A Legislative Update

There are just five days left in the 2021 Colorado legislative session, and many bills still waiting to be considered. In May, the legislature contemplated adjourning at ending at the end of the month and banking the remaining available days with the potential to come back together later in the year. That date came and went, and legislators turned their eyes toward June 4 as the new potential end of session. But hopes of ending early (still a month late in comparison to a typical year) were dashed with the hundreds of bills waiting in line to be heard on Friday. Lawmakers are back at the Capitol today and will likely remain there through the end of the week, completing the full 120 days allowed for session.

In a typical year, the last week of session, while hectic for legislators, can be more of a waiting game for us. We begin to transition our thinking to the scorecard we produce for West Slope communities and in-district meetings to check in with our legislators once they return. This year, however, we’re sitting on the edge of our seats, eyes unblinking at the Capitol.

If you’ve been following our work at the legislature this year, then you know that climate and a clean energy future has been a big part of our focus. And while we knew that despite broad general public support for climate action this year, we were going to see some pushback, we didn’t anticipate how heavily that pushback would come from the governor’s office. So with five days left, where are we at with climate legislation today? There’s good news and bad news. After weeks of back-and-forth negotiation with the governor’s office, Senate Bill 21-200 (The “Colorado Climate Roadmap”) is dead, but elements of it are still very much alive and have now found a home in another bill we’ve tracked and mentioned before — HB21-1266: Environmental Justice for Disproportionately Impacted Communities. This bill is now a combination of elements of SB21-200 and HB21-1266, and holds the state accountable to many carbon pollution reduction goals through the state’s electric, oil and gas, and industrial sectors. Some important components of the Climate Roadmap bill were not included however, including pollution reductions in the largest sector (transportation) and the building sector. While we’re disappointed, we’re most thankful that bill sponsors remained steadfast in their commitment to environmental justice and wouldn’t budge on guarantees that the legislation, in whatever format, is enforceable, verifiable, and equitable.

The last day of session normally means a break for the legislative committee at Western Colorado Alliance, but in keeping on theme, it’s going to look a little different this year. For those who might not know, the governor has ten days to sign a bill into law when the session is in, but once session ends, the office has 30 days to sign any remaining bills into law. With the heated discussion around the road to addressing climate change in CO, we’ll stay engaged as an organization up until the moment that Gov. Polis signs this bill into law.

Thankfully, we aren’t alone. The grit and tenacity of bill sponsors Senator Faith Winter and Representative Dominique Jackson forced a strong negation with the governor’s office. And a coalition of organizations that currently includes 112 environmental, racial justice, public health, outdoor recreation, business, youth and community groups ensured this bill made its way to the legislature this year. We’ll be watching together, and ready to come back next year to continue the work on climate change in Colorado.

The next time you hear from me, the 2021 legislative session will be out. It’s been a long exhausting session, but one filled with opportunities for the future. Next week, we’ll break down a few of our top bills and what we’ll be doing, and how you can help to ensure their passage helps create more healthy, just, and self-reliant communities across Western Colorado.