Capitol Update: Another unanimous vote for a priority bill

Written by: Riley Kitts
Date Posted: March 10, 2023

Another Children’s Campaign priority bill was unanimously approved by a committee this week! HB23-1186, which would allow people going through the eviction process to participate in hearings remotely via video or teleconference, received all “Yes” votes in the House Finance Committee on Thursday. Families facing evictions are often going through one of the most stressful and traumatic times in their lives, and it is important that they have better access to the legal system. Now one step closer to becoming a law, HB23-1186 will help accomplish just that. We are so proud to work with our partners at the Colorado Poverty Law Project on such an important bill! 

The Children’s Campaign also supported several other bills this week. Policy Analyst Hunter Nelson submitted testimony in support of two firearm safety bills – one that would raise the age to purchase firearms and another that would create a public education campaign around the state’s “red flag” law and allow more people, including social workers and health providers, to initiate the process of petitioning for an extreme risk protection order. You can learn more about those bills below.  

Our V.P. of Health Initiatives, Erin Miller, also spoke in support of HB23-1224: Standardized Health Benefit Plans. We support this bill because standardized health plans offer important benefits to Coloradans, including copay-free primary care and outpatient behavioral health visits and copay-free pre- and post-natal care. 

Our dedicated policy and advocacy team tracks hundreds of bills that impact Colorado kids and families every legislative session. To view the bills we are tracking so far in this legislative session, click here. 

 

Here are this week’s Capitol Highlights: 

SB23-169 (Mulica & Danielson/Duran): Increasing Minimum Age to Purchase Firearms 

The Children’s Campaign supports this bill because policy solutions restricting access to guns among youth are an essential part of a comprehensive approach to suicide and violence prevention. Evidence suggests that minimum age requirements reduce firearm-related suicides among youth. 

SB23-170 (Sullivan & Fenberg/Bacon): Extreme Risk Protection Order Petitions (ERPOs) 

As an organization that values maternal health, the Children’s Campaign supports ERPOs and the expansion of who can file these petitions. Evidence suggests the ERPOs and other firearm relinquishment laws have been associated with a substantial reduction in homicides of pregnant and postpartum people.   

To learn more about these bills and their journeys through the legislature, visit our Capitol Updates page. 

 

The Children’s Campaign in the news 

 

Riley Kitts

About Riley Kitts

Riley Kitts serves as the Sr. Director of Policy & Government Affairs for the Colorado Children’s Campaign. Riley has spent several years in Colorado politics, working both inside and out of the State Capitol. Riley spent three legislative sessions with the Colorado Department of Human Services spearheading the agency’s legislative and budgetary agendas. Prior to that, he spent several years with the Colorado House Democrats serving in various roles from Executive Assistant to the Speaker to Field and Outreach Directors. He earned his degree in Political Science from the University of Colorado-Boulder.