Surpluses Should Go to Help Vulnerable Families, Says Colorado Lawmaker

A state budget surplus can go a long way toward addressing some of the barriers to economic self-sufficiency that low-income Colorado families face, says Colorado Representative Gloria Leyba.

"Not everyone is in a position to ask for their portion of the surplus money or tax credits," notes Leyba. So while others talk of rainy day funds and tax cuts, Leyba searches for ways to invest Colorado’s surplus in its most vulnerable citizens through earned income credits and programs to prevent homelessness.

An active member of CPA’s Western Policy Leaders Forum, Leyba works to identify and remove the institutional and community barriers facing families who receive public assistance. In 1997, she was honored by the Colorado Women’s Lobby for sponsoring model welfare reform legislation. Although the legislation did not pass committee, it was a groundbreaking effort to proactively support welfare recipients transitioning to work. It provided welfare support for immigrants, allowed for the creation of individual development accounts and ensured statewide eligibility standards.

Leyba, who represents the largest Latino population in Colorado, consistently advocates for those voices rarely heard inside the Capitol. In 1999, Leyba sponsored an historic civil rights bill for gays and lesbians. In addition to prohibiting employment discrimination, one bill (HB 1245) would have protected gays and lesbians from discrimination in the funeral plot and housing markets.