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Colorado House 2026 Legislative Day 041

Monday, February 23, 2026·1h 8m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Colorado House passed ten bills on third reading during Legislative Day 041, with the most contentious debate centered on SB 52, a coal transition bill that drew a rare split within the Republican caucus as some members voted yes out of solidarity with coal workers while others argued the bill was an ineffective or unconstitutional government intervention in private hiring.

Key Actions

·HB 1071 – Automated Vehicle ID Systems on InterstatesPassed

+ 9 more actions

Controversies

Whether SB 52 genuinely helps coal workers or is an inadequate gesture

Representative Ken DeGraaf argued the bill is 'the pretense of caring' and that the money would 'go into the grift of this room,' contending it would not actually help coal workers. Assistant Minority Leader Ty Winter and Minority Leader Jarvis Caldwell, both voting yes, acknowledged the bill is imperfect — Winter calling it 'somewhat of a band aid' and Caldwell calling it a 'crutch' — but argued coal workers need support now regardless.

+ 2 more controversies

Notable Quotes

“Senate Bill 10 is adopted. CO sponsors. Representative Lindsay, co sponsors. Please close the machine. Mr. Scieba, please read the title to Senate Bill 52. Senate Bill 52 by Senators Roberts and Catlin. Also Representatives Luke and Zenmaro concerning cold transition communities and in connection therewith, providing a hiring preference for cold transition workers in cold transition communities and expanding the allowable ways in which a public entity may deposit or invest just transition money. Madam Majority Leader. Madam Speaker, I move Senate Bill 52 on third reading and final passage. Representative”

Representative Ken DeGraaf — DeGraaf opposed SB 52, which provides hiring preferences for coal workers in coal transition communities, arguing the bill does not genuinely help the workers harmed by the legislature's climate policy.

+ 3 more quotes

Votes

Adoption of HB 1071 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1034 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1070 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1136 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1115 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1182 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1096 on third reading and final passagePassed
No (1)Rep. Lindsay
Adoption of HB 1142 on third reading and final passagePassed
Yes (1)Rep. Lindsay
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TranscriptPreview
Amen. The House will come to order. Today. The Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Representative Flinell, House District 14. Thank you. Madam Speaker. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, individual with liberty and justice for all. Mr. Sheba, please call the roll. Representatives Bacon. Barone. Basinecker. Speaker Prote. Basenecker. Excused. Bottoms, Bradfield. Bradley. Brooks. Brown. Representative Brown. Excused. Caldwell. Camacho. Car. Representative Carter is excused. Clifford. DeGraff. Duran. English. Rep. English is excused. Espinoza. Ferre. She's there. Flannel, Froelich. Garcia. Garcia. Sander. Gilchrist. Goldstein. She's there. Gonzalez. Hamrick. Hartsook. Jackson. Quiet, please. Representative oh. Rep. Jackson is excused. Johnson. Representative Johnson. Joseph. Kelty. Leader. Lindsay. Here. Luck. Lukens. Mabry. Marshall. Martinez. Morrow. She's here. Oh, yeah. McCormick. Wynn. Pascal. Phillips. Richardson. Rick. Representative Ricks. Excused. Rutinel. Ryden. Sirota. Representative Sirota. Excused. Slaw. Smith. Rep. Soper. Is excused. Stuart K. Stuart R. Representative Stuart R. Excused. Story. Sukla. Taggart. Tatone. Representative tatone. It's excused. Valdez. A. Velasco. Representative velasco. Excused. Weinberg. Wilford. Rep. Wilford. Excused. Winter. Woodrow. Woog. Zokai. And madam speaker, here. With 55 present. 10. Excused. We do have…
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