Senate approves public-safety supplemental; senators demand oversight of CBI testing backlog

The Colorado Senate on Feb. 6 passed Senate Bill 105, a supplemental appropriation to the Department of Public Safety, on third reading by a vote of 29 ayes to 2 no, with four excused.

Senator Bridges moved final passage and acknowledged concerns about giving additional funds without stricter oversight of the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI). "I do not believe that writing a blank check to CBI... is going to result in justice for the people of Colorado," Bridges said, citing an existing backlog and saying oversight provisions remain under development.

Senator Kirk Meyer, a member of the Joint Budget Committee, said work at the JBC will press the agency for accountability and planning. He pointed to the appropriation as a tool to demand deliverables: "If CBI or the Department of Public Safety thinks they're off the hook because they're getting a $3,000,000 increase to go out and do more testing, I say you better show up with a plan. You better show up and expect to be held accountable," Kirk Meyer said.

Other backers said the funding was necessary to address immediate testing and public-safety needs while promising additional oversight steps. Senator Bridges said he had considered voting no in light of recent problems and expects further work on reporting and accountability.

The bill passed 29-2 and will provide funding through the standard supplemental appropriation process. Several senators on the floor and members of the JBC signaled plans for follow-up oversight, including reporting and performance expectations for CBI and the Department of Public Safety.