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 development.

The Governor announced the package on March 11, moments after the United States House completed work on a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package. President Biden signed the bill on Friday.

The Colorado Recovery Plan is a series of bills that will be introduced in the coming weeks, investing in roads, schools, workers and businesses. While Polis announced the package on March 11, it will take advantage of legislation already in the works.

For example, a bill by Representative Richard Holtorf, R-Akron, would provide $1 million to $3 million for professional training, small business loans and other support for formerly incarcerated individuals. That is in House Bill 1215, which Holtorf introduced on March 5.

The plan identifies 10 investment areas for rural Colorado:

• Wildfire recovery and risk mitigation, at $10 million to $25 million.

• Watershed restoration, at $10 million to $25 million. Most of this is to deal with last summer’s wildfires, including Grizzly Creek near Glenwood Springs, which destroyed a water treatment plant.

“Just Transition” and rural economic diversification, at $10 million to $15 million (that’s based largely on transitioning workers in the coal industry to new jobs).

• Rural economic development grants, at $3 million to $5 million.

Funding for the rural Jump Start program, which incentivizes job creation, at $3 million.

• Support for the National Western Stock Show, the Colorado State Fair and other agricultural events (the Brush rodeo was identified as one) at $7 million to $10 million. Senator Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, had been pushing for economic assistance for ag events, but was thwarted by the Governor’s office on those proposals back in January. Polis, however, is in the eye of the storm over a February proclamation declaring March 20 a “MeatOut” Day. That has now resulted in resolutions in support of ag in at least 25 counties. More than 100 events are scheduled for that day to support ag and the beef industry and his administration has been doing damage control ever since.

• Investment in ag supply chains, at $20 million to $35 million. That’s grants for rural agriculture infrastructure development, such as for processing plans, storage and distribution.

• Funding for Colorado Proud, the State’s marketing plan for Colorado ag products, at $2 million to $3 million.

• Investment in drought response, at $2 million to $5 million.

Investments in renewal energy to support ag producers and processors in reducing energy costs, at $3 million to $5 million.

• The plan also calls for $10 million to $25 million for projects identified in the State water plan, which is already an annual appropriation.

• Republican lawmakers said during the news conference that they have three priorities: roads and bridges, getting kids back into school full-time and getting people back to work.

• Things that go astray from those goals may not get bipartisan support, according to House Minority Leader Hugh McKean, R-Loveland.

"We want to make sure everything we do will help someone sitting at their kitchen table" trying to make ends meet, he said. "When there are bills we agree on, we will help," McKean said. 

While portions of Congress’ stimulus package is already on its way, parts of the Colorado stimulus are likely weeks away. The General Assembly’s next largest priority is coming up with a balanced budget for 2021-22. Joint Budget Committee Chair Sen. Dominick Moreno, D-Commerce City, indicated the annual budget bill could run on a parallel track with the stimulus. That bill is due to be introduced in the State Senate no later than April 8.

In other news: Sonnenberg’s continuing efforts to find a way toward reparations for hundreds of farmers and ranchers cheated out of tax credits may have hit a bit of a snag.

The Senate Finance Committee heard Senate Bill 33 on March 8 but didn’t take action on the bill after several hours of testimony. That is largely because a second measure was hinted at during the hearing by Democrats. That measure is likely to be sponsored by Rep. Dylan Roberts, D-Eagle, who along with Sonnenberg sponsored the 2020 bill that was set aside because of its cost and because legislative leaders decided not to deal with legislation that wasn’t related to the pandemic.

The bill is a new concept for some of the members of the Senate Finance Committee. In the past, the bill has been reviewed by agriculture committees. Sen. Pete Lee, D-Colorado Springs, said he was outraged by what has happened over the years and pledge his support for a fix.

The conservation easement program was put into law in 1999. Between 2000 and 2013, however, 800 easements, out of about 4,000 total, were denied by the Department of Revenue, which often claimed the land donated for the easement had no value. It’s led to bankruptcies, divorces and several suicides.

The cost for Senate Bill 33 is still an issue in the 2021 session. The total cost of reparation is estimated at $160 million. That would be paid for with a portion of the program’s annual $45 million in tax credits.

Finally, the House approved a gun storage bill on March 9 that stirred up angry emotions from Republicans. House Bill 1106 won a 40 to 25 vote, with one Democrat voting against.

The bill requires firearms owners to safely secure their weapons, either with gun safes, locks or other security devices. The bill’s intent is to keep guns out of the hands of minors, although the bill contains an exception for juveniles in rural Colorado who must help defend livestock.

During final debate on the bill, Rep. Mark Baisley, R-Douglas County, called on Democrats who vote for the bill to renounce their oaths of office. Holtorf stated that “our country was founded on rebellion and there are political winds where I come from ... as we chisel away, with the best intentions, if this continues to go like this, there may be a breaking point."

In the "farthest ends of the State, there's guns-a-go-go and nobody's afraid of them and nobody's afraid to use them." House Bill 1106 now heads to the Senate.

A second gun bill, Senate Bill 78, requires firearms owners to report lost or stolen weapons within five days of discovering, passed in the Senate, also along party lines. It now heads to the House.