Senator Wallace and Senator Kipp, co-prime sponsors, presented Senate Bill 26-065 to the committee. The bill prohibits the distribution, sale, and use of certain insecticides, and establishes a program for third-party verifiers to determine accepted uses. The sponsors provided an information packet to committee members (Attachment A).

Committee members discussed the bill with the sponsors.

Mr. Perry Welch, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Cory Kreft, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Brad Kuhn, representing Finding Nectar Nursery and Farm, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Scott McArt, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Kreft and Mr. McArt responded to questions from the committee.

Mr. Louis Robert, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Allison Rea, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Zara Saponja, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Will Frost, representing Frost Livestock Co., testified in support of the bill. Mr. Douglas McColm, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Alejandro Calixto, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Robert and Mr. McColm responded to questions from the committee.

Kreg Vollmer, representing Colorado Farm Bureau, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Jack Breidenbach, representing Colorado Sugarbeet Growers Association, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Marc Arnusch, representing Colorado Farm Bureau, testified in opposition to the bill. Madeline Robertson, representing Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, testified in opposition to the bill. The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Mr. Richard Werner, representing Economic Development Council of Colorado, Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance, and Upstate Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Richard Orf, representing Associated Governments of Northwest Colorado, testified in opposition to the bill. Cory Gaines, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Troy Waters, representing Waters Farms LLC, testified in opposition to the bill. Mrs. Sarah Fritzler, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Robert Williams, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Joe Bernal, representing themself, testified in opposition to the bill. Mr. Bernal and Mr. Williams responded to questions from the committee.

Bret Turner, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Nikita Habermehl, representing Healthy Air and Water Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Simona Martin, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Iyana Malik, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Martin responded to questions from the committee.

Dr. Madison Sankovitz, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Pierre Mineau, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Nick Haddad, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Jacqueline Buenrostro, representing Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Mineau responded to questions from the committee.

Rutger Muyers, representing Eco-Cycle, testified in support of the bill. Mr. Brian Loma, representing GreenLatinos Colorado, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Rella Abernathy, representing City of Boulder, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Monique DiGiorgio, representing Table to Farm Compost, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Abernathy responded to questions from the committee.

Mrs. Emma Vasicek, representing Evergreen Audubon & Nature Center, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Sallie Thoreson, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Serena Chenery, representing American Bird Conservancy, testified in support of the bill.

Boulder County Commissioner Ashley Stolzmann, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Jen Clanahan, representing Colorado Nature League, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Patricia McLaughlin, representing Colorado Sierra Club, testified in support of the bill. Dr. Bruce Taylor, representing Colorado Council of Churches, testified in support of the bill.

Mr. Jared Kerst, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Allison Johnson, representing Natural Resources Defense Council, testified in support of the bill. Dr. David Inouye, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Ms. Soleil Washburn, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. Mrs. Erin Meschke, representing themself, testified in support of the bill. The panelists responded to questions from the committee.

Senators Kipp and Wallace provided closing comments on the bill. Committee members commented on the bill.