SB13-270, sponsored in the House by Reps. Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins) and Don Coram (R-Montrose), gives the governor more latitude to transfer funds into the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund if a wildfire emergency is imminent.

“The old law could tie the hands of the governor in response to a wildfire emergency,” Rep. Fischer said. “These are obviously ...]]> (May 23) – A pair of bipartisan bills to improve Colorado’s response to wildfires and tighten rules on wildfire suppression efforts were signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper today.

SB13-270, sponsored in the House by Reps. Randy Fischer (D-Fort Collins) and Don Coram (R-Montrose), gives the governor more latitude to transfer funds into the Wildfire Emergency Response Fund if a wildfire emergency is imminent.

“The old law could tie the hands of the governor in response to a wildfire emergency,” Rep. Fischer said. “These are obviously situations where we want the governor to be able to act quickly.”

SB13-083, sponsored in the House by Reps. Claire Levy (D-Boulder) and Cheri Gerou (R-Evergreen), clarifies the role and responsibilities of the state Division of Fire Prevention and Control when it conducts prescribed burns. One new requirement is that a state-certified prescribed burn manager or a nationally qualified burn boss be present on site for the duration of any prescribed burn.

“Prescribed fires are an important tool in rejuvenating our forests and reducing the risk of wildfire,” Rep. Levy said. “Senate Bill 83 will allow us to continue using this tool while reducing the risk of tragedies like the Lower North Fork Fire.”

She was referring to a 2012 disaster that began when a Colorado Forest Service prescribed burn went out of control, destroying two dozen Jefferson County homes and killing two people.

SB13-213 was sponsored in the House by Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) and in the Senate by Sens. Mike Johnston (D-Denver) and Rollie Heath (D-Boulder). It is the first update since 1994 to the formula used each year to allocate state dollars to each of Colorado’s 178 school districts.

To elevate ...]]> (May 21) – Declaring his belief that it makes Colorado a national model for equitable and accountable financing of public schools, Gov. John Hickenlooper today signed into law a sweeping modernization of the state’s K-12 funding formula.

SB13-213 was sponsored in the House by Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) and in the Senate by Sens. Mike Johnston (D-Denver) and Rollie Heath (D-Boulder). It is the first update since 1994 to the formula used each year to allocate state dollars to each of Colorado’s 178 school districts.

To elevate a K-12 education system that ranks among the worst-funded in the country and ensure that every child in Colorado has the resources to succeed, the new law would take effect if Colorado voters approve an infusion of much-needed dollars. It would reduce wide disparities in per-pupil funding, provide support for a series of unfunded reform mandates and cure our inability to address increasing demand from English language learners and other at-risk students.

The new law sets a base level of per-pupil funding for all school districts to provide a more equitable distribution of resources, ensures that dollars follow students to their schools, and adds additional funding to disadvantaged districts to bring them up to par. The bill, which included input from business groups and nearly every education stakeholder in the state, also funds full-day kindergarten, increases support for at-risk students, gives districts and principals more freedom to innovate and increases transparency so schools are accountable for every taxpayer dollar they spend.

“This measure is the key that will unlock the door to success for thousands and thousands of young Coloradans,” said Rep. Hamner, a former superintendent of the Summit County schools.

She issued an appeal at the bill signing ceremony for recognition “that there is nothing more important to Colorado’s future than well-educated students and graduates, that we can do better for our kids and for our schools, and that now is the time.”

SB13-111, sponsored in the House by Reps. Sue Schafer (D-Wheat Ridge) and Amy Stephens (R-Monument), takes the recommendations made by the Elder Abuse Task Force and requires specified professionals and individuals to report to law enforcement instances of suspected abuse, caretaker neglect and financial exploitation of at-risk elders. The bill also improves accountability and funding for investigations and protective services ...]]> (May 16) –Gov. John Hickenlooper visited the Seniors’ Resource Center in Wheat Ridge today to sign two bills that will protect and streamline services for seniors.

SB13-111, sponsored in the House by Reps. Sue Schafer (D-Wheat Ridge) and Amy Stephens (R-Monument), takes the recommendations made by the Elder Abuse Task Force and requires specified professionals and individuals to report to law enforcement instances of suspected abuse, caretaker neglect and financial exploitation of at-risk elders. The bill also improves accountability and funding for investigations and protective services so that the right services will be available at the right time to help ensure at-risk elders’ safety and well-being.

“Colorado is one of just three states that do not require the reporting of elder abuse, and this bill changes that,” Rep. Schafer said. “We must protect those who are most vulnerable from being mistreated and abused.”

The governor also signed SB13-004, sponsored in the House by Rep. Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins), which allows seniors who are 65 and older to renew their state-issued identification cards online or by mail every renewal period.

SB13-266, sponsored in the House by Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Arvada) and Dave Young (D-Greeley), directs the Department of Human Services to create a coordinated behavioral health crisis response system for people who are experiencing significant mental health crises. This bill will create a 24-hour crisis telephone hotline, walk-in crisis services and crisis stabilization units, mobile crisis services, residential and respite ...]]> (May 16) – Gov. John Hickenlooper signed two key reforms to Colorado’s mental health system today at the Jefferson Center for Mental Health in Wheat Ridge.

SB13-266, sponsored in the House by Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Arvada) and Dave Young (D-Greeley), directs the Department of Human Services to create a coordinated behavioral health crisis response system for people who are experiencing significant mental health crises. This bill will create a 24-hour crisis telephone hotline, walk-in crisis services and crisis stabilization units, mobile crisis services, residential and respite crises services and a public information campaign.

“Improving our mental health system is a public safety issue,” said Rep. Kraft-Tharp, who has worked in the mental health field for 20 years. “There are people sitting out there right now who need help that our mental health system is not able to provide. We need a strong, comprehensive, integrated crisis system that provides appropriate and timely care, and these important bills will move us in that direction.”

Three in ten Coloradans are in need of behavioral health services and the economic downturn caused mental health services to be significantly cut. These bills are components of the governor’s focus on rebuilding and reinvesting in mental and behavioral health services system in Colorado.

“We are looking for a seamless system,” Rep. Young said. “We want to make sure people get the services they need, when they need them, and ensure we don’t have people falling through the cracks.”

HB13-1296, sponsored by Reps. Beth McCann (D-Denver) and Kraft-Tharp, creates the Civil Commitment Statute Review Committee in the Department of Human Services to meet during the 2013 legislative interim. During 2011, 28,700 people were placed on an emergency mental health hold or were certified for commitment. Currently, Colorado is the only state with three different statutory processes—one for mental illnesses, one for alcohol-related crises and one for substance abuse-related crises. The task force is required to study and prepare recommendations concerning the consolidation of mental health, alcohol and substance abuse disorder statutes concerning civil commitments.

“Our laws are confusing, so this task force will consider how to make our mental health system more efficient and provide better outcomes for Coloradans facing civil commitments and their families,” Rep. McCann said.

Corporations have an overriding fiduciary duty: to maximize profits for their shareholders. HB13-1138, which Rep. Lee sponsored with Sen. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins), creates a new class of businesses — benefit ...]]> (May 15) – Gov. John Hickenlooper, beer lover and former brewer, combined business and pleasure on a bill-signing road trip today when he made his last stop at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, where he signed a bill by Rep. Pete Lee (D-Colorado Springs) to give corporations more room to pursue the public good.

Corporations have an overriding fiduciary duty: to maximize profits for their shareholders. HB13-1138, which Rep. Lee sponsored with Sen. John Kefalas (D-Fort Collins), creates a new class of businesses — benefit corporations, with the freedom to pursue beneficial causes as well as profits.

An existing corporation would need a two-thirds vote of its shareholders to amend its articles of incorporation to become a public benefit corporation. Employee-owned New Belgium has already begun the process of converting itself to benefit corporation status.

“My aim is to encourage all types of legitimate business,” Rep. Lee said. “There are entrepreneurs and social impact investors who want to benefit people and the planet as well as pursue profit. This new law will encourage them to grow their businesses in Colorado.”

HB13-1044 creates a legal definition for “graywater,” which comes from post-use sources other than toilets and urinals, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, and nonlaundry utility sinks. It does not meet drinking water standards but is purer than wastewater. Rather than dispose of graywater in a septic system or send it to a ...]]> (May 15) – Rep. Randy Fischer’s bill to bring Colorado up to speed with the other Western states on water conservation was signed today by Gov. John Hickenlooper on the main campus of Colorado State University.

HB13-1044 creates a legal definition for “graywater,” which comes from post-use sources other than toilets and urinals, kitchen sinks, dishwashers, and nonlaundry utility sinks. It does not meet drinking water standards but is purer than wastewater. Rather than dispose of graywater in a septic system or send it to a wastewater treatment plant, it can be used for irrigation or in air-conditioning systems.

Currently, graywater is classified as wastewater and may not be used outside the home. The new law gives counties and municipalities the option to permit graywater use in residential and commercial settings, as is done in all the other Western states, and directs the state Water Quality Control Commission to adopt public health guidelines that encourage its use.

Rep. Fischer noted that with Colorado’s water resources already stretched thin in some places and the state’s population projected to double by 2050, water conservation is of critical importance.

“This new law helps to address the problem of  how we are going to provide water for Colorado’s growing population,” Rep. Fischer said, adding that he hoped graywater use would slow the trend in which cities buy up water rights from the dwindling agricultural sector.

The Advanced Industries Acceleration Act had bipartisan cosponsors in Reps. Dave Young (D-Greeley) and Cheri Gerou (R-Evergreen), and Speaker Mark Ferrandino made it the first bill to be introduced this session. It establishes a grant program to promote commercialization of new technologies and growth among Colorado’s small high-tech startups.

HB13-1001 targets advanced manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and ...]]> (May 15) – Gov. John Hickenlooper traveled to the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley today to sign the centerpiece of the House Democrats’ jobs and economic development package.

The Advanced Industries Acceleration Act had bipartisan cosponsors in Reps. Dave Young (D-Greeley) and Cheri Gerou (R-Evergreen), and Speaker Mark Ferrandino made it the first bill to be introduced this session. It establishes a grant program to promote commercialization of new technologies and growth among Colorado’s small high-tech startups.

HB13-1001 targets advanced manufacturing, aerospace, bioscience, electronics, energy and natural resources, infrastructure engineering, and information technology. Colorado-based advanced-industry concerns would be eligible for proof-of-concept grants, capped at $150,000; early stage capital and retention grants, capped at $250,000, and infrastructure grants, capped at $500,000.

These advanced industries already account for 30 percent of Colorado’s workforce.

“This new law will help expand industries that will be the foundation of a robust, sustainable Colorado economy that’s based on modern, high-tech products,” Rep. Young said after the signing. “It will increase the number of high-paying, high-skilled jobs in Colorado.”

The signing took place at the chamber of commerce in Boulder, home of the sponsors of HB13-1142, Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst (D-Boulder) and Sen. Rollie Heath (D-Boulder).

The new law will make the state’s enterprise zone system more targeted at jobs creators. Enterprise zones hand out nearly $100 million in tax credits. Originally designed to encourage development in depressed areas, enterprise zones now cover ...]]> (May 15) – A bill reforming the state’s largest economic development program was signed into law this morning by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The signing took place at the chamber of commerce in Boulder, home of the sponsors of HB13-1142, Majority Leader Dickey Lee Hullinghorst (D-Boulder) and Sen. Rollie Heath (D-Boulder).

The new law will make the state’s enterprise zone system more targeted at jobs creators. Enterprise zones hand out nearly $100 million in tax credits. Originally designed to encourage development in depressed areas, enterprise zones now cover 70 percent of the state, and more than half of the money is going to big oil and gas companies that are drilling in the state not because they get a tax break, but because there’s oil and gas here.

The measure caps enterprise zone tax credits at $750,000, with 14 years of carryovers that would allow up to $11.2 million in tax credits for a single claim. Savings will be plowed back into other economic development programs that have been shown to be more effective in creating jobs.

“This is a very good bill for jobs in Colorado,” Rep. Hullinghorst said.

The governor went to Rose Hill Elementary School in Commerce City today to sign HB13-1006, sponsored by Reps. Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City) and Tony Exum Sr. (D-Colorado Springs). The bill will phase in a requirement that schools where at least 80 percent of the students qualify for federal free or reduced-cost lunch will serve breakfast to all students after the official ...]]> (May 15) – A bill to help make sure more Colorado schoolkids get a decent breakfast was signed into law today by Gov. John Hickenlooper.

The governor went to Rose Hill Elementary School in Commerce City today to sign HB13-1006, sponsored by Reps. Dominick Moreno (D-Commerce City) and Tony Exum Sr. (D-Colorado Springs). The bill will phase in a requirement that schools where at least 80 percent of the students qualify for federal free or reduced-cost lunch will serve breakfast to all students after the official start of school.

Hungry children don’t learn as well as their better-fed peers, but many students who qualify for existing before-school breakfast programs don’t get to school in time to eat, some of them because of the stigma of acknowledging that their families are too poor to feed them. When the Adams 14 School District went from school breakfast before the bell to an after-the-bell meal, the participation rate went from 30 percent to 98 percent.

“Breakfast after the bell gives students from low-income families an equal chance to learn and succeed,” said Rep. Moreno, who qualified for free in-school meals on his way to becoming valedictorian of his high school class.

By serving breakfast during attendance-taking and announcements, schools that have already initiated Breakfast After the Bell have been able to do it with no reduction in instruction time.

“This is a significant part of making sure our students get a good education,” Rep. Exum said.

The vast majority of the cost of Breakfast After the Bell is covered by an existing federal program.

HB13-1080, sponsored by Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Arvada) and Chris Holbert (R-Parker), expands the type of industries that can claim the Aircraft Manufacturer New Employee Tax Credit. It includes companies involved with the maintenance and repair, completion or modification of aircrafts.

“Not only will this tax credit create jobs across Colorado, but it will create jobs right in my district and support the Rocky Mountain ...]]> (May 13) – Gov. John Hickenlooper signed a bill today at the Centennial Airport that will create jobs in the aircraft manufacturing sector.

HB13-1080, sponsored by Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp (D-Arvada) and Chris Holbert (R-Parker), expands the type of industries that can claim the Aircraft Manufacturer New Employee Tax Credit. It includes companies involved with the maintenance and repair, completion or modification of aircrafts.

“Not only will this tax credit create jobs across Colorado, but it will create jobs right in my district and support the Rocky Mountain Municipal Airport,” Rep. Kraft-Tharp said. “This bipartisan bill will create jobs, and I’m proud of the bipartisan efforts to grow this important industry.”