Colorado 2008 Legislation

About one in five Colorado households is not earning enough to meet their basic needs without private or governmental help.   They live below the point of self-sufficiency.  One in ten Colorado families lives below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)  - about $20,000 for a family of four.  Expenes are increasing dramatically - food, child care, energy, transportaiton and housing.  Even middle-class families are tightening their belts.  In recognition of hard economic times, the U.S. Congress approved an economic-stimulus package in record time.  While we are enjoying our rebate checks, we should remember that low-wage families (those who earn too little to have an income tax liability) are receiving $300 less per adult than other families in their federal rebate checks, despite their greater challenges meeting rising costs. 

SB 08-123

Child Nutrition School Lunch Program eliminates the "reduced price" paid by children in kindegarten through second grade. 13,665 K-2nd grade children will be provided with free school lunches.

SB 08-129

Requires each school district to adopt and implement a nutrition policy that prohibits the sale of beverages to students from any source. Exceptions that satisfy minimum nutritional requiremenst and beverages during specific school events. Requires each school district to adopt policies concerning the provision of healthful food choices in schools. Requires 4 school districts not currently receiving federal funding for school meals to adopt a wellness policy by 9-8-08.

HB 08-1224

Expands Colorado's Comprehensive Health Education Act to encourage school districts and board of cooperative education (BOCES) to adopt goals for student wellness programs. This bill provides competitive grants, up to $10,000 for new progtrams and $50,000 for existing programs. Goals include healthy choices and lifesytles, physical education, nutrition, mental health counseling, healthy school environments and involvement of families and communities. There is a $600,000 approriation for FY 2008-2009.

SB 08-177

State Department of Humnan Services legislation that includes a 20% increase in the monthly TANF cash grant.  This raises the grant from $356 per month for a family of three to about $420 per month, and provides the first cost of living adjustment in over 20 years. 

HB 09-1265

State Department of Human Services Bill allows counties to subsidize child care for families up to 85% of the state median income.  It raises the current income ceiling from 225% of FPL to 309% of FPL. 

HB 08-1387

Renews for three years the diversion of $12-$13 million per year from the Severance Tax Trust Fund.  About half would be used as utility payments for those with incomes under 185% of FPL.  About half of the money would be used for we3atherization of homes for people with income under 100% of the area median income. 

Opportunities Missed

Two important proposed legislative proposals, the State Earned Income Tax Credit and a cap on Pay Day Loans, were not passed by the 2008 Colorado Legislature. These measurs would have signficantly helped low-wage families in Colorado.

HB 1362

This bill would have paid the State Earned Income Tax Credit - up to $471 to 264,000 low wage Coloradans for two years.  It would have divered about $50 million from the Federal TANF Block Grant and about $5 mikllion from the Unemployment Insurance Fund.  Counties have been using only about 70-75% of their TANF funds, and have built up reserves of more than $136 million - more than a year's worth of TANF funding.  The State also has a Long Term TANF Reserve of $30 million.  TANF caseloads have fallen below 10,000 households statewide.  This bill was fillked in the House Finance Committee.

HB 1310

As approved by the House, this bill would cap interest on pay day loans at 45% APR and alllow poeple 30 days to pay off their loans.  Currenty the average APR on Colorado pay day loans paid is 353%.  It would also limit the fees which could be charged. Currently the average borrower takes out a loan of $343 and pays $544 in fees in addition to the repayment.  The average borrower took out nine loans per year.  After passing the House, ths bill was gutted, then killed, in the Senate.