Demonstrators disrupt opening day of Colorado's state legislature

State lawmakers went back to work Wednesday amid a politically charged atmosphere.

Last month, two Democratic lawmakers resigned citing the vitriol, in part. This week, the speaker of the house reprimanded a member for an outburst that happened during the November special session and, just 40 minutes after the House gaveled in on opening day, pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouted from the gallery, disrupting the proceedings.

Leadership on both sides called for civility. Democratic State Sen. Julie Gonzalez noted they didn't have time for disruptions: "We may not always agree but we have to be able to have the conversations."

Republican state Rep. Mike Lynch said protestors were raising issues that the legislature has no control over: "My concerns are that everything is politicized and so what we're seeing is issues that don't even impact the state are being brought to the State House and with vigor and passion and emotion and a lack of decorum in a lot of cases. So we've got to sit back and focus on what's important, which are the citizens of Colorado and the issues that impact Colorado."

Among the biggest issues impacting the state is a lack of affordable housing. The first bill introduced in the House outlaws occupancy limits. There will also be bills giving homeowners the right to build accessory dwelling units and increase property taxes on short-term rentals. Lawmakers also created a task force during the November special session to come up with a permanent fix to rising property taxes overall. It's expected to make recommendations to the legislature by mid-March.

Democrats -- who control both chambers -- are also focused on air quality.

"My goal this session will be to make sure we are moving our airplanes and our airports away from leaded fuel and working with our communities to make sure that kids and pregnant people are protected from the effects of lead in aviation fuel," said Democratic state Rep. Kyle Brown, who plans to introduce a bill that would cut off state funding to airports that allow leaded fuel.

Brown also plans to bring several wildfire-related bills including one that gives homeowners in HOAs the right to fire harden, while Democratic state Rep. Brianna Titone will try again to license management companies that oversee HOAs' finances: "I think we've seen enough malfeasance to give the legislature some confidence that this is something we need to do."

Lawmakers will also debate whether it's time to license funeral home directors, turn possession of any amount of fentanyl into a felony and simplify driver's license requirements.

"This bill simplifies that tiered system," said Democratic state Rep. Mandy Lindsay, who will sponsor a bill that gets rid of the state's tiered system and allows minors to log driving hours with parents. "It is so complicated that some young people are forgoing getting a license entirely and just drive."

Health care affordability is always a top issue at the capitol and among the legislation sure to generate debate is a bill by Democratic State Sen. Dafna Michaelson Jenet requiring insurers and Medicaid to cover the drug Ozempic for all pre-diabetics: "Diabetes is a slow, persistent killer and if we can stop diabetes before it starts killing you, we save millions of dollars in our healthcare system."

Michaelson Jenet is also a sponsor of the first bill introduced in the Senate, which would provide ongoing funding for the I-Matter program. It offers six free counseling sessions for all K-12 students in Colorado. It started a couple of years ago and last year, Colorado's suicide rate dropped for the first time in a decade.

Another interesting bill could have a big impact on the lives of people with conditions like Attention Deficit Disorder and Dyslexia. It extends the accommodations they get in school to professional exams like those in real estate, law or medicine. Republican state Rep. Matt Soper, a sponsor of the bill, says right now they have to be re-evaluated for $5,000 to $8,000.

Yes, lawmakers created a task force during the November special session to come up with a permanent fix... And they will make recommendations by mid-March.