Legislative Update

Vote No on Amendment 60 and 61 and Proposition 101

I am part of a bipartisan coalition of Colorado civic, business, education, and other leaders to oppose amendment 60 and 61 and proposition 101. They are ballot initiatives on the November, 2010 ballot that will harm Coloardo businesses and stifle our ability to grow our economy.  For more information, log onto www.LookingForwardColorado.com.  The three initiatives will have the following devastating impact: 

1) These three initiatives, if passed, will have a devastating effect on Colorado's ability to recover from the recent 2008-2009 recession as they will cost Colorado 73,000 more lost jobs with nearly 60% of this total coming from the private sector. In essence, they will create a voter approved recession.

2) Impacts will be particularly felt at the local level as K-12 class-sizes are expected to swell by nearly 25% due to significant forced lay-offs among local school districts due to lost property taxes with little hope of "back-fill" from the Colorado state government. This means that 8,000 teachers could lose their jobs.

3) Small businesses will be particularly hard hit due to lost economic development and recovery opportunities (vertical and horizontal construction opportunities) and cause unexpected delays due to 50% reductions in local property taxes.  Additionally, the initiatives will reduce institutional flexibility at the local level and devastate the ability to plan for current or anticipated future needs.

4) More than 400 previously approved, locally modified "de-Brucing efforts" will be overturned--subsequent "de-Brucings" will be more difficult to approve and, if passed, will only be in effect for a few years before sun-setting due to proposed language in the modified Constitution.

5) Colorado will become the only state in the country with strict restrictions bordering on virtual elimination of the use of public financing at the state level and greatly diminishe the use at the local level.  The changes include a more restrictive, 2-election voter approval process and no more than 10 year amortization for typical 30 year bonds.  This will more than double monthly bond costs which will certainly make required voter approval virtually impossible.

6) Highways and public transit will be greatly impacted with the proposed significant reduction in automobile fees as well as local property taxes. Efforts such as TRex and the FasTracks voter-approved initiative will no longer be possible and local road and bridge maintenance will also be adversely impacted.

7) Deficit budgets do not exist in Colorado (but rather at the Federal level and many other States) as Colorado by Constitutional edict is one of only 20 states that cannot engage in deficit spending.  We do not have a deficit in Colorado.

8) These proposals take control away from local government and representative government generally.  This further muddles our State Constitution and precludes fiscally prudent management that can effectively respond to crises as they unexpectedly occur.

9) Virtually all public and private leaders in the state, Republicans and Democrats, oppose these initiatives as being wrong-headed and counter-productive as we attempt to recover from the 2008-2009 recession.

10) These proposed three initiatives will hurt Colorado and discourage job-creation in virtually every sector of our economy.

Governor Ritter Signs Representative Miklosi's Renewable Energy Job Creation and Homeowner Financing Act
 

 

On June 11th, Governor Ritter made Colorado the first state in the country to allow 50,000 Colorado homeowners to voluntarily join a statewide, special improvement district to collectively bond to put solar, energy efficiency, wind or geothermal technology on their home and pay the loan back at a low fixed rate through their property taxes over 20 years.
 
"This legislation will empower Colorado homeowners to gain access to financing at a reasonable rate, create 3,000 to 5,000 jobs during the next five years, increase property value by 10% long term, lower energy bills, green the state, and attract more renewable energy jobs - without raising taxes", said Representative Miklosi.
 
The program will begin the fall of 2010.
 

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Governor Ritter Signs Representative Miklosi's Clean Claims Bill
Measure Will Save Colorado at Least $100M During Next Decade
 

 

On May 26, 2010, Governor Ritter signed HB 1332, which was sponsored by State Representative Joe Miklosi.  The act will streamline the health care billing and reimbursement process for doctors, hospitals, health care insurance providers, and other stakeholders. 
 
"Too often, doctors get paid 90 days after a procedure or a small business owner spends two hours on the phone with an insurance company processing a claim.  My legislation will streamline the way we pay health care bills, reduce duplication, speed up payment to doctors, and save the state of Colorado tens of millions of dollars." said Representative Miklosi.

           Governor Ritter Signs Eight Health Care Bills

On May 26, a small crowd gathered at The Children's Hospital in Aurora, Colorado to watch as Governor Bill Ritter signed into law eight pieces of legislation all aimed at improving Colorado's health care delivery system.

"Because of these efforts, because we didn't wait for Washington, Colorado is now one of the best-positioned states in the nation to effectively implement health care reform.  Working with the legislature, we are once again delivering a package of laws that will improve quality and contain costs," said Ritter during the signing ceremony.

As the signing ceremony began, legislators gathered around the podium to talk about the bills to be signed

One of the bills signed was HB10-1330, sponsored by Representatives JOHN KEFALAS and DANIEL KAGAN and Senator John Morse.  This bill creates an All-Payer Claims Database which will increase transparency within the health care system.  Specifically, the bill will make public information regarding safety, quality, cost, and efficiency at all levels of the health care system in Colorado.  All of this information will be compiled into a database making it easier for lawmakers and consumers to see where flaws exist in the healthcare system.

End of Session Update

By State Representative Joe Miklosi

This was a productive session in which we managed to do more with less:  We’ve created jobs, balanced the budget by making cuts and closing corporate tax loopholes, and increased government accountability.

New Energy Economy

Increasing Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard: Large utilities are required to produce a third of their power from renewable sources by the year 2020.  A new RES will create 1,000s of jobs for folks from engineers to solar installers, will increase our energy independence, and will protect our environment (HB 1001). 
 
Clean Air - Clean Jobs Act: With a balanced approach to responsible drilling and environmental protection, this creates job, cuts air pollution, and increases the use of cleaner energy sources by closing Front Range coal-fired power plants and replacing them with facilities fueled by natural gas and other low-emitting energy sources (HB 1267). 

Job Creation & Training

Creating New Green-job Training Programs. With green-job training programs in our community colleges, we’ll ensure that Colorado is supplying new energy companies with an educated and skilled workforce (HB 1333). 
 
Enacting the Health Care Jobs Act and a Nurse Loan Repayment Program will increase nurse applicants by 50% and will help primary care physicians create over 20 jobs in their community (HB 1138 and SB 58). 
 
Growing Jobs in Colorado’s Creative Industries. This legislative package makes it easier for small arts-related businesses to access state loans and credit (HB 1180), increases art in public places (SB 94), and streamlines arts offices/programs (SB 158). 

Government Transparency and Accountability

Keeping the state budget balanced and corporations accountable. The General Assembly cut government by slashing waste and fraud, streamlining operations and cutting over $3.5 billion. With the closing of tax loopholes they have enjoyed for years, corporations will now pay their fair share.

The “SMART Government Act” requires a new level of government accountability by allowing the public to see which programs/agencies use tax dollars wisely and efficiently. HB 1119 

In light of the Supreme Courts “Citizen’s United” case, we are reining in corporate campaign contributions and demanding transparency so that donors and interest groups can be held accountable for negative ads/mailings. 

Saving money and achieving greater efficiencies in the state’s health care budget through a Medicaid Efficiencies Act, which fights fraud and cuts waste, as well as bills to standardize insurance paperwork.  SB 167, HB 1242 and others. 

Consumers and Families

Helping Colorado consumers by halting the cycle of debt perpetrated by dishonest payday lenders and tax-refund anticipation loans, protecting the value of gift cards, and protecting neighborhoods from foreclosed properties (HB 1351; SB 155 and HB 1249). 

Replacing confusing insurance-contract language with plain-language. Creating one uniform insurance application to ease the process (HB1166, and HB 1242).

Making sure no Coloradan goes hungry by expanding SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) – the new, improved version of food stamps (HB 1022).

End of Session – By the Numbers

$3.5 billion – Amount over two years that the State Legislature cut to keep the state’s budget balanced.   We’ve cut waste and fraud while protecting essential services.

$132.6 million – Amount that 11 closed corporate tax exemptions will bring in during the next budget year for schools, public safety, and community services.

19,795 – Number of additional families receiving essential food assistance via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).  HB 1022 – Rep. Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada), Sen. Betty Boyd (D-Lakewood)

2,000 – Number of new energy efficiency jobs that will be created in the next 5 years by increasing access to bonds & loans for home energy improvements with HB 1328. HB 1328 – Rep. Joe Miklosi (D-Denver), Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass Village)

50% –Annual expected increase in nursing faculty thanks to expansion of the Nursing Teacher Loan Forgiveness program.  More nursing-teachers means more nurses.  SB 58 – Sen. Abel Tapia (D-Pueblo), Rep. Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada)

130,000 – The number of women who will no longer pay up to 59% more than men for the exact same health insurance coverage with passage of the Gender Equity/HC bill. HB 1008 - Rep. Sue Schafer (D-Wheat Ridge), Rep. Beth McCann (D-Denver), Sens. Carroll/Schwartz 

30% – Amount of energy produced by the state’s utilities that will come from renewable sources by 2020 with our new Renewable Energy Standard.  HB 1001 – Rep. Max Tyler (D-Golden), Sens. Schwartz/Whitehead

3,333 – Estimated number of “construction period” jobs per year that could result from 1,000 megawatts of renewable energy from local sources like rooftops. HB 1001 – Rep. Max Tyler (D-Golden), Sens. Schwartz/Whitehead (from votesolar.org report)

23 – Number of jobs that one single primary care physician can generate in a community, increasing economic development through the Health Care Jobs Act.  HB 1138 – Rep. Sara Gagliardi (D-Arvada), Sen. John Morse (D-Colorado Springs)

10th – Maximum grade level for language in insurance policies; insurers must replace confusing legalese with “plain language” in their policies. HB 1166 – Rep. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins), Sen. Linda Newell (D-Littleton)

1 – Sites where the public can find all the information they need to keep government accountable. Via SMART, transparent information about state programs’ efficacy will be in one place.   Rep. Ferrandino - State Measurements for Accountable, Responsive and Transparent Government.

B-Cycle

2010 Census Update

Miklosi Works to Streamline Health Care Inefficiencies

                           Difficult and Balanced Budget Cuts

                   Legislative Update and Accomplishments

President Signs Job's Bill

Washington, DC – Earlier today, President Obama signed the HIRE Act, a jobs bill that will encourage businesses to hire workers, provides tax breaks for companies investing in their future, and helps get Americans back to work. In response to the President’s signing of this groundbreaking legislation, Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pate Waak released the following statement:

“Today, the Colorado Democratic Party thanks President Obama for signing the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment (HIRE) Act into law. This legislation builds on the investments made by the President’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which is credited with funding up to 2 million jobs in the last year and bringing our economy back from the brink of collapse.  At this critical time when our economy is just starting to turn around but too many Americans are still looking for work, this bill creates added incentives for businesses to create jobs and grow their operations.  A strong private sector is critical to economic growth and is the engine of job creation in our country.
 
“The HIRE Act forgives payroll taxes for businesses hiring folks who have been out of work, encourages small businesses to invest in their future and towns in schools and clean energy, and maintains critical infrastructure investments.
 
“This bill is one of several job–creating measures Democrats are working to pass this year. While some Republicans broke ranks with their party and joined Democrats in supporting this commonsense legislation, we call on Republican leaders to stop their obstruction and work with Democratic leaders to help the middle class and get our economy back on track.”

 The HIRE Act:

 1.      Forgives payroll taxes on new employees hired by businesses by the end of the year in cases where the employee has been out of work for at least the past two months.

2.      Allows small businesses to write off investments in equipment this year.

3.      Reforms municipal bonds in a way that encourages investments in schools and clean energy.

4.      Maintains investments in construction projects throughout the spring and summer.

Summary of Colorado Health Care Accomplishments During the Past Three Years

The mission of the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing is to improve access to cost-effective, quality health care services for Coloradans. Since 2007, Governor Ritter, the Department and the General Assembly have implemented an approach to health care reform that is strategic, incremental and system-wide so that every Coloradan can access high-quality, affordable health care.

The results of this approach are the implementation of many strategies that improved access to health care; created efficiencies; defined consumer value for the dollar; and promoted transparency to the taxpayer.  The following are major highlights:

Preferred Drug List established by Executive Order to better manage the pharmaceutical benefits for Medicaid clients, using objective, scientific evidence to determine the efficacy of medications and to create a rational formulary for Medicaid clients. The use of the list and the aggressive negotiation of rebates from pharmaceutical companies are saving the state over $9 million per year.

Long-Term Care Partnership launched to ensure older Coloradans have access to long-term care services when they need them, and provides an alternative to using Medicaid as their only resource for long-term care. The program has helped more than 6,000 middle-income Colorado families purchase affordable, quality long-term care insurance.

Medical Homes for Children established standards for providers to ensure children have access to preventative care, coordination of services, and 24/7 phone consultation. The state is saving money and improving care for children by avoiding unnecessary use of emergency departments for services that should be provided in primary care settings. Currently, 236,000 children are served in medical homes.

Colorado Regional Integrated Care Collaborative is a program designed to better serve high-need/high-cost Medicaid clients. Health plans provide robust care-coordination and manage the utilization of services. Savings are found through avoiding unnecessary hospitalizations and better coordinated care that reduces duplication of services.

PACE programs that coordinate services between Medicare and Medicaid were expanded to eight sites, allowing 2,000 elders to live at home and in their communities instead of in nursing facilities. An expansion is planned for 2010.

Emergency Room Diversion projects were funded in two communities with a federal grant. The projects are designed to educate Medicaid clients regarding inappropriate use of emergency rooms when primary care providers are available to serve them. Thousands of individuals in these two communities have since scheduled visits with primary care clinics.

The Benefits Collaborative is a Department-led initiative for defining the amount, scope and duration of each Medicaid benefit. This effort will save the state money by ensuring that all benefits offered are medically necessary and consistent with current evidence and medical standards.

Colorado Health Care Affordability Act (HB09-1293) expands coverage to more than 100,000 Coloradans without General Fund by using the hospital fees to draw down federal Medicaid matching funds. The combined $1.2 billion will support Medicaid and CHP+ expansions and will be used to improve hospital reimbursement. Covering more of the uninsured reduces the amount of uncompensated care in the health care system, and reduces the amount of cost-shifting of that care that is passed on to individuals with insurance.

Program Integrity activities identify potentially excessive or improper utilization, or improper billing to Medicaid by providers. These efforts recover approximately $8 million per year.

Benefits Coordination is designed to recover costs for medical care paid for by Medicaid from other insurance plans, trusts, estate recoveries, and recovering any payments to clients who were discovered to be ineligible for Medicaid. The Department recovered $45 million of Medicaid payments from estate recovery efforts.

Health Information Technology is a key tool in improving health outcomes and reducing unnecessary expenditures in the health care system. The Department is partnering with CORHIO, the statewide entity establishing guidelines and developing health information exchanges, to develop the tools for providers to exchange data and information about Medicaid clients. This will save the state money by allowing providers to talk with one another through secure internet or email capabilities, sharing information about client tests and treatments that will avoid duplication of services, repeated tests, and the use of inaccurate information that leads to medical errors.

Smoking Cessation is an important tool for improving health outcomes and reducing Medicaid costs associated with tobacco-related illnesses. Medicaid coverage was expanded to provide clients access to additional medications to help them quit smoking successfully.

Medical Errors, or serious reportable events, will no longer be covered by Medicaid as a result of Executive Order D 006 09. This policy results in improved patient safety, decreased Medicaid costs and saves taxpayers money.

Avoidable Hospital Readmissions that occur within 24 hours of discharge for a related condition will no longer be reimbursed by Medicaid. This policy will encourage better patient support during and after a hospital discharge and save taxpayers money.

Quality Incentive Payment Programs were adopted to provide financial incentives to nursing homes to provide higher quality services, and will be implemented with hospitals as well. A certain portion of the payment will be directly related to the achievement of quality and outcome goals.

Prior Authorization is an important tool in managing the utilization of high cost benefits. Medicaid now requests all outpatient clinics obtain prior authorization for non-emergent CT, non-emergent MRI and all PET scans. Justifying these non-emergent services ensures necessity and saves taxpayers money.

The Nurse Advice Line is being aggressively marketed to Medicaid clients as a way to reduce unnecessary use of emergency rooms. The toll-free number is now on Medicaid identification cards, in enrollment packets, and in client correspondence. The Department sent letters to clients who visited ERs more than six times, giving them the toll-free number and scheduling many of them for visits with primary care providers. The number of calls to the line increased by 300% in 2009.

The Accountable Care Collaborative will save the state approximately $14 million per year by holding regional organizations accountable for delivering high-quality, patient-centered, coordinated care to Medicaid clients using community-based care coordinators.

CHP+ at Work will be expanded, allowing the Department to provide coverage to more children through their parents’ insurance. This keeps families in the same plan, and allows the Department to pay premiums for children instead of enrolling them in a public plan.

Three-Share Community Projects are health coverage programs that bring together employers and workers without coverage, with community providers offering direct services to those workers. Everyone shares in the cost – the employer, the employee and the community so individuals get good, basic primary care services. The Department will support the expansion of the project in Pueblo and expand to the San Luis Valley. This expansion will be accomplished with $761,000 from a five-year federal grant.

The Center for Improving Value in Health Care will establish an all-payer claims data based, giving providers and consumers’ information about the costs and quality of health care provided throughout Colorado. Consumers will have transparency into the costs of services, and be able to plan for out-of-pocket expenses associated with their health care.

Public Health and Population Health Initiatives can save the state and other payers’ money by focusing on keeping the overall population healthy. The Department will be partnering with Baby and Me - Tobacco Free – a program that combines smoking cessation support specific to pregnant women with the incentive of free diapers to help motivate the women to stay smoke-free during the first months of the baby’s life. The Department will be promoting 5 Alive! – a collaborative, community-wide initiative to provide a supervised wellness program to Colorado 5th graders who have limited access to healthy lifestyle choices for fitness and nutrition. The Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council will assist the Department to survey behavioral health providers on their current health promotion activities and interventions; identify improvement areas; and implement and evaluate needed health promotion and wellness interventions.

Veterans in the Veterans Affairs Health Care System connects eligible Colorado veterans with benefits for which they are eligible but of which they have not yet taken advantage. By working with Veterans Affairs to establish regular care for Colorado’s veterans, the high costs of emergency care can be avoided while maximizing the federal dollars contributed to the VA program.

Health Insurance Buy-In Program will enroll an additional 100 new clients for FY 2009-10. The program generates savings by paying the premiums, deductibles, and co-insurance for clients who would otherwise be utilizing higher cost services. The clients can continue seeing their physicians of choice thus maintaining continuity of care.

Fluoride Varnish Treatments allow the Department to avoid costly dental and medical procedures by providing children up to age 6 with effective, preventive dental care though fluoride varnishing.

Manual Pricing of DME, Injectibles, and Medical Services removal allowed the Department to automatically set reimbursements a percentage of Medicare while ensuring that for goods and services where no Medicare rate information exists, rates were set using the Department’s average paid, other states' Medicaid average paid, or the commercial average paid rate. By developing an automated reimbursement rate setting methodology, the Department ensures that it is always generating value for medical goods and services by reimbursing at appropriate prices.

Evidence-Guided Utilization Review will divert clients away from inappropriate medical care by providing reviews of services received and reimbursing only those services that are medically necessary. The Department’s designated Quality Improvement Organization (QIO) will expand the scope of services currently reviewed, providing additional savings while also identifying situations and allowing for intervention where utilization patterns are not in the best interest of our clients.

Coordinated Payment and Payment Reform will streamline payment processes, enhance recovery efforts and provide for proactive integration of care while expanding the application of performance-based payment structures which incentivize desired outcomes. Physician Payment Reform and Waiver Rate Reform will create payment plans based upon health outcomes, allowing the Department to purchase better health rather than to simply purchase medical services. Improving access to cost-effective, quality health care services for Coloradans

Colorado.gov/hcpf

 

Income eligible residents of Denver and Jefferson Counties will now be receiving weatherization services from Veterans Green Jobs.  Veterans Green Jobs was awarded a contract to provide weatherization services through June 30, 2010 and it is expected that an additional year contract will be awarded to them.

Interested residents can call 720-236-1321 to apply to the program.

You may arrange a site visit so that you can witness the program's impact in your community first hand. Further questions about the program and its progress can be addressed by calling 720-236-1321 or visiting the GEO website. 

GEO Regional Representatives:
City and County of Denver : Angie Fyfe 303-866-2059
Jefferson County: Mona Newton 303-809-0379

New Energy Jobs Creation Act
Gets First Green Light

(DENVER) Many Colorado citizens would like to increase their property value, make their home more energy efficient, participate in the new green economy in a practical way, and help create good paying jobs in Colorado.  

Rep. Joe Miklosi (D-Denver) convinced other lawmakers that passing House Bill 1328 will accomplish all of these worthwhile goals.  The bill was supported on a 7-4 vote out of the House State Affairs Committee today.

Rep. Miklosi is the lead sponsor of HB 1328 which promotes Property Assessed Clean Energy or PACE programs.  These are convenient finance programs that raise funds for residential and commercial projects that promote energy efficiency and renewable energy and remove the upfront obstacle of obtaining funds to finance the project.  PACE payments are made through individual property assessments from those who voluntarily choose to participate.  

“I am confident that this will help the state create jobs and empower homeowners to participate in our fastest growing economic sector, the New Energy Economy,” said Rep. Miklosi

HB1328 creates a statewide, voluntary, non-contiguous, district that empower home owners to hire approved companies to install solar, wind, geothermal renewable energy systems and or energy efficiency improvements.

Counties must opt into the district before individual home owners can participate through an ordinance by the respective county commissioners.  

The only people affected by this district are those who voluntarily choose to participate.  For those who join the program, the average annual assessment on a residence would be approximately $1,500 per homeowner.  However, for some homeowners, utility savings will entirely offset the assessment.

The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Gail Schwartz, now goes to the full House for a vote.

 . . . . . . . .

A rally for solar as Federal Center announces it will triple energy-producing panels
By Bruce Finley
The Denver Post
Posted: 02/18/2010 01:00:00 AM MST

Hundreds of solar-power supporters make their way to the west steps of the Capitol during a rally Wednesday afternoon. The crowd, representing the Colorado solar industry, gathered at 16th and Lawrence streets and walked up the 16th Street Mall to the Capitol. ( Andy Cross, The Denver Post )

As the government launched a project Wednesday to install solar panels on 35 acres at the Denver Federal Center, 250 solar-industry workers marched through downtown to rally political support.

"This is the future of our economy. Even though we're nicknamed 'green collar,' we're the blue collar of the future," said R.J. Harrington, director of Boulder-based Simple Solar, one of more than 200 solar companies that employ about 1,500 workers statewide.

The action reflected growing enthusiasm for a greener economy that proponents say could propel Colorado out of doldrums.

"I want a long-term career. That's why I'm here," panel installer Wade Andrews, 33, said, marching amid "Solar Roofs = Local Jobs" signs. A Colorado State University graduate in philosophy, Andrews said his $38,000 salary, plus health benefits, gives a solid start.

Solar-industry leaders are lobbying for legislation to enable widespread installation of panels on residential and small-business roofs.

Lawmakers have introduced bills that would:

• Make it easier for homeowners to arrange financing for the upfront cost of solar panels.

• Require Colorado to generate 30 percent of energy used by consumers from renewable sources by 2020, up from a current requirement of 20 percent.

Supporting solar energy "is a win for banks," Rep. Joe Miklosi, D-Denver, said. Solar-company assets are growing, homeowners borrowing to buy panels fit profiles of those likely to repay loans, and a 30 percent target would stimulate further growth, Miklosi said. "This is about creating jobs."

At the Federal Center, Government Services Administration officials said installation of about 30,000 roof and ground-mounted solar panels would help meet a goal of generating 14 percent of energy used at the center from a renewable source.

About 6,000 federal employees work in 55 buildings at the 623-acre center in Lakewood — the largest federal center outside Washington, D.C.

"The addition of 35 acres of photovoltaic panels at the Denver Federal Center will encourage growth and create jobs in the domestic construction and green technology industries," GSA Administrator Martha Johnson said.

The new solar arrays would triple the acreage covered by solar panels. The project is being paid for with $5.5 billion in Recovery Act tax funds given to GSA to make federal offices more efficient.

Read more: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_14422682#ixzz0gIMtlDr0

COLORADO LEGISLATURE PROPOSES AN ADDITIONAL $340 MILLION TO BALANCE STATE BUDGET 

ONE-YEAR UPDATE:  AMERICAN RECOVERY AND REINVESTMENT ACT ECONOMIC BENEFITS

Increase Colorado's Renewable Energy Standard to 30% by 2020

A new study released today ranks Colorado fourth in the nation for Recovery Act spending transparency. The ranking was released in a new national study, called “Show Us the Stimulus (Again),” analyzes how well states are reporting Recovery Act spending on their website. The study was conducted by the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First.

 “Over the last year, we have worked hard to fulfill my commitment of making Recovery Act spending in Colorado as transparent, open and accountable as possible to the people of Colorado,” Gov. Ritter said. “Through public outreach, aggressive oversight and extensive reports on www.colorado.gov/recovery, we are ensuring that Colorado taxpayers know how their funds are being spent. I am proud that our efforts are being recognized nationally.”

 The report scored state Recovery Act websites according to their ability to show various types of spending information, including contracts awarded, distribution of spending by county or town, and details of specific projects. On a scale of 0 to 100, Colorado scored 72. The average score was 44. Maryland topped the list. The report authors are part of a national coalition called States for a Transparent and Accountable Recovery (STAR coalition).

This report updates a similar study released in July 2009 that also ranked Colorado near the top of states.

“Colorado’s Recovery Act website is sophisticated, comprehensive, and easily navigable,” the report said. “The state uses mapping and narrative information effectively to disclose information about spending, project progress, and job creation and retention. Data can be retrieved by drilling down through maps or by accessing provided reports. Information appears to be timely and frequently updated.”

The website is maintained by the Governor’s Economic Recovery Team and includes a map that shows Recovery Act projects and lists of contractors and reports. The website is updated daily and the staff is working on adding new features in coming months.

 To view the study, go to http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/ARRAwebreportjan2010.pdf

 At least $6.7 billion in Recovery Act funding is expected to come to Colorado through more than 100 different programs, including tax cuts for 1.8 million families, increased safety net benefits and infrastructure projects that are creating or saving thousands of jobs.

 For more information about the Recovery Act in Colorado, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery.Economic Opportunity Reduction Task Force Suggestions Summary

HB 09-1064 established the Economic Opportunity Reduction Task Force to report and make recommendations on how Colorado can minimize poverty. This task force reported on January 15 and in the final report made the following eight suggestions:

Bill A - Tabor and the Earned Income Tax Credit
Increases the Earned Income Tax Credit threshold to trigger a temporary income tax rate reduction as a method to provide a TABOR refund.

Bill B - Clarifying Civil Liability for an Employer Hiring a Person with Criminal Record
This helps people who have a criminal record get employment easier. However, there would still be background checks under this bill.

Bill C - Reduction in Barriers to Obtaining Identity-Related Documents.
Prohibits the state for charging a fee for birth or death records if the applicant is under the care of social services, has been released from prison from within six months, county jail, or has a letter of approval from a county department.

Bill D - Independent Evaluation of the Statewide Strategic Use Fund
Authorizes the Department of Human Services to use existing funds to conduct an independent evaualation of the Statewide Strategic Use Fund (SSUF).

Bill E - Administration of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Requires the Department of Human Services to broaden there acceptance of applicants into the Nutrition Assistance Program by adopting the federal maximum qualifications.

Bill F - Duties of the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force
Develops a model for evaluating the effectiveness of certain public programs and policies in achieving the goals of the task force.

Bill G - Authorization for Public Entities to Enter Voluntary Agreements Affecting Rent on Private Residential Property.
Creates rent control for privately owned residential properties and also creates more tenant/owner cooperation regarding lease terms.

Bill H - Collaboration in the Provision of Multi-Agency Services
Currently there is no collaboration between many social service agencies. This bill would look to establish this by creating memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with certain agencies. The agencies considered right now for MOUs would be local judicial districts; all levels of heath departments, school districts, mental heath centers, behavioral health organizations, youth corrections, domestic abuse programs, and designated treatment programs for alcohol and drug abuse.

All of these bills were proposed by the Economic Opportunity Reduction Task Force to alleviate Colorado's poverty issues.


Below is information regarding where money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is going to in Colorado. Click on the picture or here for a larger image.

Below are three job creation bills that will be discussed in 2010.

Health Care Jobs for Rural and Underserved Colorado

    * Colorado is experiencing shortages in a number of health care professions, particularly amongst primary care providers
    * Although a number of programs exist in Colorado to incent health professions students and providers to practice in priority fields and communities, these programs are limited in impact and lack coordination and integration
    * A number of health professions loan repayment programs that are funded by private donors are negatively impacted by duplicative administrative costs and suffer tax penalties that could be avoided if they were publicly and centrally administered
    * Health care workforce issues are complex and at present are handled in “silos.
    * Re-brands the existing State Health Professional Loan Repayment Program within CDPHE as the Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) and expands its scope to consolidate and administer existing public and private loan repayment programs for health care professionals serving rural and underserved communities in Colorado;
          o This will take the program from about $250 K / year ($120 K in GF) to at least a few million / year
    * Provides the Primary Care Office within CDPHE with the administrative flexibility needed to successfully manage this expanded program
    * Directs the CHSC Advisory Council to study ways to better coordinate and integrate State’s primary care workforce programs
    * Loan repayment programs for primary care providers will help attract these health care professionals (ranging from physicians to advanced practice nurses to dental hygienists and mental health professionals) to rural and underserved areas where they typically are less willing to practice.
    * The Colorado Health Service Corps will help in securing and filling jobs that will not only improve access to health care in rural and underserved areas but also help revitalize communities by generating more economic activity and keeping local health care dollars within local communities.
          o Residents of rural Colorado are not only inconvenienced when they have to drive 2 hours to access the nearest available provider, they are driving the economic value of those services 2 hours from their hometown as well.
          o And studies show that for every physician recruited to a rural or underserved area, the community sees corresponding increases in jobs, revenue and payroll at the local clinics, hospitals and pharmacies in return.
          o One study showed that a primary care physician can generate up to $1.5 million in revenue, $0.9 million in payroll and create 23 jobs in both the physician clinic and the hospital. (Http://www.ruralhealthworks.org)
    * This legislation will also increase efficiency, since it enables the consolidation of a number of government and private loan repayment programs, eliminating duplicative administrative costs and maximizing opportunities to coordinate with other workforce programs.
    * Dramatically increase the effectiveness of current loan repayment programs, which means more primary care providers get help paying off their educational debt and more Coloradans living in areas with provider shortages can get better access to the services they need
    * Provides a one-stop-shop for health care providers looking for opportunities to serve in rural / underserved areas
    * Opportunities to draw down additional federal matching funds for qualified loan repayment programs, and linking state and foundation programs to federal dollars gives them the opportunity to avoid tax penalties on the awards they make to primary care providers
    * CHSC Advisory Council will survey State incentive programs for health professionals in primary care and, as they arise, consider options to individually enhance, improve coordination among, and possibly consolidate existing or potential programs to better address Colorado’s primary care workforce issues

Creating the Colorado Health Service Corps

    * Colorado is experiencing shortages in a number of health care professions, particularly amongst primary care providers and allied health professionals
    * Although a number of programs exist in Colorado to incent health professions students and providers to practice in priority fields and communities, these programs are limited in impact and lack coordination and integration
    * A number of health professions loan repayment programs that are funded by private donors are negatively impacted by duplicative administrative costs and suffer tax penalties that could be avoided if they were publicly and centrally administered
    * Health care workforce issues are complex and at present are handled in “silos”
    * Re-brands the existing State Health Professional Loan Repayment Program within CDPHE as the Colorado Health Service Corps (CHSC) and expands its scope to consolidate and administer existing public and private loan repayment programs for health care professionals serving rural and underserved communities in Colorado;
          o This will take the program from about $120 K / year to at least a few million / year
    * Provides the Primary Care Office within CDPHE with the administrative flexibility needed to successfully manage this expanded program
    * Directs the CHSC Advisory Council to study ways to better coordinate and integrate State’s primary care workforce progra
    * Loan repayment programs for primary care providers will help attract these health care professionals (ranging from physicians to advanced practice nurses to dental hygienists and mental health professionals) to rural and underserved areas where they typically are less willing to practice.
    * Not only does this improve access to health care services in these areas, it also helps revitalize the communities because health professionals generate a lot of economic activity.
          o Studies show that one primary care physician can generate up to $1.5 million in revenue, $0.9 million in payroll and create 23 jobs in both the physician clinic and the hospital. (Http://www.ruralhealthworks.org)
    * This legislation will also increase efficiency, since it enables the consolidation of a number of government and private loan repayment programs, eliminating duplicative administrative costs and maximizing opportunities to coordinate with other workforce programs.
    * Dramatically increase the effectiveness of current loan repayment programs, which means more primary care providers get help paying off their educational debt and more Coloradans living in areas with provider shortages can get better access to the services they need
    * Provides a one-stop-shop for health care providers looking for opportunities to serve in rural / underserved areas
    * Opportunities to draw down additional federal matching funds for qualified loan repayment programs, and linking state and foundation programs to federal dollars gives them the opportunity to avoid tax penalties on the awards they make to primary care providers
    * CHSC Advisory Council will survey State incentive programs for health professionals in primary care and, as they arise, consider options to individually enhance, improve coordination among, and possibly consolidate existing or potential programs to better address Colorado’s primary care workforce issues

Job Retraining Account

The federal government and the State of Colorado provide numerous opportunities for workers to upgrade their skills and achieve their career goals and earning potential.  However, the high cost of education and re-training continue to limit career advancement opportunities for many frontline workers.   Job Retraining Accounts are a way to bridge this funding gap and to assist workers to achieve their career goals. 

Job Retraining Accounts are a promising strategy to finance lifelong learning.  These accounts are employer-matched, portable, employee-owned accounts used to finance education and training.  Job Retraining Accounts encourage the creation of a partnership between workers and employers to increase education productivity, improve recruitment and retention, and meet the changing needs of our economy.  Job Retraining Accounts are intended to supplement, not replace, existing employer-supported tuition assistance programs and federal education incentive programs.  Job Retraining Accounts differ from traditional sources of education funding, in that workers invest in themselves through saving while also leveraging employer investment.

The legislation would authorize CollegeInvest, a division of the Colorado Dept of Higher Education, to create and administer Lifelong Learning Accounts.  The accounts would be offered as part of the State of Colorado’s 529 college savings programs established by 23-3.1-301 et seq CRS in 2000.  Employers would offer Job Retraining Accounts to their employees and establish the program structure including eligibility requirements and matching policies.

Job Retraining Accounts are worker-owned, employer-matched, interest bearing savings accounts designed to make education and training opportunities more accessible to working adults.  The concept is similar to a 401(k) retirement account, but these accounts are used to save for and fund education.  

Job Retraining Accounts would be set up under the CollegeInvest Direct Portfolio Program managed by Upromise and Vanguard Investments.  The employee would be able to choose the investment option that best meets their goals and risk tolerance (e.g., money market accounts versus emerging market equities).  As part of the Direct Portfolio Program, all contributions by the employee would be eligible for an unlimited Colorado State tax deduction, and earnings in the account are tax free for both State and Federal tax purposes so long as they are used for qualified education purposes.

Job Retraining Accounts are an effective, low-cost way to assist workers to achieve their career goals. Job Retraining Accounts require no state funds and expand opportunities for workers and their employers to invest in specific job training.  In addition, because Job Retraining Accounts will be affixed to existing administrative structures immediately and without incurring startup costs.

GOVERNOR BILL RITTER, JR.

STATE OF THE STATE ADDRESS

Joint Session of the 67^th Colorado General Assembly

House Chambers, State Capitol

11 a.m., January 14, 2010

 

Introduction

 I have had the privilege of serving as the governor of Colorado for three years now. And what a privilege it is. After having traveled and lived in other places around the world, I believe in every fiber of my being that Colorado is the best place on the globe to live and to raise a family. 

 As a people, we care deeply about each other. We look for ways to build a different and better future for our children, for our grandchildren. We are innovators and creators, we are rugged, and determined. And when tough times or a tragedy strikes, we respond not as outsiders or strangers, but as part of the family. It sets us apart.

 As a state, Colorado is blessed with diverse natural resources. Our landscape is pristine, the minerals and fossil fuels bountiful. The sun, the wind, the headwaters of seven river systems, agricultural land, state and national forests, are all part of a natural ecosystem that is the envy of so many.

 Colorado is a beacon to many other places in this world. But if our light is to shine brightly, those of us who have answered the call to serve our state in elected or appointed office, have a different responsibility. We must work every day, all day, at achieving the full God-given potential of this state and of its people.

 To live up to that responsibility, we must agree that our service has a meaning and a purpose that is greater than any one of us in this room. At this pivotal point in Colorado’s history, with the challenges we face, I know we can and must set aside the weaker impulses of partisanship.  Colorado is in a better place because of the wisdom and humanity among you, and Coloradans deserve no less than your best ideas and your selfless determination for a stronger Colorado.

 In this, my last year as Governor, I recommit to working tirelessly alongside you. We have accomplished much, but time is short, and there remains much work to be done on behalf of the people of Colorado.  

 President Shaffer, Speaker Carroll, honorable members of the House and the Senate, thank you for allowing me to stand in this chamber and deliver my fourth and final State of the State Address. Mr. Speaker, as the first African American Speaker of the House, you have broken new ground. Above and beyond that, you are serving the people of Colorado with distinction, and it has been an honor to serve with both you and President Shaffer.

 To our distinguished partners in service: Lt. Gov. O’Brien, Treasurer Kennedy, Attorney General Suthers, Secretary of State Buescher, and Senator Bennet ...

 Members of the Supreme Court and Board of Education, Mayor Hickenlooper, other local government leaders and Tribal Chairs …

 To members of my Cabinet and my staff, members of the public and all those outside this chamber, including the Colorado National Guard and all Coloradans defending our freedoms abroad, thank you for the privilege to serve as your governor.

 I especially want to thank my wife and Colorado’s first lady, Jeannie. Thank you for everything you do for the people of Colorado and for all you do for our own family. Two of our four children, Tally and Sam, are here this morning, as well as my mother, Ethel, and many of my siblings. Thank you for your support, your understanding and your love.

 Turning Obstacles into Assets

In 2006, I ran for governor because Colorado was not living up to its full potential. We needed a course correction, to think bigger, to do better. So four years ago, Barbara O’Brien and I – with the help of so many dedicated Coloradans – laid out our vision and our goals to lead Colorado forward.

 Together we all are turning obstacles into assets, implementing lasting solutions to our serious challenges, and helping Coloradans in every community achieve the Colorado Promise.

 We’re making the New Energy Economy our calling card to the future.

 We’re growing other Industries of the Future – aerospace, the biosciences and technology.

 We’re leading on innovation and manufacturing, because Colorado is chock-full of visionaries who wake up every morning and say, “What can I create, what can I make today?”

 We’re cutting taxes for small businesses, helping small businesses get access to loans, and bringing new jobs and new companies to Colorado.

 We’re expanding access to healthcare, improving quality and building a foundation for greater cost controls.

 We’re bringing the first new sustainable funding for transportation in 20 years, with the first FASTER safety and repair projects set to begin in just a few months.

 We’re laying the groundwork for long-term fiscal reform.

 On education, we’ve been Racing to the Top for years. More children are enrolled in preschool and full-day kindergarten than ever before. We’re tackling the drop-out rate, and CSAPs are going the way of the dinosaurs. 

 Over the last three years, we have been changing course and changing the culture of government – thinking bolder, doing better. Our strategies are working. Even in the worst global economy in generations, we’re leading Colorado to a brighter future full of opportunity and promise.

 Working for You

 Since taking office, I’ve visited every corner of Colorado – 250 visits outside the metro area in communities like Antonito and Alamosa, Pueblo and Palisade, Steamboat Springs and Glenwood Springs.

 I’ve visited with Coloradans who are struggling, and with those who are succeeding, fulfilling the Colorado Promise every single day.

 From nearly all of them, I hear this simple message: stay focused on creating jobs and making government leaner and more efficient; invest in our future; strengthen our safety net.

 It’s a tall order. But in these extraordinary and precarious times, let’s listen to our constituents. Let’s stay focused on job creation, on doing what’s necessary for Colorado families and small businesses, on doing what’s right for the future of Colorado.

We cannot get distracted by partisan politics or the trivial pursuits that threaten to take us away from our core mission of economic recovery. It will not be enough to stay on the sidelines, to constantly criticize, to offer nothing but $10 solutions to billion-dollar problems. We have a higher responsibility, and if you are not at the table providing solutions, then you are part of the problem.

 While this has been a tough time, and while there will be setbacks, we are making progress. Colorado has one of the best business climates and economic outlooks in the country, and if we stay disciplined and determined, we will get our economy back on solid footing. I know we can do this, because we’ve been doing it.

 Cutting Costs & Increasing Efficiencies

The budget will drive much of this session, and it will be even more challenging than last year.

 Since mid-2008, we’ve closed shortfalls of $2 billion because of the recession. We have a billion-dollar shortfall to close in the coming budget. Over the next few weeks, I will be submitting additional budget-cutting plans to the Joint Budget Committee.

 While our efforts have helped stabilize our economy, and while an economic recovery is indeed underway, a revenue recovery is a year away. That means more tough, unpopular – but necessary – decisions. It means we all need to have the courage to ask government agencies, state employees, private businesses and public schools to share in the solutions.

 We’re going to have to do things we don’t want to do. We’re going to have to take a balanced approach to keeping the budget balanced, without damaging our ability to recover and grow jobs.

 Representative Pommer, Senator Keller and other members of the JBC, thank you for your partnership, your wisdom and your compassion for the people of Colorado.

 This is an unenviable time, but it is when values, leadership and strength matter the most. And thanks to the tough choices we’ve been making, Colorado is coming back, better than before.

 Our government efficiency review found more than $200 million in savings and benefits and is proving that good government works and can make people’s lives better.

 We’re eliminating tens of millions of dollars in healthcare waste and fraud.

 We’re saving money by greening government, and this session we will pursue legislation to make our state parks the first net-zero energy park system in the country.

 We’re making more services available online and making government more transparent by posting thousands of documents on the web for everyone to see.

 We’re adapting to a new economic reality, making government smarter and more efficient, just as families and businesses are doing all across Colorado.

 This session, we’re going to need to shore up the public employee retirement fund, and I’m pleased that we are nearing a bipartisan solution.

 Longer-term, we need to continue the debate over Colorado’s financial future. We need to have an honest conversation with the public about what kind of services they want their government to provide, and how much it will cost to provide those services to 5 million people today and to nearly 10 million by 2050.

 We started the discussion with Ref C. We made significant progress last year by loosening the knot of conflicting fiscal mandates with Senate Bill 228. But we have a long way to go before we completely untie the knot. We must keep the dialogue going in order to achieve smarter, more sensible and modern budgeting. 

 More urgently, Coloradans must unite against three of the most backward-thinking ballot measures this state has ever seen. Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 and 61 would shut down colleges and prisons, increase class sizes, put thousands of teachers out of work, and prevent the repair of unsafe roads and bridges.

 If these measures pass, the state could never again support building another public school, library or rec center. The cynical game the proponents are playing with our future would quite literally destroy the safety net and wipe out any hope of creating a better future for our children.

 That’s not the Colorado I want. I want a Colorado that opens doors to opportunity, not slams them shut.

 I want a Colorado where elected leaders from both parties have the courage to stand up and oppose those three ballot measures.

I want a Colorado where we create jobs, help companies like Sierra Nevada, Norgren, The Water Company and Infinite Power Solutions expand. I want a Colorado where we attract new companies like Vestas, DaVita and SMA Solar. Representatives from some of the firms I mentioned are with us today. Thank you for helping us to transform Colorado’s economy.

 Creating Jobs and Energizing our Economy

 In these uncertain times, the New Energy Economy – which did not exist three years ago – continues to be our beacon to a brighter future. Today, thanks to many of the people in this chamber, we’re leading the nation in this critical area.  

 We’re creating thousands of new jobs, new markets and new revenues.  

 We’re nurturing a culture of innovation from the best energy research corridor in the world.

 We’re manufacturing 21^st century products from state-of-the-art factories.

 We’re providing affordable, reliable and efficient energy for people all across Colorado.

 We are pioneers. Colorado voters were the first in the country to pass a renewable energy standard. We doubled that standard in 2007, and because of our work, we are five years ahead of schedule to reach the current 20 percent goal.

 So, this session let’s think bigger, creating even larger markets for solar, wind, biomass, hydro and geothermal. Let’s increase our standard to 30 percent.

 This will trigger the creation of tens of thousands of new jobs, draw new capital investments and new companies to our state, and keep Colorado at the epicenter of America’s energy revolution. It will increase our energy independence and further reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

 This session, we also have an opportunity to lead the nation in expanding the role of cleaner-burning natural gas in our energy portfolio. Natural gas has always been part of the New Energy Economy, and this year we look forward to solidifying its role for the future.

 Over the past few months, I’ve been working closely with the natural gas industry, with utilities and with other stakeholders. We’re looking at ways to increase the use of Colorado natural gas to generate electricity, reduce air pollution, stabilize energy bills for consumers – and create jobs.

 Together, we have enacted 40 pieces of legislation to build the New Energy Economy. This year, we can continue leading the country and letting the nation and the world know that this truly is our calling card to the future.

 Educating Kids

Colorado’s future also depends on our continued efforts to improve our schools and student learning. Thank you Lt. Governor O’Brien, Education Commissioner Jones and our partners in the legislature for making education reform one of this state’s highest priorities.

 When we took office, we began to change the culture around education reform, and change the future for Colorado’s children. Together, we’ve moved away from the old partisan fights of the past to a more collaborative approach that’s focused on student learning and teacher effectiveness, training and retention.

 We’re doing a better job educating our kids, and next week we will submit a very competitive Race to the Top grant application. Frankly, regardless of whether Colorado receives a Race to the Top grant, we’ve already won. We are now a national leader in education reform. Our Race to the Top began in 2007 when I stood here to deliver my very first State of the State Address. 

 Three years ago, I laid out several 10-year goals for education: cut the dropout rate in half, close achievement gaps, and double the number of college degrees earned by Colorado students.

 Ever since, we’ve been implementing reform after reform. Thanks to those efforts, Colorado now has the most current and rigorous set of standards for classroom learning.

 While our strategies are working, we can do a better job giving kids a smart start in life. Last year, thousands of students who should have graduated, dropped out. Too many high school graduates aren’t college-ready, and too many new employees aren’t workforce-ready.

 This year, we’re going to keep moving forward, with legislation that will take us closer to the day when we end CSAP testing as we know it.

 We’ll still assess our kids, and we’ll assess more rigorously than ever before, because we need to know what they know and what they can do. We will modernize assessments so the tests help our teachers teach, help our students learn, and help our parents engage in their children’s education. 

 On higher education, we will continue to protect Colorado’s colleges and universities. Even in this downturn, with the help of the Recovery Act, we have protected higher-ed and kept college affordable. Our P-20 Council and Jobs Cabinet are all creating a seamless strategy for education, workforce development and business development.

 And you will all be happy to know that my last blue-ribbon panel will spend this year crafting a long-term strategic plan for the future of higher-ed in Colorado. 

 The stakes are high, because if there is one single key that unlocks the doors of opportunity, it’s education. If there is one single key to economic recovery, it is education. And if there is one single key to addressing poverty, it is education. The best economic-development strategy and the best anti-poverty strategy is an education strategy. 

 Protecting People

We’re also showing the country how to craft a smarter criminal-justice strategy.

 As a former district attorney, I knew we needed to take a different approach, to develop a comprehensive vision, while still making public safety our number one priority.

 We created a School Safety Resource Center. We established an Office of Homeland Security, and we began reforming our prisons.

 Our violent crime rate is down. Traffic fatalities are at a 30-year low, and motor-vehicle thefts have been cut in half over the past five years.

 For decades, prison spending was growing faster than any other part of the budget. We spend more each year keeping 22,000 prison inmates behind bars than we do educating 220,000 college students. That is not a sustainable formula for success.

 So we implemented evidence-based strategies to keep the public safe, reduce recidivism and save money. For the first time in anyone’s memory, we’ve reversed the upward trajectory of prison growth and prison spending. We’re being tough on crime, and smart on crime. We’re taking a more thoughtful approach, which is also a more cost-effective approach.  

Another place where we need to find balance is medical marijuana. We need to uphold the will of the voters while reining in abuses and bringing common sense to the chaos that now exists. Together, we can achieve bipartisan solutions that clarify the doctor-patient relationship and address the proliferation of dispensaries. I urge the General Assembly to act quickly in this area.    

We also need to address an additional public safety issue by toughening the penalties for drunk driving. We need stronger enforcement, stiffer punishments, and better treatment. I call on this body to deliver a bill that does just that.

 Public safety involves more than just criminal justice. It’s also the safety net. Especially in a downturn, we have a moral obligation to protect the most vulnerable among us. We can be both fiscally conservative leaders, and leaders who serve with grace and compassion.

 So we will move ahead with legislation to better protect those who depend on us the most, including abused and neglected children – because one child’s death is one too many. My deep thanks to the Child Welfare Action Committee. Their good work has already saved lives.

 Conclusion

 There is no question that we are making historic progress. We are moving Colorado forward. We are changing the culture of government and the direction of Colorado. We are helping more and more Coloradans live up to their God-given potential, and we’re transforming Colorado so that we emerge from the downturn stronger and better than before.

 Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Well, we have the right vision and the right strategies in place, and there is no better place than Colorado for turning challenges into opportunities. No better place for letting the politics of what’s possible trump the politics of fear and cynicism.

 Our state budget situation – it’s an opportunity to adapt to a new economic reality, to re-invent government, to finally craft a long-term strategic plan for higher education.

 As difficult as our challenges may seem, we are in a better position than most other states. Colorado has faced much more difficult times in the past, and has come out stronger and more determined. To this day, we’re still benefiting from the resilience, innovation and imagination of Colorado leaders who came before us.

The skills of Colorado’s famed 10^th Mountain Division gave us today’s modern ski industry.

The vision of the Coloradans in the 1800s who expanded the rail lines east and west, north and south, allowed Colorado to grow and prosper.

 And the courage of men like David Moffat and Walter Cheesman, who overcame obstacles – or, went through them – gave us a network of water pipelines, channels and reservoirs that today sustain millions of Coloradans. 

 Today, our responsibility is to provide that same gift of determination to the generations of Coloradans who will follow us. This session – this year – we must keep building a bridge to Colorado’s future. We should never be afraid to imagine big, and we must keep executing the strategies that are moving Colorado forward.

 But no strategy is self-executing. We have a higher responsibility to join together, to overcome our challenges, to turn to what Abraham Lincoln called the “better angels of our nature.”

 Decades from now, our grandchildren will look back at this moment and ask us what it was like, the same way we look back at the Great Depression. This is a hinge in history, and I hope we can tell them that yes, it was tough, but we worked together and rose to the challenge.

 Colorado, thank you again for the privilege of serving as your governor.

 

God bless you.

                                           #  #  #  #  #

 

 “I, too, sing America.”  

When the Harlem Renaissance author Langston Hughes penned those words in 1925, America was booming.

 In Colorado, myths about fast fortunes made from silver and gold yielded to firmer economic opportunities – opportunities grounded in Colorado’s northern oil fields and southern steel mills. In Colorado’s fertile wheat fields out east and mineral deposits out west.  

Colorado’s once-desolate high plains became a critical part of America’s breadbasket.  The Rocky Mountains – once barely traversable – became the nation’s backbone, and with the completion of Moffat Tunnel, a vital part of the state’s economy.

Yet this state and this nation’s exuberance was obscured by harsher realities. America’s horizon, in fact, was littered with unseen challenges.  

Langston Hughes recognized that challenges awaited – that we were a long way from realizing liberty’s full potential.  And yet, he saw promise peeking out:

“Tomorrow, I’ll be at the table, for I, too, am America.”

Well, tomorrow has become today, and while this nation remains imperfect, the 20^th Century and the first decade of the 21^st , produced undeniable achievements.

In retrospect, the signposts toward progress appear clearly marked.  But it’s a mistake to read history as an inevitable march forward.  For each signpost precedes a bend in the road.  And each bend foretells an immense challenge requiring difficult choices, clear leadership, and the will to act.

It’s only ten years into this century, and America is already shuddering under the weight of an immense burden.  

Two wars, two recessions – one nearly resulting in economic collapse – disasters both natural and man-made.  If anything, history’s long march, which rarely presents time to exhale, is speeding up.  

Today, though better than yesterday, again presents this nation and this state with new challenges.

Challenges that require critical choices, clear leadership, and the will to act.

The choices we make today – both within this room and without – matter to Colorado’s families. They matter because tomorrow is not yet written.  

But when tomorrow is written, history’s burden will be on us to show that in this building, in this room, in this year, we are standing up for Colorado’s families. We are fighting for small businesses and we are working hard to create new jobs. We are steering the state toward recovery.

The bill would increase the quality of health care coverage, maintain doctor choice, protect families and businesses from filing bankruptcy due to massive health care bills, and save millions of dollars.

I have heard from numerous small business owners who are struggling with skyrocketing health care premiums.  That is why I am co-sponsoring Representative Kefalas’ and Senator Joyce Foster’s  bill which would create a statewide, non-profit administered, single-payer health care plan.  

Status:  The legislation was approximately one vote short of passage in the House of Representatives. 

Responsible Plastic Bag Reduction Act (SB 156)

Status:  While the bill was defeated on second reading on February 24 in the Senate by a vote of 21-14, we have plans to introduce this important legislation in 2010. 

Abandoned Military Remains Deposition Act (HB 1058)

Funding Cold Case Unit and Repealing the Death Penalty (HB 1274)

Age Limit Youthful Offender System (HB 1122)

This bill would allow people who are sentenced prior to their 21^st birthday to be sentenced to the youthful offender system.  Keeping young offenders out of the adult system gives them a better chance at rehabilitation.  This bill gives them the ability to become contributing members of our society.

Status:  The bill passed the General Assembly and the Governor signed it into law. 

 

Funds Allocated to Colorado under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act