Last week was another busy week at the capitol with two of my bills advancing in the House. My produce and livestock donation bill, House Bill 1119, which I am sponsoring with Rep. Tim Dore, R–Elizabeth, was approved by the House Finance Committee.
The full House voted on my geothermal incentives bill, HB 1222. It passed out of the House on third reading with a substantial majority.
I voted on many other bills this week including HB 1142, which passed the House despite my opposition. This bill prohibits the sale of lottery tickets online. I believe that this bill would have harmed the funding source of Great Outdoors Colorado, so I voted against it. I did support Senate Bill 052, a soil-erosion remediation bill, and HB 1028, which prevents the federal government restricting or taking state water rights through the permitting process.
In the House Judiciary Committee, I supported an amended version of HB 1152, which requires law enforcement to discard passive surveillance video after three years. This bill balances the right to privacy and the duty of law enforcement to preserve evidence that may result in a criminal prosecution. The committee also addressed and voted in favor of HB 1061 by Rep. Joe Salazar, D-Thornton. Even though debtor’s prison, which is implemented when people cannot pay their criminal fines, is prohibited by our constitution, some jurisdictions have been jailing some people. This bill makes the use of debtor’s prison illegal and also provides a mechanism to ensure that restitution to victims is preserved.
Because of the substantial increase in hit-and-run incidents in Colorado, we also approved HB 1191, the Medina Bill, which was named after the victim of a fatal hit-and-run. The bill establishes a protocol for tracing people who commit serious accidents and then flee the scene to avoid apprehension.
I struggled with my vote on HB 1230, a bill from Rep. Perry Buck, R-Windsor, to restore gun ownership to previously convicted felons. Though well-intentioned and consistent with concepts of restorative justice and rehabilitation, this bill was too broad and the sponsors and advocates refused to specifically delineate what felonies would allow for the restoration of Second Amendment rights. Even an amendment to exclude class 1, 2 and 3 felonies did not give me sufficient comfort to support this legislation.
This week in the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee, we discussed HB 1270, the Pet, Animal Care Facilities Act sunset bill, which creates the regulatory framework for animal shelters and pet stores. We had a robust conversation and unanimously approved it.
The committee also approved another bill, SB 076, unanimously, which establishes a permit system for low-impact mining. The price of gold, coupled with media exposure from shows such as “The Prospector,” has generated many new novice gold miners. To encourage compliance with our mining laws, this bill creates a permit system and regulations for gold prospecting and the operation of small mines in Colorado.
Every week brings continued opportunities for education and social interaction with the various groups that make up Colorado. I was honored to be the sponsor for the Colorado and Wyoming Association of Museums National History Day in Colorado. As a part of my sponsorship, I obtained a House proclamation by Speaker Mark Ferrandino, D-Denver, honoring the Colorado and Wyoming Association of Museums, which I presented at a reception at the History Colorado Center later in the evening.
Although I have been in Colorado since only 1967, I am fortunate that my wife’s family members are fifth-generation Coloradans, dating to the early days of her great-grandmother, Carrie Ayres. She was the first teacher in Sterling and has an elementary school named in her honor. Additionally, her husband J.N. Hall contributed to the creation of more than 130 historical markers across Colorado. I was happy to honor our pioneer families and the innovators who created and protected this great state.
I continue to be honored to be your state representative from District 59.
McLachlan represents House District 59 in Colorado’s General Assembly. The district encompasses La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Ouray and Hinsdale counties and part of Gunnison County. Call McLachlan at (303) 866-2914 or email mike.mclachlan.house@state.co.us.
