Lawmakers prepare for upcoming special session to address COVID-19
DENVER, (KRDO) -- For the second time this year, Colorado representatives will meet to discuss COVID-19 relief during a special legislative session.
Last week, Governor Jared Polis signed an executive order calling for the special session which will begin Monday, November 30th, and will last for three days. Lawmakers will focus on legislation that will help struggling businesses and families.
At a time when cases and hospitalizations are at an all-time high in Colorado, Polis outlined seven aspects he would like the state legislature to include in the legislation.
- Small Business Relief
- Child Care Support
- Housing and Direct Rental Assistance
- Increasing Broadband Access
- Food Insecurity
- Utilities Assistance
- Public Health Response
The special session will start more than a month before the regular session is set to begin on January 13th.
Representative Daneya Esgar with District 46 says these seven key items need to be addressed now and cannot be placed on hold until the upcoming session.
"These are the top seven things that we felt needed to be addressed immediately in a special session and get the money out the door as soon as possible so people can make it through the winter," Esgar says.
Even with lawmakers only having three days to accomplish the legislation, Esgar and Senator Paul Lundeen with District 9 say it will happen.
"We'll fit into that time, the three or four days that it will likely take to work through all that, all the work that needs to be done," Lundeen says. "It's kind of nice to have a deadline."
Lundeen says he already has a bill in the works and believes lawmakers should focus on small businesses and families. "We need to make sure that money is getting into the hands of parents who are working diligently to make sure their child is not falling behind," Lundeen says.
