COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — After four months of heated debate, state senators on Tuesday killed a bill that seeks to ban the sale of flavored tobacco products in Colorado.
House Bill 1064, one of the most high-profile bills of the session, met an unceremonious end when the Senate Appropriations Committee voted, 5-2, to shut the bill down. The meeting featured no public comment and little debate, unlike the other six votes on the bill that saw hours of discussion and dozens of community members testifying in support and opposition to the measure.
Tuesday’s vote came after Gov. Jared Polis said he opposed the bill, spurring concerns of a veto. Though Polis said the issue is better left to local governments, the ban would have slashed funding for his new universal preschool program funded by state tobacco and nicotine taxes. Polis’ office declined to comment on the bill Tuesday.
