Colorado House 2026 Legislative Day 064

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Representatives Bacon. AML Bacon. Excuse. Barone. Basinecker. Bottoms. Here. Bradfield. Bradley. Brooks. Representative Brooks excused Brown Caldwell Camacho Carter Representative Carter excused Clifford Reptigraph is excused Duran English Representative English Espinoza Fure Flanelle Froelich Representative Froelich Garcia Garcia Sander Gilchrist Goldstein Gonzalez Hamrick Representative Hamrick Excuse Hartsook Jackson Representative Jackson Excuse Johnson Joseph Kelty Representative Kelty Excuse Leader Lindsey Representative Lindsey Excuse Luck Lukens Mabry Marshall Representative Marshall Martinez Morrow Representative Morrow is excused McCormick Wynn Pascal Phillips Representative Phillips is excused Richardson Ricks Representative Ricks is excused Rutanel Rep. Rutanel is excused Ryden Representative Ryden is excused Sirota Slaw Rep Slaw is excused Smith Soper Rep Soper is excused Stuart Kay Stuart R. Story. Sucla. Taggart. Titone. Valdez A. Rep. Valdez is excused. Velasco. Rep. Velasco is excused. Weinberg. Representative Weinberg is excused. Wilford is excused. Winter. Woodrow. Representative Woodrow. Excused. Woog. Representative Woog. Excused. Representative Woog. Representative Zokai is excused, and Madam Speaker here.

With 51 members present, 14 excused, we do have a quorum.

Representative Slaw, I need to tell you something. My husband watches the Colorado Channel every day, and he was so appreciative of the deep dive you did, the research you did on my family name. So thank you. Really appreciate it. Not a problem, Madam Speaker. It's with some Irish ancestry of my own, and having taken some classes in that actually in college once upon a long time ago, it is of an interest to me all the time anyway.

Madam Speaker, I move the journal of Tuesday, March 17, 2026 be approved as corrected by the Chief Clerk.

Thank you, Madam Chair. It's an honor to serve with you.

Some of you may notice that some of you have cookies delivered to you today, Girl Scout cookies. I apologize profusely if you didn't get the memo because it was a very last minute thing, but I promise I know better, I will do better next year. And they came courtesy of my great niece and her troop, and they're sitting over here and they did the pledge from Highlands Ranch. and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention that I feel like I'm channeling Faith Winter today so you're welcome

Representative Mabry thank you Madam Speaker Judiciary Committee we are going to be meeting at 1.30 in room 107 we're going to hear Senate Bill 14 House Bill 1234, House Bill 1256, House Bill 1255, and House Bill 1148. We will be either at 1.30 or 10 minutes upon adjournment of the upon-adjournment committees. Room 107.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Business Affairs and Labor Committee will meet 15 minutes upon adjournment, and we'll hear House Bill 26, 13, 11, and Senate Bill 26, 50 in that order.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Good morning and happy hump day. Members, today is Greeley Day at the Capitol. We are joined this morning by Mayor Dyer Hall, members of Greeley City Council, members Melissa McDonald, who's also Mayor Pro Tem, Councilman Brian Rudy, Councilman Ryan Roth, Interim City Manager Brian McBroom, and staff, or as I like to say, team, because I don't like to use the word staff. It's an ugly word. Joining the city is the president of University of Northern Colorado, Andy Feinstein, Greeley Area Chamber of Commerce, Ames Community College, Greeley Downtown Development Authority, and Greeley Evans School District 6. Each year, the city of Greeley and community partners host a day at the Capitol to share the great happenings going on across the city and advocate for our legislation. Please join me in welcoming our guests today that are here on the house floor and on the gallery. And if you guys can please now be recognized. Welcome to the People's House.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. The Education Committee will be meeting 10 minutes upon adjournment in Room 107. We will hear House Bill 1282 and House Bill 1321. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. the Transportation, Housing, and Local Government Committee, will meet in LSBA hopefully at 1.30, or upon adjournment of the upon adjournment, for 12.86, 12.02, 12.67, and 12.84. We have also added 12.87 for action only. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. We have the Health and Human Services hearing today at 1.30 in room 112. We've had some changes to the schedule, so just want to make sure everyone understands. We are going to be hearing 13.07, the sunset of the Medical Practice Board. 12.41, we are going to hear that bill. It was listed for action only in the calendar, but we are actually hearing the full bill. And then 12.49, we are laying over the Medical Aesthetics Corporation ownership, so we will not hear that today. and then we will hear 1301, 1272, and 110. Thank you.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Tomorrow, Capital Development Committee will be meeting at 8.30 in the morning in room 357 to have consideration of property transaction proposal from the Department of Natural Resources.

Madam Speaker, I move to proceed out of order for consideration of resolutions.

Madam Speaker, I move for the immediate consideration of House Joint Resolution 1022.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. I move House Joint Resolution 261022 and ask that it be read at length.

The title Thank you Mr Schiebel House Joint Resolution 1022 by Representatives Brown and Joseph also Senators Zimabale and Wallace concerning the designation of Arapahoe Road from the intersection of U Route 36 to the intersection of U Route 287 as the Road of Remembrance

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Apparently I'm rusty. I move House Joint Resolution 1022 and ask it to be read at length.

whereas the armistice of November 11, 1918 ended the fighting of World War I, and whereas in the years that immediately followed 1918, civic veterans and governmental groups in Boulder County, Colorado, began planning a road of remembrance to honor veterans from Boulder County who had served in the military during World War I, and whereas the road of remembrance was intended to begin north of Lafayette, Colorado, at the intersection of Arapahoe Road and the then-named Lincoln Highway, which is now known today as United States Route 287, and travel west to the city of Boulder. And whereas in 1928, with funding raised by the Lions Club of Boulder, work began on the gateway for the Road of Remembrance. And whereas the gateway, also known as the Pillars, featured two large stone pillars on either side of the intersection of Arapahoe Road and United States Route 287. And whereas the Pillars were intended to serve as a powerful entrance to the Road of Remembrance, and featured a plaque from the Lions Club of Boulder honoring local World War I veterans. And whereas in April 1928, ground was broken for construction of the pillars, and more than 1,000 people attended the dedication of the gateway in June 1928. And whereas shortly after the dedication of the gateway, officials built an adjacent park to help beautify the entrance of the Road of Remembrance. And whereas although the pillars remained, the Great Depression and the years that followed halted progress on the road of remembrance, and the road was never formally recognized or completed after initial efforts began following World War I. And whereas over time, the pillars and the surrounding land fell into disrepair, with a lack of routine maintenance leading to deterioration. And whereas for many Boulder County residents, the gateway still serves as a reminder of the sacrifice of World War I veterans and is a key landmark in the community. And whereas to maintain the integrity and upkeep of the stone pillars during ongoing construction projects in Lafayette and to preserve the promise to honor Boulder County veterans, a working group in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Transportation is coordinating the relocation of the pillars to the southwest corner of Arapahoe Road and 95th Street in Lafayette. And whereas, although the Road of Remembrance was never formally recognized as a memorial highway during the early years of its planning, the spirit of the initial project lives on in the civic, veterans, and governmental organization members who are working over 100 years later to safeguard this chapter in history. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the 75th General Assembly of the State of Colorado, the Senate concurring herein, that the portion of 007C Arapahoe Road from U.S. 36, mile marker 52.29 to U.S. 287, mile marker 60.683 be designated as the Road of Remembrance, that the Colorado Department of Transportation may accept and expend gifts, grants, and donations for the purpose of the initial placement of signs to mark the designation of Arapahoe Road as the Road of Remembrance, and that the Colorado Department of Transportation may explore a cooperative agreement with the appropriate authorities of Boulder County for the maintenance of the markings for the Road of Remembrance.

Thank you, Madam Speaker, and thank you, colleagues. You can be seated. I appreciate you standing today. I rise today to present this resolution recognizing the road of remembrance in Boulder County. You know, as a personal sort of anecdote, I will say that I've lived in Boulder County basically most of my life, almost 30 years now. And, sorry, I didn't mean it that way. And for the longest part of my childhood especially, there were always these pillars that stood on Arapahoe Road right at 287, and I always wondered what they were for. And in talking with our wonderful civic leaders who are committed to the kind of historic preservation and the honoring of our veterans, I have not only learned what these pillars were built for, but I have learned the significance of the road that they demarcate. So as you heard in the resolution following the end of World War I, the armistice of November 11, 1918, communities in Colorado were looking for lots of ways that they could honor those who had served and those who had never returned home. Colorado lost about 1,000 service members during the war, and many local communities created lasting tributes. In Boulder County, civic and veterans groups envisioned a road of remembrance stretching from Lafayette to Boulder, and in 1928, community members built the Stone Gateway, now known as the Pillars, marking the entrance. The full vision of the roadway was unfortunately never completed, but the spirit of that memorial has endured for more than a century, apparently especially for kids in Boulder County who don't know their own history. This resolution formally recognizes that history by designating this portion of Arapahoe Road as the road of remembrance. And just as an aside, I want to thank the Boulder Rotary Club, CDOT, and the American Legion Post 10. We have a couple of their members here with us today. I hope you can, I'll just ask them to stand and be recognized. We have Bill Meyer, we have Marty Evans, and we have Ted Sikora. from Boulder Rotary and from our local American Legion post. And I just want to thank them and their colleagues for all of their efforts in preserving our history, not only in Boulder County, but in continuing to honor the veterans in World War I who gave the ultimate sacrifice. So thank you, Madam Speaker. And we ask for an aye vote.

Thank you. Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you, members, for the opportunity to present these resolutions today. and also to be standing with my good representatives from Boulder, from neighboring districts actually. This resolution stands on more than a name. It stands on a promise that was made over a century ago and left unfinished In the years following World War I communities across Boulder County came together with a simple but profound vision to create a road of remembrance a place where everyday life and lasting gratitude would meet a road where each mile carried the memory of those who served and where the sacrifice of veterans would never fade into the background of history. They began that work. They built the gateway. They gathered by the thousands. They believed deeply that honoring service should not be temporary. It should be built into the very fabric of our community. But history intervened. The Great Depression halted progress. Time passed. And what was meant to be a lasting tribute became an unfinished chapter in our history. And yet, despite the decades, the spirit of that effort was never disappeared. It lived on in the stone pillars that still stand today. It lived on in the families who remembered. It lived on in the quiet understanding that we owed something more to those who served. Today, we have the opportunity to fulfill that promise. by designating this stretch of Oropa Road as a road of remembrance. We're not creating something new. We're completing something that should have been done a long time ago. We are restoring intentions. We are honoring. We are ensuring that remembrance is not confined to a single day but embedded into the path we travel each and every day. Because remembrance is not passive. It is a responsibility. It is a responsibility to acknowledge sacrifice, to preserve history, to make sure that future generations understand that freedom they inherit were hard-earned and never guaranteed. This resolution says that Colorado remembers, Boulder remembers, it says that Boulder County remembers, and it says that even 100 years, a promise can still be kept. Let us finish what we've started. Again, it is truly an honor. As someone who was born in Haiti and serving this country and serving this state and representing Boulder, it shows the importance of the work that we do and all who have served this country and this nation. Thank you so much. Please vote yes.

I want to thank my colleagues for bringing this forward, and I want to thank the Boulder Rotary. I've lived in Boulder for 35 years, and I have driven by those for years, decades, not knowing what it was, until last year when they started working on this last year or two years ago. And there was an article in the paper that explained what the pillars were, and I thought, ah. So I'm really excited and proud that they have brought this forward, and I urge a yes vote as well. Thank you.

Representative Bottoms, how do you vote?

Representative Bottoms votes yes. Representative Luck, how do you vote?

Representative Luck votes yes. Representative Carter is excused. Please close the machine. With 60 ayes, 0 no, and 5 excused, House Joint Resolution 1022 is adopted. Co-sponsors.

Yes.

Any final announcements or introductions? Representative Hamrick.

It is an honor to serve with you.

Welcome. Actually, I have an announcement. Members, the wonderful Majority Leader has paid all of the fines that were due for all of you. I think, yeah. Thanks, Minority Leader Caldwell. However, Madam Majority Leader, I'm not sure people are then feeling the pain of, you know, changing behavior. So I agree. We just love our staff. Madam Majority Leader.

Seeing no objection, the balance of the calendar will be laid over until tomorrow.

The House will stand in recess until later today. Thank you.