Daneya In the News

Colorado braces to become refuge for abortion access if 'Roe' is weakened

With the Supreme Court expected to overturn or severely weaken its landmark Roe v. Wade decision, clinics in Colorado are preparing for an increase in the number of out-of-state residents seeking abortions, and lawmakers are cementing abortion access protections in state law.

published mar. 29, 2022

Colorado lawmakers want to make it easier for same-sex parents to adopt their own kids

About two and a half years ago, Jen Snook and Lisa Dacey wanted to add a fourth to their burgeoning Boulder family.

The married couple had already given birth to a daughter in California in 2017. They conceived with artificial insemination and Snook carried their daughter. The couple paid a $20 adoption fee to make sure all 50 states recognized Dacey as their daughter’s parent, as well.

published mar. 22, 2022

Higher education faculty in Colorado beg lawmakers to pass collective bargaining rights bill

Craig Svonkin relocated to Denver 15 years ago and while he’s been able to teach children’s literacy and poetry at Metropolitan State University of Denver exactly like he set out to do, it has come at a heavy cost: his financial stability…

published mar. 21, 2022

Colorado House passes abortion rights bill, sending it to Senate

The Colorado House of Representatives voted Monday to approve a bill that would codify reproductive rights, including abortion, into state law.

House Bill 22-1279, titled the “Reproductive Health Equity Act,” would affirmatively state that people in Colorado have the right to have an abortion or to continue a pregnancy, as well as the right to use or refuse contraceptive care. It would also declare that a fertilized egg, embryo or fetus does not have personhood rights under state law. Finally, HB-1279 would explicitly prohibit state and local governments from denying, restricting, interfering with, or discriminating against someone’s reproductive rights…

published mar. 14, 2022

Right-to-abortion bill passes Colorado House after days of Republican protest

Legislation to codify the right to abortion in Colorado law cleared the state House of Representatives Monday afternoon, and moves next to the state Senate.

The House voted 40-24 to pass HB22-1279 after a three-hour debate. All votes in favor were from Democrats, and all votes in opposition came from Republicans…

published mar. 14, 2022

Lawmakers bring their lives and beliefs to overnight debate on abortion ‘protection’ bill

Colorado lawmakers shared stories Friday of their most intimate personal decisions, their faith, and their family histories in a debate that continued into Saturday morning of a bill that would codify legal abortion in state law. The overnight arguments likely make this one of the longest single bill debates in state history.

Published Mar. 12, 2022

Colorado moves to protect abortions in state law

Colorado is among several states attempting to secure the right to abortion as the future of Roe v. Wade hangs in the air after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed a conflicting Texas ban on abortion as early as six weeks.

published mar. 4, 2022

With Roe on the Chopping Block, Bill Would Enshrine Access to Abortion in CO Law

On March 3, Colorado House Majority Leader Rep. Daneya Esgar (D-Pueblo), Rep. Meg Froelich (D-Greenwood Village), and Sen. Julie Gonzales (D-Denver) introduced the Reproductive Health Equity Act (RHEA), which would enshrine abortion access in Colorado law…

published mar. 4, 2022

Pumping, voting, taking leave: Legislators who are mothers face specific challenges

One lawmaker ran to a vote while still pumping breastmilk for her baby. Another fought to take back the statehouse’s lactation room after another legislator began using it for an office. And still another legislator drove extra miles between the Capitol and home to see her young children more frequently…

published jan. 25, 2022

The Colorado Capitol’s next big labor fight: whether to let local public workers unionize

A bill that would grant more public employees in Colorado the right to unionize is shaping up to be the next big labor fight at the state Capitol.

The proposal, which will be sponsored by House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, a Pueblo Democrat, would allow people working for cities, counties, schools, public hospitals and other local government entities the right to collectively bargain…

published jan. 20, 2022

University of Colorado, Pueblo leaders discuss needs of Southern Colorado

A delegation from the University of Colorado traveled to Pueblo last week to meet with local leaders and learn how the university can better serve the region.

published Oct. 7, 2021

Almost 170 laws passed during this year’s legislative session go into effect

Of the 502 laws passed during the 2021 Colorado legislative session, 169 go into effect today. These acts include legislation to combat climate change, reduce gun violence, and promote financial literacy in high schools. The legislation will also create a Special Olympics license plate. 

“Today, Colorado’s anti-discrimination laws are more inclusive and insurers can no longer use consumer data to discriminate,” said Daneya Esgar, House majority leader in a press release today. “Communities across our state will start to see improved mental health services and better schools, and more Coloradans will be able to visit our state parks for less money.” 

published sep. 7, 2021

CAPITOL M, summer edition: There's new BABEEZ among Capitol regulars

The baby boom at the state Capitol continues. House Majority Leader Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, and her wife, Heather Palm, welcomed daughter Marlo on July 12.

published aug. 7, 2021

Influential Women, Ep. 20: Daneya Esgar

Representative Daneya Esgar of the Colorado General Assembly joins Influential Women! Find out how she got into politics and what she's still looking to accomplish! Don't miss an episode of Influential Women!

published jul., 2021

RISLEY CLUBHOUSE THE SITE OF EDUCATION-RELATED BILL SIGNINGS

Risley International Academy of Innovation, home to the Boys and Girls of Pueblo County East Side Clubhouse, hosted two special guests Wednesday, both of whom came bearing educational good news.

Surrounded by Clubhouse children and a host of special guests – including District 60 Board of Education member Tommy Farrell – Governor Jared Polis signed into law two pro-education bills championed by State Representative and District 60 product Daneya Esgar…

published jun. 30, 2021

5 Bills Supporting the LGBTQ Community That Colorado Passed in 2021

On June 8, the Colorado General Assembly wrapped up the legislative session. Out of over 500 bills signed into law this year, here’s a recap of five designed to advance progress for the LGBTQ community in Colorado. Core areas of focus include health care access, new protected classes and equality in the foster care system. As a result, each new law stands to have a significant impact on LGBTQ equality…

 published jun. 16, 2021

Colorado is on track to take its most significant step toward a Front Range passenger train system

Colorado lawmakers on Friday introduced a bill that, if passed, would mark the most significant step the state has taken yet toward funding, building and eventually operating a Front Range passenger train system…

published apr. 9, 2021

Esgar to serve as Colorado House Democrat majority leader

Colorado House Democrats recently elected a new leadership team for the 2021 legislative session, which resulted in Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, being elected to serve as majority leader…

published nov. 9, 2020

Colorado Democrats debate need for diversity in selecting their statehouse leadership

Democrats in the state legislature debated over including women and people of color in their leadership Thursday, just two days after the party affirmed its majority at Colorado Capitol…

published nov. 6, 2020

KRDO 2020 Voter Guide: Daneya Esgar

Democrat incumbent Daneya Esgar is defending her seat in Colorado House District 46, which covers part of Pueblo County. Esgar, a former journalist, is the House Majority Caucus Chair in the State Legislature, and she is a member of several other House committees…

published aug. 27, 2020

Colorado Gov. Polis signs lean state budget

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a $30 billion budget Monday — later and far tighter than usual because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The budget takes effect July 1 and dictates state spending through the end of next June…

published jun. 22, 2020

NEW LEGISLATION TO CREATE TRANSFERABLE TAX CREDITS FOR THE FILM INDUSTRY IN COLORADO

On February 12, 2020, Dustin Hodge and Gregory Howell represented the new Pueblo Regional Film Commission during a visit to the Colorado State Capitol in Denver to meet with our legislators to discuss a new bill coming to the floor of the legislature. Donald Zuckerman, Film Commissioner, and Mariel Rodriguez-McGill, Deputy Film Commissioner of the Colorado Office of Film, Television and Media (COFTM), joined the Pueblo delegation as we met with Senate President Leroy M. Garcia, Representative Daneya Esgar, HD 46 and Representative Bri Buentello HD 47…

published feb. 22, 2020

Rep. Daneya Esgar takes Republicans to task for linking state employees with the Mafia

House Bill 1153, which would allow unionized state employees to collectively bargain for better pay, benefits and working conditions, won final approval from the House on Monday on a party-line 41-23 vote. 

But before that final vote, Rep. Daneya Esgar, D-Pueblo, the bill's co-sponsor, called out Republicans for some of their comments during Friday's debate…

published feb. 18, 2020

28,000 state workers win support of Gov. Polis to collectively bargain

28,000 state workers in Colorado took a huge step forward today with the support of Governor Jared Polis, Senator Leroy Garcia, and Representative Daneya Esgar, HD 46 to pass legislation that would mean workers have the freedom to collectively bargain and fight for better working conditions on the job. #UnionsForALL #COPolitics

published Jan. 10, 2020

Legislators Attend Grand Junction, Pueblo and Weldona Events to Celebrate Incoming Students

CU Advocates hosted “CU Celebration” events this July and August in Weldona, Pueblo, Grand Junction, and Durango to welcome new and incoming students from the western slope, southern, and northeastern Colorado who plan to attend a CU campus. Several legislators attended to help welcome the new students and their families to the CU family.

published Sep. 27, 2019

Colorado State Representative: ‘The Velvet Revolution changed not only Armenians, but the whole world’

Colorado State Representative Daneya Esgar noted that Colorado is the only state in the US that has a memorial dedicated to the victims of the Armenian Genocide on government property. “Last year, we renamed one portion of one of our state highways ‘Sardarapat Armenian Memorial Highway.’” The representative had also visited Tumo. “We are thinking about how we can also have Tumo in Colorado. We are very inspired by that center. We are also interested in programs that would involve collaboration with Armenian villages.”

published jul. 31, 2019

WE PASSED A LAW IN COLORADO TO BRING MORE GIRLS INTO TECH!

Big news from Girls Who Code! We’ve been working with legislators in Colorado to pass a bill that will help close the gender gap in tech. Today, Governor Jared Polis signed that bill, creating a one-of-a-kind grant program to bring minority students into computer science for public schools that report data on the diversity of their computer science classrooms.

published may 3, 2019

Pride on her sleeve

It’s no secret how much state Rep. Daneya Esgar loves her Pueblo Green Chile. She literally wears it on her sleeve…

published feb. 11, 2019

Colorado could pass law giving transgender people new birth certificates

House Bill 19-1039 passed a Colorado House committee on Wednesday (February 6).

It would also strike down the current regulation that forces transgender people to give public notice of their name change, according to The Denver Post…

published feb. 7, 2019

A bill removing steps for transgender Coloradans to get new birth certificates clears committee

For the last four years, state Rep. Daneya Esgar of Pueblo has tried passing a bill focusing on the process transgender Coloradans must go through to acquire vital identification documents…

published feb. 6, 2019

Esgar pushes for unity as Democrats win control of state government

Democrats will have full control over state government in Colorado next years. In addition to electoral victories in statewide offices for Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State and Treasurer, the party also retook control of the State Senate and appears to have added a few seats to their majority in the State House…

published nov. 7, 2018

Storming the Capitol: What LGBTQ Lobby Day Fought For

The Capitol building is beautiful. The golden domes that sit majestically in Capitol Hill shine a bright light into the Mile High City. On February 26, the beauty was made even more so by the number of LGBTQ people in its hallways, decorated with rainbow flags and pins, buzzing with excitement and nervousness. They spent the morning bracing themselves, their hearts beating so loud they could drown out words. That day, the Capitol became their space, and they made the rules…

published mar. 19, 2018

Colorado House approves last pieces of 2017-18 budget in a vote that leaves one lawmaker in tears

For the past 15 days, House Democrats have held up finishing the 2017-18 state budget, waiting to see if a bill that would free up millions of dollars for hospitals made any progress in the state Senate…

published apr. 25, 2017

A Quick Look at our Queer Caucus

Since the election, queers across the nation are preparing for the worst under the new administration. While no major punches have been thrown under the Trump administration, Colorado has already seen and blocked a broad religious exemption proposal that would have allowed individuals and businesses to claim their religion gives them permission to ignore laws they don’t want to follow…

published FEb. 2, 2017

Rep. Daneya Esgar Fights for Consumers + Basalt 12-Year Old Speaks Out Against Trump

On today's local newscast, State Representative Daneya Esgar discusses the significance of Colorado’s first millennial and first Latina Speaker of the House and shares her perspective on Black Hills Energy’s criticism of the Colorado Public Utilities Commission…

published jan. 26, 2017

Bill Aims To Make Collecting Rainwater Legal Again In Colorado

Lawmakers are working to change a decades-old law that prohibits Coloradans from collecting rainwater.

It’s currently against the law — in almost all cases — to put a bucket by a downspout and catch the rain because that water is the property of people downstream. But a bill changes water rights, allowing homeowners to store up to 100 gallons of rain at a time…

published mar. 16, 2015

Legislator and alumnus to present Commencement Address

A 2001 graduate of Colorado State University-Pueblo and first-year legislator representing House District 46 will share her insights with Colorado State University-Pueblo graduates in May. Daneya Esgar will present the Commencement Address during the spring ceremony beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 2 at the Colorado State Fair Events Center…

published mar. 9, 2015

A Presence in Pueblo

This November, Daneya Esgar could become the first openly gay state representative from Pueblo, bolstering an already strong LGBT presence in the Colorado Congress…

published oct. 14, 2014

LGBT advocate from Pueblo seeking state House seat

Daneya Esgar announced last month she will run for Colorado House District seat 46. If elected, Esgar will be the first openly gay state legislator to represent the Pueblo community…

published feb. 17, 2014

The 2013 Power List

The cliché goes: with great power comes great responsibility. And while each of the individuals on our 2013 Power List live up to that mantra, they’ve also created one themselves: great power is responsible for great change…

published oct. 1, 2013

Young Women’s Real World Conference helps local girls achieve goals

Colorado State University-Pueblo hosted the 6th Annual Young Women’s Real World Conference on Nov. 4 in the Occhiato University Center Ballroom.

The conference, which was for girls attending local high schools, helped them to find out what they wanted to do in the future and helped them forge the path to their goals…

published nov. 24, 2009