The Colorado Council of Churches’ Voices for Justice team has been working diligently this legislative session to track areas of policy that are important to our faith communities and the people we care for. Each month of the session, we’ll be highlighting a few of the bills that matter to us as citizens of Colorado and as people of faith concerned for justice and equity. We prioritize bills that fall under a few justice focused categories: Affordable Housing, Education, Criminal Justice, Environment, Immigration, Healthcare, Racism, Poverty, Veterans, and Families. Our hope is that the more aware faith communities become about our state’s legislation, the more capable we are of mobilizing our voices to create a more equitable and just Colorado for all.
To that end, here’s a few of the bills that we’re keeping an eye on, and we hope you will too:
Education:
SB22-087– This bill would create the “the healthy meals for all” program which would allow all children in participating schools to receive free lunch, regardless of whether or not they qualify for the free and reduced lunch program. It would also create grants for schools to purchase foods grown, raised, and processed in Colorado, helping our schools to eat sustainably.
No matter our occupation, race, or zipcode we all want to see our children thriving in their schools. Access to healthy food is key for the growth of their healthy minds and bodies. This bill will be heard by the Senate Education committee on February 16th. Consider showing your support!
Immigration:
HB22-1054– This bill allows for survivors of torture to recieve coverage for medical assistance and support even if they don’t qualify for medicaid. This is an incredibly important service for asylum seekers and those who don’t qualify due to their immigration status to receive much needed mental and physical care. It has not yet been assigned a hearing date, but be on the lookout for opportunities to testify and reach out to your legislators!
Criminal Justice:
SB22-010– This bill expands existing pretrial diversion programs to include programs that divert those with behavioral health disorders out of the criminal justice system and into community treatment programs, so that they can receive the support they need. This bill will be heard by the Senate Judiciary committee on Feb. 3rd at 1:30.
Families and Youth:
SB22-008– This bill requires all public higher education institutions in Colorado to waive undergraduate tuition and fees for Colorado residential students who have been in foster care or non certified kinship care in Colorado at any time on or after reaching the age of thirteen.
As higher education is a gateway to gainful employment, personal growth, and stability in today’s world, we must work to ensure that it is accessible to all, especially for those to whom it is most out of reach. This bill will be heard by the Senate Education committee on Feb. 3rd at 1:30.
This is only a very short list of the many bills we in the Voices for Justice team are tracking. If you’re interested in contacting your legislators or testifying for a bill, check out this helpful Advocacy Toolkit provided by our friends at the Interfaith Alliance of Colorado and the Public Testimony site from the Colorado General Assembly. Stay tuned for more ways to get involved as the legislative session continues!
Racial Justice-
We are also thrilled to announce that those who participated in our Caste: Origins of our Discontents book study have come together once again to work on projects that hope to bridge racial divides in our communities. By developing relationships between churches, sharing meals together, and getting involved in social justice advocacy and Voter Registration Drives, these groups are putting their love of God and neighbor into action.
