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Senate approves free state-park access for Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute members after floor debate on exclusions
Summary
The Colorado Senate passed House Bill 11-63 to grant free access to state parks for members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes. Debate centered on whether the bill excludes Arapaho, Cheyenne and other tribes with historical ties to Colorado; senators urged further consultation and noted a reported fiscal estimate.
The Colorado Senate passed House Bill 11-63 on third reading, approving free access to state parks for members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes.
Senator Simpson moved House Bill 11-63 for third reading and final passage; after a request to discuss the bill, Senator Gonzales read lengthy testimony from Northern Cheyenne traditional chief Philip Whiteman Jr. that argued the bill, as written, would exclude Cheyenne and Arapaho tribal members and other indigenous people connected to Colorado lands. Gonzales also said she had asked the Appropriations Committee about a fiscal note and was told an expansion covering 200,000 Native Americans across 51 tribes would cost about $900,000.
The debate included personal remarks from Senator Judah, who said the bill "does not go far enough" to recognize all tribes with historical ties to Colorado and described voting no for that reason, and comments from Senator Simpson, the sponsor, who said the bill advances the government-to-government relationship with the two sovereign Ute nations and asked colleagues to support it while further work continues.
Roll-call votes were held after debate. The clerk recorded 31 ayes, 4 noes, 0 absent; the bill passed. The measure’s text as read on the floor limits the guaranteed free access to members of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes; the floor exchange shows at least one senator urged an amendment or postponement to allow consultation with Arapaho and Cheyenne communities before broader implementation.
Why it matters: supporters framed the bill as recognizing the two Ute tribes’ sovereign relationship with the state and enabling access to ancestral homelands; critics said excluding other tribes with historical and cultural ties risks perpetuating erasure and called for wider consultation or an amendment to expand eligibility.
What happened next: the bill passed the Senate and will proceed per legislative process. Sponsors and several senators said they expect additional conversations about expanding eligibility and the fiscal implications before final implementation.
