It’s a short workweek at the Colorado Capitol, but lawmakers are looking to keep things moving on a slate of proposals that touch on protections for renters, social media limits, gig working and more.
They’ll also dive into less public-facing proposals that nonetheless could have major implications for public business when they tackle possible updates to the Colorado Open Meeting Law and look at a new way of determining pay for elected officials.
After the General Assembly had President’s Day off on Monday, here’s what’s on the docket for the week.
Gig worker transparency and protections
Committees in the Senate and the House will take another look at proposed protections for gig workers after similar efforts failed last year. The Senate starts the debate Tuesday when the Business, Labor, and Technology Committee considers a bill aimed at increased pay transparency for ride-sharing drivers on apps like Uber and Lyft. On Thursday, the House will consider a similar provision, but one aimed at delivery drivers on apps like DoorDash.
Tax credits, eviction protections for renters
A proposal to raise the bar for when landlords can evict tenants died on the vine last year when the legislative clock ran out. This year, a similar proposal is poised to clear the full House this week, which would send it to the Senate with more than half the legislative session to go.
The Senate, meanwhile, will have another renter-focused proposal to consider. The Finance Committee on Thursday is scheduled to hear a proposal that would give renters with incomes of $75,000 or less a tax credit. The credit would be up to $1,000 per tax filer, with the amount decreasing as their federal adjusted gross income increases.
Social media regulations
On Wednesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee will hear a bill that would require dating apps to have a safety policy for their users. The House Education Committee on Thursday will hear a bill aimed at decreasing social media use by youth and increasing education about its negative effects on mental health.
Pay for lawmakers, changes to open meetings law
Lawmakers will respond to a complaint that common practices for caucus meetings and communications between fellow lawmakers violated the state open meetings law by possibly changing the open meetings law. That conversation formally begins Wednesday in the Senate State, Veterans, & Military Affairs Committee, and it’s attracted attention from government transparency advocates concerned about how far lawmakers will go. The House State, Civic, Military, & Veterans Affairs Committee on Thursday will consider a bill to create a commission that would set lawmakers and other elected officials’ pay beginning in 2025.
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