Colorado lawmakers at halfway mark: What's done and what's dead

Colorado lawmakers are at the halfway mark of the 120-day legislative session with the big-ticket measures still in the works.

State of play: The second half of the legislative term is always the most consequential, with a flurry of 11th-hour activity.

Here's a look at where the session stands:

What's done: Gov. Jared Polis has signed 33 bills, and a handful more are headed his way. The new measures…

• Add privacy protections for health care workers amid increased threats related to the pandemic.
• Send an additional $91 million to school districts to address an undercount of at-risk students.
• Express support for Ukraine and the Biden administration's sanctions on Russia.

What's dead: Democrats spent the first months of the term killing Republican-led bills, while only a few Democratic bills have died. The rejected bills would have…

• Banned hunting and trapping mountain lions, bobcats and lynx for sport.
• Spent $500,000 on a study of nuclear power as a green-energy resource.
• Allowed income tax credits for employers who institute policies to reduce car travel to work among employees.
• Required school districts to post educational materials and curriculum online.

What to watch: Colorado lawmakers have billions more to spend this year, and the legislation to allocate the money is just emerging.

• A series of bills would allocate about $1 billion in federal aid to build more affordable housing units, add new and fund existing mental health programs.
• The state budget package is expected to come up later this month. It will increase state spending across the board, including new money for law enforcement and state environmental regulators.

This story first appeared in the Axios Denver newsletter, designed to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news unfolding in their own backyard. Subscribe here.