The Capitol Connection – January 2016
The Second Regular Session of the 70th General Assembly Kicks Off in 2016!
The first gavel of the second session of the 70th General Assembly came down on Wednesday, January 13th, ushering in two new legislators, with a third legislator finding himself in a new chamber. Throughout the coming weeks, we will introduce you to each new legislator in our Capitol Connections.
Continuing this session is a split legislature, with Democrats controlling the House and Republicans controlling the Senate. House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, Senate President Bill Cadman, and Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzmán all spoke regarding their leadership positions and mentioned the collaboration that would be coming out of the Capitol through bipartisan legislation. Click on their names to read the full text of their remarks.
The Legislative Policy Committee (LPC), this year chaired by Dave Kupernik of the Douglas Elbert REALTOR® Association, will convene next Friday, January 22nd to begin their work on your behalf. The 2016 Policy Statements approved by the Board of Directors, establish guidelines by which the LPC acts to support legislation which ensures economic vitality, provides jobs and housing opportunities, preserves the environment, protects property owners, and builds better communities. LPC members actively participate in various subcommittees to reveiw and recommend action on specific bills that fall within these guidelines. There are 36 committed REALTOR® members on the LPC this year – representing local boards and associations across the state. Both Commercial and Residential REALTORS® are represented.
Governor Hickenlooper Delivers State of the State Address
Once again, Governor Hickenlooper has kicked off the Legislative Session with a State of the State Address defining pertinent issues he believes should be addressed and goals he has for the upcoming 120-day session.
Some key issues he discussed were:
Encouraging construction defects reform; what to do about the Hospital Provider Fee and our transportation needs; and implementing his Colorado Water Plan. Regarding construction defects reform the Governor stated, “Colorado’s housing capacity has not kept pace with our population growth. We don’t have enough condos for current residents, let alone for the folks who are moving here. Demand and rents have skyrocketed… These are forces beyond our control, and they’re contributing to the problem that’s driving the cost of housing out of reach, especially for first-time buyers. So let’s revisit the area that we do have control over to make homeownership more attainable: our old friend Construction Defects.” He further implored the legislators to, “hunker down and craft a law that balances affordability concerns and homeowner rights with businesses’ ability to operate.”
For the full text of Governor Hickenlooper’s State of the State Address, click here.
Wildfire Mitigation Income Tax Credit
CAR initiated House Bill 16-1052, Change Wildfire Mitigation Tax Deduction to Credit by Representative KC Becker (D-Boulder) was introduced this week. HB 1052, which was recommended by the Wildfire Matters Review Committee, is modeled after HB15-1260. The bill eliminates the wildfire mitigation income tax deduction and creates a wildfire mitigation state income tax credit. This year’s iteration will allow for a tax credit of 25% of the costs of mitigation, up to $2500. The credit can be carried over for 5 years.
CAR believes HB-1052 is a targeted and reasonable policy solution that provides resources for homeowners to better prepare for and mitigate wildfire risks. Policy proposals that are focused on incentivizing activities that reduce the risk of wildfire are more likely to have a long term impact. Providing financial incentives such as tax credits to help property owners properly prepare are the best means by which to mitigate the risk and are critical to changing property owner behavior over the long term.
Colorado Project Wildfire
Developed by the Colorado Association of REALTORS®, Project Wildfire is designed to help reduce the destruction of land, property, and lives. Working in partnership with other like-minded fire prevention organizations across the state, local REALTOR® associations are bringing education and awareness, as well as access to resources, directly to residents in their local communitites. To learn more about Colorado Project Wildfire, click here.
Transit Alliance Spring 2016 Citizen’s Academy
The Transit Alliance is hosting their annual spring 2016 Citizen’s Academy from April 6, 2016 – May 18, 2016. This is a great opportunity to discuss transportation, community development, and sustainability in Colorado. The class is limited, so please get your applications in soon. More information and the application can be found here. The deadline to apply is Friday, March 18, 2016.