Committee member flags lengthy review for miscellaneous tax bill, says bill 585 'not encroaching'

A committee member said they planned to meet the tax department to work through a miscellaneous tax bill that the member expects will require extended review because it changes sections of law without rewriting entire statutes. The member described the item as likely to be a "big war back at Magnus Center" and said the tax department would assist in clarifying the bill's changes.

The member also discussed bill 585, telling the session that they had convinced the Committee on Health and Welfare that the bill "is not encroaching" and that the phrase "site neutral" carries a different meaning in this bill than in other contexts. The member said they had offered a final section on reporting by faith-based ministries, but that the other committee declined to include it.

Addressing legal risk, the member said they did not intend to pursue the faith-based reporting provision because of jurisdictional and constitutional concerns, citing examples of litigation in Portland, California and Colorado and questioning whether Colorado courts would view such reporting as a violation of religious liberty or free-speech protections for entities that an agency lacks authority over. The transcript stops before further elaboration or any formal motion on these items.