Briefly | Bennet touts $270 million funding for Colorado’s military bases, personnel
Courtesy of Buckley Air Force Base via Wikimedia Commons
Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics’ daily news briefing. Here’s what’s happening today:
Polis highlights housing and safety initiatives in Colorado Springs, Pueblo
Gov. Jared Polis visited Pueblo and Colorado Springs today to highlight the cities’ recent investments in affordable housing and public safety.
In southeast Colorado Springs, Polis toured the Village at Solid Rock, a 77-unit affordable housing complex owned by the Solid Rock Community Development Corporation.
Polis recently signed several measures into law to help reach his goal of increasing affordable housing in Colorado, including a bill promoting “transit oriented” communities and another that prohibits municipalities from placing occupancy limits on residences, regardless of familial relationships.
“Expanding housing opportunities Coloradans can afford is critical to lowering costs and helping families thrive,” Polis said. “Today, in Colorado Springs I toured 77 units of new housing that offer options closer to job centers so families have more time to explore everything that makes Colorado Springs a great place to live.”
Polis then traveled to Pueblo, where he joined Mayor Heather Graham at the Real Time Crime Center, a facility that helps improve police response time by using real-time camera footage of crime scenes. Over the summer, the Real Time Crime Center received a $1 million grant from the Department of Local Affairs.
“In Colorado, we are focused on preventing crime and helping our law enforcement to quickly catch and detain criminals,” said Polis. “The Real Time Crime Center is an innovative facility that is helping to decrease crime rates across Southern Colorado, and keep our communities safer.”
Colorado named best state in the nation for people with disabilities
Gov. Jared Polis and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera are celebrating the results of a recent study by AAA State of Play that named Colorado as the best state in the US for people with disabilities.
The study rated each state based on a number of factors, including digital accessibility laws, the number of wheelchair-friendly trails on the trail-finding app AllTrails, the percentage of disabled adults in the state who are living in poverty, and the percentage of disabled individuals with a four-year college degree.
The Polis administration has signed a number of measures on disabilities into law, including ending “subminimum” wage for workers with disabilities, improving access to higher education for students with disabilities, and establishing the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.
“Since day one, we have been committed to building a Colorado for all and this study shows why Colorado is the best place to live, work, play and raise a family for all Coloradans, no matter their ability or background,” Polis said. “We have been focused on expanding job opportunities, investing in accessible infrastructure and continuing to create a more welcoming and inclusive Colorado where everyone can thrive.”
Other states that received high ratings in the study include California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
Neguse introduces cyclist safety act in memory of Boulder teen
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse has introduced the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act, named in honor of a 17-year-old Boulder teen who was killed in 2023 while training for the Junior Mountain Bike World Championships.
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created a minimum performance standard requiring all passenger vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized a rule to make these systems standard on all passenger cars and light trucks by 2029. Neguse’s Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act would ensure all AEB systems can detect not only pedestrians on foot but on bicycles and motorcycles, as well.
Neguse worked on the bill with Magnus’s parents, Michael and Jill White. They believe that, if the vehicle that struck Magnus had an AEB system in place, he would still be alive today.
“I am deeply inspired by Jill and Michael’s continued courage and advocacy, turning their pain into purpose and honoring Magnus’s memory by helping to make our roads safer for everyone,” said Neguse. “The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act implements common-sense solutions that prevent tragedies and ultimately save lives.”
Bennet touts funding Colorado’s military bases and families
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is touting the passage of more than $270 million in federal funding for Colorado’s military bases and personnel in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is headed to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The measure also requires the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the effects of the recent Defense Health Agency rule change decreasing TRICARE reimbursement rates for children’s hospitals by 40%.
Other provisions in the NDAA that Bennet supported include:
-
$68 million in funding for Buckley Space Force Bases’ power resiliency project, which will support all Colorado Space Force installations
-
Pay increases of 14.5% for junior enlisted service members and 4.5% for all other service members
-
$216 million in funding for research, development and deployment of national defense and aerospace technology
-
Coverage parity and elimination of copays for contraceptives for TRICARE beneficiaries
-
$3.08 billion for cellular companies to remove and replace sensitive telecommunications equipment to comply with the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
-
Requiring the Department of Defense and State Department to evaluate Japan’s export control systems and engage Japanese stakeholders on AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Japan is being considered for Pillar 2 of the partnership, which focuses on the joint development of advanced military technologies.
Briefly | Bennet touts $270 million funding for Colorado’s military bases, personnel
Welcome to Briefly, Colorado Politics’ daily news briefing. Here’s what’s happening today:
Polis highlights housing and safety initiatives in Colorado Springs, Pueblo
Gov. Jared Polis visited Pueblo and Colorado Springs today to highlight the cities’ recent investments in affordable housing and public safety.
In southeast Colorado Springs, Polis toured the Village at Solid Rock, a 77-unit affordable housing complex owned by the Solid Rock Community Development Corporation.
Polis recently signed several measures into law to help reach his goal of increasing affordable housing in Colorado, including a bill promoting “transit oriented” communities and another that prohibits municipalities from placing occupancy limits on residences, regardless of familial relationships.
“Expanding housing opportunities Coloradans can afford is critical to lowering costs and helping families thrive,” Polis said. “Today, in Colorado Springs I toured 77 units of new housing that offer options closer to job centers so families have more time to explore everything that makes Colorado Springs a great place to live.”
Polis then traveled to Pueblo, where he joined Mayor Heather Graham at the Real Time Crime Center, a facility that helps improve police response time by using real-time camera footage of crime scenes. Over the summer, the Real Time Crime Center received a $1 million grant from the Department of Local Affairs.
“In Colorado, we are focused on preventing crime and helping our law enforcement to quickly catch and detain criminals,” said Polis. “The Real Time Crime Center is an innovative facility that is helping to decrease crime rates across Southern Colorado, and keep our communities safer.”
Colorado named best state in the nation for people with disabilities
Gov. Jared Polis and Lt. Gov. Dianne Primavera are celebrating the results of a recent study by AAA State of Play that named Colorado as the best state in the US for people with disabilities.
The study rated each state based on a number of factors, including digital accessibility laws, the number of wheelchair-friendly trails on the trail-finding app AllTrails, the percentage of disabled adults in the state who are living in poverty, and the percentage of disabled individuals with a four-year college degree.
The Polis administration has signed a number of measures on disabilities into law, including ending “subminimum” wage for workers with disabilities, improving access to higher education for students with disabilities, and establishing the Colorado Disability Opportunity Office.
“Since day one, we have been committed to building a Colorado for all and this study shows why Colorado is the best place to live, work, play and raise a family for all Coloradans, no matter their ability or background,” Polis said. “We have been focused on expanding job opportunities, investing in accessible infrastructure and continuing to create a more welcoming and inclusive Colorado where everyone can thrive.”
Other states that received high ratings in the study include California, Massachusetts, and Minnesota.
Neguse introduces cyclist safety act in memory of Boulder teen
U.S. Rep. Joe Neguse has introduced the Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act, named in honor of a 17-year-old Boulder teen who was killed in 2023 while training for the Junior Mountain Bike World Championships.
In 2021, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law created a minimum performance standard requiring all passenger vehicles to be equipped with automatic emergency braking (AEB) systems. Earlier this year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration finalized a rule to make these systems standard on all passenger cars and light trucks by 2029. Neguse’s Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act would ensure all AEB systems can detect not only pedestrians on foot but on bicycles and motorcycles, as well.
Neguse worked on the bill with Magnus’s parents, Michael and Jill White. They believe that, if the vehicle that struck Magnus had an AEB system in place, he would still be alive today.
“I am deeply inspired by Jill and Michael’s continued courage and advocacy, turning their pain into purpose and honoring Magnus’s memory by helping to make our roads safer for everyone,” said Neguse. “The Magnus White Cyclist Safety Act implements common-sense solutions that prevent tragedies and ultimately save lives.”
Bennet touts funding Colorado’s military bases and families
U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet is touting the passage of more than $270 million in federal funding for Colorado’s military bases and personnel in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which is headed to President Biden’s desk for signature.
The measure also requires the Department of Defense to brief Congress on the effects of the recent Defense Health Agency rule change decreasing TRICARE reimbursement rates for children’s hospitals by 40%.
Other provisions in the NDAA that Bennet supported include:
$68 million in funding for Buckley Space Force Bases’ power resiliency project, which will support all Colorado Space Force installations
Pay increases of 14.5% for junior enlisted service members and 4.5% for all other service members
$216 million in funding for research, development and deployment of national defense and aerospace technology
Coverage parity and elimination of copays for contraceptives for TRICARE beneficiaries
$3.08 billion for cellular companies to remove and replace sensitive telecommunications equipment to comply with the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019
Requiring the Department of Defense and State Department to evaluate Japan’s export control systems and engage Japanese stakeholders on AUKUS, the trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Japan is being considered for Pillar 2 of the partnership, which focuses on the joint development of advanced military technologies.