February 2012 - 2nd half

Please join me for my second annual Guide to Small Business Growth Town Hall Meeting on Saturday, Feb. 18, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at the Standley Lake Library. Last year, this event helped 30 small businesses and future business owners by connecting them to vital, free services. This year’s event is new and improved, and I hope we can help even more Arvada/Westminster area entrepreneurs succeed.

Our hard work to restore the economy and create jobs is beginning to pay off. In December 2011, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment reported that Colorado’s unemployment rate declined for the fourth consecutive month. The latest numbers put Colorado at 7.9%, compared with the national average of 8.5%. We are on the right track. 

 

On a related note, Frontier Airlines announced a return to Denver International Airport and the appointment of a new CEO/Interim Chief Operating Officer. Executives say they plan to recreate many of the job opportunities that were lost when the airline’s headquarters left Denver.

 

Continuing our work to create Colorado jobs, the Senate Democrats are moving forward with our Colorado Works Jobs Package. Here are some of the employment-related bills that have passed through the first step of the legislative process:

·        SB 22 (Sen. Williams) – Child Care Assistance for Working Families – This bill creates a pilot program that will allow county governments to extend the eligibility period for child care assistance, mitigating the “cliff effect” that can occur when a small pay increase causes a family to lose eligibility for child care assistance, but the pay raise is not sufficient to cover the cost of child care.

·        SB 35 (Sen. Hodge) – Colorado Aerospace Jobs Act – This bill will allow Colorado to compete in the development of commercial space flight, enhancing our state’s status as a leader in aerospace. The bill also furthers the process by which our state may receive official “spaceport” designation by the Federal Aviation Administration.

·        SB 58 (Sen. Heath) – Colorado Entrepreneur Act – This bill will increase the availability of venture capital to launch new businesses and create jobs at established businesses. Venture capital is essential to innovation.

·        SB 101 (Sen. Nicholson) – Local Economic Improvement Act – This bill supports businesses in Local Improvement Districts. These districts are created by county governments and allow businesses in unincorporated areas to share the costs of infrastructure improvements. The bill removes barriers to growth, allowing businesses to combine resources and expand boundaries.

 

I am delighted to announce that SB 45, Opportunities for Higher Education Success, sponsored by Sen. Keith King and me, passed unanimously in the Senate Education Committee. This bipartisan bill helps Colorado students who transfer from a community college to a 4-year institution make the most of their college education by allowing them to transfer credits back to the community college, in order to earn an Associate’s degree.

 

You can track the progress of these and other bills through committee and the Senate by looking on the Status Sheet on the General Assembly website.

 

These are the other introduced Senate bills that I am the prime sponsor/co-sponsor of:

·   SB 1 – HIRE Colorado Act (Contracting Preferences for Employing Coloradans) –This bill is the premier bill of the Colorado Works Jobs Package. It is scheduled for the Senate Local Government Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 1:30 p.m. or thereafter.

·   SB 7 (with Sen. Spence) – Group Special License Plate Procedure – Passed the Senate on the Consent Calendar on Jan. 31.

·   SB 46 (with Sen. Newell) – Discipline in Public Schools – Scheduled for a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 16, 1:30 p.m. or thereafter.

·   SB 67 – For-Profit and Non-Profit Charter Schools – Passed the Senate Education Committee on Feb. 9.

·   SB 78 – Protections for At-Risk Adults – Had a first hearing in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on Feb. 3; a second hearing will be scheduled.

 

I am the Senate sponsor of the following House bills:

·   HB 1013 (with Rep.’s Fields and Holbert and Sen. K. King) – Interventions for Middle School Students – Passed the House on Feb 1.

·   HB 1138 (with Rep. Kefalas) – Poverty Impact Statements for Bills – Assigned to the House State Affairs Committee.

·   HB 1218 (with Rep. Peniston) – Early Childhood and School Readiness Commission – Assigned to the House Education Committee.

 

February is American Heart Month. The statistics about heart disease in the U.S. are not very encouraging. Every year, more than two million people suffer heart attacks and strokes, and nearly 800,000 Americans die from heart-related sicknesses. That means about one of every three deaths in the U.S. is from heart disease and stroke, which is equal to 2,200 deaths per day. Although it affects both men and women, heart disease is the number one killer of women. Considering that the Colorado Senate has the highest percentage of women members nationwide, you can be sure that your State Senatecontinues to focus on healthy living. One way we do this is to “Go Red for Women” with Wear Red Day – this year we’re doing it on Valentine’s Day!

 

U.S. Representatives Ed Perlmutter and Jared Polis, who represent parts of Senate District 19, will host a College Tuition Fair and Scholarship Panel in conjunction with College in Colorado on Saturday, Feb. 18, 10 a.m. to noon, at Pomona High School. The event will include information on applying for financial aid and scholarships, as well as student loan repayment programs and Americorp funding. [Note: This is at the same time as my Town Hall Meeting.]

My seat in the State Senate is up for election in November. To receive my campaign emails, please email me with your street address.