Colorado Legislature
While the 2015 state legislative session, which ended on May 6, was not one of the Colorado General Assembly’s more productive performances, it was an exciting time for Western Colorado Congress.
The members who make up our legislative committee tracked and weighed in on dozens of bills, and worked with our legislative liaison in Denver to ensure that Western Slope residents’ voices were heard.
WCC’s 2015 People’s Lobby trip in early March was our best yet (ask anyone who went!), and three members returned to the Capitol in April to testify on behalf of our cottage foods expansion bill. The bill passed, much to the benefit of small producers and entrepreneurs statewide, and you can read all about it here.
We also worked to strengthen a bill allowing rural electric associations to use community solar gardens to meet the state renewable energy standard; joined a coalition of hunters, anglers and conservationists to defeat two bills that would have threatened our public lands; and unsuccessfully opposed a law that will make it harder for citizens to propose ballot initiatives.
It was heartwarming to see WCC members wielding real political power, developing skills and making a difference through the democratic process.
The 2015 session is over, but our legislative team is already starting to think about what we can accomplish in 2016. Want to be part of the action? Contact Organizer Rachel Zatterstrom at (970) 256-7650 or [email protected] to learn more or get involved!
You can also click here to get more information:
- WCC’s Legislative Directory for contact information and committee assignments for Western Slope elected officials.
- WCC’s Bill Tracker for a summary of legislation we worked on or followed during the last session.
- Colorado General Assembly’s official website can provide you with links to legislation and committee calendars.