Public Policy Team
The first regular session of the 74th General Assembly is underway. In the 65-member House, 30 representatives are new to the Capitol. The 35-member Senate has only two brand-new members, but roll calls there will sound like last year’s House - 10 new senators previously served in the other chamber.
Beyond the sheer numbers of new lawmakers, there are other shifts that have remade the General Assembly. Democrats have gained seats, women are a majority of the 100 members, the ranks of progressive Democrats have grown, the GOP could be slightly less conservative than in the past, and the Joint Budget Committee is the most inexperienced in recent memory.
While many faces will be unfamiliar, most of the issues facing the 2023 session will be very recognizable.
The state budget, education funding, housing costs, firearms regulation, air and water quality, criminal justice, water development, and wildfire mitigation are already teed up for fresh debates.
Violence Free Colorado has three priority bills we'll be working on this session. The first (HB23-1107) is working toward an annual state appropriation for domestic violence funding. The bill is asking for 15 million dollars that will be allocated by state departments to distribute to programs for services and prevention. The second bill (HB23-1108) is convening a taskforce on judicial training. The taskforce will convene a group of stakeholders from advocate coalitions, retired judges, and members of the judicial branch to discuss what types of trauma-informed survivor and victim training should be required for judges. The third bill (awaiting its bill number) that is a big priority is moving domestic violence cases out of municipal court. We will keep you updated on the progress throughout the session!
