by giving them flexibility to proactively recruit. We question the need for 3 FTEs.
Sponsors: Scott Bright (R), Carlos Barron (R)
Bill Status: Dead
SB114 – Repeal of the FLEX Program
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) supports this bill. This bill repeals a failed program and adds $625,000 to the general fund. We do ask what happened to the funds that were appropriated in 2022- 2023 and 2023-2024? The safety clause is justifiable to prevent citizen referendum from prolonging a defunct program. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Judith Amabile (D), Barbara Kirkmeyer (R), Shannon Bird (D), Rick Taggart (R), Jeff Bridges (D), Emily Sirota (D), Carlos Barron (R), Scott Bottoms (R), Brandi Bradley(R), Jarvis Caldwell (R), Chad Clifford (D), Ken Degraaf (R), Monica Duran (D), Ryan Gonzalez(R), Dusty Johnson (R), Rebecca Keltie (R), Julie McCluskie (D), Larry Suckla (R), Ron Weinberg (R), Dan Woog (R)
Bill Status: Crossed Over
HB1027 – Update Disease Control Statutes
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill due to its changes to student immunization requirements. While CUT supports the elimination of GEERC and assigning emergency responsibilities to CDPHE, it opposes the state’s continual meddling in children’s vaccines. Vaccinations are the responsibility of the parents, not the State. This legislation does not address the overstep of authority that occurred during COVID in addressing future pandemics. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Kyle Brown (D), Lindsay Gilchrist (D), Lindsey Daugherty(D), Jennifer Bacon (D), Andrew Boesenecker (D), Monica Duran (D), Meg Froelich (D), Lorena García (D), Eliza Hamrick (D), Mandy Lindsay(D), Javier Mabrey(D), Julie McCluskie (D), Karen McCormick (D), Manny Rutinel (D), Gretchen Rydin (D), Emily Sirota (D), Lesley Smith (D), Tammy Story(D), Brianna Titone (D), Jenny Willford (D)
Bill Status: Crossed Over
HB1120 – Septic-System Replacement Enterprise
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. This bill creates the septic-system replacement enterprise, which operates as a government-owned business imposing and collecting a fee charged on septic-system permits and using the fee revenue to provide loans to replace failing septic systems. This bill “stinks” because it is another attack on TABOR (formation of a business charging mandatory “fees” outside of TABOR) and because this is not the proper role of government.
Sponsors: Lesley Smith (D), Dylan Roberts (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1132 – Military Family Behavioral Health Grant Program
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. This bill creates the military family behavioral health grant program in the behavioral health administration to provide grants to establish and expand community behavioral health programs for service members, veterans, and family members of service members and veterans. Although CUT supports providing our service members and their families with mental health services, this is the role of the FEDERAL government, not the State government.
Sponsors: Sean Camacho (D), Rebekah Stewart (D), Jeff Bridges (D), Nick Hinrichsen (D), Michael Carter (D), Monica Duran (D), Lindsay Gilchrist (D), William Lindstedt (D), Matt Martinez(D), Jacqueline Phillips (D), Lesley Smith (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1133 – Requirements for Sale of Firearms Ammunition
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. This bill is an odious infringement on 2nd Amendment Rights, the Constitutional Right to keep and bear firearms to protect ourselves and our families from bad actors. Bill Sponsors infer that 18–20-year-olds are not responsible enough to keep and bear firearms. However, 18–20-year-olds have served and do serve us nobly in military and law enforcement, and they are capable of responsibly using firearms in sporting competition and hunting. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Monica Duran (D), Lindsay Gilchrist (D), Kyle Mullica (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1137 – Adopt a Shelter Pet Account Community Cats
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. It is not the proper role of government to use taxpayer money to care for feral cats. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Mandy Lindsay(D), Elizabeth Velasco (D), Faith Winter (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1154 – Communication Services People with Disabilities Enterprise
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. We do like the intent here and have no objections at all to intent. But the bill expands to another layer of government, without deleting the existing layer. And we do not see any problem being solved. Why is the bill needed? And then there is the WILDLY inappropriate use of the Safety Clause. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Kyle Brown (D), Meg Froelich (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
HB1159 – Child Support Commission Recommendations
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. This bill is very complicated and overly prescriptive. Citizens don’t need more leverage for government intervention in family lives. Each divorce and agreement for child support has its own characteristics best determined by the people involved — not by the State Legislature. It is not the role of government to dictate the terms of dissolution of a marriage contract. The summary provides no justification other than the recommendation of some commission. The bill inappropriately uses the safety clause. This bill only modifies existing legislation; there is no emergency for which the citizens should be prevented from challenging it by referendum. The bill also contains a safety clause.
Sponsors: Regina English (D), Junie Joseph (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
SB001 – Colorado Voting Rights Act
The Colorado Union of Taxpayers (CUT) opposes this bill. Multiple laws at multiple levels of government already provide more than adequate assurance of equality in ballot access. Adding a requirement for multi-lingual ballots will open the state up for lawsuits. Why does the state need to have a database on voting? This is for the counties to handle. The bill will cost $3 million and 22 added employees at a time when the state is teetering on the brink of deficit spending. The only thing this bill provides is a launching pad for trial lawyers looking to sue somebody somewhere sometime, or anybody, anywhere, anytime.
Sponsors: Julie Gonzales (D), Jennifer Bacon (D), Junie Joseph (D), Chris Kolker (D), Dafna Michaelson Jenet (D), Dylan Roberts (D), Sean Camacho (D), Regina English (D), Javier Mabrey(D), Naquetta Ricks (D)
Bill Status: In Committee
