Hudak’s Senate Notes – June 2009

Month: 
June
Year: 
2009

The 2009 session of the State Legislature (General Assembly) ended on May 6, and it won’t reconvene until January.  Nevertheless, I’m discovering that the interim is rather busy. 

TOWN HALL MEETINGS

I will be hosting three Town Hall Meetings:

  • Saturday, June 20, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at Covenant Village, 9053 Yarrow Street, in the Smith Fellowship Hall.  The topic will be issues of concern to senior citizens, presented by representatives from AARP. 
  • Saturday, September 26, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Standley Lake Library.
  • Saturday, November 21, 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., at the Standley Lake Library. 

WHAT I’VE BEEN DOING

Here are some of the things I’ve done since the session ended:

  • Held a Town Hall Meeting on May 7.
  • Met with COPINE (Colorado Parent Involvement Network for Education) to discuss implementation of SB 90, which COPINE designed and I sponsored.
  • Attended the Metro North Chamber’s quarterly Development Breakfast.
  • Went on the Legislators’ Bioscience Tour of Amgen in Longmont.
  • Helped pass out diplomas at Red Rocks Community College’s graduation.
  • Went to the Colorado Department of Education’s “Content Standards Tour” to learn about the proposed revisions to the first four Model Content Standards.
  • Gave an end-of-session legislative update to the Arvada Kiwanis.
  • Attended the Committee on Economic Development’s presentation on Quality, Affordable Health Care for All.
  • Attended a presentation sponsored by Jeffco Human Services on providing a comprehensive system of care for children and youth.
  • Attended the Triad Early Childhood Council’s breakfast presenting this year’s Children’s Champions awards.
  • Participated in a stakeholders’ input meeting with the Interim Committee on School Finance.
  • Spoke at the Arvada Roundtable about the legislative session.
  • Met with members of the Economic Recovery/Poverty Reduction Task Force.
  • Attended a meeting of the Colorado School Finance Project.
  • Attended a meeting of the Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice.

INTERIM COMMITTEES

I have been assigned to serve on two legislative committees this summer and fall – (1) the Economic Opportunity/Poverty Reduction Task Force and (2) the Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission.  I’ll likely be working on subcommittees of other interim committees.   Please be advised that I have no staff during the interim, so there may be delays in my responding to your calls or e-mails.  

Interim committees are special legislative committees that meet to study issues during the months when the Legislature is not in session.  Their primary goal is to recommend legislation.  Some committees have funding from the state, or from grants or donations, to reimburse members’ expenses, and some don’t.  Those that are called a “task force” or a “commission” are intended to continue their work beyond the interim period.  These are the committees that were created in 2009:

  • Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission
  • Interim Committee to Study Issues Related to Pinnacol Assurance
  • Interim Committee on School Finance
  • Economic Opportunity/Poverty Reduction Task Force
  • Early Childhood and School Readiness Legislative Commission
  • Task Force on Business and Personal Property Tax
  • Interim Committee on Hospice and Palliative Care
  • Interim Committee on the Developmental Disability Waiting List
  • Electronic Device Recycling Task Force
  • Task Force to Study Home Care Placement Agencies and Home Care
  • Interim Committee on School Safety Issues

In addition, the following committees are continuing from previous years:  Transportation Legislation Review Committee, Commission on Criminal and Juvenile Justice, Health Care Task Force, Water Resources Review Committee, and Mental Health in Criminal Justice.  The Lieutenant Governor plans to have several subcommittees to make recommendations for Colorado’s proposal for the “Race to the Top” education grant.

 

THE VOTERS’ VOICE

If you live in Senate District 19, look for this year’s issue of The Voters’ Voice to be hand-delivered to your doorstep by a volunteer at some time over the summer.  It will have a summary of key bills passed in 2009.  (This is the publication that my predecessor, Sue Windels, initiated over 10 years ago; she has authorized me to continue producing it.)  I will soon be posting it on my website, as well. 

NEW SENATORS

Senator Peter Groff, the Senate President, resigned in order to take a position in the U.S. Department of Education; he is now the director of Community and Faith-Based Initiatives there.  A vacancy committee selected Michael Johnston to take his place.  Senator Jennifer Veiga resigned to move to Australia.  A vacancy committee selected Patrick Steadman to take her place.  Senator Brandon Shaffer was elected to replace Groff as President of the Senate.  Because he was the Majority Leader, an election took place for the new Majority Leader, who is now Senator John Morse.  These changes are causing some people to change office locations (not me) and committee assignments (which will determined later this year).

To get further information about the State Legislature, go to the General Assembly website at http://www.leg.state.co.us.