With opening day speeches and other things out of the way, Colorado’s House lawmakers on Wednesday introduced their first 86 bills of the 2024 legislative session.
The first bill usually reflects the majority party’s priorities. This year, the first measure is notable because of its bipartisan bonafides.
Rep. Megan Lukens, a Steamboat Springs Democrat, is teaming up with Republican Rep. Rick Taggart of Grand Junction on the reauthorization of the Rural Jump-Start program under House Bill 24-1001. The tax incentive program, which has been in the statutes since 2016, encourages new businesses to move into rural, economically distressed areas.
In a statement on Wednesday, House Speaker Julie McCluskie of Dillon, who is a rural lawmaker, said the House’s first 10 bills “will create jobs in rural parts of our state and save Coloradans money on housing, health care and prescription drugs.”
“House Democrats will improve wildfire mitigation efforts, increase access to early childhood education, and expand our behavioral health workforce to build a stronger, safer and healthier Colorado,” she said, adding, “We are ready to get to work.”
The first three bills also received bipartisan backing.
Here is a look at a few other bills.
House Bill 1027 creates a sales tax holiday for back-to-school items and a tax exemption for baby and toddler products. Sponsored by Rep. Ty Winter, R-Trinidad, and Sen. Byron Pelton, R-Sterling, the bill has been assigned to the House Finance…