January 2012 - 2nd half

The 2012 session of the Colorado General Assembly started on Wednesday, Jan. 11. We wasted no time getting down to business. President Brandon Shaffer gave us the following charge: “It is our duty, our mission, to do everything in our power to revitalize Colorado’s economy. We must create new jobs, and better jobs, for our fellow Coloradans.” He introduced the Senate Democrats’ package of bills to do this, beginning with Senate Bill 1, my bill, the HIRE Colorado Act (Helping Individuals Reach Employment). While we see a positive trend of rising job numbers and decreasing unemployment in Colorado, there is much work left to do. I am determined to avoid partisan gridlock and petty politics to focus on finding solutions that work for Colorado families.

 

Please join me for my monthly Town Hall Meeting this Saturday, Jan. 21, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Standley Lake Library. In addition to an overview of the 2012 session, I will provide details of the bills I am sponsoring and the bills that are in the “Colorado Works” plan. You will have the opportunity to learn how you can get involved in the legislative process and speak with me about the issues that concern you the most.

 

On Friday, Jan. 6, as Chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, I was one of the presenters at the annual legislative breakfast sponsored by U.S. 36 Commuting Solutions, a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing congestion and providing clean commuting options along the U.S. 36 (Boulder Turnpike) corridor. The Chair of the House Transportation Committee, Rep. Glenn Vaad, and I reviewed the bills that the Transportation Legislation Review Committee will sponsor during this session. In addition, CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) and RTD presented updates on local transportation issues:

·         U.S. 36 Express Lanes: The express lanes being added to U.S. 36 are scheduled to be completed from I-25 to Wadsworth by July 2015. They will provide for Bus Rapid Transit and HOV/Tolled Express Lanes. The bridges at Wadsworth, Lowell, and 112^th will be reconstructed in the process. A commuter bikeway is also planned.

·         FasTracks: RTD currently has 8 new rail lines under construction, including the Gold Line through Arvada and the East Line to DIA (Denver International Airport). Denver Union Station will serve as a multimodal transit center for the metro area when it reopens in 2014 with a remodeled Train Room and a 130-room hotel.

·         Northwest Rail: Because the BNSF Railway has increased its costs, the price of building the Northwest Rail has increased beyond available funding. As a result, RTD is considering other options, such as delaying the project for 3-5 years or removing the rail line from its plan and instead using the money to increase bus service.

 

On Jan. 9, I attended a legislative briefing by DIA officials. DIA is the 5^th busiest airport in the country. It employs 30,000 people and generates $22 billion to the local economy each year. In 2010, about 52 million passengers went through the airport. DIA has plans for expansion. The South Terminal will be redeveloped to add a transit center that will accommodate RTD’s East Line, as well as a Westin Hotel and a large plaza that can be used for events. DIA owns 53 square miles of land, and it plans to develop the area into an “aerotropolis.”

 

As an appointed member of the Advisory Committee for CCHE (Colorado Commission on Higher Education), I attended its monthly meeting, held on Jan. 6. These meetings are open to the public by attending in person or using the participant call-in number listed on the CCHE website. One of CCHE’s roles is to determine the allocation of state funds. The cuts to higher education in the Governor’s original budget proposal meant that CCHE would have to make deep cuts to financial aid. However, the last statewide revenue forecast indicated that CCHE will likely have about $11 million restored. CCHE decided that this money should go entirely for financial aid. Members of the Commission had a lengthy discussion about its goal of improving access to higher education, which involves making college affordable, as well as increasing the high school graduation rate and reducing the numbers of students who need remedial courses before they can enroll in college courses.

 

Each committee of the Legislature has oversight of some departments and divisions of the state government. Based on a law passed in 2010, the “SMART Government Act,” the hearings for this oversight must take place within the first 15 days of the session. Therefore, the January legislative calendar is quite full. I serve on two committees, Transportation and Education. The Transportation Committee has oversight of the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The Education Committee has oversight authority of the Colorado Department of Education (CDE), the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE), and the State Land Board. To find out when the oversight hearings are being held, go to the General Assembly website, click on “Session Information” on the left, and then click on “Senate” or “House.”  The drop-down menus under each will allows access to current calendars. You may listen to the hearings on your computer by clicking on “Audio and Video Broadcasts.”

 

I am the prime sponsor/co-sponsor of the following Senate bills that have been introduced so far:

·   SB 1 – HIRE Colorado Act (Contracting Preferences for Employing Coloradans).

·   SB 7 (with Sen. Spence) – Group Special License Plate Procedure.

·   SB 45 (with Sen. K. King) – Higher Education Associate Degree Transfers

·   SB 46 (with Sen. Newell) – Discipline in Public Schools

·   SB 67 – For-Profit and Non-Profit Charter Schools

 

I am the Senate sponsor of the following House bill that has been introduced:

·   HB 1013 (with Rep.’s Fields and Holbert and Sen. K. King) – Interventions for Middle School Students

 

As mentioned in my previous newsletter, my seat in the State Senate is up for election in November. If you would like to receive my campaign emails, please email me with your voting address and let me know.