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AURORA TOWNHALL MEETING

Thursday, August 19 • 7:00—8:30 PM

NOTE: Location change for August Townhall Meeting ONLY:

Aurora Central Library
14949 E. Alameda Pkwy
Auror, CO 80012

Topic: Citizen Lobbying

Jointly sponsored by Rep. Su Ryden, Sen. Morgan Carroll and Rep. Karen Middleton

All are welcome. There will be an opportunity for Q&A. Bring your questions, your friends, your family and co-workers! Help make our community a better place.

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GOV. RITTER PRAISES LATEST
BEST-BUSINESS RANKING

Gov. Ritter today hailed CNBC’s new ranking of Colorado as the third best state in which to do business, the second year in a row Colorado earned the No. 3 spot and the third consecutive year the state finished in the top five.

“In these tough times, Colorado continues to create a low-cost environment that supports our businesses, strengthens the economy and grows jobs,” Gov. Ritter said. “We’ve got one of the best-educated workforces in the country, a competitive spirit and a commitment to innovation that makes us one of the most attractive places for businesses, employees and their families anywhere in America.”

The ranking measures 10 categories for competitiveness: cost of doing business, workforce, quality of life, economy, transportation and infrastructure, technology and innovation, education, business friendliness, access to capital, and cost of living. Colorado ranked in the top 10 in four different categories, including quality of life (2nd), business friendliness (4th), and economy (8th).

Since CNBC began “America’s Top States for Business” in 2007, Colorado has steadily increased its ranking, starting at 7th before working its way to 3rd last year. Colorado’s retention of the third spot in 2010 led CNBC to write, “While Texas and Virginia duke it out for the top spot year after year and Colorado stays consistent at No. 3, the rest of the rankings are less predictable.”

Forbes.com last year ranked Colorado as the fourth-best state for businesses in its annual survey.

For more than three years, Gov. Ritter has launched aggressive economic-development initiatives to support Colorado's businesses, communities and families.

He has helped build Colorado's nationally recognized New Energy Economy, provided tax cuts to 30,000 small businesses, invested in employee training, reformed the business tax code to encourage growth and allowed for greater access to loans for small businesses.

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NEWS FROM THE COLORADO CONSUMER HEALTH INITIATIVE:
Colorado's New High-Risk Insurance Pool

On July 6th, Governor Bill Ritter provided information about Colorado’s high-risk insurance pool, GettingUsCovered. According to the governor, “this plan will offer tremendous relief to thousands of our citizens who have struggled to find affordable health insurance.” Colorado received funding for GettinsUsCovered from the federal government, which will subsidize $90 million to the program for the next three years. This statewide, comprehensive health plan is estimated to provide coverage for 4,000 uninsured Coloradans.  To be eligible for the program, applicants must be: 

• Colorado residents;
• U.S. citizens or lawfully residing in the U.S.;
• Uninsured for at least six months;
• Have a pre-existing condition that has prevented them from getting health coverage.

Members of GettingUsCovered receive benefits which includes the ability to choose doctors from Rocky Mountain Health Plans provider network, prescription drug plan, and coverage for preventive care.  More information and applications can be found by going to http://www.gettinguscovered.org.

Please note that those who are enrolled between July and August will receive benefits beginning September 1st.

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GOV. RITTER SIGNS NEW BOOSTER SEAT PROTECTIONS INTO LAW

Gov. Bill Ritter congratulates child safety advocates and legislators gathered at The Children's Hospital in Aurora for the signing of SB110 to add booster seat protections for children.

Rep. Ryden thanks Kylie Anderson for her expert testimony on SB 110 to add booster seat protections for children under age 8.

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REP. RYDEN'S BILL TO PROTECT COLORADO'S JOBS & NATIONAL SECURITY SIGNED INTO LAW

Rep. Ryden thanks supporters from Buckley AFB, local veterans, Aurora Economic Developent Council, and Dept. of Military & Veterans Affairs for their work on HB 1205, to protect our national security and thousands of Aurora jobs.

Gov. Bill Ritter with Rep. Ryden, and Air National Guard Commander Gen. Trulan Eyre, after signing HB1205 into law at the State Capitol.

(DENVER) – Governor Bill Ritter signed into law House Bill 1205, ensuring the future viability of Colorado's military installations and their local economies.

House Bill 1205, sponsored by Rep. Su Ryden (D-Aurora) and co-sponsored by Aurora Reps Karen Middleton and Nancy Todd, amends existing statute to add flying mission commanders at military installations to the list of community leaders who need to be notified of local zoning changes that might impact use of the base. The new law also adds military installations to the list of areas, which local governments may designate in their master plans. Currently, this list includes airports, schools and other public facilities.

“This new law is about protecting jobs, protecting Coloradans, and protecting national security. There are thousands of Coloradans employed at our military bases, such as Buckley Air Force Base, that represent a $4.6 billion annual economic impact,” said Rep. Ryden. “The new law increases transparency for municipalities and home buyers, as well. Military bases are exceptionally important to Colorado, and we want to ensure their continued well-being. At the same time, we want to be perfectly transparent about their impacts on local communities.”

The legislation captures the best practices of the communities that already have good working relationships with their local military installations. By codifying these best practices, the bases and their communities will be protected beyond the terms of today's local elected officials and the tours of the current base commanders.

"House Bill 1205 reinforces the message that the military is very important to Colorado," Gov. Ritter said. "We have numerous military installations throughout the state, and this new law will help ensure that these installations can continue their mission even as our state's communities continue to grow."

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Thank you!

While 2010 was a difficult time for all Coloradans, we made progress in a number of key areas with legislation that will bring long term benefits to our families and small businesses.

Our primary accomplishment was crafting a balanced, responsible, recession-era budget that maintains vital services, positions Colorado for a healthy recovery and asks all Coloradans to share in the solutions required by reduced spending.

Some of the bills I was proud to sponsor during the 2010 Legislative session include:

• Protecting thousands of local jobs, ensuring the safety of all Coloradans and doing our part in providing for our national security. Under my House Bill 10-1205, local governments will have extra tools to use in land use planning around military bases, and communication will be enhanced between local communities and base commanders, including flying mission commanders such as our Air National Guard commander at Buckley AFB.
• Helping HOA members understand their rights and responsibilities through an information and resource center for HOA members and boards is the goal of my House Bill 10-1278. We will be tracking inquiries and complaints for an annual report from the Division of Real Estate to the Legislature.
• Saving kids’ lives by adding 6 and 7-year-olds to the booster seat age group, and
  ensuring the safety of all children traveling in motor vehicles. SB 10-110
• Bringing more transparency to healthcare by adding 12 more professions to the online reporting system, allowing consumers to check out their healthcare providers’ background, history, financial interests and contributions to our community. SB 10-124

I co-sponsored a number of other important issues, including:

• Increasing Colorado’s renewable energy requirement to 30 percent by 2020.
• Adopting the Colorado Clean Air-Clean Jobs Act -- the nation’s first statutory plan to replace old, dirty and inefficient coal-fired power plants with cleaner-burning natural gas.
  
• Developing job-training and workforce-development programs, particularly in the clean-energy and health-care fields.
  
• Guaranteeing gender equity, standardizing policy and benefit explanations, and requiring insurance companies to write forms in easy-to-understand language.
  
• Reducing costs, eliminating waste and increasing efficiencies in the state’s Medicaid program.
  
• Passing key regulations and guidelines for the state’s voter-approved medical marijuana program.

 

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