DENVER — State lawmakers are spending the final hours of this year's legislative session trying to get as many priority bills as they can across the finish line.
The legislative session ends at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday. Many bills, including some that seemed to have much support earlier in the session, won’t make it to the governor’s desk.
On Tuesday, the Colorado Senate gave final approval to House Bill 25-1312, a bill expanding legal protections for transgender Coloradans.
“It does not create new superior rights for transgender people, nor does it strip rights away from anyone else,” said State Sen. Chris Kolker, D-Centennial, one of the bill’s sponsors. “It says you may not deny someone housing, employment or public services because they are transgender, that public forms must respect a person’s chosen name and gender marker.”
The bill has undergone numerous changes, including removing a provision that would have required courts to take a parent’s deadnaming or misgendering of a child into account in custody disputes. That was considered the most controversial provision.
Opponents of the bill still say it is deeply flawed.
“It is still a bill that represents a dangerous erosion of parental rights,” said State Sen. Lisa Frizell, R-Castle Rock. “I still don’t view this legislation as a positive thing for families in the state of Colorado.”
The 20-14 vote in the Senate was mostly along partisan lines. Two Democrats, Senators Kyle Mullica and Marc Synder, joined Republicans in opposing the bill.
In the House, lawmakers gave final approval to Senate Bill 25-005, which would ease the formation of labor unions by getting rid of the second election requirement. Stephanie Felix-Sowy, the president of SEIU Local 105, said the bill will help working people.
"Our members and working people in the state have made it very clear that they want rules and laws in the state governing working people that are fair, that are democratic,” said Felix-Sowy.
Business groups oppose the bill, claiming it will disrupt the balance between businesses, employees, and unions.
“Senate Bill 5 is a solution in search of a problem,” said Jesse Mallory with Americans for Prosperity Colorado.
Mallory said another reason he opposed the bill was that it would require non-union workers to pay union fees.
“To say that I’m going to pay for political giving that I don't agree with, that may be against my own interests, that that's completely unfair,” said Mallory.
Supporters of the bill say non-union workers would pay representation fees because they would benefit, along with all workers, from the contract bargaining.
Negotiations that Gov. Jared Polis pushed for broke down between labor and business groups. Colorado Chamber President and CEO Loren Furman said business groups came to the table with “reasonable proposals” but said they were rejected.
The governor’s spokesperson, Eric Maruyama, said the governor was “disappointed" the groups couldn’t reach an agreement.
“The Governor is disappointed in this outcome but appreciates the robust conversation between sponsors, business, and labor on this bill, and he hopes both sides find a way forward in the future that reflects our shared goals of prosperity, fairness, and opportunities for workers,” said Maruyama. “The Governor’s Office tried to help bridge the gap on this issue, but unfortunately, an agreement was not reached.”
Polis is now under pressure by his party to sign the bill, while opponents are calling for him to veto it.
"What our members want and expect is for the top Democrat representing the state of Colorado to show that he's on the side of working people,” said Felix-Sowy.
“He's caught in a really tough place,” said Mallory. “He desperately wants to appease the union crowd while also appeasing business, and he's gonna have to take a stand. This is an either/or situation. There is no middle ground.”
The Senate also advanced legislation to crack down on wage theft and implement a new school financing formula, as well as a bill that would refer two ballot measures to voters for them to determine whether to continue funding the Healthy Meals for All program or scale it back.
The House passed Senate Bill 25-124 and Senate Bill 25-071, which are aimed at reducing the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs.
Meanwhile, lawmakers decided not to move forward with a resolution challenging the constitutionality of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights (TABOR).
House Bill 25-1169, a bill to make it easier for churches and schools to build affordable housing on their land, will not make it out of session this year due to a lack of support.
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