These are all of the Transportation bills proposed in the 2018 session. Each bill has its own bill number, please use your browser search feature to find the bill you are interested in. Return to the Colorado home page to pick a different bill category.
None of the text is the opinion of Engage. Each bill's description, pros, and cons are our best effort at describing what each bill does, arguments for, and arguments against the bill. If you believe we are missing something, please contact us with your suggestion. Some of these bills have the notation that they have been sent to the chamber's "kill" committee. This means that the leadership has decided to send the bill to the State committee even though it does not belong there based on its subject matter. This committee, in both chambers, is stacked with members from "safe" districts and the idea is to kill the bill without forcing any less safe members to take a hard vote. It is possible for a bill to survive the kill committee, but it is very rare.
Each bill has been given a "magnitude" category: Major, Medium and Minor. This is a combination of the change the bill would create and the "controversy" level of the bill. Some minor bills that are extending current programs would be major changes if they were introducing something new, but the entire goal here is to allow you to better curate your time. Something uncontroversial likely to pass nearly unanimously that continues a past program may not be worth your time (and please remember, you can still read all of the minor bills!).
House
Click on the House bill title to jump to its section:
MAJOR
HB18-1119: Highway Building & Maintenance Funding KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
HB18-1188: Electronic Data Transportation Infrastructure KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
HB18-1204: Financial Responsibility Drivers Motor Vehicles KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
MEDIUM
HB18-1072: Red Light Camera Repeal KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
HB18-1406: Driver’s Licenses and Judgments for Traffic Regulations KILLED ON HOUSE CALENDAR
MINOR
HB18-1016: Honor the Service of the Seabees KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
HB18-1018: Human Trafficking Commercial Driver's License SIGNED
HB18-1103: Local Government Off-Highway Vehicle Regulation SIGNED
HB18-1191: Local Government Alter Speed Limits SIGNED
HB18-1244: Honor the Service of Submarine Veterans SIGNED
HB18-1255: Childhood Cancer Awareness Special License Plate SIGNED
HB18-1272: Network-Level Distracted Driving Control Technology KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
HB18-1275: Repeal Craig Hospital License Plate Donation SIGNED
HB18-1299: Electronic Filing Title Registration Motor Vehicle SIGNED
HB18-1347: Biennial Registration Motor Vehicles Department Revenue KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
HB18-1401: RTD Regional Transportation District Low-Income Fare Program KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
HB18-1424: Chicana/o Special License Plate KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Senate
Click on the Senate bill title to jump to its section:
MAJOR
SB18-001: Transportation Infrastructure Funding SIGNED
SB18-049: Use Of Mobile Electronic Devices While Driving KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
SB18-181: 4-Year Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection Cycle KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
SB18-204: Limit RTD Regional Transportation District Discount Fare Programs KILLED ON SENATE CALENDAR
MEDIUM
SB18-047: Repeal Tax Credits Innovative Vehicles KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
SB18-053: Primary Offense for No Safety Belt KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
SB18-077: State Sales Tax Exemption for Used Motor Vehicles KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
SB18-108: Eligibility Colorado Road and Community Safety Act SIGNED
SB18-196: Repeal Late Vehicle Registration Fee KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
SB18-216: Alternative Fuel Vehicles Public Utilities KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
MINOR
SB18-028: Motor Vehicle License Plate Mounting Requirements SIGNED
SB18-046: Special License Plate Nonprofit Donation SIGNED
SB18-073: Report Transfer Ownership Motor Vehicle SIGNED
SB18-078: Exempt Old Vehicles From Some Registration Charges KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
SB18-144: Bicycle Operation Approaching Intersection SIGNED
HB18-1016: Honor the Service of the Seabees
Creates a Seabees license plate which requires two one-time fees of $25, one goes to highway fund one goes to licensing services fund. Only available for honorably discharged, retired, active duty, or reserve member of a construction battalion of the US Navy.
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
This honors the contributions of Naval construction battalions, who provided essential engineering and construction services all over the world prior to and during combat since World War II.
Cons
We have too many special license plates and should not add more.
HB18-1018: Human Trafficking Commercial Driver's License
Bill requires that training to obtain a commercial driver’s license include education to prevent human trafficking.
SIGNED
Pros
Human trafficking frequently involves commercial shipping elements, so it makes sense to include prevention training for those looking to obtain a commercial driver’s license. If even one licensee learns something that helps prevent trafficking, it will be time well spent.
Cons
No one needs to be told that human trafficking is bad and anyone with a commercial license who doesn’t understand that they are shipping people is not likely to be enlightened with further training. Those who do know are doing it willingly and again unlikely to have their minds changed through training.
HB18-1072: Red Light Camera Repeal
Repeals the authority for any entity in the state to use automated vehicle identification systems (including red light cameras) to identify traffic violations and issue citations.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
This is pure money grab for cities and counties, including things like issuing citations for merely stopping beyond the white line. Colorado Springs ended its program after the evidence showed it did nothing to improve safety. Colorado would join other states in banning the practice.
Cons
It is strange to hear people arguing that we should not use all means necessary to stop people from breaking traffic laws. If we want to fix the system to correct abuses, fine, but the idea that we should ignore if someone is speeding or running a red light because there isn’t an actual police officer present is wrong. Automated traffic systems help catch people breaking traffic laws. If people don’t want to get tickets for running a red light or for speeding, then don’t break the law. It’s simple, fix any abuses and keep catching people driving unsafely.
HB18-1103: Local Government Off-Highway Vehicle Regulation
Clarifies that local governments can require a driver of an off-highway vehicle to follow regulations such as seatbelts, child restraint systems (if the vehicle is designed for it), eye protection, helmets, and occupant restrictions when driving on roads opened to off-highway vehicles.
SIGNED
Pros
Recreational vehicle use is prevalent in the state and many of these vehicles come in close proximity with motor vehicles, which has led local communities to issue some safety restrictions. Without this law, these restrictions are not consistent with state
Cons
These are rules the state should set itself, for public safety, not leave it up to municipalities.
HB18-1119: Highway Building & Maintenance Funding
Similar to SB 001, this would put a statewide ballot initiative on November 2018 ballot authorizing the Department of Transportation to issue transportation revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) for $3.5 billion with maximum repayment amount of $5 billion and would repeal the section of SB 267 from last session that required state treasurer to execute lease-purchase agreements on state buildings to fund roads. TRANs were used in 1999 for a similar purpose.
The bill also requires 7.5% of state sales and use tax funds go to the state highway fund and used for TRANs payments first (instead of 10% in other bill). Any leftover money must be spent on Tier 1 (highest priority) projects, with projects requiring to start within 3 years. There are no stipulations about rural spending or transit.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
The state is desperately behind in funding its roads. Most state-wide road funding comes from the gas tax, which has not been raised in years, thus falling behind in inflationary terms, and has shrunk from increasing fuel efficiencies. The Department of Transportation estimates an annual shortfall of $1 billion right now, and the state is expected to see continued growth. This bill puts hundreds of millions of dollars a year into transportation and follows the successful model of 1999 to jumpstart funding while making sure smaller counties and transit projects are not left out and saves the state money by replacing the lease-purchase structure. The general fund dollars that pay for it are already going to have to come out, that is the result of bill 267 last year that setup these lease-purchase agreements. So any “cut” is not new to this bill.
Cons
While it is true the state faces large transportation funding problems, this bill does little to address it. It does not raise any new revenues and instead pumps a one-off amount of money into the system by taking revenue from the state’s general fund, $224 million worth of revenue every year. That $224 million is going to come out of some combination of schools, higher education, health care, and prisons. There is no bond measure without the $224 million cut to education, health care, and other parts of the state budget. Colorado schools are already owed $830 million dollars by the state. There isn’t room to slash more and the legislature should look to fix the cuts made by 267 last year, not alter their mechanics. This bill also completely ignores transit as a priority: we are adding too many people to this state to solve our transportation problems through roads alone.
HB18-1188: Electronic Data Transportation Infrastructure
Authorizes the Colorado department of transportation to use highway infrastructure technology to communicate with motor vehicles to facilitate or manage traffic. Currently a search warrant would be required first.
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
Smart highways are part of the solution to our traffic problems, we simply cannot just keep building wider and wider roads. This allows CDOT to use any smart highway solutions that require communicating with cars to determine traffic flows.
Cons
This represents a state encroachment on privacy and could be unconstitutional under the 4th amendment.
HB18-1191: Local Government Alter Speed Limits
Adds to what local governments may consider before increasing or decreasing speed limits. Currently they must conduct a traffic investigation. This bill would also allow them to consider road characteristics, current and future development, environmental factors, parking factors, pedestrian and bicycle activity, and crash statistics.
SIGNED
Pros
It makes sense that speed limits to be about more than just traffic flows and this bill addresses that, allowing more flexibility for local governments to change speed limits without large scale traffic studies.
Cons
Speed limits shouldn't be altered without traffic studies to get the best sense of the impact of the decision.
HB18-1204: Financial Responsibility Drivers Motor Vehicles
Repeals the state’s motorist insurance database. If a person drives without insurance (and is caught obviously) the penalty becomes $250 fee each year for three years unless they prepay for 6 months of insurance, then drops to $125. Fee is waived if individual is under 130% of the poverty line and they prepay for 6 months of insurance. Surcharge of $4,000 if the violation occurs in connection with an accident that causes serious bodily injury. Not paying the fees results in losing your driver’s license. Fees go to highway fund.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
Currently you lose your license immediately for driving without insurance until you can prove you have insurance. This allows people to still drive but gives the state some restitution and should provide a stronger deterrent to driving without insurance. Because let’s face it, if you’re going to drive without insurance, you might drive on a suspended license too.
Cons
Repealing the database is going to make it harder to find people driving un-insured, not easier. Driving without a license is a misdemeanor crime, if the possibility of losing your license and risking getting caught isn’t enough, fines aren’t going to do the trick.
HB18-1244: Honor the Service of Submarine Veterans
Creates a submarine veterans state license plate which requires two one-time fees of $25 and an honorably discharged, retired, reserve, or active duty member of a submarine crew of the US navy.
SIGNED
Pros
This honors the contributions of all those who have served on submarines.
Cons
We have too many special license plates and should not add more.
HB18-1255: Childhood Cancer Awareness Special License Plate
Creates a childhood cancer awareness special license plate, which requires an individual to have made a donation to an organization approved by the department of revenue as one that assists children with cancer, as well as two $25 fees.
SIGNED
Pros
This helps recognize people who have helped children struggling with cancer.
Cons
We have too many special license plates and should not add more.
HB18-1272: Network-Level Distracted Driving Control Technology
Requires providers of commercial mobile radio service to make network level distraction control technology available at the customer’s request, so that the provider can limit distracting content on a user’s mobile device while they are driving without need for an app. Must include a way to override the blocking in the case of an emergency.
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
This allows parents and employers to prevent distracted driving, which will save lives. Right now they are all at the whim of app developers and handset manufacturers, who have varying levels of features.
Cons
This is not necessary. Any parent or employer who wants to limit mobile devices while driving has a bunch of options in the market, including free apps from the major providers.
HB18-1275: Repeal Craig Hospital License Plate Donation
Current law requires a $20 donation to Craig Hospital in order to qualify for the special Craig Hospital license plate. This bill removes that requirement.
SIGNED
Pros
Some people might want the license plate out of gratitude for the care they have received at Craig, which of course means they have already paid large amounts of money to Craig (or perhaps they have family members who have). We should let people demonstrate their appreciation without requiring a monetary donation.
Cons
Part of the point of these special license plates is to encourage behavior, in this case encourage donation to Craig Hospital. Taking away the requirement takes away the incentive.
HB18-1299: Electronic Filing Title Registration Motor Vehicle
Creates a framework for the department of revenue to establish electronic processing for issuing certificates of title, filing or releasing liens, or registering vehicles and makes adjustments in current law where necessary to make electronic documents of these types valid.
SIGNED
Pros
It’s 2018. We should be able do all of these activities electronically, without the need of a notary and reams of paper to physically sign. We shouldn’t have to keep our paper copies of these things in safe deposit boxes, they should reside online forever.
Cons
With the massive problems we have as a society with online security, we don’t need to be adding more things to the list of stuff that can and maybe will be hacked. Part of the reason for paper and notaries is having something be more difficult to do, which makes it harder to commit fraud.
HB18-1347: Biennial Registration Motor Vehicles Department Revenue
Gives citizens the option to register their motor vehicles every 24 months instead of every 12, paying for two years at a time instead of one.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
This is purely optional, so if someone still wants to do it every year they are welcome to. There’s no cheating the system or drastically lowering revenue, it’s just making this something that for a lot of people only has to be done every two years, which should also decrease the number of times people go past the expiration date.
Cons
The revenue setup here is complicated. There are fees based on the age of the vehicle, which may results in crossing over within the two year period and then there is the tax that is paid based on the vehicle you own and its value. There’s a whole table for this, so the calculation can be done, but this is a lot more re-orienting to do for the underlying systems that support registration than it may appear. In addition, what happens when you sell your car but have already paid for a year of registration in advance? Same thing that happens now, you’re out the registration fee. It’s nonrefundable.
HB18-1401: RTD Regional Transportation District Low-Income Fare Program
Authorizes RTD to create a program to offer reduced fares to low-income riders and provides $80,000 from the general fund to assist RTD in starting the program.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
RTD did a lot of work to come up with its reduced fare program in an attempt to boost ridership, which benefits all of us as it leads to fewer cars on the road and increased mobility for those without a car. RTD is not funded by the legislature, so any potential decrease in revenue (which may not happen with an increase in volume) will not be borne by the general assembly. The only cost is the initial $80,000 which will help get it started.
Cons
RTD may be heading down a path where their funding level drops, which will result in something bad: higher fares for everyone else, reduced service, higher taxes, or a legislative bailout.
FROM ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE
RTD has the authority to do this without legislative approval. It operates separately from the legislature and can control its rates via its own elected board. It is not necessary to chip in $80,000 to help.
HB18-1406: Driver’s Licenses and Judgments for Traffic Regulations
Prohibits the state from refusing to renew or canceling someone’s driver’s license due to unpaid traffic violations or using public transportation without payment.
KILLED ON HOUSE CALENDAR
Pros
Some people who rely on using a car to get to and from work and don’t have the means to scrape together enough funds to pay the fines when they are due can have their entire world yanked out from under them by losing their license. They face a Hobbesian choice of either driving without a license or not being able to work. Let’s use other methods to get those payments.
Cons
You need a final way to get someone to pay up and losing your license is an excellent way to do it. It’s not like the system is picking on people who haven’t done anything, these people have broken traffic laws and refused to pay their punishment. Letting them continue to have a license indefinitely could in effect null the traffic fine altogether: what do you do when someone refuses to pay?
HB18-1424: Chicana/o Special License Plate
Creates a special license plate which you can become eligible for by providing a certificate proving a donation to an organization chosen by the department of revenue based on its provision of services to the Latino community. As with all special plates, an extra $50 is required to get the plate, with the money split between the highway fund and licensing services fund.
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
This will encourage charitable giving to organizations that serve 21% of the state’s population and give the state extra money in our highway fund. A win-win. There is precedent here, as there is already an Italian-American special plate.
Cons
We should not get into creating racially based license plates celebrating entire racial groups instead of specific country heritages. This will also provide more work for the department of revenue to identify and monitor charitable organizations to meet the criteria.
SB 18-001: Transportation Infrastructure Funding
FINAL VERSION NUMBERS:
$495 million for transportation this year, $150 million next year. Then $50 million each year for 20 years. Bonding measure still only goes to ballot in 2019 if no sales tax increase in 2018 approval from voters. 70% of initial money goes to state highways, 15% for local governments and 15% for transit.
Puts $500 million toward transportation in 2019. Does nothing else for now, in order to wait and see what voters decide this fall as it is widely expected there will be both a sales tax increase for transportation projects referendum (similar to last year's failed transportation bill) and a bonding referendum (raising money that will have to paid off over time with general funds). If either pass, the section of SB 267 from last session that required state treasurer to execute lease-purchase agreements on state buildings to fund roads is repealed.
If both of these fail, the bill puts a measure on the 2019 ballot authorizing the Department of Transportation to issue transportation revenue anticipation notes (TRANs) for $3.5 billion with maximum repayment amount of $5 billion and would repeal the section of SB 267 from last session that required state treasurer to execute lease-purchase agreements on state buildings to fund roads. TRANs were used in 1999 for a similar purpose.
The bill also requires $250 million of state sales and use tax funds go to the state highway fund and used for TRANs payments first. Any leftover money must be spent on Tier 1 (highest priority) projects, with at least 25% in counties with populations of less than 50,000. At least 10% of the funds must be spent on transit.
HOUSE VERSION
$495 million already set aside for current budget, then $166 for each of next five years, though this is non-binding. 60% to state highway fund, 15% to transit/multi-modal projects, and 25% to local governments. Key point: no bonded money.
SIGNED
Pros (Senate version)
The state is desperately behind in funding its roads. Most state-wide road funding comes from the gas tax, which has not been raised in years, thus falling behind in inflationary terms, and has shrunk from increasing fuel efficiencies. The Department of Transportation estimates an annual shortfall of $1 billion right now, and the state is expected to see continued growth. The new bill lets the state's citizens decide if they want higher taxes or to use existing revenue.
Cons (Senate version)
While it is true the state faces large transportation funding problems, this bill does little to address it. It does not raise any new revenues and instead pumps a one-off amount of money into the system by taking revenue from the state’s general fund, $500 million, and then asks the voters to take $250 million out every year. That $250 million is going to come out of some combination of schools, higher education, health care, and prisons. There is no bond measure without the $250 million cut to education, health care, and other parts of the state budget. Colorado schools are already owed over $700 million dollars by the state. There isn’t room to slash more and the legislature should look to fix the cuts made by 267 last year, not alter their mechanics.
SB18-028: Motor Vehicle License Plate Mounting Requirements
Repeals requirement that front license plate be at approximate center and at least 12 inches from the ground.
SIGNED
Pros
Having the rear license plate in the standard position is sufficient, this front license plate must still be clearly visible and legible. Some cars don’t have the front license plate position, so this frees car owners to put the plate where they would like, potentially on the dashboard.
Cons
Non-uniformity means plates are harder to spot in fast-moving situations (like driving). If we are going to require front license plates, we should require they all be in the same spot so law enforcement can easily see them.
SB18-046: Special License Plate Nonprofit Donation
Several laws require a donation to a nonprofit organization to qualify for a special license plate. This bill authorizes nonprofit organizations to increase by $10 the minimum donation required for issuance of a special license plate. In July 2019 the amount can start to be adjusted for inflation.
SIGNED
Pros
Allows nonprofits to collect more money in exchange for opportunity to use these plates, which is the whole point of the program.
Cons
May actually lead to less purchases of these plates if the prices keep going up every year.
SB18-047: Repeal Tax Credits Innovative Vehicles
Repeals income tax credits for innovative motor vehicles after 2018 and sends the money to the state highway fund through 2021.
KILLED IN HOUSE COMMITTEE
Pros
Colorado desperately needs money for its roads and innovative motor vehicles no longer need the tax credit (if they ever did, government should not be picking winners and losers). While this isn’t a large amount of money, it is money that does not have to come from raising taxes or raiding the general fund.
Cons
Innovative motor vehicles remain one of the best ways for us to mitigate climate change. The more people we can get into them the better off we will all be. All new industries take time to get their manufacturing costs down and electric cars and their like are no different. While prices have come down, it’s not time yet to remove the tax incentives.
SB18-049:Use Of Mobile Electronic Devices While Driving
Current law prohibits use of wireless telephones while driving for those under 18. This bill extends the prohibition to drivers of all ages and increases the definition to all mobile electronic devices. It creates an exemption for hands-free usage, keeps the emergency exemption, and increases the penalty for minor drivers from $50 to $300.
*This legislation has been sent to the Senate “Kill” committee, State Affairs*
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
Driving while using a mobile device has been shown to be as dangerous as driving drunk. There is no reason adults should be allowed to engage in this activity either. Hands-free usage exemptions allow us to still make use of our phones, almost all of which now feature digital assistants like Siri that can take dictation.
Cons
Mobile phones are an integral part of our lives and the government should not be nanny stating them out during specified times or activities. Drivers are more than capable of using them properly without becoming distracted and those who do should not be punished because there are some people who cannot.
SB18-053: Primary Offense for No Safety Belt
Extends requirement to wear a safety belt to every passenger in a motor vehicle (currently it only applies to front seat passengers). The bill also allows police to stop and cite someone for not wearing a belt (currently they can only cite for not wearing a belt if they stopped the driver for a different alleged traffic violation).
*This legislation has been sent to the Senate “Kill” committee, State Affairs*
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
The backseat is still a dangerous place to be unbelted in an accident. This merely logically extends existing law to cover the entire car. Seat belts save lives every day and every year someone dies a death that could have been prevented by a seat belt. It is common sense that we should extend the requirement to everyone in the car and common sense that if this is a traffic violation, police can stop someone for it.
Cons
This is the nanny state in action. While we all agree that everyone should wear a seat beat, we also all agree about a host of other actions that are better for the health of citizens yet we do not have government laws coercing people into doing them. Not wearing a seat belt does not harm any other individual, so there is no duty to protect others from one person’s foolishness. This ability to stop someone for not wearing a belt (or more accurately, the suspicion of it) also gives police another excuse to pull someone over for no reason. They can claim they thought the driver or passenger was not wearing a belt.
SB18-073: Report Transfer Ownership Motor Vehicle
Today if you sell your car you still retain all liability until the buyer goes and registers the vehicle. If the buyer never registers the vehicle, all liabilities (crimes, road tolls, etc.) still is the responsibility of the seller. This bill allows the buyer to register the title change and thus remove all liability from the vehicle. It instructs the state to make this information available to motor vehicle owners and to implement this in a manner that doesn’t cost additional money.
SIGNED
Pros
Most residents are unaware of the liability issue that currently exists. This bill fixes that problem through both education and a way for the buyer themselves to remove the liability.
Cons
There may be some confusion factor related to both the buyer and the seller attempting to register the title change.
SB18-077: State Sales Tax Exemption for Used Motor Vehicles
Creates a state sales and use tax exemption for used motor vehicles. Currently the state collects these taxes after each transfer. Leased vehicles would still be subject to sales and use taxes.
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Pros
Over time, motor vehicles may have many owners and the state collects these taxes each time the motor vehicle is transferred. These taxes make it harder for those most likely to buy used cars, working families, to afford one. A car is still a significant source of job mobility and this bill gives more families better access to affording one.
Cons
Since taxes are percentages and based in this case on the purchase price, a cheap used car is only going to add a small amount to the price. In aggregate this could mean a larger drop in revenue for the state and local governments which is not replaced by anything else.
SB18-078: Exempt Old Vehicles From Some Registration Charges
Currently motor vehicles older than ten years carry an additional registration fee and a road safety surcharge. This bill caps these additional fees at 30 years, so that cars 30 years old or older do not face these fees.
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Pros
Vehicles older than 30 years aren’t meant to be driven on roads all the time, they are special interest vehicles with value to collectors. These charges aren’t designed for them and are an unfair extra charge facing an older vehicle enthusiast.
Cons
These fees are designed for reason: older cars are less safe than newer cars and require more work from the state’s registration board. In fact, the older the car is, the more these two things become true. So putting an upper limit on this does not make sense, if anything much older cars should be charged more. If you have a car registered in the state you can drive it, it is not up to the state to determine who is simply collecting cars and who is putting less safe vehicles on the road (collector cars are also driven from time-to-time). This also takes money out of the state highway fund (though not much of course) which is severely underfunded.
SB18-108: Eligibility Colorado Road and Community Safety Act
Allows someone to present a social security number instead of a taxpayer identification card to obtain a driver’s license (this applies to one of the requirements for someone who is not lawfully present in the country obtaining a driver’s license). Also allows the license to be reissued or renewed or replaced if it is lost or stolen in the same manner as any other driver’s license.
SIGNED
Pros
The reason for issuing these licenses has not changed and is much the same reason that many cities do not operate as federal immigration agents: we want everyone living in this state, legally or illegally, to abide by state laws and most importantly, report any crimes to the police. In the case of driver’s licenses, you of course need a license to purchase car insurance, which we want everyone on the road to have. There are some here illegally who have a social security card and thus never got a taxpayer identification card (this is a card designed for illegals who do not have social security cards). We need to make sure they are covered in this section of the law.
Cons
We cannot as a functioning government of laws set up a bunch of laws relating to immigration and then build an entire structure devoted to making sure that people who are breaking these immigration laws are nice and comfortable here in the United States. Widening this sanctuary ID program makes it easier for illegals to stay in Colorado and that in turn makes it more likely illegals will come here. All of this stuff makes it harder for federal immigration agents to their job and get illegals out of this country.
SB18-144: Bicycle Operation Approaching Intersection
Allow local entities to adopt regulations for bicyclists that allow them pass through stop signs at a reasonable speed as well as treat a red traffic light as a stop sign rather than wait for a green.
*This bill has been assigned to the Senate “kill” committee, state affairs*
SIGNED
Pros
This regulation has been done at both local and state levels in the past with a resulting lack in uniformity as to standards. This fixes the standard for bicyclists if a community wants to treat them separately from cars and thus lets the entire public know what the rules are.
Cons
This may cut down on some confusion but it surely will not cut down on bike accidents by giving them the ability to share the road with cars but ignore the rules put there for safety. We don’t leave it up to the car’s driver to decide if they can go through a stop sign at 15 miles per hour or treat a red light like a stop sign if there is no traffic. Bicycles should be no different.
SB18-181: 4-Year Motor Vehicle Emissions Inspection Cycle
Changes emissions cycle from two years to four years for cars in model year 1982 or newer and specifies that a vehicle cannot fail an inspection because the check engine light is on.
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Pros
Newer cars are built better, we don’t need to be inspecting them every two years it’s a waste of everyone’s time. Check engine lights are notorious for coming on for obscure reasons that have nothing to do with emissions, if a vehicle can pass the test it should not matter if the light is on.
Cons
Denver in particular has a difficult time with air pollution, much of which is caused by cars. The last thing we need to do is give more time for anyone with a car from the 1980s to drive around without verifying that it isn’t belching pollution into the sky. In addition, most cars get tested by just driving around, it’s rarer to have to go to a facility to get a test so there isn’t a big burden that is being removed here.
SB18-196: Repeal Late Vehicle Registration Fee
Repeals the late fee for registering a vehicle, which is currently $25 a month with a $100 maximum.
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Pros
A fee is supposed to be a charge to cover the cost of handling something. There is no cost to the government for registering your vehicle late, it’s a pure money grab.
Cons
Having no punishment at all for doing something after you were supposed to doesn’t make sense, this isn’t about covering the cost of something it’s about punishing people who do not follow the rules. According to the fiscal note, this bill will cost the state’s already poorly funded highway fund $5 million next fiscal year and over $10 million the year after that. It will also cost counties and municipalities another $3 million next year and nearly 7 million the year after. All told, a $17.3 million revenue loss with nothing to off-set it.
SB18-204: Limit RTD Regional Transportation District Discount Fare Programs
Prohibits RTD from offering new discount fares or incentive programs without legislative approval. Would have the effect of blocking RTD from implementing a proposal to let kids under 12 ride for free, create a 70% discount for ages 13 to 19, and give low-wage residents a 40% discount.
KILLED ON SENATE CALENDAR
Pros
The legislature has a responsibility to make sure RTD doesn’t become underfunded, since any funding shortfalls will result in something bad: reduced service, higher taxes, or a legislative bailout. The legislature should therefore be in charge of these sorts of decisions.
Cons
RTD’s study believes these changes will pay for themselves through increased ridership by 2021. This is legislative overreach into the running of RTD, which takes no funding from the general fund and subsists solely on fares, sales tax, and advertising. It will have a negative impact on ridership, which by extension will increase traffic on our roads.
SB18-216: Alternative Fuel Vehicles Public Utilities
Allows cost recovery for public utility resellers of electricity and natural gas for charging ports or refueling stations, allowing for a return on investment for a utility that builds a facility to support alternative fuel vehicles. The rate is set at the same recent rate of return approved by the public utilities commission and must be recovered from customers in a similar manner to distribution system investments.
KILLED IN SENATE COMMITTEE
Pros
One of the biggest barriers to adoption of alternative fuels for vehicles is the lack of recharge/refuel infrastructure. Allowing public utilities to get the same sort of return that they do on other power distribution systems should unlock innovation in this sector and may even position Colorado at the forefront of what will most definitely be a rapid growth sector. Just think about how many gas stations there are right now.
Cons
The private sector should be able to fill in here if this is truly such a promising avenue. Our system of capitalism works best when it is driven by private companies who see an opportunity in the market and create new products to meet it. It works worst when the government decides there should be a market and sets about making sure products are made under its umbrella.