Democrats kick off 2010 session

Wednesday, January 13 2010

DENVER—Senate President Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont), House Speaker Terrance Carroll (D-Denver), and Governor Bill Ritter detailed an ambitious 2010 legislative session focused on creating good jobs for Coloradans, continuing Colorado’s economic recovery and keeping the state budget balanced.

“The most important thing we can do for families and small businesses this session is to help lead them toward recovery,” said President Shaffer.  “We will continue to make Colorado the leader in our New Energy Economy, prepare Colorado’s workers for jobs of the future, and keeping our workers healthy, all while balancing the budget.  We won’t allow special interests to control our agenda.  We’re working for the people of Colorado.”

"This session is about the economy, jobs, and fiscal responsibility," said Speaker Carroll. We know that times are tough for families and small businesses. So big businesses and special interests will no longer enjoy the luxury of tax breaks and loopholes.  Profitable big industries need to pay their fair share."
Legislative goals for the 2010 session include:

New Energy Economy

·        Increasing Colorado’s Renewable Energy Standard (sponsored by Reps. Max Tyler/ Sens. Gail Schwartz, Bruce Whitehead) Utility companies like Xcel will be required to produce 30% of their power from renewable sources by the year 2020 -- only 10 years away.  A new RES will create new jobs for folks from engineers to solar installers, will increase our energy independence, and will protect our environment.

·        Making the Colorado State Park system the first in the country to use zero net energy by 2020. (sponsored by  Sens. Abel Tapia, Gail Schwartz/ Rep. Randy Fischer)

·        Creating new markets and increasing demand for Colorado natural gas while maintaining Colorado’s balanced approach to responsible drilling and environmental protection.  

Job Creation & Training

·        Creating new green-job training programs. We will ensure that Colorado is supplying new energy companies with the best educated and most highly skilled workforce in the country.  (sponsored by Sens. Gail Schwartz, Linda Newell/ Rep. Ed Vigil)

·        Enacting new programs such as Health Care Jobs for Colorado, a Nurse Loan Repayment Program and Job Training Accounts (Dec. 10 news release).    (sponsored by Sens. John Morse, Abel Tapia, Bruce Whitehead/ Rep. Sara Gagliardi, Rep. Andy Kerr)

·        Growing jobs in Colorado’s creative industries through a legislative package that will make it easier for small businesses to access state loans and credits that will increase arts in public places, and that will establish a Creative Industries Division within the Office of Economic Development (Jan. 5 news release). (sponsored by Rep. Joe Rice /Sens. Pat Steadman, Linda Newell )

Budget

·        Keeping the state budget balanced.  Democrats have made over a $1 billion in cuts and will continue to make government smaller and to be fiscally responsible.  Special interests and profitable big businesses will have to pay their fair share as we close corporate tax loopholes.

·        Saving money and achieving greater efficiencies in the state’s healthcare budget through a Medicaid Modernization Act that will fight fraud and cut waste, as well as bills to standardize insurance paperwork and explanations of benefits.  (sponsored by Sen. Betty Boyd and Rep. Jim Riesberg/ Sen. Chris Romer and John Kefalas)

·        Putting the state’s Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA) pension fund on a stable financial path, so the secure retirement we have promised the state’s 450,000 workers will be secure for generations to come.  (sponsored by Sens. Brandon Shaffer, Josh Penry/ Rep. Andy Kerr)

Education

·        Modernizing teacher and student assessments.  We’re going to save money and create a better student assessment tool by getting away from the costly, time-consuming, and unhelpful CSAP tests, and we'll continue to support quality public education through new, more useful teacher evaluations and a school transparency bill to show teachers and parents what works and what doesn’t in our schools.

·        Positioning Colorado to win federal “Race to the Top” funding bringing Colorado tax dollars back to the state for our schools.  

Consumer Protection

·        Helping Colorado consumers through legislation that protects the value of gift cards and protects neighborhoods from abandoned properties that are in foreclosure.  (sponsored by Rep. Debbie Benefield and Sen. Lois Tochtrop/ Reps. Diana Primavera, Jeanne Labuda and  Sen. Mike Johnston)

·        Helping Colorado consumers stand up for themselves through a bill that would get rid of confusing language in insurance contracts and replace it with plain-language that’s simple to understand.   (sponsored by Sen. Linda Newell/ Reps. John Kefalas)

·        Protecting Colorado’s women and children from gender discrimination in health insurance through a bill that will make sure women are no longer paying almost 40% more than men for the same health care coverage.  (sponsored by Reps. Sue Schafer, Beth McCann/ Sens. Gail Schwartz and Morgan Carroll)

Families

·        This session, we will make sure no Coloradan goes hungry when times are hardest by expanding the SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance) program – the new, improved version of food stamps. (sponsored by Rep. Gagliardi and Rep. Ken Summers/ Sen. Betty Boyd)

·        Helping more Colorado kids take advantage of our majestic outdoor spaces for fitness and the study of science.  (sponsored by Rep. Christine Scanlan/ Sen. Dan Gibbs)