CCLP celebrated our 26th birthday party while reflecting on another year of successes on behalf of Coloradans experiencing poverty.
Recent articles
Small business displacement and Business Navigators
CCLP partnered with the city and county of Denver to administer a two-year program connecting Denver’s historically underinvested businesses with guides to programs, resources, and services available to them.
Facing the facts: Advocates present to the JBC on glitch-plagued PHE Unwind
Colorado health advocates presented to the Joint Budget Committee on glitch-plagued Public Health Emergency Unwind.
2024 Legislative session: addressing economic challenges at the individual and state level
Addressing economic challenges at the individual and state level after the 2024 Colorado legislative session.
Legislative Update: Feb. 26, 2016
Bill to Watch: HB 1045
Young children can give their parents much joy and love, but they are also expensive. Between the cost of food, clothing, shelter and childcare, kids put a serious crimp in finances wherever you are on the socio-economic spectrum. According to CCLP’s Self-Sufficiency Standard for 2015, an adult and preschooler in Adams County would need to earn $50,719 a year to cover basic needs without assistance. By contrast, a single adult residing in the same county would need just $25,831 a year to meet the self-sufficiency standard.
Triggering Colorado’s child tax credit would do much to relieve the financial stress that low- to middle-income households in Colorado experience. In fact, the aforementioned two-person family would have an additional $83 a month or $996 a year in their household budget if the child tax credit were available. For a family living on a tight budget, the child tax credit could make a difference between making ends meet or not.
House Bill 1045, sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont and Sen. Mike Merrifield, D- Colorado Springs, would remove a requirement imposed by previous state legislation that payment of Colorado’s Child Tax Credit to low- and moderate-income families with children under six is contingent on Congress passing legislation to tax Internet sales.
The legislation, which CCLP supports, will be considered by the House Finance Committee next Wednesday, March 2, and may face some concerns about budgetary implications. However, a recent court decision on the so-called Amazon tax law and Amazon’s decision to begin collecting taxes from Colorado shoppers could neutralize such concerns.
On the Radar
HB 1274 lifts certain restrictions for obtaining a driver’s license or ID for people who are not legal U.S. residents. CCLP supports the bill.
HB 1148 would provide the Legislative Oversight Committee with additional information about Connect For Health Colorado’s operations. The bill, which is an attempt to increase transparency and enhance public participation in Connect’s decision-making processes, was approved by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Thursday.
CCLP’s Elisabeth Arenales worked with the sponsors to narrow the scope of the legislation so that it so that it would accomplish its original goals without adversely complicating Connect’s operations. CCLP supports the legislation in its amended form.
-By Bob Mook