When Colorado鈥檚 2025 legislative session begins on January 8, lawmakers will have 120 days to get their bills across the finish line. Democrats no longer have a supermajority but continue to hold the majority in both the state house and the senate.
State Rep. Elizabeth Velasco (D-Glenwood Springs) will serve as the vice chair of the House Committee for the 2025 session. She says in light of record-breaking temperatures across Colorado this summer, protections for people who work outside are top of mind.
鈥淭he people that die on the job continue to be our working families that are working outside,鈥� she said. 鈥淪o we just want to make sure that everyone can go to work and come back home safe, and that is environmental justice.鈥�
She says the state-level protections are shaped by federal OSHA guidelines this summer, though that a second Trump administration could overturn the new rule.
Natural disasters will be another key topic for lawmakers. Colorado had a busy wildfire season this summer, with impacting the Front Range and smaller fires on the Western Slope. Velasco chaired the interim Committee. She says lawmakers want to make sure local fire protection districts are fully funded, especially with changes to property tax structure.
鈥淲e know that the cost of emergency response continues to increase, and the size and severeness of incidents continues to increase,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd our fire districts need the funding and the support to continue to keep our community safe.鈥�
Velasco says lawmakers are also working with the state鈥檚 public utilities commission on issues surrounding power outages during natural disasters, wildfire resilience, and carbon-free sources of energy.
Another topic for lawmakers will be support for economic diversification for communities that rely on extractive activities, like oil, gas, and especially coal. Colorado has pledged to cease coal production by , and big utilities like have agreed to plans to help meet that goal. Velasco says the Polis Administration鈥檚 to 100% renewable energy by 2040 would likely shape this session鈥檚 priorities.
This story was shared with 皇冠网址 via Rocky Mountain Community Radio, a network of public media stations in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico including Aspen Public Radio.