Highlights from the Legislature on Monday.
— The Senate voted 29-4 to give final approval to a measure giving students another way of qualifying for in-state tuition at state colleges and universities. Senate Bill 79 would allow U.S. citizens who graduated from a Colorado high school and attended high school in the state for at least three years to qualify. Currently, students or their parents must prove they have lived in the state for 12 months before enrolling in college. Legislative analysts say that’s been difficult for some students who are in foster care, are homeless or can’t establish the legal status of their parents.
— The House gave initial approval to House Bill 1359, allowing commercial wineries to share production facilities. It faces a third reading before it goes to the Senate.
— The Senate confirmed the appointment of Dan R. Ford of Bayfield to serve on the Colorado Banking Board. He will represent banks on the Western Slope and those with less than $150 million in assets.
— The Senate confirmed three appointments to the Colorado Tourism Office board of directors: Thomas J. Kleinschnitz, a Democrat from Grand Junction, representing outdoor recreation and small businesses; Joe Hodas, a Democrat of Denver, to representing tourism-related transportation; and Peter Meersman, an Aurora Republican, to represent the food, beverage and restaurant industry.
— The Senate confirmed the appointment of Stephen Valdez of Conejos and Jeanne “Gigi” Darricades of Alamosa to the Adams State College board of trustees. They agreed to wait before voting on a third appointee, Bruce Oreck of Boulder, in order to check how long he had been registered as an unaffiliated voter.
New bills introduced:
— Create a pilot program to provide mental health services for children who have been abused or neglected (House Bill 1391).
— Establish funding for CoverColorado, an existing state program for people who are denied coverage by insurance companies because of medical conditions. About half of the money would come from the unclaimed property trust fund and special fees against health insurers. The rest would come from premiums, grants and donations. (Senate Bill 1390).
