Doris Beaver’s
EYE ON THE LEGISLATURE . . . 
January 23, 2012 
    This weeks' edition continues with the Governor's State of the State speech to the legislature. 
As additional example of renewed interest by corporations in Colorado, Governor Hickenlooper identified General Electric's  planned expansion of its Primstar Solar operation in Aurora.  The $300 million expansion and construction of a thin-film solar manufacturing facility, "one of the largest of its kind in the world," translates to  300 jobs and enough panels each year to power 80,000 homes. 
   The Governor also recognized the economic development generated by events such as the 2011 USA Pro Cycling Challenge with a worldwide audience of more than 20 million people, and $80 million to Colorado's economy. Ever the visionary, Hickenlooper announced two cycling events -- return of the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, followed by a bike tour for the non-pro cyclists in Colorado. The "Pedal the Plains" will cross the Eastern Plains of Colorado and showcase where our food comes from as Hickenlooper explained it. The Governor's promos on local television stations last year were filmed with farm country in the background. Coloradans were also reminded that "Colorado agriculture is leading the state out of this recession. Agricultural exports have grown more than 20 percent . . . [strongly emphasized] 20 percent which makes Colorado proud." 
   Hickenlooper has been relentless in his committment to make government more "efficient, effective and of course elegant," and acknowledged that "the core business of government is not to create private sector jobs -- entrepreneur's do that." He said legislators have the opportunity to help, that "a committment to partnership and collaboration can overcome the dysfunction of partisan gridlock." 
   Little publicity has been given to a process begun last year. A rigorous review of state rules and requests were made of examples of unnecessary regulations submitted by Coloradans from across the state. Every state agency is being scrutinized for red tape, with a report, "Pits and Peeves," issued earlier in the week outlining the results of the "scrubbing" as the Governor explained it. The Colorado Department of Transportation found rules out of date decades ago, with recommendations by the Department of Human Services that 850 unnecessary rules be repealed. 
   Hickenlooper also announced the merger of three state agencies in an effort for greater efficiencies in state government: the Division of State Parks with the Division of Wildlife; Supportive Housing and Homeless Program merged into the Department of Local Affairs; one manager will oversee the Division of Banking and Securities. State employees have been asked to help create savings in most state agencies through the LEAN program, initiated for state employees to actively identify waste and inefficiency. 
   The Colorado Innovation Network (COIN) has been established in Colorado in an effort to "incubate entrepreneurship and facilitate the transfer of new ideas to the marketplace." The Governor noted Colorado had 29 research laboratories, and noted the basis for establishment of COIN was "to foster collaboration and idea-sharing across private sector, academic and public lines including those research laboratories. The Governor pointed out that good schools, a reliable transportation system and health care also create a climate for entrepreneurship -- for corporations locating to Colorado. 
   Early childhood services and support will be consolidated into a new office in the Department of Human Services. The state is proposing a state-local strategy that "integrates prevention and intervention, quality early learning and family support and engagement." These services are so scattered in the current system that 23 separate funding streams are administered through five different state agencies. 
   Early childhood literacy efforts are being targeted in a program seeking to identify failing students before they reach third grade. Hickenlooper acknowledged abundant research demonstrates that "if a child fails to learn how to read by the third grade, that child is more likely to drop out of high school and faces an enormous uphill battle for the rest of his or her life." The Governor is working on bipartisan legislation to make Colorado "a national model for early literacy." 
   Natural gas was front and center of Hickenlooper's clean energy program. Colorado is now partnering with Oklahoma in creating a broad-based market for compressed natural gas vehicles, with eight other states joining in this effort. 
   As drilling in Colorado escalates, use of the "fracking process in Colorado is now subject to the country's strongest and fairest rule disclosing the ingredients used in the process." Hickenlooper said the drilling procedure "has opened the door to a whole new era of energy development that can lead to more jobs, cleaner air and energy security for our country and the world." The Governor emphasized the state must work with counties and municipalities for appropriate regulation because Colorado's 64 counties can't each have 64 or more different sets of rules. 
   Hickenlooper believes collaborative agreements are beneficial to Colorado. He noted the Interbasin Water Roundtable Process signed last year between Denver amd the Western Slope will save costly litigation and endless court battles in the state's water policy. 
   The Colorado Health Benefits Exchange was passed during the 2011 legislative session and will provide health care for 300,000 uninsured Coloradans beginning in 2013. Medicaid fraud, over-payments and eligibility are on the Governor's radar as part of his committment to, "bending the Medicaid cost curve and pursuing strategies that will cut Medicaid costs. 
   Hickenlooper addressed the controversy of civil unions by saying, "It's time to pass civil unions."
   The reader’s comments or questions are always welcome.  E-mail me at doris@dorisbeaver.com.
Doris Beaver