Colorado House advances two name-change bills after contentious debate and anti-transgender rhetoric
Two bills allowing transgender and nonbinary Coloradans to more easily use their preferred names cleared the House on Friday after anti-transgender rhetoric from Republican lawmakers spread debate and votes over multiple days.
The two Democrat-backed measures — HB24-1071 and HB24-1039 — have led to hours of tense debate in the House over the past week, and both had lengthy committee hearings before hitting the floor. HB24-1071 would make it easier for people convicted of crimes to change their names to fit their gender identity, subject to court approval. HB24-1039 would allow students to use their preferred names and would make it discrimination to intentionally use the wrong names.
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Bill would require Colorado middle and high schools to provide free period products
Colorado middle and high schools would be required to provide free period products in their restrooms under a bill now in the state legislature, with the legislation’s sponsors equating pads and tampons to essential items students need like nutritious meals and books.
The bill’s Democratic sponsors — Rep. Brianna Titone, of Arvada; Rep. Jenny Willford, of Northglenn; Sen. Janet Buckner, of Aurora; and Sen. Faith Winter, of Westminster — said at a Thursday news conference at the state Capitol that a lack of access to period products in schools resulted in absenteeism, health issues and emotional distress for teens who may not have the money or transportation to obtain the products they need.
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With nods to Taylor Swift, Colorado lawmakers declare break-up with education funding gap
Colorado lawmakers, teachers and the governor on Thursday celebrated a milestone a generation in the making: The coming end of a Great Recession-era education funding gap that has diverted billions of dollars from schools.
Legislators have used the maneuver for 15 years to avoid funding schools at the level mandated by the state’s voters when they passed Amendment 23 in 2000. Called the budget stabilization factor, the adjustment has funneled money from education to other priorities, adding up to more than $10 billion during that time, according to Chalkbeat Colorado.
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New bill would put climate scientist, person of color on board that regulates Colorado’s air quality
A bill filed this week in the Colorado legislature would change the makeup of the state’s Air Quality Control Commission as the legislation’s sponsors try to increase protections for low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, which bear the brunt of pollution.
The commission, which sets the rules and regulations for polluters, would increase to 11 seats from nine if the bill passes. The two additional seats would be filled by a climate scientist and a person representing a disproportionately impacted community, which typically are heavily polluted neighborhoods with a majority of residents who are Black, Latino, Indigenous or low-income.
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Israel anti-boycott law stands as Colorado House committee defeats repeal
Colorado’s public pension program must continue divesting from companies that economically boycott Israel after a state House committee rejected a bill that would have repealed the requirement.
The 10-1 bipartisan defeat of HB24-1169 late Monday in the House Finance Committee came after hours of emotional and tense testimony. The discussion often spiraled into support or condemnation for Israel and its months-long military campaign in the Gaza Strip.
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Housing measures, gender-identity names bills considered by legislature this week
Colorado lawmakers are getting into the meat of the legislative session as we near the March midpoint of the 120-day session, and committees are in full swing.
Bills are passing their first chambers, too, and crossing the hall. The first of this year’s land-use bills — a measure to ban occupancy limits — has already cleared the House, as has a bill to provide more displacement protections for at-risk tenants. On Monday morning, the House was set to pass two bills allowing transgender people and others to more easily use names that fit their gender identities, after a tense debate last week that included frequent uses of language considered anti-trans by supporters.
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