COMMITTEE APPROVES HIGHER ED FUNDING

Capital Construction Measure Moves Forward

DENVER—Today the Senate Finance Committee approved a bill that would direct a portion of Federal Mineral Lease dollars to fund higher education capital construction projects.

Sponsored by Senator Sue Windels (D-Arvada), Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora), and Representative Jim Riesberg (D-Greeley), SB08-233 would authorize state-backed bonds to provide funding for capital construction.

“Our colleges and universities are starved for capital construction funding, which means higher costs for students,” Williams said. “It’s time the state give schools the support they need to ensure the very best learning environments for our students.”

The bill requires the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to submit a prioritized list of higher education capital construction projects to the Office of State Planning and Budgeting (OSPB). OSPB will turn over the list to the Capital Development Committee and forward it to the Joint Budget Committee (JBC). The bill also allows the State Treasurer to enter into lease-purchase agreements for the construction of the projects identified in the resolution set by the JBC based on the priority list.

SB08-233 next heads to the full Senate for consideration.

TAX RELIEF ON THE WAY FOR SMALL BUSINESS

DENVER—Today the Senate Finance Committee approved a bill that would exempt more than 30,000 Colorado businesses from the business personal property tax.


Sponsored by Senator Suzanne Williams (D-Aurora), Representative Joe Rice (D-Littleton) and Representative Bernie Buescher (D-Grand Junction), HB08-1225 would raise the business personal property tax exemption threshold from $2,500 to $7,000, giving thousands of small businesses much needed tax relief and allowing them to reinvest in their own businesses.

“As both our country and our state face an economic downturn, this bill gives small businesses the breathing room they need to thrive and grow,” Williams said. “Ultimately we know that good jobs and steady paychecks mean a stronger financial future for Colorado.”

The bill next heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.

SENATE APPROVES BI-PARTISAN CONGRESSIONAL REDISTRICTING PLAN

DENVER—Today the Senate voted 21-12 in favor of SB08-198, which would require the legislature to create more competitive congressional districts in Colorado.

Sponsored by Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon (D-Denver) and Representative Rob Witwer (R-Golden), the bill would ensure that the legislature consider all the current criteria in state and federal law, such as keeping cities and counties intact and making the districts as compact as possible, but would add that, to the extent practicable, it consider whether districts contain balanced numbers of Democratic, Republican and unaffiliated voters.

“Competitive congressional districts are districts where you don’t know who is going to win in advance—you actually have to hold the election to find out,” said Gordon. “Congress will function better if the congressmen and women are beholden to the people who vote in general elections rather than the people who vote in partisan primaries. Competition is an integral part of our democracy.”

The bill would also require the General Assembly to:
• conduct at least 12 public hearings throughout the state on proposed redistricting plans;
• make redistricting data and mapmaking tools available to the public in at least one location in each congressional district; and
• allow for the submission of redistricting maps, recommendations, and inquiries from the public.

SB08-198 next heads to the House for consideration.

GIBBS TO BARK BEETLES: MAKE LIKE A TREE, AND LEAF!

Senator Warns of Critical Wildfire
Risk in Colorado’s High Country

DENVER—Today the Senate voted unanimously in favor of HB08-1269, which would help reduce the threat of devastating wildfires in Colorado’s forests by providing incentives for products that use timber killed by the bark beetle infestation.

Sponsored by Senator Dan Gibbs (D-Silverthorne), the bill would provide an exemption from sales and use tax for sales, storage, and use of wood products, such as lumber, furniture, or wood chips that use wood from salvaged trees killed in Colorado by bark beetles. The bill would also provide cities and counties the option of exempting such sales from taxation.

“Colorado’s forests and watersheds are among our most critical resources and we must do all we can to protect them,” said Gibbs. “It’s heartbreaking to see the extent of the devastation in our mountain forests. With passage of this bill we’re tackling this crisis head-on; removing all that dead timber will greatly reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfires and will help protect our forests, our water, and our way of life.”

Gibbs is a Type II Wildland Firefighter and last year crafted and passed the 2007 Colorado Forest Restoration Act, which also dealt with the bark beetle epidemic in Colorado’s high country.

The bill next heads back to the House for concurrence.

SENATE APPROVES LANDMARK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE

DENVER—Today the Senate passed a landmark package of economic development bills designed to invest in local businesses and bring financial security and new prosperity to Colorado.

The Senate gave final approval to the following five bills:

Bioscience Grants (Bacon/Riesberg) – Extends the grant program to make $26.5 million available to universities and start-up companies to energize one of Colorado’s most promising industries.

Eliminate the “Fly-Away” Tax (Bacon/Buescher) – Encourages aircraft manufacturers to come to Colorado by eliminating the sales tax imposed on airplanes manufactured in the state.

Rural Broadband (Schwartz/Riesberg) – Directs the Chief Information Officer of Colorado to create public WIFI service areas. The bill could provide rural communities access to telemedicine, online education resources and equip small business owners with the tools they need to compete globally.

TIF Downtown Development Authority (Bacon/Buescher) – Extends the period for tax increment financing revenue collected by a downtown development authority.

Performance-based Incentive for New Jobs (Veiga/Hodge) – Creates monetary incentives for business to create at least one new job every five weeks in rural areas and every two and half weeks in urban areas.

The Senate also gave initial approval to the following bill:

New Solar Energy Technologies (Schwartz) – Directs the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to encourage utilities to enhance renewable energy standards and to evaluate energy efficiency regarding public projects. Requires the PUC to publish findings regarding the economic characteristics of varying types of energy technology.

CENTENNIAL CARE CHOICES CLEARS SENATE

Landmark Public-Private Health Care Proposal Heads to House

DENVER—Today the full Senate voted 24-10 in favor of Centennial Care Choices, a proposal that aims to decrease Colorado’s uninsured population by helping individuals and businesses obtain affordable health insurance through balanced public-private partnerships.

Sponsored by Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Senator Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora), the plan is targeted at Coloradans who earn too much to receive Medicaid but don't buy insurance.

“Colorado’s uninsured population is having a serious impact on the cost of health insurance and to the health care delivery system in our state,” said Hagedorn. “The majority of Americans do not want a big government health program, but something they can have faith in and something that gives them choices. Centennial Care Choices will get us there.”

The proposal includes:
A request for health insurers to create a menu of “Value Benefit Plans” (VBPs) that would be evaluated and endorsed by the state and would be made available to all Coloradans.
Assistance to low income individuals and employees of businesses through a state subsidy of a portion of the VBP premium for those who do not qualify for government programs and cannot afford health insurance.
Assurance that this program builds upon the existing employer-based health insurance system, does not encourage businesses currently offering coverage to discontinue it, and promotes administrative efficiencies.

Supported by Representative Anne McGihon (D-Denver), Senator Steve Johnson (R-Ft Collins), Representative Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) and Representative Ellen Roberts (R-Durango), Centennial Care Choices next heads to the House for consideration.

SENATE OKs CENTENNIAL CARE CHOICES

Landmark Public-Private
Health Care Proposal Advances

DENVER—Today the full Senate gave initial approval to Centennial Care Choices, a proposal that aims to decrease Colorado’s uninsured population by helping individuals and businesses obtain affordable health insurance through balanced public-private partnerships.

Sponsored by Health and Human Services Committee Chairman Senator Bob Hagedorn (D-Aurora), the plan is targeted at Coloradans who earn too much to receive Medicaid but don't buy insurance.

“Colorado’s uninsured population is having a serious impact on the cost of health insurance and to the health care delivery system in our state,” said Hagedorn. “The majority of Americans do not want a big government health program, but something they can have faith in and something that gives them choices. Centennial Care Choices will get us there.”

The proposal includes:
A request for health insurers to create a menu of “Value Benefit Plans” (VBPs) that would be evaluated and endorsed by the state and would be made available to all Coloradans.
Assistance to low income individuals and employees of businesses through a state subsidy of a portion of the VBP premium for those who do not qualify for government programs and cannot afford health insurance.
Assurance that this program builds upon the existing employer-based health insurance system, does not encourage businesses currently offering coverage to discontinue it, and promotes administrative efficiencies.

Supported by Representative Anne McGihon (D-Denver), Senator Steve Johnson (R-Ft Collins), Representative Tom Massey (R-Poncha Springs) and Representative Ellen Roberts (R-Durango), Centennial Care Choices will next be considered by the full Senate on third and final reading.

TUPA SEES YOUR $5, RAISES YOU

DENVER—On Friday Senator Ron Tupa (D-Boulder) introduced SCR08-08, which would eliminate the $5 betting cap in Colorado’s casinos.

The measure is a proposed constitutional amendment and requires a 2/3 supermajority in both the Senate and the House before going before Colorado voters in November.

“The public mood has really changed in the last twenty years toward gaming revenues as a way to pay for state services,” said Tupa. “The projected revenues for the first year alone are $40-50 million. That’s money that could go to pay for things like roads, bridges, public safety and other critical services. I think it’s time the people of Colorado had a say on this issue.”

The proposal could be considered by the Senate as early as the end of this week.