On the Issues
Legislative Priorities
In the 2022 Colorado State Legislature, Representative Bird sponsored bills on issues ranging from the theft of catalytic converters and saving for retirement, to housing tax credits and decreasing fees for small business owners. The focus of Representative Bird’s legislation this past session included work on public safety, education and Colorado’s economy and jobs.
Representative Bird was the prime sponsor of 23 successful bills this session with 91% of those having bi-partisan support. Almost half of her bills this session were targeted at increasing job opportunities and strengthening our economy.
Job Opportunities & Strong Economy
A strong economy is foundational to opportunity and financial security for each one of us. That’s why Shannon created the Small Business Recovery Loan Program to provide below market interest rate loans to small businesses and supported the Occupation Credential Portability Program to remove red tape to help the Coloradans get out into the workforce faster.
Healthcare
All Coloradans must have access to affordable, quality healthcare when they need it. Shannon cosponsored legislation to create the Prescription Drug Affordability Review Board to set guardrails on the most expensive drugs in our state, to limit out-of-network hospital charges, and put a cap on the cost of insulin drugs for diabetics who need this life saving medication.
Public Safety
Every person deserves to be safe. Shannon believes that public safety happens when we have strong communities, important work is done to prevent crime and when good law enforcement has the resources and support they need to effectively do their job.That’s why she sponsored legislation to crack down on catalytic converter thefts, cosponsored legislation to get fentanyl off our streets, increase funding for crime prevention and to support crime victims.
Education
All children, no matter what zip code they live in, should have access to high quality public education, to ensure that they can graduate to be either college or career ready. Shannon was the prime sponsor of legislation to require the first-ever audit of statewide standardized testing. This will be the first time the state has ever taken the time to evaluate whether all of the tests we make our kids take in school are evaluating students fairly and whether they are helping to make education better. She also cosponsored legislation so every child can attend full-day kindergarten and preschool, and increased opportunities for internships and college level classes to help students earn college credits before they graduate from high school.
Transportation
Our roads, bridges and highways need to be maintained and modernized to support our economy and to give us all access to the places we need to be and the places we love to be. Shannon cosponsored a historic transportation package putting $5.3 billion dollars into fixing our roads and also created the Front Range Passenger Rail District to work with RTD and Amtrak to connect existing services and projects.
Retirement
A stable and secure retirement should be an opportunity open to us all. Those who provide pensions must honor their responsibility to the workers who invested their hard earned dollars in expectation of a secure retirement. Shannon was the prime sponsor to pay down the state’s unfunded public pension liability by $380 million, helping to keep the public pension fund (PERA) on the road to being fully funded. Shannon was also the prime sponsor of legislation to secure and maintain full funding of the pension for firefighters and police officers.
Housing Costs
Having a safe, affordable place to live is foundational to each person’s quality of life. In Colorado, the cost of living has risen beyond reach for too many. We must make changes that enable people to afford to either rent or purchase a home. Peoples’ only option for an affordable home cannot be taxpayer subsidized rental apartments. Shannon’s work identified state-owned buildings that could be turned into affordable housing, and she was the prime sponsor of legislation that doubled tax credits to fund the construction of more affordable housing units and help first-time home buyers with down payment grants.
Reproductive Choice
Every woman has a right to make all decisions regarding her body without the interference of politicians or her government. It is a woman’s right, and a liberty, to determine when and whether she will bear a child. Shannon cosponsored Colorado’s law to protect the right of every woman in the state of Colorado to choose and protected their rights to access all other reproductive healthcare, including access to contraception.