{"id":3143,"date":"2025-01-24T23:04:37","date_gmt":"2025-01-24T23:04:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stand.org\/colorado\/?p=3143"},"modified":"2025-01-24T23:07:15","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T23:07:15","slug":"capitol-week-in-review-week-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stand.org\/colorado\/our-stories\/capitol-week-in-review-week-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Capitol Week In Review: Week 3"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Welcome to Capitol Week In Review, our newsletter keeping you informed about policy concerning educational equity and criminal justice reform.  You will also hear from us about opportunities to engage in advocacy on topics important to you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Legislation of Interest<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

HB 25-1026, Repeal Co-payment for Department of Corrections (DOC) Inmate Health Care<\/a>, which stops the DOC from charging medical fees to incarcerated individuals seeking healthcare, separate from what is billed to insurance and already provided by the state, passed the House Judiciary Committee with a vote of 8-3!
HB 25-1081, Reporting Statistics on Restitution, <\/a>is scheduled to be heard this Tuesday, January 28th in the House Judiciary Committee. The bill requires enhanced data collection on restitution demographics, prioritizing transparency and accountability. It seeks to address systemic inequities by revealing who owes restitution, who receives payment, and any potential barriers in the process.\u00a0

SB25-001, Colorado Voting Rights Act, <\/a>was introduced in the Senate and establishes the Colorado Voting Rights Act (CVRA) and updates election-related statutes in four key areas: (1) Election and voting provisions for Indian tribes. (2) Enhanced voting services for individuals with disabilities. (3) Improved language access in election processes. (4) Strengthened election-related data collection practices.

SB25-004, Regulating Child Care Center Fees, <\/a>limits the amount licensed child care centers can charge for various deposits and fees to no more than $25. It is scheduled to be heard in the Business, Labor, & Technology Committee on February 4th.

HB25-1013, Department of Corrections Visitation Rights, <\/a>was introduced in the House and establishes social visitation as a right for individuals confined in correctional facilities.\u00a0

HB25-1049, Communications Rights for Persons in Custody, <\/a>ensures individuals in custody can make and receive private, unrecorded legal telephone calls at no cost or use private, unrecorded audiovisual conferencing. Under current law, individuals in custody have the right to consult with an attorney. It passed the House Judiciary Committee with a 9-1 vote and now moves to the House Appropriations Committee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Take: Graduation Rates Increase<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Colorado is celebrating increases in high school graduation rates, with 84.2% of students graduating in 2024, the state’s highest rate in more than a decade. At the same time, dropout rates declined to 1.9%. Colorado Education Commissioner, Susana C\u00f3rdova, said, <\/a>“While we are seeing promising progress, we are continuing to see our students of color and our students with the highest needs graduating below our statewide rates.”\u00a0

In a Colorado Public Radio story,<\/a> Englewood Public Schools Superintendent Joanna Polzin attributed growth in their graduation rates to several strategies, including their focus on ninth grade success and their partnership with the Colorado Center for High School Success (CHSS).\u00a0

This year, one of our top priorities is to protect funding for the Ninth Grade Success Grant Program allowing more Colorado schools to implement the proven 9th grade success approach that changes the trajectory for high school students across Colorado by reducing absenteeism and dropouts and increasing on-time graduation.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Take Action: Keep Families Connected<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

HB23-1133<\/a>, passed in 2023, ensures free communication in Colorado\u2019s prisons to keep families connected. The law phases in funding over three years, cutting call costs by 25% in year one, 35% in year two, and making all calls free by July 1, 2025. However, the Joint Budget Committee is now considering cutting funding to only cover 50% of costs this year, jeopardizing full implementation. Delays in implementing this policy risk undermining efforts to reduce recidivism and support families. Let\u2019s work together to protect this critical progress! Contact members of the Joint Budget Committee, and ask them to prioritize funding needed to bring free prison phone calls to families this year, as outlined in HB23-1133.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What We’re Reading
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