Boulder legislators discuss plans, bills, goals for new legislative session

Jan. 21—Multiple Boulder legislators hosted a town hall Sunday to discuss goals, issues and proposals for the 2024 legislative sessions.

Colorado Senate President Steve Fenberg, D-Boulder, Rep. Judy Amabile, D-Boulder, Rep. Junie Joseph, D-Boulder, and Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville, each spoke about healthcare, Marshall Fire recovery, affordable housing to a crowd of more than 50 people and a Facebook livestream Sunday at the Boulder Public Library.

Joseph said she will focus on homelessness and affordable housing for this legislative session. She said both issues are local issues and the state is looking at ways to help communities and incentivize housing needs and affordable housing.

She said Boulder should not carry the brunt of providing affordable housing options to the region. Local municipalities need to work together to create affordable housing and transportation options to residents

"We have to think about what we will do as a community for ourselves but also what other communities are doing as well to help support us and relieve us of some of these issues when it comes to homelessness," Joseph said.

She also explained that Boulder, along with other municipalities, should complete housing assessments to see the communities' housing needs. While the state can not mandate the assessments, she said the state should find ways to incentivize the assessments.

Brown, who is from Louisville, stated that he will continue to focus on Marshall Fire recovery. He will work on a bill ensuring homeowners can get insurance proceeds from mortgage companies, as mortgage companies holding onto the proceeds often halts homeowners in their rebuilding process. He also will focus on other bills to rebuild from the Dec. 30, 2021 fire like a smoke and ash remediation bill and preventing rent gouging in communities that experienced a disaster that displaced residents.

Brown also said he will begin working on "reigning in some bad actors in the healthcare industry." He wants to make sure patients are properly protected with equitable access to healthcare coverage that is tailored towards an individual's personal needs.

Fenberg said the state is looking at finally getting rid of the budget stabilization factor for K-12 education. He explained the budget is a "running IOU" for how much money the state owes to schools as the state is not meeting their funding requirements for public schools.

He said the state has considered paying out the budget stabilization factor before, but did not want to pay out the budget only to have to open it again due to economical hardships. However he feels confident the state can pay off the factor, and still have enough funds to withstand any economic downturns.

Amaile focused on mental health and affordable housing. She explained that Colorado does not sufficiently help individuals with mental health problems, particularly individuals with severe problems. She explained that while most individuals with schizophrenia, bi-polar disorder or other high acuity mental health problems are harmless, some who have trouble accessing care end up homeless or in jail. She said she is focusing on the intersection of mental health and criminal justice. She wants to ensure they have access to care and rehabilitation.

One audience member asked the legislators what steps they are taking to address equity. Fenberg explained that almost every bill discussed is looked through the lens of equity at least once. For example, Amabile said she is working on a bill to address solitary confinement in prisons, where people of color are disproportionately affected.

Legislators also discussed addressing concerns about regional airports, carbon emission goals and equity. A recording of the town hall is available at facebook.com/watch/stevefenberg.