"Our agenda is ambitious: to build the best public schools in America, to become the renewable energy capital of the world, and to bring health care to all Coloradans. That's what the Colorado Promise is all about." —House Speaker Andrew Romanoff
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“In 2007, every single priority on the Democratic agenda earned votes
from the other side of the aisle. In fact, the most successful bills in
the last three years were sponsored by a Democrat in one chamber and a
Republican in the other. Many passed with near-unanimous support.” --Speaker Andrew Romanoff
Read the newsletter that contains this quote.
--Posted by Staff
More women than men in the House Democratic Caucus
Denver – Last night, community leader Christine Scanlan of Dillon was selected to succeed Dan Gibbs as the State Representative for House District 56, representing Eagle, Lake and Summit counties. The House Democratic Majority now boasts 21 women and 19 men.
Representative-elect Scanlan will serve at least through the remainder of Gibbs’ term. Gibbs resigned the position earlier this month to become the state senator for the district.
“Christine Scanlan knows how to get things done,” said Speaker of the House Andrew Romanoff. “She has provided outstanding leadership to the Keystone Center and the Board of Education. The children of Summit County are better off because of Christine’s contributions – and the state of Colorado will be too. I look forward to serving with her.”
Scanlon expects to contribute to an exciting legislative session where improving education and energizing the economy will join healthcare reform at the top of the Democratic agenda.
“As representative, Senator Gibbs set the right expectations for the job, and I’ll work hard to rise to that challenge,” said Scanlan. “I want our local issues like bark beetle infestation and I-70 traffic to the get the statewide attention they deserve. What affects the mountains, affects all of Colorado: we’re the backyard of Denver.”
Ms. Scanlan is the senior vice president and chief operating officer of The Keystone Center and the Keystone Science School. She leads the administrative office including finance, operations, human resources, information services, marketing, and development activities. She also oversees some of The Center's education programs, including campus-based programs, curriculum development and teacher training.
Scanlan has a bachelor’s degree in history and a master’s in nonprofit organization management from Regis University. She is also president of the Summit School District's Board of Education.
DENVER –State leaders were instrumental in transforming the State Capitol into a “Green House” by changing the light bulbs in the House chamber’s chandelier earlier this week. The conventional incandescent light bulbs were removed, recycled and replaced with compact fluorescents. The move prompted jokes from onlookers as to ‘just how many legislators it takes to change a light bulb?’
All joking aside, the light bulb switch, which highlighted the replacement not only of the 65 bulbs in the ornate brass chandelier, but all the bulbs throughout the Capitol building, will have huge energy and cost savings.
Compact fluorescents last more than ten times as long as the old incandescent bulbs and significantly reduce the amount of carbon emissions released into the environment. Over the next 10 years, carbon emissions will be reduced by 692,904 pounds, the equivalent of taking over 100 cars off the road and will save Colorado taxpayers more than $17,000 annually.
The 1500-pound, pure brass chandelier is lowered each December for cleaning in anticipation for January when lawmakers return for the 2008 legislative session.
Photo: "Greening the House" Left to right: Representative Debbie Benefield, Representative Claire Levy, and Representaive Sara Gagliardi.
-- Posted by Staff
When Dan Gibbs accepted his new position as State Senator, he left an empty seat in House District 56. Enter Christine Scanlan. According to Lory Pounder at the Vail Daily:
FRISCO, Colorado — Christine Scanlan gave her first political speech Wednesday evening, shortly after the Democratic vacancy committee appointed her to fill the Colorado House of Representatives seat Dan Gibbs recently vacated as he became a state senator.
She will fill out the remainder of Gibbs' term representing Eagle, Summit and Lake counties, and plans to run for the seat in the November election.
“Dan has set the right expectation for the job, and I’ll work hard to rise to that challenge,” said Scanlan, who is the senior vice president and chief operating officer of The Keystone Center and Keystone Science School, and president of the Summit School District Board of Education.
Read more about Representative Scanlan's plans.
--posted by Staff
(DENVER) – On Friday, State Representative Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) – joined by Senator John Morse (D-Colorado Springs) -- vowed to fight to fully re-authorize Colorado’s Military Family Relief Fund.
In 2005, a citizen told Rep. Carroll his story: he was a paralegal supporting his family, paying mortgage on a home. When he was deployed to Iraq, his income was cut in half. Before long, he was unable to keep up payments, and he lost his home.
“No one should be financial punished for serving their country,” said Rep. Carroll, who promised to do all she could to prevent this from happening to other Coloradoans serving their country.
The result was the Military Family Relief Fund, which helps military families pay for various living expenses, including day care, marital or PTSD counseling, car or home repair, even mortgage payments.
"It is so important that we in Colorado follow up the rhetoric that 'we support our troops' with actual financial resources that permits our brave men and women to meet their family obligations while answering the call of their country,” said Senator Morse, the co-sponsor of this year’s bill.
“Despite all our talk, before 2005, Colorado had done shamefully little to take action,” said Rep. Carroll. “This is more than a bumper sticker. By 2007, this single project had changed lives, helped families, and raised nearly half a million dollars. While taking care of soldiers is primarily the duty of the federal government, we hadn’t done all we can do on a state level to support them. The least we can do now is to reauthorize this fund to help families experiencing financial hardships resulting from their service to our country.”
The Relief Act helps military families facing financial hardships due to deployments, and is available to help all active duty, reserve and guard service members. It is funded by a voluntary check-off on Colorado income tax forms and other donations. To date, the fund has raised over $430,000 to help military families. The fund will expire this year unless it is re-authorized.
-- Posted by Staff
Prevention and education to be focus of Rocky Mountain Regional Pro-Choice Caucus
DENVER - State Representative Alice Borodkin (D-Denver) is convening an interstate coalition of pro-choice legislators. The newly-formed “Rocky Mountain Regional Pro-Choice Caucus” will focus on a proactive approach to expanding sexuality education and preventing unintended pregnancies in the first place.
“I am partnering with NARAL Pro-Choice Colorado to identify pro-choice legislators throughout the Rocky Mountain region. We will share strategies and messages that have helped us to pass legislation that advances reproductive health care and to advocate for education and prevention of unwanted pregnancies,” said Rep. Borodkin
“This is not about abortion,” said Rep. Borodkin. “This is about preventing unwanted pregnancies in the first place.” She said that she has also worked with a number of reproductive health organizations Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains.
“By working together, across state lines,” said Rep. Borodkin, “we can be ready for the inevitable changes coming down from the Supreme Court, and we can strengthen our messages within our respective state legislatures.”
She continued, “I look forward to working with a bipartisan group in the Colorado legislature in the upcoming session. Most Colorado legislators understand that we must ensure that women and families have access to the reproductive health care services and information that lead to healthy lives, healthy families, and healthy communities”
Last year, Rep. Borodkin carried a Prevention First Resolution to encourage the prevention of unintended pregnancies through the smart use of age-appropriate sexuality education and access to effective birth control. The Resolution passed the House early in the 2007 Session.
-- Posted by Staff
"I join all Coloradans in extending my thoughts and prayers to the families of those who were killed and injured. Our state will provide no refuge to those who endanger our lives or desecrate our places of worship.
These crimes affront our community and our conscience. Their victims deserve our sympathy; their perpetrators, swift justice."
-- Posted by Staff
“I extend my deepest sympathies to the friends and families of those who were affected by yesterday’s terrible tragedies. My thoughts and prayers are with them.
Like all Coloradoans, I am horrified by the senseless cruelty; like all residents of Colorado Springs, I am outraged that such an attack could take place here in our hometown, in a house of worship.”
-- Posted by Staff
Rep. Riesberg Recognized as Leader in Securing Resources to Move Cutting Edge Research out of Laboratories and into the Market
DENVER – The Colorado Bioscience Association honored State Representative Jim Riesberg (D-Greeley) with its first ever Legislator of the Year Award. Riesberg received the award in front of nearly 1000 people in attendance at the Colorado Bioscience Association’s annual conference, “BioWest.”
“With UNC and CSU in my backyard, I saw that cutting edge research was sitting on the shelves," said Riesberg. "We have infused the industry with resources to move the research off the shelves and into the market where it can save lives and bring jobs to Colorado.”
Rep. Riesberg has sponsored bioscience industry-related legislation the past two years. Together, HB 1360 in 2006 and HB 1060 in 2007, have made $4.5 million in state funds available for proof-of-concept grants and small business innovation research (SBIR) matching grants for companies commercializing state institution technologies.
“Rep. Riesberg understands the bioscience industry and what it means to Colorado. He has become the champion of the industry in the Colorado General Assembly” said Denise Brown, executive director of CBSA as she honored Rep. Riesberg.
The resources that have been infused into Colorado’s economy as a result are significant. As a result of Rep. Riesberg’s leadership in pioneering this industry, Colorado is prominent on the map of hot spots for the bioscience and new jobs are flooding into the state, carrying an average salary of $63,200.
-- Posted by Staff
DENVER—This week Representative Jack Pommer (D-Boulder) and Senator Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass) praised U.S. Representative Mark Udall for sponsoring the Renewable Electricity Standard (RES) provision contained in the federal Energy Independence and Security Act, which passed the United States House of Representatives today by a vote of 235 to 181.
Congressman Udall’s renewable energy standard – the first national provision of its kind – is similar to the successful renewable energy standard established by Colorado's passage of Amendment 37. Colorado voters were the first in the nation to approve an amendment creating a renewable energy standard. That amendment required 10 percent renewable energy production for the state by 2015. With Amendment 37 set to reach its target eight years early, the state legislature doubled the requirement last term with successful legislation carried by Rep. Pommer and Sen. Schwartz.
“I’m pleased that Congress is has pledged to expand America’s renewable energy standards,” said Pommer. “This marks a real commitment to energy independence. A renewable energy standard has been great for Colorado. I suspect it will be great for the rest of the nation, too.”
The national renewable energy standard included as part of the federal energy package that passed the House today will create a federal standard requiring electric utilities provide 15 percent of their electricity from wind, solar, and other renewable energy sources by 2020.
In response to the news that a renewable energy standard had passed the U.S. House of Representatives, Schwartz said, “I am delighted that Congressman Udall’s commitment to establish a substantial renewable energy standard for the country has paid off, and I’m honored to have been part of the homegrown initiative right here in Colorado.”
-- Posted by Staff
