To: Board of County Commissioners
Through: Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office
Prepared By:
prepared
?Nico Johnson, Management Analyst I, Commissioners' Office
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presenter
Presenter: Ed Bowditch, Bowditch and Cassell Public Affairs; Michelle Halstead, Director, Commissioners' Office; and Nico Johnson, Management Analyst I, Commissioners' Office?
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Subject:
title
??2:15 PM *2025 Legislative Session Debrief and 2026 Look Ahead?
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Purpose and Request:
recommended action
The purpose of this meeting is to review key points from the 2025 legislative session and the proposed direction for the remainder of the year. The Board will also consider what, if any, legislative items the Board wants to advance through the CCI process and if there are priorities that should be considered independent of CCI.
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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, and the Director of Public Health.
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 identified nine specific legislative items to focus on during the 2025 session, including:
* Ensure the transition of domestic violence cases from the City of Aurora to the 18th Judicial District is adequate...
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