Biomass, Beetles and Big Jobs

Tuesday, March 9 2010

Sen. Schwartz brings biomass and geothermal bill to Senate

DENVER—  Take a look at this:

• There are 3 million acres of dead lodge pole pine in Colorado contributing to a massive risk of forest fires
• Tourism is the second largest industry in Colorado in terms of jobs, employing 143,700 people.  Nearly one in four jobs in Colorado is in the tourism sector. Overall, these employees earn some $4 billion annually, contributing to state revenue.
• The Governor’s Energy Office forecast that 200,000 new jobs in the next 20 years will be created in solar, wind, geothermal and biomass industries.

Today, the Senate Local Government and Energy Committee unanimously passed two important bills on biomass and geothermal energy.

The first bill is an important bill which will expand our energy portfolio to include biomass, which will keep our forests green thus helping our tourism industry and which will get our timber businesses moving again.  SB 177, sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) and Sen. Dan Gibbs (D-Summit County) will promote biomass energy development in Colorado. 

“Tourism, timber, energy: they are all key to Colorado’s economy,” said Sen. Gail Schwartz. “By protecting our forests we support industry and protect jobs.  By helping the timber industry grow, we create jobs.  By bringing biomass to Colorado’s viable energy development, we create jobs.  Creating and preserving jobs is our number one priority this session and this bill is all about jobs.” 

Fort Lewis College Students Share Ideas about Higher Education Funding

Monday, March 8 2010

I had a few visitors from people in our district last week. These visits always are welcome because it is difficult being so far from family and friends in Southwest Colorado.
These constituents were Fort Lewis College students. On Wednesday, hundreds of college students marched to the Capitol to protest state cuts to higher education. I met with students from our district to talk about the problem of education funding in our state.

There is no easy solution to this problem, but I believe tuition increases should not be the only consideration. We should be working to make college more affordable for students and families, particularly in this economy. The governor established a commission to study higher education funding, and it will return with recommendations about how we can better fund our schools.

Sen. Schwartz and Sen. Whitehead bring new energy to Colorado

Tuesday, March 2 2010

Committee passes new Renewable Energy Standard

-  Thousands of new jobs,

-  100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade,

-  New companies coming to Colorado,

-  and Coloradans getting back to work.

 These will be the results of House Bill 1001, sponsored by Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) and Senator Bruce Whitehead (D-Hesperus) and Rep. Max Tyler (D-Golden), which will increase Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard to 30% by 2020. That means that nearly a third of the power generated from large utility companies like Xcel and Black Hills must come from renewable sources, like solar and wind, in the next 10 years. 

The Senate Local Government and Energy Committee passed HB 1001 by a vote of 4-3.

Renewable Energy Makes Cents

Monday, March 1 2010

Aspen Daily News
By Gail Schwartz and Bruce Whitehead
Saturday, February 27, 2010

Everyone knows the environmental benefits of renewable energy technology, but people often overlook the boost renewable energy can have on an economy.

We have been working with Rep. Max Tyler, Governor Bill Ritter, the environmental community, investor owner energy companies, and rural electric associations to come up with a plan to use these technologies to bring jobs to Colorado. In 2004 Colorado voters approved a Renewable Energy Standard (RES) for the first time in the nation. In 2007, Governor Ritter and the legislature (including Sen. Schwartz) doubled that standard to 20 percent by 2020. With House Bill 10-1001, Colorado is expected to exceed this goal so we are proposing to increase our RES to 30 percent by 2020 for investor-owned utilities. This 30 percent standard could lead to 100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade, bring thousands of jobs, and incredible economic benefits to the people of Colorado.

Committee Hears Bill to Protect Children from Abuse and Neglect

Wednesday, March 10 2010

Sen. Newell Defends the Defenseless

DENVER—Tomorrow, the Senate Health and Human Services committee will hear Senator Linda Newell’s (D-Littleton) bill to reform Colorado’s child protection system. The bill (SB 171) will create an independent Child Protection Ombudsman, to provide oversight over the various county and state offices in Colorado’s child protection system.

The hearing will feature testimony from a surprise witness who has remained anonymous until now. She will come forward publicly for the first time to expose problems she experienced when she reported child abuse. Her reports went unheeded and the child she tried to save died. She will tell her story and demonstrate how an ombudsman would have saved this child’s life.

The committee will also hear testimony from Sen. Newell as well and many stakeholders in Colorado’s child protection system.

           
WHAT:    Senate committee hearing for SB 171, Creation of the Child Protection Ombudsman
WHEN:    Thursday March 11th, 1:30 pm
WHERE:    Health and Human Services committee , Senate Committee Room 356
WHO:    Senator Linda Newell (D-Littleton)

Dems Improving State Transportation FASTER

Wednesday, March 10 2010

Schwartz Introduces Bill to Keep FASTER Working Effectively for Colorado

2009: Governor Bill Ritter signs FASTER into law

DENVER—    Today, the Senate State Affairs Committee passed a bill to continue improving the state’s FASTER program. The FASTER bill was signed into law last year to create jobs in Colorado and to address the state’s rapidly deteriorating transportation system.  The bill came as a result of two years of public input from residents, civic leaders, and the business community.  Currently, Colorado has more than 126 structurally deficient bridges, 20% of roadways are in need of replacement, and although over 2 million new vehicles have been added to the state roadways the transportation budget has not increased in 25 years.    It has been important that Democrats listen to feed back from constituents and they sat down to work on improvements. 

Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) is sponsoring a bill to advance flexibility in FASTER regulations. HB 1212 will require the Department of Revenue to create certain rules that would allow for the waiving of late vehicle registration fees in certain circumstances. This bill will make fees consistent for all motorists, but also permit for flexibility if a citizen’s situation is beyond their control. The committee passed HB 1212 unanimously.

Bill Puts People Before Profits

Tuesday, March 9 2010

Senate passes bill to protect health care consumers

DENVER—"I am disappointed that the GOP would side big insurance instead of standing up for Colorado individual and business consumers of insurance”, said Senator Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora).

Today, Senator Morgan Carroll and Senate Democrats stood up for Colorado consumers and passed Senate Bill 76. The bill prohibits insurance companies from giving claims adjusters any financial incentive or bonus to deny or delay a claim or medical care.  Senate Bill 76 stops financial incentives designed to induce unreasonable denials, delays, cancellations or rescissions and allows salaries, company benefits, stock options, bonuses or financial incentives for other reasons.  If Colorado signed SB 76 into law, it will join 16 other states in passing legislation to prohibit this action.

Sen. Carroll continued, “This bill protects consumers from abuse, and prohibits insurance companies from putting profits before customer’s health by using financial incentives to reward wrongful denials.”

Senate Republicans refused to support the bill and all voted no. They claimed the bill is unnecessary and, despite clear evidence to the contrary, claim no evidence exists to demonstrate insurance companies engage in these practices. A list of documented examples is provided below.

“Providing quality medical to customers should be the number one priority of our health insurance system,” said Sen. Carroll. “Instead, in too many cases, we see examples of companies trying to pad their profits while their customers go without needed medical care.  We need to protect Colorado consumers and being some justice to the system.”

SB 76 passed on 3rd reading and will now be heard by the House.

Governor Ritter Thanks Lawmakers for Boosting Renewable Standard

Monday, March 8 2010

Gov. Bill Ritter congratulated legislators for giving final approval today to House Bill 1001, which will increase Colorado ’s Renewable Energy Standard to 30 percent by 2020. This landmark legislation will create thousands of new jobs, provide Colorado with more clean energy and lead to 100,000 solar rooftops over the next decade.

“I want to thank legislators for their leadership in advancing Colorado ’s nationally recognized New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “This legislation will give Colorado the strongest renewable energy standard in the Rocky Mountain West and one of the highest standards in the nation.
 
“We are building a clean energy economy and a new energy future for Colorado ,showing the rest of the country how to increase economic, energy and environmental security for generations to come.  Thank you to the bill sponsors, Representatives Tyler and Pommer and Senators Schwartz and Whitehead, as well as all of the lawmakers who voted in favor of HB 1001, for keeping Colorado on the leading edge of America ’s clean energy

Amazon.com Debate Heats up at Colorado Capitol

Wednesday, March 10 2010

The political battle over taxing online sales made through retailers such as Amazon.com intensified Tuesday, with Democrats saying the state should not back down from trying to collect money it's owed and Republicans arguing the new law should be repealed.

The hardened stances came a day after Amazon said it would end its relationships with thousands of online affiliates in Colorado who send business its way through blogs and niche websites and then earn commissions on each sale.

"They (Amazon) absolutely killed the affiliates just to show that they can," said Sen. Michael Johnston, D-Denver.

Meanwhile, one liberal group called for a boycott of Amazon until the retailer renews its relationships with affiliates.

CMC Bill Sponsorship Close to Sen. Schwartz's Heart

Wednesday, March 10 2010

Finding ways to expand access to higher education opportunities, especially in rural areas, has been a labor of love for Colorado state Sen. Gail Schwartz.

Before the Snowmass Village Democrat was elected to the state Senate, she spent six years as an elected member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents. She served on the Colorado Commission on Higher Education for four years prior to that.

It's one of the reasons Schwartz was eager to sign on as a primary sponsor of Colorado Mountain College's bill currently in the state Legislature that would grant the junior college the right to offer a limited number of four-year degree programs.

Professionals' Licensure Bill Passes

Wednesday, March 10 2010

DENVER — The Senate on Tuesday granted final approval to a bill that makes it easier for professionals in certain regulated fields to practice their occupations in Colorado after moving from another state.

State Sen. Abel Tapia, D-Pueblo, sponsored HB1175 in the Senate. Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Colorado Springs, was the House sponsor. Tapia said it's aimed to help military families transition to the state.

The bill calls for streamlined processes for licensing chiropractors, dentists, dental hygienists, optometrists, nursing home administrators and physical therapists in Colorado when they move from other states.

Amazon Use of Human Shields Evil

Wednesday, March 10 2010

So here's what the legislature came up with during the endless budget debates: It would require companies like Amazon to send to its Colorado customers a list of what they've spent during a year and a reminder that the customer owes a use tax. It also sends a dollar figure to the state. Amazon would not be a tax collector. It would be a tax nudger.

The idea was to persuade Amazon it would be easier just to collect the tax than to keep all those records. But Amazon had a different idea: Call the lawyers and then go all medieval on the affiliates, who would pressure the legislators.

The stakes are large. And the reaction was not unexpected. Amazon had fired its affiliates in Rhode Island and North Carolina. It threatened to do the same in Colorado, which is why the legislators passed a law that wasn't based on affiliates.

"It's just awful," Pommer said, "but we're kind of in a bind. Say, fine, we reverse the law. Now every company can say if we pass a law they don't like, they'll fire everyone."

And who'll be left to save the puppies?