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Hello everyone,
Over the last 14 years, I’ve greatly enjoyed hosting town halls across Colorado to have honest conversations about the challenges we face.
This week, I heard from Coloradans at a town hall at Red Rocks Community College in Jefferson County about the issues that are most important to them, including improving health care access and affordability, addressing gun violence, and protecting Americans from foreign threats.
I’m grateful to those who showed up – and to everyone who calls and writes me with their concerns. Your feedback is an essential part of maintaining and strengthening our democracy, and I look forward to hosting more town halls and hearing from Coloradans in across the state.
– Michael
WORKING FOR THE FUTURE OF THE COLORADO RIVER
What we’re dealing with: The Colorado River is in crisis. Amid a 1,200 year megadrought, water levels are falling to dangerous levels that put the American West at risk.
What’s missing: Six of the seven Colorado River Basin states – including Colorado – submitted a joint management proposal to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) earlier this year to conserve water in the Colorado River system. But if all seven states can’t come to an agreement, the federal government will impose cuts affecting water users across the West. I believe strongly that the best way to preserve the Colorado River is for all seven states to come together and reach an agreement on durable solutions to this crisis.
What’s happening: This week, the BOR released an environmental study that proposes different options on how to manage water use in the river – a constructive step toward sustaining the system for the long term. And while the West is benefitting from a good snowpack this year – that can't be an excuse to kick the can down the road. I urge all seven states to come to an agreement — we have no time to lose.
Watch coverage of the BOR’s announcement this week here.
PREVENTING ANOTHER THREAT TO REPRODUCTIVE CARE
What happened: This week, a radical Texas judge attacked Americans’ access to reproductive health care without any basis in scientific or medical evidence by suspending the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) more than 20-year-old approval of mifepristone, a safe and effective abortion drug. If this ruling were to go into effect, it could deny millions of Americans — all across the country — access to abortion.
What I did: I urged the court to prevent this dangerous ruling from taking effect because of its effect on reproductive care and its potential to jeopardize access to a wide array of other medications by threatening FDA’s drug approval process.
What you need to know: On Wednesday, an appeals court blocked the central aspect of the Texas judge’s ruling, protecting Americans’ access to mifepristone – and now, the case is set to be heard by the Supreme Court this upcoming week. Notwithstanding, medication abortion remains safe and legal in Colorado, and I'll keep fighting to keep it that way for every American.
Read more about my support for reproductive health care access here.
KEEPING TABOR REFUNDS TAX-FREE
What happened: In February, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) created unnecessary uncertainty for Coloradans by announcing they might tax TABOR payments for the first time in 30 years. This confusion never should have happened.
What I did: I immediately called the Treasury Department and the IRS and demanded they not put an additional tax on Coloradans. That same day, the IRS clarified it would not tax TABOR refunds. The following week, I asked IRS Commissioner nominee Danny Werfel about this issue, and he committed to working with Colorado on it.
What you need to know: If you included TABOR payments as taxable income in this year’s taxes, you are eligible to file an amended return. More information from the IRS is available here.
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