In the mid-90s, President Bill Clinton famously promised to “end welfare as we know it,” by capping the number of years for eligibility and imposing restrictions for certain public benefits. Non-citizens were hit particularly hard as part of that misguided goal as...
Recent articles
Part 2: What is Credit Reporting, and How Does It Harm People with Medical Debt?
Accessing and maintaining good credit is essential to achieving economic mobility. However, a derogatory mark on a credit report can likewise significantly harm one’s life. When an individual struggles to pay off medical debt, the resultant poor credit report can...
March Letter from Bethany Pray, Interim Executive Director
March brings change. The session is nearing the halfway point, the sub-zero temperatures are over in Denver — we hope! — and over the next four weeks, the thousands of fiscal decisions that go into the budget will come together and the legislative landscape will begin...
Private Duty Nursing: One Family’s Story
When we think about complicated health insurance programs like Medicaid, it’s easy to miss the stories of the individual people and families who receive these benefits. A few months ago, one remarkable mother shared her family’s story in a public hearing to the...
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
Recent articles
Myths & Facts: Ending Colorado’s Unconstitutional Sponsorship Law
In the mid-90s, President Bill Clinton famously promised to “end welfare as we know it,” by capping the number of years for eligibility and imposing restrictions for certain public benefits. Non-citizens were hit particularly hard as part of that misguided goal as...
Part 2: What is Credit Reporting, and How Does It Harm People with Medical Debt?
Accessing and maintaining good credit is essential to achieving economic mobility. However, a derogatory mark on a credit report can likewise significantly harm one’s life. When an individual struggles to pay off medical debt, the resultant poor credit report can...
March Letter from Bethany Pray, Interim Executive Director
March brings change. The session is nearing the halfway point, the sub-zero temperatures are over in Denver — we hope! — and over the next four weeks, the thousands of fiscal decisions that go into the budget will come together and the legislative landscape will begin...
Private Duty Nursing: One Family’s Story
When we think about complicated health insurance programs like Medicaid, it’s easy to miss the stories of the individual people and families who receive these benefits. A few months ago, one remarkable mother shared her family’s story in a public hearing to the...