Listen:
-
play_arrow
MorningMagazine_2025-05-06 Gabrielle Mendoza
Legislative Session Nears End
The clock is ticking for the Colorado legislature, and lawmakers are working to finalize several politically-contentious measures.
The State Senate has agreed to changes made by the House to Senate Bill 276, which would increase protections for undocumented immigrants. The bill goes next to Governor Jared Polis.
Supporters say the bill is needed because we’re living in a time when due process is not guaranteed. Denver Democrat Julie Gonzales made reference to a Sunday interview by Donald Trump, in which he said, “I don’t know,” when asked if noncitizens have due process.
She said SB 276 is an opportunity for Colorado to show that the U.S. Constitution does, in fact, protect everyone. That’s according to The Denver Post.
Debate is expected to resume in the State Senate this morning on House Bill 1312. The bill would expand legal protections for transgender people in Colorado. The Denver Post said this week’s debate on 1312 began late yesterday afternoon and was expected to be lengthy, due to Republican opposition.
Finally, House Democrats passed Senate Bill 5 yesterday. Negotiations over the pro-union bill fell apart over the weekend. The bill aims to repeal an eighty-year old provision of Colorado’s Labor Peace Act. Colorado Newsline says that provision is unique to the state, because it requires a second election for union formation.
The Post says the bill still needs a final vote before it goes to the Governor’s desk, and that the failure of the weekend negotiations could result in a veto.
The current legislative session ends Wednesday night.
Visitation Bill
The Colorado Legislature approved a bill that would give incarcerated people the right to see their families and community members. The approval of House Bill 1013 ends a current Department of Corrections (DoC) policy under which visitation can be withheld as a form of punishment.
The Department can still adopt rules surrounding social visitation under the bill, but can no longer restrict visitation beyond “what is necessary for routine facility operations” or for safety purposes.
People in CDOC would also be able to file a grievance with the department if they are prevented from visitation under the requirements of the bill.
Sponsors made some amendments to the bill late last week, before the Senate gave final approval. One of the changes, negotiated with CODC, clarifies that the department can limit visitation for people in confined restrictive housing if they have certain high-level violations.
Senate President James Coleman, who sponsored the bill, said in a statement that HB-1013 “helps to make our justice system a tool for repair and recovery, not a weapon of division.”
Visitation has been linked to a decrease in recidivism, according to February 2025 Testimony in support of the bill (from Prison Policy Initiative). It’s also been shown to strengthen family bonds, improve in-facility behavior, and increase the likelihood of post release employment. The testimony also calls visitation essential for the families and children of incarcerated people.
After the Senate approved the amended version of the bill Friday in a 21-12 vote, the House later voted to accept the Senate’s amendments. The bill is now on Colorado Gov. Jared Polis’ desk to be signed into law.
Research Hub Approved
Boulder City Council has approved a site plan review application for a new research and development campus near the Flatiron Business Park. The vote passed unanimously on May 1.
BioMed Realty’s proposed research campus is the first major redevelopment in the area since the city adopted the East Boulder Subcommunity Plan, according to Boulder Reporting Lab. That plan was adopted in 2022, and calls for mixed use development like housing, commercial space, and pedestrian-friendly streets – all while preserving industrial spaces. The site currently stands as a surface parking lot and low-rise offices.
Although city council was on board, the Planning Board’s response stood in contrast. The board was split 3-3 on the proposal when voted on in February. Critics expressed concern that the project might fail to align with the subcommunity plan’s broader goals to host a “destination workplace” in the area, meant to include transportation options and amenities like restaurants and entertainment, with a chance for some residential infill.
So far, the BioMed project does not include housing, and only about 600 square feet of the roughly 200,000 square feet of proposed building space is set aside for commercial space.
BioMed has said, according to Boulder Reporting Lab, that they do not build housing and that their tenants work on vaccines, antiviral treatments and other medical innovations. The San Diego-based real estate investment firm said the project aims to “revitalize” the area and support scientific innovations like quantum computing.
Water Quality Dashboard
Boulder County has unveiled a new online dashboard, so that people can see information about water quality for the Boulder St. Vrain watershed.
The Water Quality Dashboard will have information about the health of Left Hand Creek, St. Vrain Creek, Coal Creek, South Boulder Creek, and Boulder Creek, according to a press release.
The dashboard is a project of the Keep It Clean Partnership, or KICP, which is made up of several local communities, including Boulder, Longmont, and Louisville.
A KICP spokesperson said the new dashboard is intended to make it easier to view water quality data.
The dashboard is at water.keepitcleanpartnership.org
