We’re officially halfway through the legislative session. I’m pleased to share my monthly update from the Capitol building.
Every session, each legislator has the opportunity to introduce five bills. My first bill was HB25-1016, which allows occupational therapists to prescribe durable medical equipment like wheelchairs. It made it across the House floor with bipartisan support last month and should be heard in the Senate Health Committee this week.
The four other bills I sponsored this session have all passed through their House committee hearings with bipartisan support over the past two weeks and are headed to the House floor.
For my second bill, HB25-1247, I worked with the La Plata County commissioners to increase the cap on county lodging taxes. This bill will allow counties to put initiatives on the ballot, to let voters decide whether to raise their county lodging tax, up to 5%.
This bill also adds two new ways county lodging taxes can be used: to fund public safety services, like law enforcement, fire and EMS, and for infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges.
This bill is not a tax increase. It simply boosts local control by letting counties bring these choices to the voters. This will let each community address the wear and tear that comes with tourism in the ways that work best for them. I’m grateful to be working with Sen. Cleave Simpson (R-Alamosa) on this bipartisan legislation to support counties across Colorado.
My third bill focuses on supporting children with disabilities in our schools. HB25-1248 cleans up the reporting processes for the use of restraint and seclusion in schools, making it easier for schools to make their regular reports. This bill does not change any policies around restraint and seclusion, but will allow us to build a clearer picture of what is happening in schools and paves the way for data-driven improvements in the future.
My final two bills this year were built in collaboration with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. Both bills passed their committee hearings with unanimous support.
HB25-1163, cosponsored by Simpson, waives state park fees for enrolled members of the Southern Ute Indian and Ute Mountain Ute tribes. This measure will make it easier for tribal members to access their ancestral lands and is one step of many needed to honor our commitments to the tribes and Native American communities in Colorado.
The second is HB25-1266, which makes Colorado American Indian Recognition Day a state holiday. This bill is the product of a long stakeholder process with the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and enrolled tribal community members across the state. It will honor the heritage, legacy and continuous contributions of Coloradan American Indians to the state. I’m proud to partner with the tribes on these bills and to continue to honor Southwest Colorado’s commitment to government-to-government collaboration and coexistence.
We also have an exciting event coming up. If you want to learn more about the session or ask questions, please attend the Western Slope Legislators’ Bipartisan Town Hall. This town hall will be hosted virtually at 5 p.m. March 12. You can register for the event at https://bit.ly/3Fa3mxF. I hope to see you there.
If you would like to reach out to me individually, please email katie.stewart.house@coleg.gov. You can also now call my office in the Capitol at (303) 866-2914. I apologize to all those who called and couldn’t get through over the past two months. We have been battling technical problems with my office phone since the beginning of the session, but the information technology office finally resolved the issue on Friday. Hearing from constituents helps me represent HD59 better and I always appreciate hearing from you!
Katie Stewart represents House District 59 in the Colorado State House, which encompasses Archuleta, La Plata and San Juan counties and most of Montezuma County. Reach her at katie.stewart.house@coleg.gov or (303) 866-2914.
