The Colorado Legislature has been in session now for 7 weeks, which is roughly 30% of the 120-day session, and already 520 bills have been introduced. This week at the Capitol was extra special for our Alliance as 21 members and staff traveled to Denver to meet with legislators and lobby on issues important to residents in Western Colorado.

This year, we focused on a suite of eight bills that centered on local agriculture, affordable housing, air quality, public transportation, and mental and behavioral health care. While one of the bills, SB24-152, the Regenerative Agriculture Tax Credit bill, is a priority bill that we are running this year, we highlighted several other bills not because of what they would do for the West Slope, but for what they were lacking in order to include West Slope needs in legislative solutions. Members and legislators began brainstorming ideas together right there in the hallways. It was a great collaboration to witness, and some that I hope will continue into the next legislative session.

Both our staff and lobbyist Sol Malick seemed to agree that this trip was one of our most successful yet. And what made it so successful was our members who represented the breadth of work that we do at our Alliance, diverse in both professions and perspectives. Our attendees ranged from healthcare professionals to farmers and ranchers, small business owners, education professionals, and community organizers. Each came with their own unique lived experiences, making our conversations with legislators powerful. 

As we’ve now come to expect, no two days at the Capitol are alike, and despite all the preparation, some interruptions are unavoidable. This year, our members were in competition with newly crowned Miss America Madison March, a US Air Force officer from Colorado. She joined legislators for a meet and greet in the Senate and was happy to snap a picture or two with some of our members as well. Meanwhile, the House was in heavy discussion as they debated HB24-1071, a bill that would allow convicted felons to change their name to match their gender identity. This meant that while conversations with Senators were robust, our members didn’t have a chance to catch up with House Representatives until well into the afternoon.

Despite the morning’s events, by the end of the day, Lobby Trip attendees were able to connect with eight legislators who represent the West Slope. Each was very willing to hear about the bills Western Colorado Alliance members are engaged on and excited to see members from their communities at the Capitol.

After some of our meetings, we asked legislators to share a little about what their experience is like at the Capitol. It was rewarding to hear their responses and a good reminder that while we travel to Denver a few times a year for the legislative session, they commute weekly to represent residents in their communities. To give you a little insight, we made a short “legislator perspective” video to share with our members. Senator Perry Will summed it up nicely by noting that it’s the “relationships and friendships” made in the building that make the work so rewarding. Take a look and consider joining us on our next Lobby Trip adventure!