February 20, 2011
UPDATE ON MY BILLS THIS SESSION
Below is an updated list of the status of my bills to date for the 2011 Legislative Session.
ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE & CONSUMER PROTECTION
SB 2 Low Income Telephone Users Fund (M. Carroll – J. Kerr) – This is an audit bill that fixes implementation so low income people who qualify for help can get it, and others who may not qualify won’t. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Third Reading 34-0. PENDING House Transportation Committee.
SB 68 Consumer Protection Act 2011 (M. Carroll - Solano) – Add enforcement language to Colorado’s Unfair Deceptive Trade Practices Act, presuming public harm, when consumers defrauded. There is an added barrier created by Colorado Courts which has left Colorado consumers without remedies. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Judiciary. PENDING Senate 2nd Reading.
HB 1127 Fair Use of Credit Scores (Kagan – M. Carroll) – With record people out of work, credit scores have taken a plunge. Credit scores have been used in hiring, apartment rental and to increase insurance premiums. Bill limits use of credit scores to areas only where there is a real and relevant reason to do so to remove unnecessary barriers to employment, housing and cost of insurance. INTRODUCED. DEFEATED House Local House State, Veteran & Military Affairs Committee.
HB 1023 Foreclosure Deferral Extension (Ferrandino – M. Carroll): The bill continues the foreclosure assistance and deferral we created in the state a few years ago. Unfortunately, the need is still there and it is set to expire. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 64-0, PASSED Senate 34-0. PENDING Action by Governor.
HB 1232 Probate Registry of Fiduciaries (Court - M. Carroll): This bill creates a registry of court-appointed guardians, conservators and trustees, increases reporting to protected persons from annually to quarterly and requires responses to requests for information by protected persons within 30 days. INTRODUCED. PENDING House Judiciary Committee.
GOOD GOVERNMENT
SB 25 Taxpayer Empowerment Act (M. Carroll – Ferrandino) – Adds transparency on privatization of government functions by reforming government contracting to include standard clause about transparency of records relating to cost and performance measures of government contracts. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Finance Committee 6-1. PENDING Senate 2nd Reading.
SB 115 Government Accountability Act (M. Carroll) – ensures jurisdiction to state auditor for all state governmental and quasi-governmental entities to oversee taxpayer accountability and maximize government efficiency in performance. Closes auditing loopholes for good government. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Finance Committee. PENDING Senate 2nd Reading.
HB 1035 Campaign Finance Blue Book Clarification (Court – M. Carroll) – A bill to add blue book descriptions about who has drafted and funded different issues on the ballot. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 54-10, PENDING Senate State, Veteran & Military Affairs Committee.
HB 1108 Coroner Commission (Fields, Ryden – M. Carroll) – The bill creates a commission to look at recommendations for qualifications for state coroner. (Currently no medical background is required and it is a partisan race.) INTRODUCED, DEFEATED House Local Government Committee 6:5 party-line vote.
HB 1118 Audit Authority Toll Authorities (J. Kerr - M. Carroll) - This is an audit bill that gives audit jurisdiction to the State Auditor for public highway (toll) authorities. INTRODUCED, PASSED House 3rd Reading 64 - 1. PENDING Senate Committee assignment.
HB 1229 Issue Committee Disclosures (Court - M. Carroll) - This bill ensures issue committee disclosures following the Sampson case ruling strike down existing limits (as applied). INTRODUCED. PENDING House State Affairs.
JOB PROTECTION
SB 72 Civil Rights Act 2011 (M. Carroll – Levy) – Gives Title VII job protection and remedies to Colorado workers from discrimination (race, gender, sexual orientation) when work for an employer of 15 or less. (More than 15 already covered). INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Judiciary Committee. PENDING Senate Appropriations Committee.
HEALTH CARE
SB 88: Direct Entry Midwives (M. Carroll / Lundberg – Acree): Continues ability for midwives trained for home births to continue to practice in Colorado, updates their practice act, and gives ability to administer minor treatments to mom or baby that are within their training and scope of practice. INTRODUCED. PASSED Senate Health & Human Services Committee 8 - 1. PENDING Senate Appropriations Committee.
VETERAN SUPPORT
HB 1037 Military Family Relief Fund (Ryden – M. Carroll)– Reauthorizes Military Family Relief Fund on Income Tax Check off to support military families experiencing hardship as a result of deployment. INTRODUCED. PASSED House 65-0, PASSED Senate 34 - 1, PENDING, action by Governor.
NEXT TOWNHALL
Coffee With Carroll, Ryden & Fields
Monday Mar. 7 2011 at 7:15 AM
Mimi's Cafe in Aurora, 205 S. Abilene Street
All Welcome!
SURVEY
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February 06, 2011
TOWNHALL UPDATE
I wanted to remind you and invite you to attend our monthly coffee this Monday February 7, 2011 from 7:15 AM - 8:15 AM (in session hours) at Mimi's Cafe, 205 S. Abilene St, Aurora. This event is hosted by myself, Rep. Su Ryden and Rep. Rhonda Fields. All are welcome! Come here about the latest updates from the capitol and share your ideas, concerns and suggestions!
We also hold a townhall the 3rd Thursday of every month at the Community College of Aurora. This month (Thursday February 17, 2011, 7:00 - 8:30 PM) we will be holding a panel on "How to Start Your Own Business" with an expert panel. This is a particularly good townhall if you own your own business, are looking for work or thinking about starting your own business. YOU can be part of putting Colorado back to work!
THIS PAST WEEK IN THE COLORADO SENATE
This week we voted on the revenue forecast resolution. Typically, this resolution is run everywhere which directs the JBC to the forecast they should use for purposes of balancing the budget. We get forecasts from OSPB (Governor's Office) and Legislative Council (Legislative) and typically choose one or the other. Because our state has a balanced budget amendment, we must also "true up" the difference between projected numbers and actual numbers. This year we chose the lower of the two forecast figures. The house GOP did something I have not seen before which was to arbitrarily shave another $200 million off the figure (which was based on no economist's forecasts). This is the equivalent of an additional 3,200 teachers' jobs -- just to make a symbolic gesture. The Senate restored the resolution to the lower of the economist's forecast but because the two chambers had different versions, the measure died.
The Senate calendar changes daily. You can download the Senate calendar by visiting: http://www.leg.state.co.us/clics/clics2011a/csl.nsf/CalendarsFrameset?OpenForm&chamber=senate.
MY BILLS THIS WEEK
This week I will be presenting HB 1023 Foreclosure Deferral Extension (Ferrandino - Carroll) in Senate Business Affairs and Labor. This bill continues an earlier foreclosure relief program created by Rep. Ferrandino and myself to give notice to homeowners about the free foreclosure hotline and to facilitate loan re-modifications to help people stay in their homes. It was scheduled to expire this year, but unfortunately the need for the program has not expired, so this bill continues it.
SB 2 Low Income Telephone Users Fund will be up on the Senate Floor (consent calendar) (Carroll - J. Kerr). This program provides assistance to offer landline telephones for indigent people who could not otherwise have phone access. It is an audit committee bill and fixes the criteria to ensure that the people who are eligible are getting it, and the ones who aren't eligible, aren't.
On Thursday in Senate Finance Committee HB 1037 Military Family Relief Fund (Ryden - Carroll) will be heard at 1:30 PM. I created this Fund as an Income Tax Checkoff in 2005 and since then it has raised over $1 million dollars to help military families experiencing deployment-related financial hardships. The Fund is set to expire this year, but with the number of our miitary families still deployed, the need is still there. It is available to active or reserve of any branch of military and the National Guard. You can support this fund on your income tax checkoff and know your money has gone to good use.
Also on Thursday in Senate Finance Committee I will be presenting SB 25, The Taxpayer Empowerment Act (Carroll- Ferrandino). This bill ensures a standard clause in all state procurement contracts about transparency pertaining to cost and performance of the contract. The purpose of this measure is to ensure that the taxpayers are getting the best value and that we as a state are getting what we pay for. Colorado spends over $3 Billion in privatized contracts per year but hasn't always had adequate oversight, transparency or performance for the citizens of Colorado. (i.e. CBMS, Accenture, CSTARRs, etc.). This bill is being opposed by most of the business lobby even though the overwhelming majority of the public in both parties believes we should have government transparency of public funds and efficient / effective state contracts. Want to help increase government transparency? Please email me at morgan@senmorgancarroll.com.
PARTICIPATION
You can watch the activities of the House and Senate floor either live from the galleries each day we are in session or watch it on the Colorado Channel (165) or online at coloradochannel.net. You can also attend (and testify!) at any of the legislative hearings or listen to those recordings online as well. You can "friend" me on Facebook, "follow" on Twitter and invite anyone else you know to sign up for my legislative updates at http://www.senmorgancarroll.com. There is also a public opinion survey on the front page of my website to help give me input on your priorities.
PERU! :)
THE PERUVIAN AMAZON
MACHU PICCHU
Looking down on Machu Picchu from higher Huena Picchu
Llamas at Machu Picchu
Thanks for being involved!
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