DOCSLIB.ORG

CLIMBING out of COVID: Legislative COVID Relief Synopsis

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
CLIMBING out of COVID: Legislative COVID Relief Synopsis CLIMBING OUT OF COVID: Legislative COVID Relief Synopsis A WESTERN COLORADO ALLIANCE REPORT Western Colorado Alliance for Community Action brings people together to build grassroots power through community organizing and leadership development. We believe that right now, today, we have the ability and opportunity to create a future where engaged local voices are leading communities across Western Colorado that are healthy, just and self-reliant. Each year Western Colorado Alliance produces a legislative scorecard, highlighting important bills from the most recent legislative session. By producing a scorecard, we are able to hold our elected officials accountable to their votes, challenge them to tackle issues at the Capitol that have a direct effect on our local communities, as well as thank them for championing issues important to western Colorado. This year was different. This year, the session began poised to tackle vital issues like climate change, sustainability, and affordable access to health care; and ended with one fo- cus — keeping the state afloat while helping people climb out of the crippling health and economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. When the legislature ended their mid-session adjournment, they came back in a way we haven’t seen them in years, unified and with a clear path forward. As discussions began around the suite of COVID-19 bills and the looming 3.5 billion dollar deficit, another crisis arose as the death of George Floyd sent people to the steps of the Capitol in demand for racial justice and police reform. And again, with a mostly unified body, the state legislature answered the call and passed one of the most sweeping police reform bills in the nation. We want to thank all of our legislators for giving so much of yourselves to tackle the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, and while there is much work to do, we want to extend a huge appreciation to the many West Slope legislators who voted in support of SB20-217 to enhance law enforcement integrity and accountability. While we know this just the start, it was a good step forward. With all this in mind, our Alliance’s legislative committee quickly realized in the early months of the pandemic that a legislative scorecard wouldn’t be fair to produce. We saw legislators line up to kill their own good bills on the simple fact that the fiscal note was now something unattainable. We instead asked ourselves, in place of a scorecard, what is best to communicate to our members and communities right now? The answer was clear, we needed to help – What is the suite of COVID-19 relief bills that were passed, and how can our local areas access them? With that, we spent the summer doing the research and are eager to present to you our COVID-19 relief synopsis. *For a full overview of each bill, and how to access assistance, please visit westerncoloradoalliance.org/climbing-out-of-covid. A special thanks to Veniece Miller, our very first West Slope Youth Vote intern, a current student at CU Boulder, and a recent intern with the National Law Institute on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, for spending a part of your summer to help us put this together. It’s students like you who, in spite of a pandemic, give us all hope for the future. — Jeriel Clark, Political & Organizing Director Your Guide to the Bills PAGE 3 PAGE 4 COVID-19 Related Housing Limitations on Extraordinary Assistance Collection Actions Reimbursement for Funds for Behavioral Health Telehealth Services Utility Bill Payment-Related Health Insurance Assistance Affordability Enterprise Small Business Recovery Loan Program Premium Workers’ Compensation for COVID-19 Tax Credits Additional Resources To Unemployment Insurance Protect Air Quality Sick Leave for Employees Gallagher Amendment CLIMBING OUT OF COVID HB20-1410 HB20-1413 COVID-19 Related Small Business Recovery Housing Assistance Loan Program Premium Summary: This bill focuses on helping individuals who cannot pay Tax Credits for housing because of COVID-19. Money received from the federal Summary: To assist the state’s recovery from COVID-19, this government “CARES ACT ‘’ will be transferred to the eviction legal bill creates a small business loan program for Colorado’s small defense fund and the housing development grant fund to provide businesses over the next two years. This bill authorizes the state rental assistance, mortgage assistance, and guidance on other treasurer to enter into contracts to establish a loan program with the housing assistance. Colorado housing and finance authority or a private entity through an open and competitive process. Bill Sponsor(s): Low-interest loans of between $30,000 to $500,000 will be Rep. Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez Sen. Julie Gonzales awarded to small businesses. Rep.Thomas Exum Sen. Rachel Zenzinger Bill Sponsor(s): Rep. Shannon Bird Sen. Rachel Zenzinger HB20-1411 Rep. Lisa Cutter Sen. Kerry Donovan Funds for Behavioral Health SB20-204 Summary: COVID-19 has drastically reduced access to behavioral health, addiction counseling, and response services. Meanwhile, stressors including job loss, increased hunger, Additional Resources To and domestic violence, have caused an increased need for Protect Air Quality behavioral health services. Summary: As Colorado faces various dire air quality challenges This bill allocates money the state received from the federal that have adverse health and environmental impacts that impose coronavirus relief fund for behavioral health services. Departments additional burdens on Colorado’s economy, this bill aims to set a that receive these funds are instructed to consider the needs of guideline that the polluter pays. underserved populations. This bill creates the Air Quality Enterprise within the CDPHE to deal Bill Sponsor(s): with the collection of fees for air pollution permits. The bill will also Rep. Dafna Michaelson Jenet Sen. Brittany Pettersen institute more scientific research, sophisticated modeling, and gain Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp Sen. Rhonda Fields a better understanding of the health impacts of oil & gas and other air pollution in Colorado. Bill Sponsor(s): HB20-1412 Sen. Stephen Fenberg Rep. Yadira Caraveo Rep. Dominique Jackson Utility Bill Payment- Related Assistance Summary: This bill provides direct assistance to households unable to pay their utility bills due to the economic hardship caused by SB20-205 COVID-19. The bill will transfer $10 million from the federal govern- Sick Leave for ment “CARES Act” to the Colorado low-income energy assistance fund before December 30, 2020. Employees Summary: This bill requires employers to provide each of their The Colorado low-income energy assistance fund will make a direct employees paid sick leave in an amount of 14 days for reasons re- utility bill payment on behalf of a household to a utility provider. The lated to COVID-19 from July 2020 through December 2020. Also, on utility payments can include gas, electric, gas & electric utility, or January 1, 2021, the act will require all employers with 16 or more alternative energy assistance. employees in Colorado to provide paid sick leave to their employees. This sick leave will be accrued at one hour of sick leave for 30 hours Bill Sponsor(s): worked, up to a maximum of 48 hours per year, or six eight hour Rep. Chris Kennedy Sen. Tammy Story days. This bill extends an earned benefit for paid sick days to all Rep. Lisa Cutter Sen. Rachel Zenzinger Coloradans by January 2022. Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Stephen Fenberg Rep. KC Becker Sen. Jeff Bridges Rep. Yadira Caraveo SB20-211 SB20-216 Limitations on Extraordinary Workers’ Compensation for Collection Actions COVID-19 Summary: In the COVID-19 epidemic, economic hardships may be Summary: This bill would have established that essential workers made worse by extraordinary collection actions such as attach- who worked outside the home and caught COVID-19, contracted ment, garnishment, execution, and levy. This bill will attempt to COVID-19 from their workplace. This worker should, thus, be com- reduce bankruptcies, foreclosures, eviction, and repossession for pensated under the “Workers’ Compensation Act of Colorado.” Coloradans. This bill will be in effect through November 1, 2020, As it currently stands, to receive this compensation, essential after which, there will be a decision by the Attorney General’s office workers would be forced into drawn-out litigation regarding the origin whether to extend those protections until February 2021. of their exposure to COVID-19 and are at major risk of denial. By This bill will prohibit a creditor from starting a new extraordinary presuming the origin of their exposure, the bill would have provided collection action. The creditor must send a notice to the debtor workers’ compensation to essential workers who were diagnosed explaining the option to temporarily suspend the collection action. with COVID-19 by a licensed physician or has COVID-19 listed as the cause of death on the worker’s death certificate. Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Faith Winter Rep. Leslie Herod Bill Sponsor(s): Sen. Julie Gonzales Sen. Robert Rodriguez Rep. Kyle Mullica SB20-207 SB20-212 Unemployment Reimbursement for Insurance Summary: This bill increases benefits in unemployment insurance Telehealth Services and extends reasons for unemployment due to COVID-19. Summary: Due to the effects of COVID-19, many patients have been unable to seek out care through in-person settings. This State unemployment insurance (SUI) will increase incrementally bill will be used to protect the health of patients and caregivers from $13,600 in 2021 to $30,600 by 2026 by ensuring telehealth services are available to all Coloradans. • Increases the amount of wages claimants of unemployment This bill prohibits health insurance carriers from requiring certain can earn while collecting unemployment insurance from 25% technologies, the constraint of having a previous patient-provider to 50% of the weekly benefit amount for two years relationship and imposing additional certification as a condition for • Allows funds received under the “CARES Act” to support the reimbursement to the provider.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Key Factors to Adopt Paid Family Leave Policies in U.S. States
    KEY FACTORS TO ADOPT PAID FAMILY LEAVE POLICIES IN U.S. STATES Erin M. Abramsohn A dissertation submitted to the faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Public Health in the Department of Health Policy and Management in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. Chapel Hill 2019 Approved by: Pam Silberman Asheley Cockrell Skinner Gene Matthews Cathleen Walsh Judy Waxman © 2019 Erin M. Abramsohn ALL RIGHTS RESERVED ii ABSTRACT Erin M. Abramsohn: Key Factors to Adopt Paid Family Leave Policies in U.S. States (Under the direction of Pam Silberman) In 2019, The United States remains the only developed nation without a paid family leave policy. The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) passed in 1993, grants eligible employees up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave per year. However, due to eligibility limitations only 60 percent of U.S. workers qualify for FMLA benefits and only about half of those eligible utilize the program. Many also report shortening the length of unpaid leave they take due to financial constraints. As of December, 2018, only four U.S. states offered paid family leave (California, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and New York). Starting in 2020, Washington state and the District of Columbia will both begin offering paid family and medical leave benefits, and beginning in 2021 Massachusetts will also provide paid family leave benefits. Bills have been introduced (but not passed) in 23 additional states. This study examined the question of why two states (California and New York) were able to pass paid family leave policies, while two other states that made multiple legislative attempts (Colorado and Illinois) failed.
    [Show full text]
  • First Quarterly Meeting Packet
    Notice First Regular Joint Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Colorado River Water Conservation District and of the Colorado River Water Conservation District Acting by and Through Its Colorado River Water Projects Enterprise January 19-20, 2021 Virtual Meeting 8:30 a.m.* *PLEASE NOTE: The River District meeting will be a virtual meeting utilizing Zoom . To attend the meeting, please register at our website at www.coloradoriverdistrict.org. The first regular joint quarterly meeting of 2021 of the Board of Directors of the Colorado River Water Conservation District and of the Colorado River Water Conservation District acting by and through its Colorado River Water Projects Enterprise will be held on Tuesday January 19, 2021 commencing at 8:30 a.m. and continuing to Wednesday January 20, 2021 commencing at 8:30 a.m. Agenda First Regular Joint Quarterly Meeting of the Board of Directors of the Colorado River Water Conservation District and of the Colorado River Water Conservation District Acting by and Through Its Colorado River Water Projects Enterprise January 19-20, 2021* 8:30 a.m. Virtual Meeting *Please Note: Executive Session is scheduled on Tuesday January 19, 2021 at approximately 9:10 a.m. and again on Wednesday January 20, 2021 at approximately 8:30 a.m. 8:30 1. Review Meeting Agenda and Objectives. 8:30-8:50 2. Presentation and Report of Directors’ Credentials for Garfield, Gunnison, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Blanco and Summit Counties and Introductions of Board Members. 8:50-9:00 3. Election of Board Officers for 2021: a.Election of President.
    [Show full text]
  • Pipefitters PEC Endorsed Candidates 2020 Federal Races CU Regents
    Pipefitters PEC Endorsed Candidates 2020 Federal Races John W. Hickenlooper - US Senator Joe Neguse - US House District 02 Jason Crow - US House District 06 Ed Perlmutter - US House District 07 CU Regents Ilana Spiegel - CU Regent District 06 Colorado State Senate Joann Ginal - State Senate District 14 Sonya Jaquez Lewis - State Senate District 17 Steve Finberg - State Senate District 18 Rachel Zenzinger - State Senate District 19 Jeff Bridges - State Senate District 26 Chris Kolker - State Senate District 27 Janet Buckner - State Senate District 28 Rhonda Fields - State Senate District 29 Colorado State House Susan Lontine - State House District 01 Alec Garnett - State House District 02 Meg Froelich - State House District 03 Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez - State House District 04 Alex Valdez - State House District 05 Dan Himelspach - State House District 6 Leslie Herod - State House District 08 Emily Sirota - State House District 09 Edie Hooton - State House District 10 Karen McCormick - State House District 11 Judy Amabile – State House District 13 Colorado State House – Con’t Chris Kennedy – State House District 23 Monica Duran - State House District 24 Lisa A. Cutter - State House District 25 Brianna Titone - State House District 27 Kerry Tipper - State House District 28 Lindsey N. Daugherty - State House District 29 Dafna Michaelson Jenet - State House District 30 Yadira Caraveo - State House District 31 Matt Gray - State House District 33 Kyle Mullica - State House District 34 Shannon Bird - State House District 35 Mike Weissman - State House District 36 Tom Sullivan - State House District 37 David Ortiz - State House District 38 John Ronquillo – State House District 40 Dominique Jackson - State House District 42 Mary Young - State House District 50 Jeni Arndt - State House District 53 District Attorneys Jake Lilly - District Attorney Judicial District 01 Brian Mason - District Attorney Judicial District 17 Amy L.
    [Show full text]
  • Colorado SBDC
    COLORADO OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND INTERNATIONAL TRADE THE COLORADO SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CENTER NETWORK (SBDC) 2011 Letter from the OEDIT Executive Director On behalf of the State of Colorado and the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, I would like to introduce you to our Colorado Small Business Development Center Network (SBDC). Colorado is home to over 570,000 entrepreneurs and small businesses. From ski manufacturers to craft brewery start-ups, small businesses are at the heart of the Colorado economy. The network of SBDCs ensures that every Coloradan who owns a business—or who is considering going into business—has access to free consulting and free or low-cost training in order to succeed. Our SBDCs can help with writing a business plan, creating financials, cash flow management and marketing assistance. The SBDC network is part of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, an agency that has made the retention and creation of jobs throughout the state its first and only priority. As a part of our Colorado Blueprint strategic plan, we are committed to building a business-friendly environment, increasing access to capital and growing our Colorado companies. I congratulate the Small Business Development Centers for their services to Colorado’s small businesses to help us achieve this mission. Sincerely, Ken Lund Executive Director, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade Letter from the State Director The Colorado SBDC Network is a vibrant network of fourteen Centers strategically positioned throughout the state to ensure that residents of every county have access to small business assistance.
    [Show full text]
  • 2017 Legislative Scorecard How Do Your State Legislators Score When It Comes to Guaranteeing a Fair and Just State for Lgbtq Coloradans and Their Families?
    LGBTQ EQUALITY 2017 LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD HOW DO YOUR STATE LEGISLATORS SCORE WHEN IT COMES TO GUARANTEEING A FAIR AND JUST STATE FOR LGBTQ COLORADANS AND THEIR FAMILIES? ONE COLORADO’S LEGISLATIVE SCORECARD highlights the priorities of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) Coloradans and their families in the 2017 legislative session. In this scorecard, you will find accurate, nonpartisan information on bills related to LGBTQ equality and how each member of the legislature voted on issues that affect Colorado’s LGBTQ community. USE THIS SCORECARD to find out if your elected officials’ votes align with your values of advancing equality for LGBTQ Coloradans. For more information, you can visit WWW.ONE-COLORADO.ORG. During the 2017 legislative session, we saw a number of victories for LGBTQ Coloradans and their families that were the product of successful, bipartisan cooperation. However, other measures that would have dramatically improved the lives of LGBTQ people were defeated—including a ban on the harmful and discredited practice of conversion therapy and a bill to make it less burdensome for transgender Coloradans to update the gender on their birth certificates. We also saw attempts to roll back protections for LGBTQ Coloradans, in the form of religious exemptions proposals, which were fortunately defeated in both chambers of the Colorado Legislature. WERE YOUR LEGISLATORS CHAMPIONS FOR LGBTQ EQUALITY THIS YEAR? Call or email them to thank them. Alternatively, if you aren’t satisfied with how your representatives and senators voted on this year’s scorecard, you can call, email, send a letter, or attend their town hall meetings to let them know how you feel.
    [Show full text]
  • The Arc of Colorado 2019 Legislative Scorecard
    The Arc of Colorado 2019 Legislative Scorecard A Letter from Our Executive Director: Dear Members of The Arc Community, Once again, I would like to thank each of you for your part in a successful legislative session. We rely on your expertise in the field. We rely on you for our strength in numbers. For all the ways you contributed this session, we are deeply appreciative. I would like to give a special thanks to those that came and testified on our behalf; Stephanie Garcia, Carol Meredith, Linda Skafflen, Shelby Lowery, Vicki Wray, Rowan Frederiksen, and many others who I may not have mentioned here. This session was a historic one. For the first time in 75 years, one party had control of the house, senate, and governor’s office. Additionally, there were 43 new legislators! We enjoyed a productive year in which The Arc of Colorado monitored 100 bills. Of those that we supported, 92% were signed by the governor and 100% of the bills that we opposed died. This high success rate means that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families will have more opportunity to better live, work, learn, and play in their Colorado communities, with increased support. We are excited about many of this year’s outcomes. In a very tight budget year, the Joint Budget Committee was able to free up money for 150 additional slots for the Developmental Disabilities waiver waitlist. After three years of involvement, we finally saw the passing of HB19-1194, which places restrictions on suspensions and expulsions of children from preschool, through to second grade.
    [Show full text]
  • Elections Report PROTECTING COLORADO’S ENVIRONMENT
    2018 Elections Report PROTECTING COLORADO’S ENVIRONMENT 2018 ELECTIONS REPORT Conservation Colorado 1 A MESSAGE FROM THE Executive Director A PRO-CONSERVATION GOVERNOR For Colorado Dear friend of Polis ran — and won — on a pro-conservation Colorado, vision for Colorado’s future: addressing climate We did it! Conservation change, growing our clean energy economy, Colorado invested and protecting our public lands. more money, time, and effort in this year’s elections than we ever have before, and it paid off. With your support, we helped pro-conservation candidates win their races for governor, attorney general, and majorities in the state House and Senate, meaning we are set up to pass bold policies to protect our air, land, water, and communities. This year’s election marks progress for many reasons. More than 100 women were elected to the U.S. House for the first time in history, including the OUR STAFF WITH JARED POLIS IN GRAND JUNCTION POLIS ADDRESSING VOLUNTEER CANVASSERS first-ever Native American and Muslim women. To help elect Jared Polis, and Senate. We need these pro- Governor-elect Polis and We made some history here in Conservation Colorado and conservation leaders to act with countless state legislators ran Colorado, too. Joe Neguse will be its affiliated Political Action urgency to address the greatest on a commitment to clean our state’s first African American Committees (PACs) spent more threat we’re facing: climate energy. That’s because they representative in Congress, and than $2.6 million and knocked change. know Colorado has always Jared Polis is the first openly gay more than 500,000 doors.
    [Show full text]
  • General Assembly State of Colorado Denver
    General Assembly State of Colorado Denver August 14, 2020 Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission 1120 Lincoln St #801 Denver, CO 80203 Via email: [email protected] Nearly a decade in the making, the Colorado legislature passed Senate Bill 19-181 last year, charging the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission (COGCC) “shall regulate oil and gas operations in a manner to protect and minimize adverse impacts to public health, safety, and welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources and shall protect against adverse impacts on any air, water, soil, or biological resources resulting from oil and gas operations.” This historic bill shifted our state focus to better prioritize health and safety as we also regulate this important industry. SB19-181 also made a significant change to the agency itself shifting the COGCC to full time members who can focus on these key issues. In the coming months, we know that your hard work will be key to implementing the legislative vision of this law. Your presence on this commission is intended to ensure fulfillment of the agency’s new mission. Truly, our constituents and local economies are relying on you, in this role, to help improve their overall wellbeing. This is no small task, which is why your expertise and willingness to join this effort makes us proud. We appreciate your support improving protections for public health, safety, and the environment. Due to the previous mission, COGCC commissioners and staff were often drawn between competing interests, often in conflict. This led to permits granted for oil and gas facilities that were not protective of public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife.
    [Show full text]
  • Senate Journal-8Th Day-January 14, 2015 Page 41 SENATE JOURNAL
    Senate Journal-8th Day-January 14, 2015 Page 41 SENATE JOURNAL 1 Seventieth General Assembly 2 STATE OF COLORADO 3 First Regular Session 4 5 6 8th Legislative Day Wednesday, January 14, 2015 7 8 9 10 Prayer By the chaplain, Pastor Vern Rempel, First Mennonite Church, Denver. 11 12 Call to By the President at 9:00 a.m. 13 Order 14 15 Pledge By Senator Sonnenberg. 16 17 Roll Call Present--32 18 Excused--3, Aguilar, Hill, Holbert. 19 Present later--2, Hill, Holbert. 20 21 Quorum The President announced a quorum present. 22 23 Reading of On motion of Senator Garcia, reading of the Journal of Tuesday, January 13, 2015, was 24 Journal dispensed with and the Journal was approved as corrected by the Secretary. 25 26 ___________ 27 28 29 INTRODUCTION OF BILLS -- FIRST READING 30 31 The following bills were read by title and referred to the committees indicated: 32 33 34 SB15-064 by Senator(s) Sonnenberg; --Concerning limits that the basic tenets of Colorado water law 35 place on the ability of certain federal agencies to impose conditions on a water right owner 36 in exchange for permission to use federal land. 37 Agriculture, Natural Resources, & Energy 38 39 40 SB15-065 by Senator(s) Marble, Grantham, Neville T., Woods, Holbert, Cooke, Sonnenberg, 41 Lambert, Scott, Scheffel, Cadman, Baumgardner, Crowder, Lundberg; also 42 Representative(s) Nordberg, Everett, Saine, Joshi, Humphrey, Neville P., Ransom-- 43 Concerning a prohibition on the use of public electronic benefits transfer services at certain 44 establishments. 45 State, Veterans, & Military Affairs 46 47 48 SB15-066 by Senator(s) Ulibarri; --Concerning an expansion of the types of government documents 49 that are legally sufficient as a basis for the department of revenue to issue identification 50 documents to persons who are not permanent lawful residents.
    [Show full text]
  • S/L Sign on Letter Re: Rescue Plan State/Local
    February 17, 2021 U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20510 Dear Members of Congress: As elected leaders representing communities across our nation, we are writing to urge you to take immediate action on comprehensive coronavirus relief legislation, including desperately needed funding for states, counties, cities, and schools, and an increase in states’ federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP). President Biden’s ambitious $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan will go a long way towards alleviating the significant financial strain COVID-19 has placed on our states, counties, cities, and schools, and the pocketbooks of working families. Working people have been on the frontlines of this pandemic for nearly a year and have continued to do their jobs during this difficult time. Dedicated public servants are still leaving their homes to ensure Americans continue to receive the essential services they rely upon: teachers and education workers are doing their best to provide quality education and keep their students safe, janitors are still keeping parks and public buildings clean, while healthcare providers are continuing to care for the sick. Meanwhile, it has been ten months since Congress passed the CARES Act Coronavirus Relief Fund to support these frontline workers and the essential services they provide. Without significant economic assistance from the federal government, many of these currently-middle class working families are at risk of falling into poverty through no fault of their own. It is a painful irony that while many have rightly called these essential workers heroes, our country has failed to truly respect them with a promise to protect them and pay them throughout the crisis.
    [Show full text]
  • AFT Colorado Connection 3Rd Q 2018
    Colorado Connection 3rd Quarter 2018 We Care, We Fight, We Show Up and We Vote Sarah R. Mesmer, President Every two years AFT holds a national own Kallie Leyba introduced a resolution, the first convention to bring members together from across in the history of AFT Colorado, regarding the globe - that’s right, across the globe, to mandatory mental health care and fitness-for-duty network, hold elections, and to determine the confirmation for staff members in schools who direction of the organization for the next two have experienced a shooting incident. Law years. Kallie Leyba, (AFT Colorado enforcement, medical personnel, and firefighters Secretary/Treasurer and President of Douglas have had this requirement in place for years as County Federation) and I traveled to Pittsburgh, recognized first responders. But think about it, the PA to participate in these activities. To say that it first, first responders are the school staff members was hot and humid is an understatement! in these tragic events. Kallie’s resolution was unanimously confirmed by the membership and the resolution accepted. Numerous issues were at the forefront of discussion including ramification of the Janus decision, securing a living wage for all workers, demanding justice for dreamers, securing retirement, and establishing safe working environments. Guest speakers included Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, all who clearly understand the value of unions and support the labor movement. Without exception, their primary message was the critical importance Kallie Leyba, AFT Colorado of the elections in November, as well as, urging Secretary/Treasurer and Douglas County Federation President introduces a our legislators in Washington DC to fight against resolution at the AFT Convention the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh to the U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • 2016 Legislative Preview
    ANNUAL LEGISLATIVE FORECAST High Stakes for Health Policy Trends for Colorado’s 2016 Legislative Session JANUARY 2016 CHI staff members contributing to this report: • Allie Morgan, co-author • Joe Hanel, co-author • Cliff Foster • Deborah Goeken About This Report Thanks to Jennifer Miles and Michael Beasley, CHI’s legislative monitors, for their input on this year’s version of CHI’s Annual Legislative Forecast. Our Funders High Stakes for Health Policy Trends for Colorado’s 2016 Legislative Session Table of Contents 4 Introduction 5 The Political Landscape 6 Health-Related State Departments 7-9 The Budget TABOR Refunds A Closer Look: The Hospital Provider Fee and TABOR Issue: Provider Rate Cuts Issue: Cash for the Cost Commission 9-10 Tough Topics Issue: Planned Parenthood Legislation: Aid in Dying On the Ballot: ColoradoCare A Closer Look: Long-Acting Reversible Contraception Issue: Electronic Cigarettes Legislation: Marijuana On the Ballot: Tobacco Tax 11 Insurance Issues Legislation: Narrow Networks A Closer Look: Connect for Health Colorado 11 Conclusion Introduction Health care issues may well play a starring role in the 2016 legislative session. Although interest in health policy has not returned to the fever pitch of 2009, when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was under debate, health care issues are more visible than in recent sessions thanks to greater attention on the cost of health coverage and hot-button social issues. That interest, coupled with budgetary pressures and the politics of a presidential election year, make the 2016 session one to watch. The General Assembly remains under split control, with Legislators are asking Democrats holding a three-seat majority in the House themselves who their base and Republicans maintaining a one-seat advantage voters are at a time when in the Senate.
    [Show full text]