Your Ideas Shape Legislation
By State Senator Dylan Roberts
Each year, I prioritize working on legislation based on ideas brought to me by constituents. As the legislative session hits the halfway point, I am working on several common sense solutions inspired by constituents in Senate District 8, including bills to prevent I-70 crashes and delays, support our working families, improve public safety, and more. Here’s where those bills stand:
I-70 Safety
The impact of crashes and closures along I-70 are felt most by locals trying to get home safely, pick up their kids from school, and travel to and from work throughout our region. I am a prime sponsor of two bills this year that would reduce t crashes and resulting road closures, which cost Colorado millions of dollars every hour. SB25-069 would create a process to allow individuals and companies to help inexperienced truckers put their chains on. Further, this bill would close the passenger traction “loophole” and make sure that more cars have proper tires when they drive I-70 in the winter. HB25-1039 came straight from constituents in Georgetown, Idaho Springs, and Eagle County who deal with excessive noise along I-70 every single day. The bill would ensure that all commercial vehicles have a modern muffler, decreasing noise when engine breaks are used.
Supporting Coal Transition Communities
Supporting Craig, Hayden, and other energy-transitioning communities in Northwest Colorado – and around the state – is one of my top priorities. To ensure that these communities continue to be vibrant places for Coloradans to live and raise their families, I’m working on SB25-037, which would ensure that the Office of Just Transition coordinates more directly with the communities being impacted by its work and ensures that the most effective strategies are being used to support communities in transition. This bill passed the Senate unanimously.
Public Health and Safety
Over the summer, constituents from Clear Creek, Gilpin, and Jackson Counties reached out to share concerns about aging septic systems – an issue that impacts many rural communities. Making necessary repairs and replacements to these systems is not just important for the individual homeowners, it’s a community and public safety concern. That’s why we introduced HB25-1120, which would create an enterprise fund to support replacing failing septic systems.
SB25-031 would make sure that when emergency alerts go out, they are accessible in both English and Spanish. In the case of a wildfire, winter storm, or other safety concerns, everyone should be informed as quickly as possible, including the 300,000 Coloradans who don’t speak English as their primary language.
The reintroduction of wolves in Colorado has occurred almost entirely in Senate District 8, meaning that our local ranchers and farmers are on the front lines of wolf-livestock conflict and depredation. SB25-038 will protect the individual privacy of these individuals by ensuring that anyone who submits a depredation request after one of their animals is killed won’t have their name and address shared with the public. County-level data on wolf activity and compensation would continue to be available, but protecting the safety and privacy of specific individuals is essential.
Affordable Homeownership
Colorado’s mountain communities continue to face an affordable housing crisis. We’ve made progress in recent years to increase housing stock and drive down prices, but there’s more that we must do. To build on this work, I am running two bills specifically targeting affordable homeownership. Buying a first home is key to long-term financial stability and growth for our working families. SB25-006 would create a pilot program authorizing the state to provide low interest construction financing, which would transition into low interest mortgages once the homes are built.
HB25-1272 would reform construction defect laws to incentivize the construction of more condos and ‘missing middle’ housing. The housing market in Colorado is facing an extreme shortage of starter homes which allow younger buyers to enter the market. The targeted liability changes proposed in this bill could motivate increased construction and opportunity to allow more young families to start building generational wealth.
Judicial Efficiency
State government has a constitutional obligation to provide a functional, timely judicial process for all Coloradans in criminal, civil, and juvenile court. Increased case filings have led to unacceptably long wait times and judicial overload. That’s why I introduced SB25-024 to add more judges to courtrooms across the state. As a former Deputy District Attorney, I know how important it is to have focused, dedicated, and adequate judges in our courtrooms. When this bill passes, it would add 15 judges across the state, including one to the Eagle County Court docket.
Some more good news: every single one of these bills has received bipartisan support and is on track for passage. This is just a highlight of the legislation I’m working on for you, the residents of Senate District 8, with many more efforts underway.
I work hard to accurately reflect the priorities and concerns of my constituents while at the Capitol, so please reach out anytime to share ideas at SenatorDylanRoberts@gmail.com or my cell: 970-846-3054.
Dylan Roberts is the State Senator for Clear Creek, Eagle, Garfield, Gilpin, Grand, Jackson,
Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt and Summit Counties.