Capitol Pulse: What didn't pass at the Capitol this session
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Gov. Jared Polis, center, speaks to the media Tuesday about the legislative session. Photo: Helen H. Richardson/Denver Post via Getty Images
💬 Capitol Pulse is a weekly feature to catch up quick on what's happening at the Legislature.
Democrats did plenty this year at the Capitol.
- Yes, but: They didn't get everything they wanted.
Why it matters: The legislation that failed in the 2023 session spotlights the issues that split the Democratic caucus — and serves as a starting place for the 2024 term in January.
What to know: Here's a look at 22 bills that failed this session.
Housing
🏠 Boost affordable housing by increasing density in single-family neighborhoods by overriding local limits against multi-family units
🚩 Make it harder for landlords to evict renters by only allowing removals with cause and forcing them to provide 90-day notice and cover at least two months future rent cost
📍Repeal a state prohibition on rent control in order to give local governments the ability to impose cost-stabilization rules
Public safety
🚫 Ban the purchase and possession of semi-automatic rifles, often referred to as assault weapons
⛔ Prohibit children 12 and under from being subject to criminal prosecution. The current age limit is 10.
🔫 Make it easier for counties to prohibit shooting firearms on private property.
🚔 Prohibit police from making arrests for petty theft and drug charges, some traffic misdemeanors and similar municipal offenses.
🚨 Toughen criminal laws to make it a level 1 felony for making, providing or selling any illegal drug that results in death
Education
📚 Eliminate standardized tests in social studies for elementary and middle school students
✎ Let teachers claim a $1,000 income tax break, which would cost $36 million
📕 Require schools to regularly screen all students for reading disabilities, such as dyslexia
✅ Boost accountability by making local school boards and special district officials subject to the state's Independent Ethics Commission.
Money
💰 Provide people on unemployment insurance an additional $35 a week for each dependent, which would cost an estimated $20 million once in effect.
🚘 Give gig workers, such as food delivery and ride-hailing drivers, more transparency about work by posting regular work schedules and wage information.
Health care
💉 Allow people with Medicaid and state-regulated health insurance to receive free biomarker testing.
🚩 Create a more robust regulatory system for facilities that treat eating disorders to improve care.
🚑 Study a government-run, single-payer health care plan
Environment
🌬 Toughen air quality enforcement rules for oil and gas operations and allow state regulators to adopt more stringent standards than federal regulators
💧 Charge an additional $2 fee to enter Chatfield State Park in order to raise money for the watershed's management authority.
Other
🗳 Make presidential primaries in Colorado a ranked-choice system that allows voters to list their five top candidates.
🚫 Require large entertainment venues, such as Ball Arena, to set aside areas as "substance free" areas, or "sober seating"
🌱 Impose regulations on retailers of kratom to make sure the product meet safety standards, as recommended by an independent panel
The other side: Republican lawmakers in the minority saw many of their bills fail along party lines, particularly when it came to ideological issues.
- The list of legislation that failed for them included measures to abolish abortions, protect access to guns, overhaul the state's voting rules and prohibit transgender students from participating in sports that didn't align with their biological sex.