Democrats take the reins

Renewable energy, health care, education on agenda

By Ryan Morgan (Contact)

When lawmakers begin the 2007 legislative session Wednesday, it'll mark the first time in more than four decades that Democrats have controlled both chambers of the Legislature as well as the governor's office, which Gov.-elect Bill Ritter will take over today.

"For Boulder County, it's going to make a world of difference to our constituents," said state Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder. "On the issues that our voters care so much about — education, the environment, health care — you'll see legislation that not only will pass, but that will be signed."

Boulder County's lawmakers, all of them Democrats, say they want to tackle issues ranging from health care and education to prison policies. Renewable energy is another hot topic — nearly every lawmaker from the county plans to propose legislation touching on the issue.

Tupa will introduce a bill to require paper trails on electronic voting machines by 2008. Current law requires the machines to record their results on paper by 2010, but Tupa said he wants to see that change made before the next presidential election.

The bill would also increase to 5 percent, up from 1 percent, the number of machines county officials are required to audit for accuracy following an election.

Tupa said he'll also sponsor a bill to give a tax rebate to homeowners who install solar panels.

CONTACTS

House District 10

Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, House Majority Leader

Phone: (303) 866-2348

E-mail: alice.madden.house@state.co.us

House District 11

Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder

Phone: (303) 866-2780

E-mail: jack.pommer.house@state.co.us

House District 12

Rep. Paul Weissman, D-Louisville

Phone: (303) 866-2920

E-mail: reppaul@aol.com

House District 13

Rep.-elect Claire Levy, D-Boulder

Phone: (303) 866-2583

E-mail: claire.levy.house@state.co.us

Senate District 16

Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Golden

Phone: (303) 866-3342

E-mail: joan.fitzgerald.senate@state.co.us

Senate District 17

Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont

Phone: (303) 866-5291

E-mail: brandon.shaffer.senate@state.co.us

Senate District 18

Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder

Phone: (303) 866-4872

E-mail: ron.tupa.senate@state.co.us

Rep. Alice Madden, D-Boulder, has health care on the brain. She'll sponsor legislation to take money the state receives from tobacco companies as part of a legal settlement and funnel it into rural medicine, mental health care and the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center.

After hearing from one of her constituents who was denied health insurance because he was a military reservist, Madden said she'll propose a bill saying, "You can't deny insurance solely based on military status," she said.

Madden will co-sponsor legislation that would have the state buy generic drugs at wholesale prices and sell them to uninsured people in Colorado who make too much money to receive Medicaid.

She said she also wants to look after animals: She'll carry legislation to ban "canned hunting," a practice in which hunters pay to shoot exotic animals that have been confined.

Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, is drafting a bill backed by the Autism Society of Boulder County to try to increase the amount of money available to children up to age 3 who are diagnosed with developmental delays.

On the renewable-energy front, Shaffer said he's working on legislation to make it easier for producers to create and distribute alternative fuels like ethanol and for consumers to be able to use them. That legislation might also require the state to buy more vehicles capable of using alternative fuels, he said.

To give school districts a break from high energy prices, Shaffer will propose legislation to regulate utilities with the goal of keeping districts' prices consistent throughout the school year and sheltering districts from spikes in energy prices from year to year.

Rep. Jack Pommer,

D-Boulder, said he'll propose legislation to double the renewable-energy requirements of Amendment 37, which Colorado voters approved in 2004. That measure required Xcel Energy and other utilities to generate 10 percent of their energy from renewable sources by 2015. Pommer's proposal would bump up that requirement to 20 percent.

He'll also carry a measure that would change the way the courts sentence criminals to try to find more alternatives to throwing offenders in jail or prison.

"We're spending an absolute fortune, and we're not necessarily reducing crime," he said.

Pommer said he's trying to find more money to help send more kids to pre-school. He said a bill he's carrying will try to make the Colorado Student Assessment Program more efficient and use the savings for pre-school.

"Testing's great, but the goal is educating kids, and I think that's where the priority has to be," he said.

Rep.-elect Claire Levy, a Boulder Democrat elected to replace outgoing Rep. Tom Plant, said she's going to focus on environmental issues, with a minor in higher-education issues.

Levy will draft a bill that would allow utilities to charge their customers a small fee, the proceeds of which would create incentives for making homes and businesses more energy-efficient.

She'll also carry a measure to require cities to put energy-efficiency requirements into their building codes. Most cities, including Boulder, already do that, but there are "pockets" of the state that don't, she said.

Another bill Levy will carry would allow the University of Colorado to help repay the student loans of graduates who enter "public service" fields.

The university would only be allowed to use privately raised money, and the Board of Regents would define what constitutes public service, Levy said. One example: Law-school graduates could get help repaying their loans if they go to work for legal-aid groups.

Contact Camera Staff Writer Ryan Morgan at (303) 473-1333 or morganr@dailycamera.com.

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