The Second Regular Session of the 74th General Assembly will convene on Jan. 10 and adjourn May 8. A recurrent theme throughout the last several years doesn’t seem to be changing this upcoming session. Colorado businesses will continue to be on the defensive on many issues. Yes, it is an election year, so we could see less earth-shattering legislation than last year, but that’s not guaranteed.

With the 2024 elections less than a year away, Democrats will look to gain a super majority in the Senate, which they already have in the House, and Republicans are looking to pick up seats in both chambers. The 2023 session was a busy interim for ALCC/GreenCO. We attended multiple interim committees, including the Sales and Use Tax Simplification Task Force, Transportation Legislation Review Committee, the Committee on Ozone Air Quality and the Water Resources and Agriculture Review Committee (which just became a year-round committee). As usual, there were multiple bills approved in the interim committees that addressed sales and use tax, non-functional turf in new developments and many more that we continue to stay engaged on.

We also participated in multiple rulemaking meetings, including on pesticides, and attended other regulatory meetings during the interim. The most pressing matter we engaged on is the possibility of new restrictions on the use of handheld and push gas-powered equipment by the Air Quality Control Commission (AQCC). ALCC submitted comments in tandem with NALP for consideration. ALCC has asked to limit the regulation to 10 horsepower or under and push the implementation date out, so the incentive program and manufacturers have a chance to catch up.

This year, Gov. Jared Polis called a Special Session, which convened on Nov. 17 to address property taxes in the state after Proposition HH failed to get voters’ approval in the November election. The session lasted four days, and multiple bills were passed to address not only property taxes but also TABOR Refunds and assistance for renters. We expect property taxes to continue to be an issue during the 2024 session.

As we prepare for the upcoming legislative session, we will continue to stay engaged and craft our 2024 legislative priorities, which include water, pesticide regulation, sales and use tax issues, industry regulations, and workforce development.

As we get closer to the 2024 Legislative Session, we ask that all ALCC/GreenCO members stayed engaged. The more engagement we have from members, the better outcomes we will have at the General Assembly.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].