Southern Colorado News Update

Hello Friends, Family, and Neighbors-

Reminder that Primary ballots will go out next week. I appreciate your vote for reelection for State Representative, House District 62. Thank you!

Back At The Capitol!

We arrived back at the Capitol on Tuesday, May 26th to pass the 2020-2021 budget as well as pass legislation to jumpstart COVID-19 recovery in the state.

COVID-19 Updates

The state announced that restaurants could open for dine-in service on Wednesday, May 27th at 50% capacity or 50 people dining indoors, whichever is fewer. Bars are still closed but the situation will be evaluated again sometime in June.
Children's day camps will be allowed to open in June with maximum group sizes of 10 indoors and 25 outside. A decision on July and August overnight camps will be made in June.
The deployment of the National Guard has been extended into August to help combat the spread of COVID-19.

Southern Colorado

The San Luis Valley has 231 positive cases with 18 total hospitalizations, 109 who have completed isolation and are symptom free, and 4 deaths.

Alamosa County- 89
Conejos County- 4
Costilla County- 7
Mineral County- 2
Rio Grande County- 39
Saguache County- 90

Many of the new cases in Rio Grande and Saguache are near/around Center. Please make sure you are wearing a mask and limiting social interactions so that this outbreak does not get worse.

Huerfano County is still at 3 cases.

Pueblo County has 302 confirmed and probable cases. 19 people have died.

Pueblo County’s free community drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the Colorado State Fairgrounds will be extended through the end of June.

A third outbreak was reported at the University Park Care Center.

Pandemic Recovery

Pandemic Recovery Plan bills have been introduced and are moving through the legislature. Here is a bit more about what they will address:

-$20 million in direct cash assistance to renters and homeowners and legal aid for homeowners facing eviction.
-$500,000 for food pantries to make sure Coloradans can put food on the table.
-$10 million for the state’s Energy Outreach Colorado Low-Income Energy Assistance to provide assistance for utility bills.
-$15 million for mental health and substance abuse programs.
-$250 million to provide grants and loans to Colorado’s small businesses.
-Prevent price gouging and go after bad actors.
-Create a statewide earned sick leave policy to keep workplaces healthy.
-Strengthening protections for those in debt.

The Law Enforcement Accountability and Integrity Act

The murder of George Floyd at the hands of four Minneapolis police officers has invigorated the conversation about race in this country. Protests are taking place across the nation against police violence, but also against the systemic oppression that our communities of color, particularly African Americans, experience on a daily basis. I do want to take the opportunity to recognize the good-hearted law enforcement officers who are committed to serving their community and put their lives on the line every day. Unfortunately, there are some that do not uphold the ideals that law enforcement should stand for, and for that we must take action.

I am a co-sponsor, along with my Democratic colleagues, on a bill introduced on Wednesday called the Law Enforcement Accountability and Integrity Act (SB20-217).

The bill requires all law enforcement to wear body cameras and that footage from an incident be released within 14 days. It requires law enforcement agencies to track and report data on use of police force and stops, including demographic data. It eliminates the “fleeing felon” law, strengthens duty to intervene, and creates a system for state level intervention to increase oversight.

Colorado Pandemic-EBT Overview

In an effort to support Colorado’s families during the COVID-19 epidemic, the Colorado Department of Human Services and Department of Education have teamed up to secure USDA approval to issue Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits to school-age children who would have received free or reduced-price lunches during the time that schools have been closed. Each household with a child receiving free or reduced-price lunches is eligible to receive an amount of $5.70 per child per school day on a Colorado EBT card that will support the family in creating healthy, wholesome meal options for kids who are now home during the school day.

For Colorado families that currently receive SNAP benefits, no action will be needed from the family and benefits will be automatically issued in approximately mid- or late-June (more detail to come when available). Families that currently do not participate in the SNAP program, and whose children attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, will receive instructions and key information through the family’s school or school district on how to receive those benefits in June.

P-EBT benefits will be issued to households as a one-time payment reflecting the days that children would have been in school but were not in March, April, and May due to COVID-19.

Important note regarding P-EBT benefits: The application page is not ready yet. More information will be provided on how to register once it is available.

Snow Pack Levels

Anyone who would like to receive my newsletter can email me at:

[email protected]
[email protected]

Our office phone number at the Capitol building is 303-866-2916

As always, feel free to reach out to me with any comments or concerns.

www.ValdezforCO.com

Copyright © 2020, Representative Donald Valdez, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
200 E. Colfax Ave.
Denver, CO 80203

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