| A great visit by Troop 4271 |
Girl Scout Troop 4271's Visit to Our State Capitol |
| An honor to meet the President |
| I had an opportunity to meet the President in the White House's map room this summer. Please watch until near the end of the clip, 4:21, to see the whole meeting. Inspiring! |
| Promoting a Safe and Secure Learning Environment On Wednesday March 23, the House cleared a bill that would help promote a safe and secure learning environment in our schools. The bill, HB 1254, would fund bullying education and prevention programs, allowing school administrators to conduct yearly surveys of bullying in their schools and develop methods for fighting against it. This would include the study and prevention of electronic forms of bullying, an increasing trend that has been studied little and requires greater attention in our schools. The bill now moves to the Senate. As a proponent of this bill in the House, I urge the Senate to approve HB 1254. It is imperative that we protect our children and foster a positive and healthy learning environment for them. |
| Defending Our Schools In an effort to balance the budget on Wednesday March 16, the House Finance Committee cleared Senate Bill 76, which would require teachers to pay a greater share of their retirement costs. While the measure would save the state an estimated $61.6 million, Democrats opposed the bill because teachers, school employees, and the school districts were not given a chance to weigh in on the proposal. Initially, the bill intended to increase the teacher pension contribution rate by 2.5 percent, while decreasing the state’s contribution by a corresponding 2.5 percent. But an amendment by Republican Brian Delgrosso would also allow schools districts to increase the contribution rate by yet another 2 percent. I strongly oppose both this bill and Rep. Delgrosso’s amendment. Clearly, we need to balance the budget. We must prevent teacher layoffs and keep our class sizes from growing. But we cannot resolve our budgetary problems on the backs of our teachers and school employees. These people are the foundation of our state’s health. We must search for new and innovative ways to balance the budget, and not punish the schools for doing their job. |
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One Step Closer Toward Accountability and Transparency Last week, I proudly voted to support a bill that cracks down on exorbitant expenses, including thousands of dollars in spa treatments and golf fees, and excessive travel by state-chartered entities. The bill was a direct result of a lavish vacation taken by the quasi-governmental agency Pinnacol Assurance last year. During that vacation, Pinnacol spent over $300,000 on their board members and $40,000 on tee times and spa treatments alone. Small businesses across the state pay premiums to Pinnacol Assurance for workers compensation insurance. They receive huge tax breaks, incentives, and public retirement benefits. This type of behavior is an affront to Colorado taxpayers and small businesses. As a defender of government accountability and transparency, I fully support this bill. Specifically, HB11-1211 limits the cost of travel to no more than twice the federal reimbursement amount per day. If a state-chartered entity spends more than this limit, then the person taking the trip would have to pay the balance. |
| Health Care Bill House Republicans are introducing a bill to take several steps backward and opt Colorado out of the federal health care reform system – before it’s even had a chance to succeed. The proposed measure, House Bill 11-1273, would authorize Colorado to negotiate with other states to develop an “interstate compact” for regulating health care at the state level. The practical effect of this bill would allow participating states to pass laws to regulate health care, laws that would supersede federal law and regulation. It would also allow those states to receive federal Medicaid funds in the form of block grants, and would exempt themselves from federal requirements as to the use of those funds. I am firmly opposed to this bill. Over the past year, our country has made great strides in reforming the broken health care system. By creating an independent interstate compact, Colorado would disrupt the nation’s progress while doing little to provide its citizens with fair and affordable health care. |
| Update from the Capitol A lot has been going on at the Capitol recently. I want to inform you about some of the issues being debated at our Capitol and let you know where I stand. Civil Unions Bill On Monday March 7, the Senate Judiciary Committee gave initial approval to a civil-unions bill that grants same-sex couples with greater equal protection rights and responsibilities. The Civil Unions bill passed on a bipartisan, 6-3 vote. It will likely pass in the Senate, but it’s fate in the House is less clear as the Republicans have a one-seat majority. As a sponsor of this bill in the House, I believe it is paramount that we allow civil-unions in Colorado. It is a family values issue that will advance equality and respect throughout the state. As a straight ally, I believe it is my duty to ensure that we stand up for those who do not enjoy the same rights and privileges simply because of sexual orientation. Proof Of Citizenship For Voter Registration On Wednesday March 9, Secretary of State Scott Gessler and Republican Rep. Chris Holbert proposed legislation to ostensibly prevent voter fraud by non-citizens. The legislation, under House Bill 1252, would allow the Secretary of State to search the voter database to determine whether registered voters are actually citizens. If a voter is suspected of being a noncitizen, that individual must submit proof of citizenship within 90 days to the state. This bill would essentially shift the burden of proving citizenship from the state to the individual, making it more time-consuming, more expensive, and less likely for citizens to get to the polls. This bill would be especially burdensome for low-income and elderly people who cannot easily provide this information. I believe it is important that we do everything possible to get our citizens to vote. We have a process that works, and we should not detract from that process by implementing excessive and bureaucratic roadblocks. Redistricting
On Friday March 4, the Joint Select Redistricting Committee met to redraw the congressional boundaries, as they do every ten years when the census is published. As a member of the committee, I am committed to redrawing the boundaries with fairness and respect to all Colorado residents. It is my hope that we can solve this issue with civility and bipartisan support. |