Colorado State Rep. Ryan Gonzalez’s first significant piece of legislation to reduce the cost of eggs was defeated by a House committee on Monday by a vote of 9-4. But Gonzalez said he isn’t letting this impact his momentum.
Gonzalez, a Republican, won against incumbent Mary Young for District 50, which covers the majority of Greeley and Evans, by a slim margin of only 544 votes in the 2024 election. Gonzalez has been hard at work ever since to support and work on many new pieces of legislation to achieve his primary goal for the year of driving costs down for Coloradans, he said.
“I’m in a competitive district,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not going to go back on my promises. I told my people at the door that I would work to lower the cost of living, and that’s what I’m going to do.”
Gonzalez has since been involved in several pieces of legislation, such as a reform to the state’s construction defect law with Democratic Rep. Shannon Bird to lower housing costs. Critics of the construction defect law say it makes homebuilders vulnerable to lawsuits, driving up costs. Gonzalez has also been working to repeal the bag fee residents now pay at grocery stores.
One of Gonzalez’s most significant pieces of legislation heading into the session was a bill to roll back the recently enacted Cage-Free Egg Law, which went into effect on Jan. 1. Gonzalez co-sponsored the bill to reverse the law with Republican Sen. Barbara Kirkmeyer, believing that it was a driving force behind the rising cost of eggs in Colorado.
“There are people who say it’s the bird flu, but that’s not the whole picture,” Gonzalez said. “There are some egg farms that have had to shut down because of this law, and that only stifles supply.”
According to the Colorado Egg Producers Association, egg price increases in response to the cage-free law are estimated to be around 16% to 18% due to labor, reconstruction of hen houses and the potential ease with which illnesses will spread. However, the association’s executive director, Bill Scebbi, testified against Gonzalez’s and Kirkmeyer’s bill, stating that the real reason for the price increase was the bird flu.
“The current cost and reduced availability of eggs are due to a nationwide and ongoing impact of avian influenza (bird flu) and not state regulations,” Scebbi said in his testimony on Monday.
Lawmakers sided with Scebbi. Additionally, all egg farms in Colorado have been compliant with the cage-free law well before its implementation, according to Scebbi, and rolling back on the legislation would only raise costs and impact farmers even more.
Though his bill was postponed indefinitely, Gonzalez is still looking to advocate for all those in his district and do his best to ensure he keeps their best interests and services they need foremost in his mind.
“I’ve got a great team behind me, and we’re all new to this position and learning as we go,” Gonzalez said. “I’m not living in Denver because I want to stay close and in touch with my district and their needs, and I’m not going to vote for or support anything that’s against their interests.”
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