Is Colorado better off now than at the start of the 2023 legislative session? Though the most controversial and partisan bills generally make the news and grab people’s attention, it is the smaller, bipartisan bills that have the most impact. Outside of the larger divisive issues of 2023, the General Assembly got to work to help Coloradans.

This legislature continued to focus its attention on improving and creating access to health care with a specialized focus on behavioral health and substance abuse. This includes HB23-1088, which expands access for our veterans who have exhausted their federal benefits.

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This bill allows those who reside in veterans’ community living centers to be reimbursed for up to 26 mental health sessions. The General Assembly also passed SB23-174, which allows access to behavioral health services for children through Medicaid services as well as the School Health Services Program. In addition, HB23-1007 passed, which mandates institutions of higher education to publish contact information for crisis services for all students on their school IDs.

Though having the ability to access healthcare is vitally important, so is the need to have protection when the medical bills begin to roll in. To assist Coloradans with this, the legislature focused its attention on assisting those who struggle with the cost of medical debt. SB23-093 was passed to put a 3% cap on medical interest rates in addition to offering those with medical debt a stronger voice in the process.

At the beginning of this legislative session, I had hoped for assistance to education outside of the traditional paths. This General Assembly started to make that a reality by providing support to our students as they enter the workforce. HB23-1246 was introduced, which allocates more than $40 million to cover the cost of pursuing a short-term credential in early-childhood education, law enforcement, firefighting, forestry, construction or nursing. It also worked on SB23-205, which creates a scholarship for high school graduates who are going into post-secondary, apprenticeship and training programs, providing support for jobs Colorado very much needs.

So, returning to the initial question, is Colorado better off now than at the start of the 2023 legislative session? Look at your senator and representative, the work they have done, the ease with which they were able to address your concerns, and the way they represented you and your district. The real question is, are they worthy of your vote and continued support?

Lisa LaBriola is a principal at Husch Blackwell Strategies and was a Senate Democrat staffer for close to a decade. She served as chief of staff to former Senate Minority Leader Lucia Guzman and former Senate President Leroy Garcia. Opinions expressed here are her own and do not reflect the opinions of any other organizations.