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First Regular Session | 75th General Assembly
Colorado General Assembly

PUBLIC
BILL SUMMARY For HB25-1147

SENATE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY
Date Mar 31, 2025       Location Old Supreme Court

HB25-1147 - Amended, referred to the Committee of the Whole
07:51:12 PM  

Senators Weissman and Amabile, bill sponsors, presented House Bill 25-1147, concerning measures to ensure that municipal court defendants are subject to similar conditions as state court defendants. The bill sponsors discussed the merits and need for the bill, including parity in sentencing.

Committee members asked questions about home rule, public defenders, and fiscal impact.

The bill sponsors distributed a fact sheet about the bill (Attachment F).

08:11:38 PM  
Aubrey Wilde, representing Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, testified in support of the bill. Sean Smith, representing La Plata County Sheriff, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Matt Salka, representing Colorado Counties Inc. / La Plata County, testified in support of the bill. Alison Birchard, representing Boulder County, testified in support of the bill.

Witnesses responded to questions from the committee.
08:28:34 PM  
Chief Ed Brady, representing Colorado Association of the Chiefs of Police, testified in opposition to the bill. Chief Noeller, representing Colorado Association of the Chiefs of Police - Pueblo Police Department, testified in opposition to the bill. Ms. Carla Sikes, representing City of Pueblo, testified in opposition to the bill. Chief Brice Current, representing Colorado Association of the Chiefs of Police - Durango Police Department, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked questions about differences between municipal and state sentencing structures. Discussion ensued about crimes that may need longer jail sentences than those outlined in state statute. Further questions were raised about equal protection and due process.  Conversation followed about differentiating between a municipal and state crime. Additional inquiries were raised about low level and repeat offenses. Committee members asked about contempt charges and the reimbursement rate for state inmates in county jails.
09:09:38 PM  
Rebecca Wallace, representing Colorado Freedom Fund, testified in support of the bill. Matt Kellond, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Alexandra Natapoff, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Amy Trenary, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked questions about the bill's application and requested examples of sentencing disparities between municipalities.
09:29:47 PM  
Amy Padden, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. Rhonda Fields, representing Arapahoe County, testified to amend the bill. Commissioner Jessica Campbell, representing Arapahoe County, testified to amend the bill.

Committee members asked the panelists fiscal related questions.
09:54:51 PM  
Linda Loflin Pettit, representing Denver City Attorney's Office Victim Resource Program, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Reginald Nubine, representing Denver City Attorney's Office, testified in opposition to the bill. Victoria Kelley, representing Denver District Attorney, testified in opposition to the bill. Shawn Day, representing City of Aurora, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked about the work it would take to correspond municipal and state laws.  Further questions were raised about charges that have no corresponding state laws.
10:11:22 PM  
Elizabeth Cadiz, representing Aurora Public Defender, testified in support of the bill. Mrs. Lisa Powell-DeJong, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Alison Coombs, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Councilwoman Serena Gonzales-Gutierrez, representing themself, testified in support of the bill.
10:24:48 PM  
Jeremy Schupbach, representing Colorado Municipal League, testified in opposition to the bill. Natasha Adler, representing SafeHouse Denver, testified in opposition to the bill. Dr. Anne DePrince, representing themself, testified to amend the bill. Marissa Harmon, representing City of Lone Tree, testified in opposition to the bill.
10:37:04 PM  
Dr. Michael Neil, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mary Peckham, representing League of Women Voters of Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Keisha Sarpong, representing themself, testified in a neutral position on the bill.
10:51:22 PM  
Tonya Haas Davidson, representing City of Greenwood Village, testified in opposition to the bill. Laura Bates, representing SafeHouse Denver, testified in opposition to the bill.

Committee members asked about retail theft and other municipal crimes.
11:02:06 PM  

Colette Tvedt, representing Office of the Municipal Public Defender-Denver, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Rachel Mercer, representing Denver Officer of the Municipal Public Defender, testified in support of the bill. Jessica Jones, representing Office of Municipal Public Defender Commission, testified in support of the bill.

Committee members asked questions about pretrial, bond setting, and the domestic violence docket.

Written testimony about the bill is in Attachment G.
11:16:28 PM  
Senators Weissman and Amabile presented amendment L.013 allowing local governments to impose monetary funds (Attachment H).

11:19:35 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.013 (Attachment H)
Moved Weissman
Seconded
Ball
Carson
Daugherty
Lundeen
Roberts
Weissman
Gonzales J.
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
11:19:36 PM  
The bill sponsors presented amendment L.015 to adjust related implementation timelines (Attachmennt I).

11:21:12 PM
 Motion Adopt amendment L.015 (Attachment I)
Moved Weissman
Seconded
Ball
Carson
Daugherty
Lundeen
Roberts
Weissman
Gonzales J.
YES: 0   NO: 0   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  Pass Without Objection
11:21:14 PM  
The bill sponsors made closing comments. Committee members made closing comments.

11:33:11 PM
 Motion Refer House Bill 25-1147, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
Moved Weissman
Seconded
Ball Yes
Carson No
Daugherty Yes
Lundeen No
Roberts Yes
Weissman Yes
Gonzales J. Yes
Final YES: 5   NO: 2   EXC: 0   ABS:  0   FINAL ACTION:  PASS