Proposal curbs local grocery taxes at convenience stores

The LaJunta Tribune Democrat
By:Debi Brazzale
January 26th, 2012


After learning that some cities are taxing grocery sales at convenience stores but not at supermarkets, a legislative panel OK’d a measure Wednesday making clear that local governments must levy taxes on a level playing field.

Senate Bill 94, sponsored by Sen. Mary Hodge, D-Brighton, and Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, clarifies that the state’s sales tax exempts groceries no matter where they’re purchased—and that local governments seeking to tax such products cannot discriminate.

While Colorado’s statutory and home-rule cities may impose taxes on grocery sales—provided they secure local voter approval under constitutional taxing and spending limits—it’s the inconsistency that concerns Hodge. She told  members of the Senate Business, Labor and Technology Committee that a variety of municipalities are charging a local tax on certain food items sold at establishments designated as convenience stores.

"This is a fairness issue,” said Hodge. “When you buy bread and milk at a convenience store it should be the same as at grocery stores.”

Legislature pushes for satellite U.S. patent office

The Denver Business Journal
By: Ed Sealover
January 25th, 2012

Colorado legislators unanimously approved a resolution Wednesday asking the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office    (PTO) to set up a satellite office in the Denver metro area.

The resolution will be included with an application packet for the satellite office that the state must submit to the federal government by Jan. 30.

Bipartisan sponsors of the resolution in the House and Senate said this could show the level of state support for landing one of what is expected to be three satellite offices the PTO is expected to open across the country.

“We know resolutions are typically letters to Santa Claus. Hopefully, Santa will read this one,” said Senate Minority Leader Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, who co-sponsored the resolution.

“This is in line with the theme for our session of job creation, economic development and supporting innovators and entrepreneurs here in our state,” said Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont.

Summit County lawmakers united for defense of education funding

Summit Daily News
By: Caddie Nath
January 14th, 2012

White promises to reach across the aisle to work with Nicholson, Hamner in 2012

All three of Summit's state legislators are back in Denver this week and preparing to fight for education funding and economic development heading into the 2012 session.

Following the reapportionment process last year, Summit County will be shifted from Sen. Jeanne Nicholson's (D — Blackhawk) Senate District 16 into Jean White's (R —Hayden) Senate District 8 following the election in November. Rep. Millie Hamner (D — Dillon) will continue to represent Summit in the newly formed House District 61.

Following the start of the 120-day legislative session Wednesday, all three women are gearing up for an intense four months and preparing to handle some of the challenges ahead.

The state faces another quarter-billion dollar budget shortfall this year, but Summit's lawmakers are united across political lines in their hope to avoid further cuts to education.

“I don't want to see any more cuts to K-12 public education,” said Hamner, the former Summit School District superintendent. “Even in Summit County where the voters have passed every funding opportunity allowable, we still see the district talking about budget reductions.”

Nicholson and White echoed the sentiment, pinning their hopes on Gov. John Hickenlooper's budget proposal, which, with positive state revenue forecasts, pours more than $200 million back into the reduced education budget. The proposal must be vetted and approved by the Legislature before it can be enacted.

Despite a common interest in education funding, the lawmakers split along party lines on the issue of renewing a property tax break for seniors, which costs the state $100 million. White said she would support restoring the suspended tax exemption, while Hamner and Nicholson said they couldn't do so while education funding is still in jeopardy.

Democrats Vow To Protect Jobs, Focus On Job Creation

CBS 4
January 11, 2012

DENVER- Democratic state lawmakers vow to work with their counterparts during the 2012 legislative session. Wednesday was the opening day of the session at the state Capitol in Denver.

State Senator Linda Newell, a Democrat representing Littleton, said lawmakers have a lot of work to do this session. She also hopes everyone will work together, especially on key issues like business and job creation.

“I come from business and there is no partisanship in business. We don’t even know each others’ political parties, so it’s natural for me. I don’t only reach across the aisle I practically live in the aisle sometimes. So I think you are going to see some bipartisanship,” said Newell.

(Click here to view the full story)

'Partnership ahead of partisanship'

Hickenlooper, legislative leaders express willingness to cross party divides

Longmont Times-Call
By John Fryar
December 17, 2011

DENVER -- Political differences occasionally punctuated -- but didn't permeate -- a Friday afternoon forum previewing the Colorado Legislature's 2012 session.

For the most part, Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper and Democratic and Republican leaders from the state Senate and Colorado's House of Representatives expressed what's become a traditional set of statements about their willingness to work across party lines in trying to address the economic problems facing Colorado families, businesses and individuals.

Dems’ first bill targets economy

Republicans hold opinions on upcoming session.

Pueblo Chieftain
By Patrick Malone
December 16, 2011

DENVER — Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly announced Wednesday that the first legislation they will propose in the upcoming legislative session would give preference to Colorado companies in government contracts.

Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont, said SB1 is representative of Democrats’ overall agenda for the session that begins next month.

“Our focus for the 2012 legislative session is singular: Get Colorado’s economy back on track,” Shaffer said.

Beetle-kill pine, other wood pushed as power source - and way to aid ailing Colorado forests

Denver Post
By Nancy Lofholm
September 29, 2011

CARBONDALE — The Roaring Fork Valley lies close to abundant coal and gas fuel sources. But wood is the fuel that has a local consortium — and a state senator — fired up as an energy source that also would aid Colorado's ailing forests.

A Roaring Fork Valley consortium found through a two-year study that there is plenty of wood in the form of drought- and beetle-killed pine, fire-stoking brush, aged aspen and construction scraps to make it a feasible adjunct to traditional fossil-fuel energy sources. Burning wood for fuel also is viewed as a potentially important part of saving the state from a conflagration like the one that ravaged Arizona forests this summer.

The Roaring Fork Biomass Consortium took the lead on the issue this week by releasing its study, which included trips to Europe to inspect biomass heating systems there and detailed analysis of the carbon footprint of trucks that would be needed to haul wood from forests in the valley.

The consortium also held a bio-mass "summit" Wednesday that brought together experts from across the state and from the East Coast, where a biomass project at Middlebury College in Vermont is looked at as an example for what might be done in Colorado.

State Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, said using wood to generate heat is more than an environmental dream. "This is not just another nice renewable thing to do. Colorado needs this," she said.

Colorado to audit online K-12 schools

Colorado Springs Business Journal
By Amy Gillentine
September 28,2011

The Legislative Audit Committee’s going online.

The committee approved a request yesterday by Seante President Brandon Shaffer of Longmont to perform an emergency audit of online public schools operating in Colorado.

Shaffer requested the audit after reviewing state reports that raise concerns about the efficacy of some of the online program.

“When I was in the Navy, I was taught you get what you inspect, not what you expect,” Shaffer said. “I’ve requested this audit to ensure we’re getting the best education for our children and the most effective use of taxpayer dollars.”

In his letter to the members of the Legislative Audit Committee, President Shaffer said:

“I recognize there are very legitimate needs that can be filled by online programs, such as course offerings being made available in rural parts of the state, and degree programs offered to students who help support their families or are otherwise unable to attend a traditional school. In an economic climate where the State of Colorado is forced to cut hundreds of millions of dollars from its education budgets, we must ensure that every dollar of tax-payer money is spent efficiently and effectively.”

Alamosa unveils new elementary schools

State school construction funds paid the bill.

Pueblo Chieftain
By Matt Hildner
August 27, 2011

ALAMOSA — Educators here snipped the ribbon Friday on a $39 million campus that will serve roughly 1,100 elementary school students.

All 1,100 were on hand for the morning ceremony, giggling, wiggling and squirming their way through roughly 45 minutes of speeches from state, school district and city officials.

The campus, which includes two 72,000-square-foot buildings, is the fourth project in the San Luis Valley to be completed from the Building Excellent Schools Today program, which draws money from the State Lands Trust to match with local revenue.

Alamosa voters approved a $12 million bond issue in 2008, while the state picked up the remainder of the building costs.

New school buildings from the program, which is designed to replace old or dilapidated buildings, also have gone up in Mosca, San Luis and Sargent.

Others have been approved or are under construction in Center, Crestone and Monte Vista.

State Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, sponsored the legislation that created the program. Friday, she and state Rep. Ed Vigil, D-Fort Garland, told the students to take care of the buildings so their siblings, children and grandchildren also could enjoy them.

"Take good care as if this were your most special bike," she said.

Lawmakers on a different kind of trail

Westminster Window
By Matt Gypin
August 25, 2011

Legislators climb to raise money for dome

About a dozen state legislators, led by Rep. Cherylin Peniston, D-Westminster, hiked one of two fourteeners last month to raise money and awareness for repairing the domed roof of Colorado's Capitol.

"I was talking about the challenges the dome was facing and the fundraising process at a town hall meeting and one of my constituents said, 'You ought to have legislators hike a fourteener here in Colorado and you could raise money that way,'" said Peniston, representing House District 35. "I thought, why not? Let's do it."

Appropriately, the legislators, representatives and senators from both parties, were able to choose which peak to ascend on July 26 Mount Democrat to the left, or Mount Lincoln to the right.