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This memorandum addresses questions around recent announcements and consideration of changes to the state employee payroll schedule.  Legislative Council Staff has received inquiries regarding the timing and amount of state employee payroll during the months of July and August 2018 as a result of a March 8, 2018 email from the Department of Personnel and Administration (DPA) to Executive Branch employees.  The email announces a transition in July 2018 from monthly to biweekly lag pay.

General Assembly 2.0 - A Transformational Approach To Legislative Workplace Culture
Analysis And Evaluation Of The Colorado General Assembly's Culture, Policies And Procedures As They Relate To Workplace Harassment

Legislative Council Staff conducts a study of the cost of living in each school district every two years to update the cost-of-living factors used in the state's school finance funding formula as required by state law.  The first study was conducted in 1993, and a study has been conducted during the summer and fall of each odd-numbered year since.  The 2017 study results are used to determine school district cost-of-living factors for fiscal years 2018-19 and 2019-20.  The results of the 2017 study indicate that the cost of living, adjusted by where employees live,

2017 Colorado School District Cost of Living Analysis

Rising use and acceptance of virtual currencies and the technology that underpins them are increasingly presenting unique issues for state lawmakers and regulators.  This issue brief describes virtual currencies such as bitcoin, discusses blockchain technology, and describes recent state legislation on these topics

This memorandum summarizes the capital construction, controlled maintenance, and capital information technology (IT) project recommendations made by the Capital Development Committee and the Joint Technology Committee for FY 2018-19. It also describes the Joint Budget Committee action with regard to these recommendations. Finally, it details the capital projects and associated costs included in House Bill 18-1322, the 2018 Long Bill, as introduced. HB 18-1322 includes appropriations for 53 capital projects totaling $368.5 million.

The Long Bill Narrative, which is the annual appropriations act, is prepared by staff to explain funding decisions recommended by the JBC to the rest of the General Assembly.  This document is a companion document to the actual Long Bill.  The narrative outlines budget changes based on the introduced version of the Long Bill.

Economic Outlook for the U.S. and Colorado

The ongoing expansion in the U.S. economy is fueld by consumer contributions.

Focus Colorado presents forecasts for the economy and state government revenue through FY 2019-20. Implications of the forecast for the state's General Fund budget and spending limit are described in the report's highlights and executive summary sections. The report is based on current law, legislation passed by the General Assembly affecting the forecast is described throughout the report.

Gambling is defined in Colorado law as “risking any money, credit, deposit, or other thing of value for gain contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, the operation of a gambling device, or the happening outcome of an event, including a sporting event, over which the person taking a risk has no control.  According to the Division of Gaming within the Colorado Department of Revenue, in practical terms this is defined more succinctly as: payment, luck, and the receipt of prizes. If one of these criteria is not present, an activity does not meet the definition of gambling.

The Executive Committee of the Legislative Council issued a Request for Proposal in late December seeking a consultant to conduct an independent and comprehensive review of the workplace culture in the General Assembly and make recommendations for how to improve statehouse policies governing workplace harassment.  On January 24, a consultant was selected for this project, Denver-based Investigations Law Group.

Do you prefer green mountains and white text or white mountains and green text? Whether or not we all agree with the color choices for Colorado’s license plates, every vehicle on the roads is required to have one. This issue brief discusses license plate laws and regulations in Colorado.

This memorandum provides an overview of state laws that address age of consent for sexual activity.  More specifically, it provides information about the age of sexual consent in Colorado and other states, including exemptions that allow a person below the age of consent to have lawful sex with an older person.  The memorandum further outlines the sexual abuse charges that are used to prosecute age of consent and sexual assault-related crimes within Colorado.

Submitted herewith is the final report of the State Capitol Building Advisory Committee (advisory committee). The advisory committee was created pursuant to Section 24-82-108, C.R.S., and serves in an advisory capacity to the Capital Development Committee and the Governor on certain issues regarding the State Capitol building and its grounds.

What can a person do if he or she feels that an attorney or judge in a legal matter acted unprofessionally?  In Colorado, there are formal complaint processes to review the conduct of attorneys and judges and to administer discipline when warranted.  Additionally, voters can choose whether to retain or dismiss judges who are up for retention in an election.  This issue brief provides an overview of these complaint and retention processes.

During the 2017 legislative session, the General Assembly considered measures related to transfer of credit at institutions of higher education, free speech on college campuses, technical colleges, tuition assistance, dual enrollment, and postsecondary and workforce readiness.