The 120-day Colorado legislative session ended Wednesday, May 9. In the final hours, the General Assembly decided on various topics that each influence the state greatly. Here is a quick summary of the decisions made during the session.
Transportations
For public transportation, the General Assembly increased its budget. $645 million was allocated to fund transportation for the next two years. The years following will see an allotted $122.6 million a year for roads, bridges and the budget. What’s notable to mention is that the money after the first two years will not go to towns or counties. As reported in coloradopolitics.com, this funding is still short of the $20 billion that the state is expected to need in the coming years.
Colorado’s Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA)
The pension plan that is meant to be an alternative to Social Security for public employees, such as employees of the state government and public school teachers, currently is underfunded by about $32 billion, which may not be paid over the next three decades. This legislative session sought to fix the flaws in the pension plan that affect over 585,000 current and former state employees. Decisions were made to tap $225 million in taxes, lose cost-of-living raises for two years (and afterwards decrease the annual raises from 2 percent to 1.5 percent), increasing the retirement age from 58 to 64 and requiring employees to partake in higher contributions by two percent. This provision also gives future public workers the option to opt out of PERA and join a contribution play similar to a 401(k). This, reports The Denver Post, would not be extended to school district workers.
The new Civil Rights Commission
The seven-member, bipartisan board dedicated to “develop policy and hear appeals in discrimination cases” and “advise the Governor and General Assembly regarding policies and legislation that addresses illegal discrimination” had new adjustments assigned to it during the session. The commission will be comprised of three Democrats, three Republicans and one unaffiliated member. Three of the members need to represent business interests. The most notable change is that if the senate rejects one of the Governor’s appointees, he would not be allowed to reappoint them within two years.
Full-strength beer more easily accessible
According to the new SB-243, beginning Jan. 1, the limitation on the maximum alcohol content of “3.2% beer,” is eliminated. The Denver Post also reports that new stores will be prohibited from selling full-strength beer within 500 feet of liquor stores and “limit delivery to employees in company-owned or leased vehicles, rather than outside contractors.”
Access to Transition Specialists
The House also voted to send a bill that would require Colorado to provide a transition specialist to help patients released after 72 hours to rehabilitate. This would involve providing assistance to various tasks such as placing them in a treatment program or finding housing.
Colorado’s first regular session of the 72nd Generally Assembly will convene on Jan. 4, 2019.
