Its Own Way In Uncertain Times

LEGISLATIVE Colorado Finds Its Own Way In Uncertain Times

Elizabeth Peetz

Vice President of Government Affairs, Colorado Association of REALTORS®

"Democracy is messy, and it’s hard. It’s never easy." ~ Robert Kennedy Jr.

It’s hard to believe we actually turned the page on a new year because no one seems to have shed the emotional baggage of 2020 yet. Democracy is messy by design because our Founders intended it to promote discussion and deliberation. However, no one could have anticipated the incidents in D.C. that left many of us wondering what comes next in 2021. Although the polarization of our population continues to color the national political scene, we can take refuge in the knowledge that Colorado is known for finding its own way.

The Colorado General Assembly opened on January 13, 2021 and swore in new members, but postponed most opening traditions such as the State of the State address and opening speeches. The members of the General Assembly took up only a small group of mostly time-sensitive bills over three days before recessing until February 16th out of an abundance of caution due to COVID-19. When policymakers return to legislative deliberation, we anticipate a robust new legislative session where the Democrats lead both the State House (41D-24R) and the State Senate (20D-15R) with comfortable majorities. These governing margins mean the Democrats will have more room to bring forward their agendas than in past years that featured split control of the chambers.

The Colorado Association of REALTORS® is focused on legislation that will open the doors of opportunity of homeownership to all Coloradans. CAR is bringing a legislative package this year that will include: 1) Financial literacy in high school curriculum.

2) Annual reporting by the Division of Housing on how we spend dollars in housing in Colorado.

3) Building credit for tenants that wish to enter homeownership.

4) Incentivizing affordable housing dollars approved by voters (Prop EE) to give grants to local governments that pursue best practices in affordable housing development.

CAR will be vigilant in monitoring for legislation that will increase the cost of housing for energy efficiency compliance, fill budget deficits with real estate fees and taxes, and burdensome regulations on independent contractors that could hurt small businesses or consumers. Some of the bills that did not proceed in 2020 due to COVID-19, such as arbitration, special district transparency HOA regulations, inclusionary zoning, wildfire mitigation and prevention, are likely to return in 2021.

We look forward to the optimism of a new year and new opportunities to engage in public policy. Thank you to all our incoming Legislative Policy Committee members who have answered the call to serve. They will be helping CAR steer good public policy that supports a strong housing market for consumers from all walks of life. Don’t forget to check in with your LPC representative throughout the session to find out what the LPC is working on in 2021.