Articles written by marianne goodland
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Microgrid bill passes House Energy & Environment committee 11-1
A bill to create a grant program for microgrids, sponsored by Representative Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, recently won a 11-1 vote from the House Energy & Environment Committee. House Bill 1013 sets up the Microgrids for Community Resilience Grant P...
Lawmakers hear from families pleading to see loved ones during pandemic
A hearing on Feb. 1, featuring emotional testimony from families who’ve been barred from seeing loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes during the pandemic, gave second wind to a bill by Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling. Senate Bill 53 was a...
Northeastern's lawmakers face full first week of committee hearings
It will be a busy week ahead for the lawmakers from northeastern Colorado, with the first full week of committee hearings, including four bills sponsored by Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, and Representative Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells. But...
Senator Sonnenberg co-sponsors UNC medical school bill
By Marianne Goodland Legislative Reporter The bill that would open the door to the University of Northern Colorado to have its own medical school was introduced in the State Senate on Jan. 18. Senate Bill 56 is sponsored by Senator Jerry Sonnenberg,...
Polis' Jan. 13 State of the State kicks off 2022 legislative session
The Colorado General Assembly got underway for its 2022 session on Wednesday, Jan. 12 and Governor Jared Polis gave his fourth State of the State address on Jan. 13. The speech reflected the priorities the governor and Democrats in control of the...
2022 legislative session set to open Wednesday, Jan. 12
The 2022 General Assembly session, which begins its 120-day run on Wednesday, Jan. 12, will be the last year in the legislature for state Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling. He intends to go out with a bang, sponsoring a measure that could be...
Rep. Rod Pelton goes 12-for-13 in his third legislative session
Representative Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, finished up his third legislative session as one of the most effective members of the Republican House caucus. Twelve of the 13 measures he sponsored headed to the Governor’s desk, his best year ever. H...
Sonnenberg dubs session most frustrating of 15-year career
With just one more year left as a State lawmaker, State Senator Jerry Sonnenberg of Sterling finds the most-recently concluded General Assembly session to be one of the most frustrating in his 15 years. “There were things we did that were good, to h...
Far-right tries to give McKean the boot as session concludes
The 2021 legislative session concluded on June 8, with the last day featuring a drawn-out debate over a climate change bill and a failed effort to boot the House Minority leader by far-right members of the Republican caucus. The bill that would have...
Indian mascot bill passes House & Senate; heads to Polis' desk
This is the final week of the 2021 legislative session; by law, legislatures must adjourn by Saturday, June 12, although they are not expected to go much beyond Wednesday, June 9. It’s been a busy week, with more than 200 bills still awaiting f...
"Public Option" returns to House after premium target reduction
The 2021 Colorado General Assembly is in its final weeks, with an adjournment mandated by law no later than June 12. It is likely, however, that lawmakers will head home sooner than that, possibly as early as Monday, June 7. The past week has been a...
Indian mascot bill in House Education on Thursday
The bill to ban the use of Indian mascots in Colorado public schools and public colleges and universities took a major step forward on May 20. That’s when the House Education Committee approved Senate Bill 116 and sent it to the full House for d...
Sonnenberg questions amendments to third gun control bill
The third of three gun control bills has started through the Colorado Senate in the past week, with the third focused on allowing local governments to enact ordinances on gun control stricter than current State law. Senate Bill 256 allows those...
Two of three firearm safety bills heard by Colorado's Legislature
Two of three firearms safety bills got initial hearings in state House committees in the past week. House Bill 1298 is in part a response to the shooting at the south Boulder King Soopers on March 22. The Democratic-controlled House Judiciary...
State legislature spends time on fair board appointments & related bill
The State Senate spent time during the week of April 26 working through appointments to the Colorado State Fair Board of Authority as well as dealing with a bill that requires the governor to pick appointments more reflective of Colorado's geographic...
Amendment buys time for Colorado schools to change Indian mascots
The Senate has approved a bill that would force the Yuma and Arickaree Indians, and almost two dozen other public schools, to stop using Indian mascots. Senators amended Senate Bill 116 last week to give schools more time to remove mascots from gym...
Pelton's behavioral health administration bill heads to Polis's desk
On April 14, the General Assembly sent to the Governor a bill that could establish a new State agency. House Bill 1097 contains recommendations from a behavioral health task force, including setting up the behavioral health administration, initially...
2021-22 budget heads to General Assembly; up $4 billion from this year
The 2021-22 State budget, as contained in Senate Bill 205, is on its way through the General Assembly. The State Senate last week had its first crack at the $34.1 billion budget, up by about $4 billion from the current year’s spending. Much of t...
Senate Education Committee approves fining "Indian" schools
A bill to impose heavy fines on schools that use unapproved Indian mascots won approval on April 1 from the Senate Education Committee. Senate Bill 116 is sponsored by Senator Jessie Danielson, D-Wheat Ridge, who is also the sponsor of the...
Legislative debates continue on conservation easement tax credits
The fragile peace between land trusts that hold conservation easements and landowners cheated out of State tax credits is teetering on the brink, after a second bill not authorized by a 2019 working committee surfaced in the State House....
Pelton's SB 79 passes Senate & ag committee; heads to House for debate
Representative Rod Pelton, R-Cheyenne Wells, is close to seeing his first bill of the 2021 session on its way to the Governor’s office, on allowing direct sales of meat to consumers. Senate Bill 79 will allow livestock producers to sell shares of t...
Polis announces plans for $700 million State stimulus package
Governor Jared Polis, surrounded by legislative leaders from both parties, announced a $700 million stimulus package designed to help small business, agriculture and families recover from the economic effects of the pandemic and boost workforce...
Legislature continues decades-long work on conservation easements
The year 2020 had such promise for the hundreds of Coloradans, primarily farmers and ranchers, who hoped that this would be the year that the State would resolve the decades-long issue over denied tax credits for conservation easements. But concerns...
Sonnenberg's SB79 wins unanimous Senate approval on Feb. 22
Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, has an early victory in the resumed 2021 legislative session, with a bill on allowing consumers to buy a share of a livestock animal for meat directly from a producer. Senate Bill 79 won unanimous approval from...
Polis gives State of the State address; seeks to jump-start economy
Governor Jared Polis gave his third annual State of the State address on Feb. 18, touching on many of the same topics from previous years: health care, climate change and renewable energy and access to broadband. But the heart of his address to a...
