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Tag: colorado house

  • Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ chief of staff to leave for job at UCHealth

    Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ chief of staff to leave for job at UCHealth

    Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ chief of staff will leave the administration next week to take a job as a lobbyist at UCHealth.

    Then-Speaker Alec Garnett of the Colorado House of Representatives during a committee hearing on fentanyl at the Colorado State Capitol on Tuesday, April 12, 2022. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post)

    Alec Garnett, a former Democratic lawmaker from Denver, joined the governor’s office at the start of 2023 after serving as speaker of the Colorado House of Representatives. He used those close ties to lawmakers as he worked to pass Polis’ agenda and weigh in on legislation, including during a special legislative session last week that was aimed at averting property tax reform ballot initiatives as part of a deal with conservative and business advocacy groups.

    Polis’ office announced Tuesday morning that he will step down as chief of staff on Sept. 13. UCHealth, in an internal announcement, says Garnett will join the health system as vice president of government and regulatory affairs.

    Polis’ new chief of staff will be David Oppenheim, who served as the deputy to Garnett, handling legislative and policy affairs. Before that, he was director of operations and cabinet affairs. He joined the governor’s office as legislative director in 2019.

    Jon Murray

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  • Colorado legislature: Same-sex marriage amendment to go to voters; Senate passes oil and gas measures

    Colorado legislature: Same-sex marriage amendment to go to voters; Senate passes oil and gas measures

    The Colorado legislature convened Saturday for a final weekend of work in its 2024 session, which is set to end Wednesday. Major pieces of legislation are still pending, with lawmakers expected to debate gun regulations, housing, land-use policy, transportation, property tax reform and other priorities in the final days.

    This story will be updated throughout the day.

    Updated at 1:30 p.m.: A proposed Constitutional amendment to remove defunct language banning same-sex marriage will go to voters this November after a referred measure passed the Colorado House on Saturday.

    The proposed amendment would remove a ban approved by voters in 2006. It has been unenforceable since 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage nationwide with its ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges. A majority of voters will need to approve the proposal this November for it to take effect.

    Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 needed at least two-thirds support in each chamber to pass. It passed with bipartisan support in the Senate but near party lines in the House, where Democrats hold a supermajority.

    The Senate formally passed Saturday a bill to limit minimum parking requirements near transit areas. House Bill 1304 was substantially amended from its more expansive introduced version to overcome filibuster threats from Democrats and Republicans. The House and Senate will need to agree on changes before it goes to the governor’s desk. It is one of the suite of bills aimed at increasing density and public transit working its way through the legislature. Advocates argue this bill will remove costly parking spots and increase affordable housing construction.

    The Senate also formally passed a pair of bills to reduce emissions from oil and gas production and levy a per-barrel fee to pay for transit and wildlife habitat. The bills were introduced this week, with the aim of easing simmering tensions between environmental groups, legislators and the industry and dueling legislation and ballot initiatives affecting the industry. They will now go to the House for consideration. The proposals will need to pass by Wednesday, when the legislature will adjourn.

    Nick Coltrain

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