Dusty Johnson says 2026 session brought frustrations and key victories

Dusty Johnson had nine House bills for Logan County out of the 2026 session. Johnson, who is running unopposed in November, had a mix of frustration and success after the Legislature wrapped up its work on May 13.

Johnson represents House District 63, which includes Logan, Morgan, Phillips, Sedgwick, Washington, Weld and Yuma counties. Her seats on Agriculture, Water & Natural Resources, Education, Health & Human Services and the Legislative Audit Committee put her on the panels that deal with irrigation, schools, health coverage and state oversight.

Among the bills with the clearest local reach, HB26-1034 repealed irrigation controller and spray sprinkler body efficiency standards that had been set to apply on Jan. 1, 2026. HB26-1238 declared emergency medical services an essential service in Colorado, a designation that affects ambulance crews and volunteer responders serving Logan County.

Health care and school finance also moved. HB26-1096 bars the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing from denying Medicaid members the ability to buy primary care services or enter direct primary care agreements. HB26-1191 makes the state auditor’s examination of school district records tied to charter-school capital construction money discretionary rather than mandatory, changing how school finance is reviewed in District 63.