Colorado House advances two name-change bills after contentious debate and anti-transgender rhetoric
Two bills allowing transgender and nonbinary Coloradans to more easily use their preferred names cleared the House on Friday after anti-transgender rhetoric from Republican lawmakers spread debate and votes over multiple days.
The two Democrat-backed measures — HB24-1071 and HB24-1039 — have led to hours of tense debate in the House over the past week, and both had lengthy committee hearings before hitting the floor. HB24-1071 would make it easier for people convicted of crimes to change their names to fit their gender identity, subject to court approval. HB24-1039 would allow students to use their preferred names and would make it discrimination to intentionally use the wrong names.
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Bill would require Colorado middle and high schools to provide free period products
Colorado middle and high schools would be required to provide free period products in their restrooms under a bill now in the state legislature, with the legislation’s sponsors equating pads and tampons to essential items students need like nutritious meals and books.
The bill’s Democratic sponsors — Rep. Brianna Titone, of Arvada; Rep. Jenny Willford, of Northglenn; Sen. Janet Buckner, of Aurora; and Sen. Faith Winter, of Westminster — said at a Thursday news conference at the state Capitol that a lack of access to period products in schools resulted in absenteeism, health issues and emotional distress for teens who may not have the money or transportation to obtain the products they need.
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Housing measures, gender-identity names bills considered by legislature this week
Colorado lawmakers are getting into the meat of the legislative session as we near the March midpoint of the 120-day session, and committees are in full swing.
Bills are passing their first chambers, too, and crossing the hall. The first of this year’s land-use bills — a measure to ban occupancy limits — has already cleared the House, as has a bill to provide more displacement protections for at-risk tenants. On Monday morning, the House was set to pass two bills allowing transgender people and others to more easily use names that fit their gender identities, after a tense debate last week that included frequent uses of language considered anti-trans by supporters.
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