The Senate Version is the Right Version
The intent of the Land Use bill is a noble one: take steps to address our statewide housing crisis by removing barriers to expand access to affordable housing throughout Colorado. Simply put, build more houses and fast. This is a top priority for everyone, including Governor Polis who has been listening for well over a year now to how housing shortfalls are affecting everything we do.
If we are being honest and brave enough to set egos aside, our housing needs requires an “all hands on deck” approach. This means Local Governments and the State working together.
When the bill was introduced, it was SWEEPING and fast with little time left on the Session clock to work out the very necessary team approach. However, because of the importance and impact everyone got to work. What came out of the Senate was a good bill, something everyone had compromised and collaborated on. Something which signaled a desire for all levels of government to work together AND maybe the start of better days for housing in Colorado. (Insert heavy sigh here.)
We don’t know what happened over last weekend when SB213 went from Senate to House, but all of the good work that was done in the Senate was disassembled. Specifically, statewide zoning which would preempt local control was dumped back into the bill. Efforts which would ensure that Local Governments and the State were working together went right out the window.
The House passed their version of SB213 back to the Senate yesterday with several interesting votes. Now the Senate has a choice: reject the House amendments and ask for a conference committee or vote to adhere to its position. If the House does not recede from its position and revert to the Senate position, the bill dies on the calendar.
This is all going to be decided TODAY, Saturday May 6th. Putting this out to the Universe: please let this legislature make a decision that promotes
OUR Local Governments and
OUR State
WORKING
TOGETHER!