To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
prepared
Nico Johnson, Management Analyst, Commissioners' Office
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presenter
Presenter: Ed Bowditch, Bowditch & Cassell Public Affairs; Jenn Cassell, Bowditch & Cassell Public Affairs; Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office; Nico Johnson, Management Analyst, Commissioners' Office
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Subject:
title
2:00 PM *2026 Legislative Debrief and 2027 Look Ahead
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
At this study session, lobbyists from Bowditch & Cassell Public Affairs and members of the legislative team will provide an overview of key points from the 2026 legislative session, review significant bills and outcomes, and discuss the County's legislative focus for the remainder of the year.
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Alignment with Strategic Plan: Good Governance - Proactively advocate for the County's needs in legislative solutions.
Background and Discussion: As a constitutional subdivision of Colorado state government, Arapahoe County can only exercise those powers specifically expressed in statute or in the constitution. Arapahoe County contracts with Bowditch and Cassell Public Affairs for state advocacy activities. The Director of the Commissioners' Office coordinates federal and state intergovernmental relations, in partnership with the County's legislative team, consisting of the Director of Human Services, the County Attorney, the Director of Community Resources, the Director of Public Works and Development, the Director of Public Health, and the Commissioners' Office Management Analyst focused on state and federal public affairs.
On an annual basis, the Board of County Commissioners adopts legislative principles to guide federal and state advocacy work, evaluating policy positions through the lens of fiscal and operational impacts to Arapahoe County, consistent with its stated strategic plan and legal requirements. The Board also identifie...
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