We were disappointed to see two major issues that will have economic impacts on our region and state fail this session.
Last week, negotiations fell apart to address construction defects and the guaranteed litigation that has led to virtually no new condo construction in the metro area in years. We are deeply concerned that we are losing our ability to provide a broad spectrum of housing in our communities for our workforce. We supported many bills aimed at increasing opportunities for affordable housing, but could not come to an agreement on this important issue.
This week, a bill that would have reauthorized the hospital provider fee as an enterprise fund died in the Senate. Because we have again not acted on this issue of how we account dollars in our general fund, we stand to lose $700 million in transportation funding and we won’t be able to lower our estimated budget shortfall, which means education and other services will likely face cuts.
With every issue we work on at the Capitol, our goal is to bring everyone to the table, to make decisions based on the facts and to do what’s best for Colorado.
Chamber Takes Positions on Bills at End of Session
The last two weeks of the legislative session moved quickly. The Chamber took the following positions. Here is where these bills stood at the close of the session on Wednesday:
Support
SB16-200 Create Director Water Project Permit Coordination – PASSED
SB16-211 Limit Certain Contests Past Special District Elections – PASSED
HB16-1467 First-time Home Buyer Savings Accounts Tax Deduction – PASSED
SB16-213 Construction Defect Litigation Study Group – FAILED
SB16-217 Expedite Litigation Workers’ Compensation Claims – PASSED
SB16-218 State Severance Tax Refunds – PASSED
Oppose
HB16-1468 Oil and Gas Transportation, Manufacturing and Processing Costs – FAILED