January 30, 2023 04:56 PM UTC

Saving renters money and more ways to fight for progress this week (January 30)

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• by: ProgressNow Colorado

One of the most important priorities in this year’s session of the Colorado General Assembly is bringing down the cost of housing for Colorado’s working families.

One of the many pieces of legislation lawmakers will consider this year is a bill to save prospective renters money when searching for a new rental home. Searching for a new place to live can be a frustrating and expensive process, made even worse by onerous application fees charged by landlords to cover the cost of background checks and income verification.

But what if there’s an easier way? There is, and it’s called a portable tenant screening report. Under legislation recently introduced in the Colorado House, renters would be able to obtain a screening report that multiple property owners can access instead of charging multiple application fees for duplicate work. It’s a simple change that would empower tenants in the application process.

Action item #1 this week: contact your state representative and urge them to vote YES on House Bill 23-1099, Portable Screening Report For Residential Leases.

Next up: In 2020, Colorado voters passed the FAMLI paid family and medical leave program to provide working people in Colorado access to wage replacement benefits. Legislation under consideration in the Colorado Senate this year as the FAMLI program goes online will clarify the language of FAMLI to ensure the benefit is fairly calculated at a rate based on past wages. Click here to contact members of the Senate Business, Labor, & Technology Committee and urge them to vote YES on Senate Bill 23-046.

And here are a few more ways to take action for the week of January 30th, 2023:

A Presentation on Boarding Schools for Indigenous Children

Jerilyn DeCoteau (Turtle Mountain Chippewa) of Toward Right Relationship will present a slide show about the history of boarding schools for Indigenous children. Refreshments and discussion.

When: Tuesday, January 31 at 3:30pm
Where: Saint Ambrose Episcopal Church, 7520 South Boulder Rd., Boulder

Click here to RSVP.

Conservation Colorado Jefferson County Legislative Kick-Off Event

JeffCo residents! Join Conservation Colorado, Senator Lisa Cutter, and Representative Sheila Lieder for our legislative kick-off event where Senator Cutter and Representative Lieder will be discussing their bills for the 2023 Legislative Session. There will also be time to mingle and get to know your legislators!

When: Wednesday, February 1 at 6:00pm

Click here to RSVP.

350 Denver’s Climate Leadership Workshop part 1

Save the date for our 2023 climate leadership workshop, scheduled for Saturday, 2/4 from 10:30 am – 4 pm at the Ross Hills University Library (4310 E Amherst Ave, Denver, CO 80222). Come learn about storytelling, movement building, and organizing in order for us to grow as activists and strengthen the Denver climate movement! Free lunch and great company will be provided as well. Click the link below to register for this training!

When: Saturday, February 4 at 10:30am
Where: Ross-University Hills Branch Library, 4310 E Amherst Ave., Denver

Click here to RSVP.

Colorado Jewish Climate Summit

The climate crisis is the most critical issue facing our planet today. Join Jews from across Colorado for a day of study, inspiration, and community building. We will hear from community leaders, elected officials, and scientists as we learn how to advance bold climate action as individuals, communities, and voters. The summit will include educational seminars, opportunities for direct action, kids programming, and a joyous concert.

When: Sunday, February 5 at 10:30am
Where: Hebrew Educational Alliance, 3600 S Ivanhoe St., Denver

Click here to RSVP.

Save the date: Conservation Colorado Central Mountains Legislative Kickoff

Learn about the exciting environmental work happening during the 2023 legislative session with special guests, Representative Elizabeth Velasco and Senator Dylan Roberts.

When: Tuesday, February 7 at 6:00pm
Where: The Bluebird Cafe, 730 Grand Ave., Glenwood Springs

Click here to RSVP.

Save the date: One Colorado LGBTQ+ Lobby Day

One way we can shape the future of equality in Colorado is by making sure our elected representatives hear from us, so mark your calendar and sign up to join us! Don’t worry if it’s your first time at Lobby Day, we’ll train you, feed you, and provide you with all the information you’ll need to feel comfortable. To ensure we are successful in creating Lobbying groups when we go to the Capitol, please provide your complete address when signing up. You might be asking: why? We want to ensure folks from the same House and Senate Districts can lobby their respective legislative representatives.

When: Monday, February 13, 2023 at 8:00am
Where: First Baptist Church of Denver, 1373 Grant St., Denver

Click here to RSVP.

Save the date: Together Colorado The Facility Film Screening

Join Together Colorado for a community screening of “The Facility” followed by a panel discussion. “The Facility” is a documentary short that tells the story of Aurora’s GEO ICE facility — a private immigrant detention center whose shadowy practices are obscured from advocates and lawmakers alike. This film is directed by Jeremy Flood, who specializes in cinematic documentary story-telling and has worked with political campaigns, unions and advocacy organizations to tell stories that move people to action. This documentary aims to bring a local perspective to the devastating consequences of our immigration policy, and offer a microcosm of what is being done to communities across this country.

When: Thursday, Febryary 16, 2023 at 6:00pm
Where: Montview Boulevard Presbyterian Church, 1980 Dahlia St., Denver

Click here to RSVP.

Thanks again! We’ll see you next week with more ways to take action.