Senate Judiciary

Monday, March 2, 2026·2h 0m·▶ Watch / Listen

The Colorado Senate Judiciary Committee advanced two bills unanimously: SB 95, a wide-ranging survivor-protection bill allowing CCTV testimony for victims of serious crimes, and HB 1020, which bars prosecutions relying solely on unreliable colorimetric field drug tests — both placed on the consent calendar after passing 7-0.

Key Actions

·SB 26-095 – Survivor Protections (Remote Testimony, Anti-SLAP, Arbitration, Training)Passed

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Controversies

Constitutionality of CCTV/sequestered testimony provision in SB 95 Section 7

James Carbach (State Public Defender) argued the provision raised confrontation clause concerns under Colorado's state constitution, which 'uses the phrase face to face,' and cited the Iowa Supreme Court's finding that a similar provision was unconstitutional under that state's constitution, while also stating 'I don't know anywhere else in the nation that singles out certain charges for evaluation of whether people testify or not.' Senator Weissman and supporting witnesses including Attorney General Weiser, Elizabeth Newman (CCASA), and Emily Tafti Nestaval (RMVLC) argued the provision is necessary because survivors are sometimes required to testify as close as four feet from their offender and that without the option many victims will not testify at all. Carbach acknowledged Amendment L001 'addresses some but not all of our concerns.'

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Notable Quotes

“The first time that I saw the man who stalked me was in the hallway. Before the trial began in Arapaho county, we were escorted to the courtroom at the same time, and we stood face to face outside the doors. He reached out to touch me, and it was one of the worst moments of my life. And then I spent two days on the witness stand recounting intimate details of my experience while he loudly reacted. Every time I said I didn't know him or that I was afraid of him. No victim should have to experience that.”
Cole Zweiland [Whelan], stalking survivor — Zweiland testified in support of SB 95's Section 7, which would allow certain victim-survivors to testify via closed-circuit television from outside the courtroom rather than in the physical presence of the defendant.

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Votes

Move Senate Bill 95 as amended to the committee of the whole with a favorable recommendationPassed

Yes (7)Carson, Daugherty, Henriksen, Wallace, Zamora Wilson, Weissman, Mr. Chair

Move House Bill 1020 to the committee of the whole with a favorable recommendationPassed

Yes (7)John Carson, Lindsey Daugherty, Nick Hinrichsen, Katie Wallace, Lynda Zamora Wilson, Dylan Roberts, Mike Weissman

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TranscriptPreview

Good afternoon. The Senate Judiciary Committee will please come to order. It is Monday, March 2nd. Ms. Jensen, please start us off with a roll call. Senators Carson. President Dougherty. Here. Henriksen. Here. Wallace. Here. Zamora, Wilson. Here. Roberts. Here. Mr. Chair. Here. All right, everyone is present. We have two bills on our agenda today. First will be Senate Bill 95. Second will be House Bill 1020, because I'm presenting Senate Bill 95. Mr. Vice Chair, Senator Roberts will be presiding chair for this part of the hearing. All right, Senator Weissman, Senate Bill 95, whenever you're ready. Okay, thank you. Committee for hearing. Senate Bill 95 today. In a word, 95 is a bill about survivorship, which we talk about a lot in a lot of different respects in this committee. Part of that is certainly apprehending folks who have harmed others and subjecting them to appropriate consequences. There is more to survivorship, as I think about it, which is a condition nobody asks for and too many people have to find their way through, and that everything else is sort of what the bill is about. I will do a quick walkthrough, section by section. There are…

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