Increasing Access to Housing, Supporting Colorado Agriculture BILL SIGNING TOUR - DAY 5 Yesterday in Grand Junction, I signed legislation to reduce housing costs, improve the criminal justice system, support Colorado Agriculture, and joined Colorado Mesa University, President John Marshall, Board Chair Alison Griffin and others to announce an initiative to reduce tuition by 40%, making career and technical education more affordable for students. We are saving Coloradans money on housing, and providing bold support for Communities across Colorado. I am proud that these new laws embrace modular housing innovation, increase access to affordable housing, support Colorado agriculture and save Coloradans money. SUPPORTING RURAL COLORADANS INCREASING ACCESS TO COURT OPINIONS, IMPROVING MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM TRANSPARENCY I started the day at the Mesa County Justice Center, signing legislation to ensure Coloradans can easily access court opinions online for free and bring transparency and accountability to our mental health system. I signed HB22-1091, Online Availability Of Judicial Opinions, to provide access to these documents to rural Coloradans who may not be able to travel to the state law library in Denver. I also signed SB22-106, Conflict Of Interest In Public Behavioral Health, to ensure transparency and set standards to safeguard against conflicts of interest in behavioral health contracts with managed care entities entered into by state agencies, including Medicaid and the Department of Human Services and BHA. MAKING HOUSING MORE ACCESSIBLE To continue saving Coloradans money, I signed bipartisan legislation HB22-1282 in Grand Junction at the Mosaic Housing Site in Western Colorado to increase Colorado’s affordable housing supply to help build thousands of high quality, innovative modular and 3-D printed homes. This bill both creates and invests $40 million into the Innovative Housing Incentive Program in OEDIT, which will offer both loans and grants to significantly boost Colorado’s innovative housing industry. In fact, OEDIT estimates that 7,000 to 10,000 high quality, affordable, and attainable units could be created and installed in Colorado over the next 5 years through this program. SUPPORTING COLORADO AGRICULTURE I visited the Colorado Mesa University Greenhouse to sign HB22-1301, a new law to support innovation in Colorado’s agriculture industry and the future of producers. Colorado’s agricultural sector is a foundational part of our state and our economy, and we must always be working to support our producers as they seek to adopt the latest technology and practices. By embracing these technologies and practices, we’re supporting the future of agriculture and the futures of our producers. SAVING STUDENTS MONEY LEARN FOR LESS WCCC AFFORDABILITY INITIATIVE I then joined Colorado Mesa University President John Marshall, Board Chair Alison Griffin for an announcement on the Learn for Less WCCC Affordability Initiative to save students money. It’s not every day we get to announce a 40% reduction in college tuition so this announcement combines two of my favorite things, saving people money and investing in education – and this is great timing for Colorado, for Mesa County and the region. I thank CMU President Marshall, Board Chair Alison Griffin and Western Colorado Community College for working to save students and families money and to the Bishops for their generous contribution that will positively impact the lives of many. MAKING COMMUNITIES SAFER IMPROVING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM To wrap up the first week of the bill signing tour, I stopped in Denver to sign two bipartisan bills, SB22-145 to establish the SMART policing grant fund and SB22-188 to provide behavioral health resources to Coloradans who experience trauma related to crimes. These bills ensure that our communities have the resources they need to be effective in preventing, reducing and addressing crime. WHAT COMMUNITY LEADERS ARE SAYING “HB 1282 is truly transformational. Its impact in rebuilding the state’s manufactured housing industry will be significant. Supporting the launch of new factories across the state will help counties like Summit build affordable and climate friendly housing quickly, which is so desperately needed,” said Tamara Pogue, Summit County Commissioner & County Representative to the Affordable Housing Transformational Task Force. “The Innovative Housing Incentive Program created by HB22-1282 is an opportunity for Colorado to be a national leader in the development of affordable and energy efficient housing. The affordable manufactured housing created by this program, will be a welcome solution to the crisis we face at the local level of housing our workers and families. Energy efficient housing is also a critical climate mitigation solution. Many thanks to the sponsors and Governor Polis for this creative and smart approach for Colorado,” said Hilary Cooper, San Miguel County Commissioner. "HB22-1301 changes the tax treatment of hydroponic equipment used to plant, grow, and harvest crops for human or livestock consumption in controlled environment farms. This bill is about equal justice under the law, as the same equipment, if used outside, would not be subject to business-personal property tax. HB 1301 helps give farmers another tool for innovating, by being able to grow produce year round, conserve water, and utilize the latest technology in Colorado's agricultural sector!,” said Rep. Matt Soper (R-Delta), sponsor of HB22-1301. FOLLOW ALONG FOR THE BILL SIGNING TOUR! May 12th began the 30-day clock for all of the bills passed this session to make their way across my desk. I will be traveling to every corner of our state during the bill signing tour to celebrate the incredible work we have done this legislative session. 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