Next week the gavel will drop for the 69th session of the Colorado General Assembly. Clearly, the legislature will have a number of tough fiscal challenges and contentious social issues to address in the upcoming session.
As part of its seminar series, on December 17th, the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) hosted a panel discussion to preview the upcoming legislative session. Panelists featured:
- Danny Tomlinson, Tomlinson and Associates (Tomlinson provides periodic legislative updates on his website).
- Jennifer Cassell, Legislative Liaison, OEDIT
- Loren Furman, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry (CACI)
The group identified the following as the top budget priorities for the state in the upcoming session.
- Protect the last and the least (human services)
- K-12 and higher education
- Economic development
- Infrastructure
- Public safety/Mental health
- Improve efficiency of state government/Pay increases
- Expansion of Medicaid
As well, legislators will be asked to address the following issues.
- Civil unions
- Tuition for undocumented immigrants
- Referendum on single-payer health insurance
- Lobato school funding lawsuit
- Metropolitan Transportation District
- Tolling and/or VMT
- HUTF money for transit
- RAMP (Responsible Acceleration of Maintenance and Projects)
- Governmental immunity /raising of $600K caps
- Peace officer bill of rights
- Fracking
- Renewable energy policy
- Thermal standards
- Eco-friendly architecture?
- Coal bed methane
- Public trustees and foreclosures
- Gun control
It will be interesting to see if the Democrats act in the best interests of the state or for the well-being of their party, given that they control both houses and the governor’s office (That comment would also be appropriate if the Republicans were in a similar situation).
©Copyright 2011 by CBER.