We’re one month into the 2024 Colorado Legislative Session and nearly 350 bills have been introduced so far. We’ll see at least 500 bills before the session ends, and likely many more as legislators are lining up to introduce late bills.

Yesterday’s session was the most exciting for us as we saw the introduction of our primary bill for the year. SB24-152 Regenerative Agriculture Tax Credit. This farm-to-restaurant bill would provide a tax incentive to food and beverage businesses for purchasing from local farmers and ranchers who are using regenerative practices. We’ve been working on this bill since late last year with community partners at Good Business Colorado and local community members, producers, and restaurant owners, up and down the West Slope.

In the briefest of summaries, if passed this bill would:

• BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT: Support our local farmers and ranchers by creating a higher market demand and reliable income for produced products.
• PROMOTE HEALTH: Provide better nutrition and health for Colorado citizens who spend an average of 49% of their food budget eating/drinking out.
• PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT: Build and protect soil health, biodiversity and the environment in Colorado.
• STRENGTHEN THE LOCAL ECONOMY: Deepen community awareness and commitment around local food and create strong business relationships within Colorado, both of which would keep more money in our home state.

We’re thrilled to see it introduced in the Senate, and thankful to our sponsors Senators Cleave Simpson (R) and Dylan Roberts (D), along with House sponsor Representative Karen McCormick (D). All three legislators sit on the chamber’s agriculture committees with Rep. McCormick and Sen. Roberts Chairing their respective committees. As it’s been introduced in the Senate, it has been assigned to the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee, and we expect it to be scheduled for testimony soon. If you are interested, you can learn more in our info sheet here. 

This isn’t the only bill we’re tackling this session. Other bills we’ve discussed in our legislative committee include:

• HB24-1075 which creates an analysis of universal healthcare payment systems. This bill takes a step closer to achieving universal healthcare in Colorado by requiring the Colorado School of Public Health to create a detailed analysis of universal health systems and legislative possibilities in Colorado.
• HB24-1007 would prohibit local government enforcement of residential occupancy limits unless it relates to safety, health, and welfare. This would allow more family members to reside together and discourage local governments from inadvertently driving up housing costs for renters.

From local food and agriculture, to healthcare, to housing, to energy, we have exciting bills to focus on this year.

We’re excited to head to the Capitol at the end of this month to discuss these and other bills with our legislators in person. We choose the bills we discuss based on member input and relevancy the impact they could have on West Slope residents. If you are interested in joining us, please sign up to attend the People’s Lobby Trip here! And if you’d like to join, but have some questions, please feel free to reach out to me at jeriel@westerncoloradoalliance.org. As a reminder, members of our organization are provided free travel, lodging, and most meals. We only ask you to cover the cost of your lunches. Our deadline for registrations is Friday, February 16, so please sign up or get in touch before then!