Herod Passes 37 New Bills, Targets Justice Reform

Representative Leslie Herod passed 37 new bills and expanded the state budget to $34.1 billion in her first session as a member of the Joint Budget Committee. The new legislation and financing will address a wide range of issues including education, criminal justice reform, health equity, and COVID-19 relief.

Last year, $4 billion were cut from the state budget due to COVID-19, but now, Herod is focusing on rebuilding Colorado businesses and communities in the wake of the pandemic. The budget is making historic investments in education, reentry programs, decreasing prison beds, and essential programs that suffered in 2020. “This has been a challenging session—unlike any other,” Herod shares. “We not only had to consider passing legislation to address long standing issues, but we also had to prioritize COVID-19 relief and ensure those who have been hit the hardest recover. But, we got it done. I could not be more proud of what we have accomplished this year.”

One of Herod’s priorities for the session was reforming the criminal justice system, specifically the ways that the system targets those in poverty. Representative Herod sent two essential bills to Governor Polis’ desk: one that eliminates court fines and fees charged to juveniles in the justice system, and one restoring drivers licenses to people with non-driving related charges. The former bill, HB21-1315, will eliminate $58 million of debt for Colorado families and their children.

She also introduced bills aiming to create transparency and accountability in Colorado police departments, acknowledging the disproportionate effect a lack of these policies has on Black communities. “Last year was a year of reckoning for Colorado,” Herod shares. “This bill has given us momentum to continue the work of dismantling so many aspects of white supremacy that this country was built on.”

Part of her work in dismantling these historically racist institutions includes specifically addressing the use of ketamine in police arrests, an issue all-too-familiar to Coloradans remembering the murder of Elijah McClain. “We’re not talking about one or two isolated incidents. In 2019, CDPHE reported 454 cases in which ketamine was administered outside of a hospital setting to sedate extremely agitated patients—24 percent of these cases resulted in health complications for the patient,”  Representative Herod says. “Our bill codifies this reality and holds officers accountable for their actions.”

Scroll down to see a complete list of legislation sponsored by Representative Herod in her latest session. Topics include criminal justice, arts, health equity, COVID-19 relief, and education.

A full list of bills sponsored by Representative Herod is below:
Measures to Address Law Enforcement Accountability (HB21-1250)
Appropriate Use Of Chemical Restraints On A Person (HB21-1251)
Prevention Of Substance Use Disorders (HB21-1276)
Funding To Support Creative Arts Industries (HB21-1285)
Continue COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program (HB21-1302)
Department Of Revenue Action Against Certain Documents (HB21-1314)
Costs Assessed To Juveniles In The Criminal Justice System (HB21-1315)
Create Outdoor Equity Grant Program (HB21-1318)
Funding Public Schools Formula (HB21-1325)
Effective Date Of Senate Bill 20-123 (HB21-1328)
Modify COVID-19 Relief Programs For Small Business (SB21-001)
Extending Limitations On Debt Collection Actions (SB21-002)
Lost Or Stolen Firearms (SB21-078)
Higher Education Student Financial Assistance Funding (SB21-083)
Bond Payments For Auraria Higher Education Center (SB21-109)
Fund Safe Revitalization Of Main Streets (SB21-110)
Program To Support Marijuana Entrepreneurs (SB21-111)
Rule Review Bill (SB21-152)
Equity Strategic Plan Address Health Disparities (SB21-181)
Protection Of Pregnant People In Perinatal Period (SB21-193)
Maternal Health Providers (SB21-194)
Public School Capital Construction Assistance Fund Transfer (SB21-207)
General Fund Transfer To State Education Fund (SB21-208)
Adult Dental Benefit (SB21-211)
Use Of Open Educational Resources In Higher Education (SB21-215)
Auxiliary Services Rural Areas (SB21-216)
Market Rate Study For Child Care Assistance Program (SB21-217)
Reverse Transfers From Severance Tax Operational Fund (SB21-220)
Free Menstrual Hygiene Products To Students (SB21-255)
Office Of Public Guardianship Extension (SB21-267)
Sustainable Model To Serve Facility Students (SB21-274)
Childrens Habilitation Residential Program Enrollment (SB21-276)
Child Welfare Services Allocation Formula (SB21-277)
Reimbursement For Out-of-home Placement Services (SB21-278)
Evidence-based Evaluations For Budget (SB21-284)
Distribution Federal Funds Home and Community-based Services (SB21-286)
Revenue Loss Restoration Cash Fund (SB21-289)