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5 Things To Know As The Colorado Statehouse Enters Third Week

DENVER (AP) - Colorado lawmakers are heading into the third week of the 2015 legislative session, and their workload is beginning to increase. Five things to watch for this week:

POWDERED ALCOHOL

It's not available in stores yet, but Colorado lawmakers are considering joining a handful of states that have already banned powdered alcohol until they find out more about the product and how to regulate it. Federal regulators are still working to approve the product, called "Palcohol." It's marketed as an ounce of rum or vodka in powdered form, which is then added to water. A Republican bill to ban the product gets its first committee hearing in the House on Monday.

TEEN PREGNANCY

Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper and state health officials have credited a drop in Colorado's teen pregnancy rate to expanding access to long-acting birth control such as intrauterine devices. But the pilot program that began five years ago needs more funding to continue. That won't be easy to approve because some Republicans equate the devices as causing abortions. A bipartisan bill that seeks to continue funding for the program gets its first hearing in a House committee Thursday.

CREDIT CARDS

A Democrat's proposal in the Senate seeks to limit finance charges on credit cards from Colorado lenders to 12.5 percent, instead of the current 21 percent limit. Lawmakers in the Senate Business, Labor, and Technology Committee will consider the proposal Monday.

POT TAXES

Lawmakers start work this week on two proposals related to marijuana taxes. One clarifies local authority over taxes, and the other clarifies excise taxes so that they're collected where pot is grown, not sold.

YOUTH SPORTS

Senators begin work Wednesday on a measure to require background checks for people who work for youth sports organizations. The requirement would apply to volunteers, too, if volunteers go on overnight trips with underage athletes.

(© Copyright 2015 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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