Letter from the Executive Director | |
Dear friends,
As we head into the final stretch of the legislative session, I’m feeling grateful for the many community partners and advocates that engage with us to help craft and refine good legislation. I’m particularly appreciative of the many community members who have the courage and commitment to share their personal experiences at the Capitol in an effort to change systems that impacted them. Community testimony is at the heart of what makes our democracy work, and personal stories are not only informative — in ways that hard data cannot always capture — but can also be extremely persuasive for legislators who need to understand the urgency and implications of a given issue.
CCLP is working to make providing testimony more accessible and less intimidating with our newly released Guide for Community Testimony, shared in this newsletter. Based on and inspired by a guide created by our friends at Soul 2 Soul Sisters, this resource makes the often-daunting prospect of testifying to legislators a little easier to tackle. I couldn’t be prouder of this team’s group achievement in pulling together resources, insights, and guidance to support community members in making their voices heard. Please feel free to share this guide widely and freely — the legislative process works best when the people most impacted get involved!
Looking forward to looping back with you all after the session ends. Until then, I hope you have a lovely Spring.
| |
|
Lydia McCoy
Executive Director
Colorado Center on Law and Policy
| |
|
April is Fair Housing Month & Second Chance Month! | |
|
April is Second Chance Month, and advocates across the country are working to remove the barriers people face because of an arrest or conviction record. The Clean Slate movement is rooted in the belief that everyone deserves a second chance to pursue their dreams. #MoreThanSecondChances
April is also Fair Housing Month! Join us in honoring the legacy of the Fair Housing Act while reaffirming our collective dedication to upholding equal access to housing is a year-round commitment.
| | |
|
|
CCLP's Community Engagement team has been busy creating a guide to community testimony, providing information on how to tell your story and become a changemaker through Colorado's legislative process. This guide was prepared for Colorado’s 2024 legislative session. We encourage you to use and share with your community!
| | |
|
|
Chaer Robert, CCLP’s Emeritus Advisor, provided testimony in support of House Bill 24-1134, Child Care Tax Credit changes. CCLP is in support of HB24-1134!
Read the testimony
| | |
|
|
Charles Brennan, CCLP's Director of Housing and Income Policy, provided testimony in support of House Bill 24-1098, For Cause Eviction. CCLP is in support of HB24-1098!
Read the testimony
| |
Legislation CCLP is watching | |
For the 2024 legislative session, CCLP identified five policy areas where the opportunity exists to make real change: expanding access to justice, removing administrative burden, preserving affordable communities, advocating for progressive tax and wage policies, and reducing health care costs. Keep up to date on the positions CCLP has taken along with CCLP's 2024 bill tracker and its corresponding blog regarding all bills CCLP has taken a position on. | | |
|
CCLP's Community Engagement Director, Morgan Turner, describes how TEEM expanded the issues that CCLP traditionally works on to include new subjects such as environmental justice, electrification, and infrastructure.
The TEEM Colorado cohort includes a diverse group of partners who have come together to advance mobility equity goals, foster dialogue, and create an open feedback loop between community, advocates, and policy makers.
| |
Community updates & opportunities: | |
|
Tax Day is ~2 weeks away! Free Filing Resources from Colorado Fiscal Institute
April 15th is fast approaching! Colorado Fiscal Institute compiled a list of free tax filing resources to help Coloradans get it done and get back valuable tax credits. Even if you owe $0 in income taxes, you may be eligible for your largest tax return yet, with Colorado rebating $800 to every filer, and with Colorado’s Earned Income Tax Credit at its highest ever: a 50% match of the federal credit!
Temporary Rental Assistance Grant
The Department of Local Affairs has funding available through the Temporary Rental Assistance Grant for temporary rental assistance for Coloradans who have fallen behind on their rent, meet income limits and other qualifying factors, and are at risk of eviction or displacement. Interested individuals will are asked to complete a pre-application. Pre-applications will be available starting April 15, 2024. Learn more about the grant and apply here.
Day at the Capitol with All Families Deserve a Chance (AFDC)
Advocate for anti-poverty policy to support Colorado working families! Join AFDC for breakfast at First Baptist Church, where Housing, Harm Reduction, and Family Economic Security related bills will be discussed. After breakfast you will walk to the Capitol, where you will meet with legislators to discuss anti-poverty policies, and connect with other advocates. Take action with AFDC to support working families. Register today!
Clean Slate Initiative's Data Dashboard
Clean Slate Iniatiative launched a one-of-a-kind data dashboard that provides state-specific data about records and the impacts of record clearance policies. You can compare Colorado's data with the nation's data. Check out the dashboard here!
Soul 2 Soul Sister's Black Birthing Guide
Black Birthing people deserve better. Soul 2 Soul Sister's guide joins the growing list of national resources that center Black birth. It includes information on birth teams and birth settings, tips for communicating with healthcare providers, self-advocacy tooks, and steps to puruse accountability measures from medical dacilities and providers. Read the guide here!
| |
Every dollar makes a difference
We depend on support from individual donors to help us improve economic security and access to affordable health care for Coloradans facing poverty. We cannot do this important work without you.
| |
CCLP is a 501c(3) nonprofit organization, and all donations are tax deductible for state and federal income tax purposes. We’ll send a letter acknowledging your donation and noting our tax-exempt status. | | |
CCLP stands with diverse communities across Colorado in the fight against poverty through research, legislation and legal advocacy. | |
| | | |
