ALCC led the Colorado 12-person delegation on the D.C. Fly-in on June 14 and met with all the representative’s offices. Rep Petterson and Neguse signed a letter supporting RWE language being pursued with the judicial committee. Crow and Caraveo provided staffing challenges to making the deadline given for June 17 deadline. Still awaiting responses from the rest of the Colorado house representatives. A one-year returning workers exemption, with a three year look back, was added to FY 24 DHS Appropriations via a manager’s amendment (meaning non-controversial). 

• It is unclear if this will go across the full House floor (very unlikely) but if it does have to go through the full House this will likely present some additional roadblocks that we will need to overcome just because of the narrow Republican majority and extremely volatile policy issues in DHS Appropriations.
• We now will shift gears to the Senate appropriators, which conversations have already begun.  The question will be, “What will it take to garner Dem. Support for RWE?” There are several provisions that the coalition can support that are in the SEA bill, which is based on coalition positions we made last November/December.
• Having an RWE now does not ensure that’s what we will have in December and is the best position we have been in since 2018.