Interested Coloradans:
Even though the legislature has been out of session since May, there has been no lack of activity at the capitol.
This summer there are numerous committees meeting to study issues such as school finance, health care and long term fiscal stability for the state. There are also many discussions on the state’s current budget situation because of a recent economic forecast that shows the state has spent more money than it will collect.
Budget Blues
You may be surprised to hear the state is facing financial struggles, especially in light of recent news.
The governor last month created a new $150,000 position within his office; the Democrat Senate President handed out $40,000 worth of bonuses to his staff; and the state employees’ union asked for benefit and pay increases. The state also added 1400 employees to the state bureaucracy this year and is still advertising job positions for custodial services, landscaping and dining services.
However, the latest economic forecast predicts that at the rate the state is collecting and spending money, by this time next year it will have committed to spend $870 million more than it will collect.
Fortunately, here in Colorado we are constitutionally required to balance the state’s budget each year. We also have the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, which has kept spending relatively low in Colorado compared to other states like California. TABOR also prevents the legislature from raising taxes to fill the budget hole, unless the voters give their permission first.
Unfortunately, there are a number of accounting gimmicks and fee-raising options that the legislature has at its disposal. When the governor acknowledges the state’s financial struggles, this is his preferred method of addressing them. At first, he claimed Colorado would be largely immune from the recession. Then, when reality set in, he approved more than $1 billion worth of fee increases to cover the state’s budget gap, costing the average Colorado family more than an additional $800 after just one legislative session.
Last week, however, the governor announced that he was going to work with his departments to cut up to 10 percent of their budgets. That’s good news because the sooner we stop spending money we don’t have, the quicker we will recover from this downturn.
If the governor follows through with his commitment, it is unlikely the legislature will need to return for a special session over the summer.
FASTER Fury
Many Coloradans have understandably been unhappy to find out that the cost to register their vehicles could be four times higher this year than it was last year.
Gov. Ritter this session passed a bill he dubbed FASTER to raise the fines and fees associated with vehicle registration in order to fund transportation priorities. However, the governor also passed a bill later in the year that siphons money away from transportation. He did both despite opposition from Republicans and the motoring public. Now, Coloradans will be paying more and getting far less than they should for it.
The late fines went into effect in March and the fees just went into effect yesterday.
The pressure from the public has been so intense that Gov. Ritter has indicated he may take a look at changing portions of the bill next year. Please help us get these excessive fines and fees repealed by calling the governor at 303-866-2471 or e-mailing him here. You can also e-mail me your stories if you would like them to be shared on our web siteand with my legislative colleagues during the debate next year.
New Laws From A-Z
In addition to the FASTER fees, numerous other laws also went into effect yesterday. There’s everything from allowing insurance discounts for wellness, which I supported, to zapping a long-standing state spending limit, which I opposed.
Some of the new laws I supported:
HB 1012 – Allows insurance companies to provide incentives for participation in wellness and prevention programs.
HB 1081 – Increases the statute of limitations to allow for more time to investigate vehicular homicides.
HB 1109 – Extends foreclosure protection to more struggling homeowners.
HB 1132 – Updates state law protecting children from Internet luring, indecent material, and sexual exploitation to include the use of text messaging and instant messaging.
HB 1163 – Increases penalties for possessing child pornography, requires registration for convicted predators who move to Colorado from another state, and clarifies child abuse law by allowing out-of-state offenses to count as aggravating offenses in Colorado.
SB 80 – Creates a pilot program to allow for the limited collection of rainwater from qualified rooftops.
SB 241 – Based on Katie's Law, moves Colorado toward the increased use of DNA to prevent already-identified suspects from slipping unnoticed through the system if they are arrested on charges for another crime.
HB 1326 – Reforms the initiative petition process.
Some of the laws I opposed:
SB 228 – Repeals a long-standing state spending limit and the long-term transportation and capital construction funding tied to that limit.
HB 1260 – Authorizes two adults who are not married to enter into a designated beneficiary agreement and be the beneficiary of one another.
HB 1293 – Implements a new fee on hospitals.
SB 68 – Imposes a new $20 fee on marriage licenses and $10 fee on divorce proceeding papers.
Other Announcements
Yesterday, the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument was dedicated in Civic Green Park, near the entrance to the Highlands Ranch Library. The memorial will help us honor and remember the sacrifices of friends and family members in our community and the service they have given our country in the pursuit of freedom.
We should also celebrate freedom this weekend on Independence Day. In downtown Parker, the “Let Freedom Sing” event will feature the Red White and Brew MusicFest on Saturday, July 4, from 2 to 10 p.m. The fireworks display will begin at dusk. Click here for more information.
There are plenty of other local events as well for the 4th of July. Lone Tree’s celebration will include the annual Firecracker 5K Run, the community parade and plenty of other entertainment before the fireworks display begins. For more information on that celebration, click here.
Lone Tree will be hosting a summer concert series with more family fun on July 25, in Sweetwater Park. Details are here.
The Douglas County Fair and Rodeo will begin on August 1 at the Douglas County Fair Grounds. Details will begin appearing here as we get closer to August.
Mike May
mike.may.house@state.co.us
303-866-5523
Friday, July 3, 2009
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