On The Issues

The biggest challenge of the second session of the 67th General Assembly which will begin in January of 2010 will the shortfall in tax and fee revenues need to pay for the functions and services provided by state government. Committees are meeting in the period between sessions and are forming proposals for consideration by the whole legislature. While the concepts of cutting back and raising taxes and fees seems logical, both have significant downside outcomes hard working families and business people find intolerable. Citizens have reasonable expectations of their government for services and cutting back, from in some cases already inadequate services, is not what they want. At the same time revenues to state coffers are down because income and sales are down so it is just not reasonable to talk about raising taxes and fees. And our state’s constitution protects our citizens from the raising of taxes without their expressed permission.

Being prepared to get Colorado’s economy moving in the right direction at the end of the current low point of the cycle will be job number one when we reconvene. Transportation and energy are crucial support elements for helping us get ‘back on the road again’ and I am privileged to serve as the Ranking Member of the House Committee and Transportation and Energy. The full committee is traveling to crucial places around the state, as our limited budget permits, to prepare ourselves with information and ideas for helpful legislation.