With the end of session approaching, legislative negotiations and amendments are in full swing. As bills move quickly in their final stretch, they face potential changes each step of the way. One bill that was recently altered significantly is SB 150, which prompted the Chamber’s Energy & Environment Council to take an “amend” position last week.
The bill broadly concerns the processing of municipal solid waste in Colorado. Originally filed in the Senate, the introduced version would have placed broad prohibitions across a range of activities related to the conversion of waste to energy. Extensive work was done in the Senate to craft the legislation in a way that avoided major unintended consequences.
Unfortunately, when the bill moved over to the House of Representatives, a key environmental committee significantly amended the proposal, reversing the carefully crafted language agreed upon in the Senate. The amendments replaced this language with provisions that prohibit units that combust municipal solid waste from being eligible for state incentives.
The amended version of SB 150 would have serious consequences for a wide range of industries utilizing aviation fuel and other materials covered by the bill, including the aviation and aerospace industries, advanced manufacturing, technology, bioscience, and more. State agencies, including the Office of Economic Development and International Trade, are also concerned about the bill’s attempt to pursue regulatory policy goals by altering tax incentives and the impact that could have broadly on the state’s growth and competitiveness.
The Colorado Chamber hopes to see the bill amended to protect these critical industries and the Coloradans they employ. SB 150 is scheduled to be heard in the House Finance Committee on Monday, April 29.