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Building a Better Colorado
The 2012 Legislative Session
Dear friends,
 In our last newsletter, we highlighted the responsible fiscal policies we fought for in the 2012-13 state budget. The budget we passed was an enormous achievement, but there remain many other legislative accomplishments we’d like to share with you.
In the 2012 legislative session, we passed economic policies that drew a sharp contrast to the failed tax-and-spend agenda Democrats set forth when they controlled the state House.
Rather than adding to the burdens employers already carry in today’s tough economy, we focused on clearing away regulatory barriers so that small businesses can grow and add jobs to our economy. We also advanced an agenda that cuts taxes, invests in our students and promotes a robust and independent energy future, among many other accomplishments.
We’ve listed a few of our achievements by issue further below and invite you to review them. For your convenience, you can jump to any of these issues by clicking one of the following links:
Jobs and the Economy
Lowering Taxes
Investing in Students
All-of-the-above Energy Development
Transportation
Criminal Justice
You can always learn more about our work in the legislature by visiting www.cohousegop.com, liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Thank you,
Frank McNulty, Speaker of the House
R-Highlands Ranch
Capitol Update
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Rep. Cheri Gerou’s bill to streamline and reduce Medicaid costs was signed into law on June 4. House Bill 1281 creates the Medicaid Payment Reform Pilot Program to seek and identify efficient payment methodologies within Medicaid. Read more about the measure here.
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Western State College of Colorado is now a university, thanks to Rep. J. Paul Brown’s House Bill 1331 being signed into law on June 4. Learn more about the institution’s status change here.
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Reps. Cheri Gerou and Bob Gardner‘s bills related to the Lower North Fork fire agreement were signed into law on June 4. House Bills 1352 and 1361 work to help victims of the fire and provide them a means for compensation. Learn more here.
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Rep. Jon Becker's House Bill 1330 was signed into law on June 4. The new law creates an appeals process for sportsmen with suspended hunting or fishing licenses. Read more about the measure here.
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Rep. Don Coram's House Bill 1119 was signed into law on June 6. The measure works to reduce the fines some employers must pay for minor regulatory infractions. Click here to read more.
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Rep. Glenn Vaad's House Bill 1321 was signed into law on June 6. The new law overhauls and modernizes the state personnel system to implement up-to-date competitive based hiring practices. Read more here.
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On June 8, House Bill 12S-1002—hailed by many as one of the best business bills of the 2012 legislative session—was signed into law. Rep. Larry Liston sponsored the measure, which will immediately return the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund to solvency and save employers tens of millions of dollars in less than five years. Read more about the bill here.
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Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg‘s House Bill 1314 was signed into law last week. It will cut red tape for some of Colorado’s energy producers by removing the requirement to file a duplicative severance tax return. Learn more here.
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On June 8, Rep. Mark Waller’s House Bill 1350 was signed into law. The new law allows Colorado’s governing boards of higher education to authorize instate tuition for dependents of active duty military members residing in Colorado. Click here to read more.
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Last week, the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment announced that Colorado’s unemployment rate has risen above eight percent. Click here to read Speaker of the House Frank McNulty‘s statement on the announcement.
Legislative Wrap-up
House Republicans worked tirelessly in the state legislature this year to build a better Colorado. Below, we've shared some of our proudest work and accomplishments by issue, but much more information about our work in the legislature can be found by visiting www.cohousegop.com, liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
Jobs and the Economy
The CLEAR Act – Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg’s House Bill 1002 creates a stable environment for job creation by ensuring the rules governing business applications for permits don’t change midstream and force employers to waste valuable time and resources to re-file. Read more about this important measure here.
Signed into law
 Collaborating with job creators – Rep. Cindy Acree’s House Bill 1008 requires collaboration between the state and Colorado’s employers, giving employers a seat at the table to avoid potentially damaging fees or rule changes. Click here to learn more about Acree's measure.
Signed into law
Enhanced unemployment benefits program – The extension of the enhanced unemployment benefits program that Rep. Robert Ramirez’s House Bill 1272 authorizes puts Coloradans back on their feet and connects them with new employment opportunities across Colorado. Read more about the expansion of this successful program by clicking here.
Signed into law
Emphasizing compliance over punishment – Rep. Don Coram's House Bill 1119, or the SUCCESS Act for Small Business, creates a temporary moratorium on fines issued for minor violations related to storm water and gives employers an opportunity to cure those violations. Read more about the measure by clicking here.
Signed into law
Protecting employers – Rep. Libby Szabo’s House Bill 1007 passed the House to ensure the full impact of rule changes would be considered to protect Colorado’s economic recovery and local business owners from harmful rule changes. Learn more about this business-backed bill here.
Killed by Senate Democrats
Lowering Taxes
 The senior homestead property tax exemption – Last year, we pledged that the days of balancing the budget on the backs of Colorado’s seniors were over. House Republicans fulfilled that pledge, fighting against opposition from Democrats and Gov. Hickenlooper to reinstate this exemption and reduce the property tax burden on thousands of seniors across Colorado.
The business personal property tax exemption – Rep. Chris Holbert’s House Bill 1029 expands local government authority to provide employers an incentive to expand and boost regional economies. The new law encourages capital investments and creates long-term economic recovery by authorizing an expansion of the business personal property tax exemption. Read more abou this job-saving measure here.
Signed into law
Cutting taxes on ag-producers and rural Colorado - Rep. Jon Becker’s House Bill 1037 adds to the list of taxes we’ve eliminated for Colorado’s ag-producers. HB 1037 reclassifies the sale of certain agricultural products as wholesale instead of retail sales, making them no longer subject to sales tax. Click here to learn more.
Signed into law
Investing in our Students
Protecting education dollars – During budget negotiations, we fought Democrats who wanted to funnel education dollars into more bureaucracy. Instead, we increased funding for education by $57 million. For K-12 education alone, we budgeted $106 million more for than Gov. Hickenlooper requested. We also protected and invested in our students by maintaining a $100 million balance in the State Education Fund.
Signed into law
Measuring teacher effectiveness – Rep. Carole Murray's House Bill 1001 reforms the evaluation process for measuring a teachers effectiveness, increasing accountability and helping ensure every child in Colorado receives a quality education that prepares them for a successful future. For more information, please click here.
Signed into law
 “Massey Magic” – The Colorado Association of School Boards lauded House Education Committee Chairman Rep. Tom Massey for his education “magic” earlier this year. Massey successfully sponsored a number of bills that will improve the quality of Colorado’s education system and lower its costs, including:
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House Bill 1072, which will reduce the costs of higher education and accelerate a student’s graduation date by developing criteria for awarding academic credit for a student’s prior learning and work experience; and
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House Bill 1238, or the READ Act, which helps ensure a child can read before completing the third grade and graduating into more advanced coursework. Click here to learn more about this important bill to boost literacy in Colorado.
Empowering parents – Rep. Don Beezley carried House Bill 1149 to empower parents of students in low-performing schools by allowing them to petition the Board of Education to take reformatory action. Learn more about our efforts to involve parents by clicking here.
Killed by Senate Democrats
An All-of-the-above Energy Portfolio
Reorganizing the Governor’s Energy Office – Rep. Jon Becker’s House Bill 1315 renames and overhauls the Governor’s Energy Office. The Colorado Energy Office will promote an all-of-the-above energy strategy. It is prescribed to promote traditional and renewable energy, spur economic development and job creation, increase energy security, lower energy costs, protect the environment and create a balanced energy portfolio for Colorado’s energy future. Learn more about this important overhaul by clicking here.
Signed into law
 Fighting for responsible energy development – Rep. Ray Scott carried House Resolution 1004, which calls on the Bureau of Land Management to develop a Resource Management Plan that analyzes the full economic impact and benefits of traditional energy development. It also calls for the BLM to authorize a responsible long-term development plan for oil and clean-burning natural gas development in Colorado. Read more about this important effort by clicking here.
Signed by Speaker McNulty
Wind energy property rights – Rep. Jon Becker's House Bill 1105 protects landowners by establishing that wind energy is real property and non-severable from a surface estate.
Signed into law
Protecting agricultural energy projects – Another bill sponsored by Rep. Jon Becker, House Bill 1334 continues funding for agricultural energy projects, creating jobs and encouraging a balanced energy portfolio through projects like biofuel development, biomass conversion, wind and solar energy.
Signed into law
Creating jobs in new energy sectors – House Republicans fought against special interests and Senate Democrat opposition to this bipartisan bill sponsored by Rep. Randy Baumgardner. The measure would have created jobs in a new, clean energy economy. House Bill 1160 would have classified methane gas captured from coal mines as “biomass,” allowing the capture of the greenhouse gas to meet the renewable energy standard and open the market to job creation and new energy development.
Lost on the Democrat-controlled Senate Floor
Transportation
Reducing the late vehicle registration fee – House Republicans fought against Democrat opposition and passed Rep. Randy Baumgardner's House Bill 1014. The measure would have reduced a late vehicle registration fee that can run up to $100 Democrats created when they controlled the Statehouse to a flat fee of $20. Learn more about this bill to help Colorado families and small business owners by clicking here.
Killed by Senate Democrats
Fighting against FASTER – When the Colorado Transportation Commission announced that nearly $14 million FASTER funds would be diverted to disconnected projects like purchasing new bus benches, Rep. Glenn Vaad was quick to condemn the actions as a classic ‘bait-and-switch.’ Democrats sold the fees and tax hikes under FASTER as a way to fund bridge and road repair, not bus benches and new parking lots. Read more of Vaad's comments by clicking here.
Responsible budgeting for vital infrastructure projects – Reps. Don Beezley and Brian DelGrosso sponsored House Bill 1075 to put a budget cap on general fund appropriations and allow nearly $81.5 million to fund critical transportation and capital construction projects across Colorado. More information on this responsible measure can be found here.
Killed by Senate Democrats
Special mobile machinery fleets – Reps. Laura Bradford and Kevin Priola sponsored Senate Bill 12S-001 to cut red tape for employers with special mobile machinery fleets, saving them time and money. Click here to learn more.
Signed into law
Criminal Justice
 Protecting victims, closing the hit-and-run loophole – Rep. Kathleen Conti sponsored House Bill 1084 to protect victims of hit-and-runs by removing a judicial incentive to flee the scene of an accident. Learn more here.
Signed into law
Fighting organized retail crime – House Bill 1304, sponsored by Rep. Mark Barker, equips law enforcement with the tools they need to fight organized retail crime, which costs employers in Colorado hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen goods every year. Follow this link for information on this important measure to protect employers and Colorado families.
Signed into law
Banning bath salts – Rep. J. Paul Brown brought policy forward and incorporated it into Rep. Bob Gardner’s House Bill 1310 to ban a cheap, accessible and highly destructive synthetic drug known as "bath salts." A teen in Grand Junction recently died after ingesting bath salts, which have been responsible for numerous psychotic attacks across the country. Read more about the new law here.
Signed into law
Strengthening laws against sex offenders – Rep. Bob Gardner's House Bill 1346 fixed a loophole within the criminal justice system by requiring sex offenders without a fixed residence to register their location with proper authorities. Click here to learn more.
Signed into law
News Highlights
State Rep. Jon Becker: Metro State's strategy to offer a special tuition rate to illegal immigrant students misses the mark
New law to save Colorado employers $120 per worker
AG Eric Holder urged to oppose Colorado marijuana ballot issue
Hickenlooper signs last of bills into law
Colorado Supreme Court says pot not a right under state constitution
Fracking rules would cost $1.5B a year
EDITORIAL: We are not 'doing fine,' Mr. Obama
Gardner wants federal aid for stricken counties
Some voters received two ballots
Coloradans already casting primary votes
EDITORIAL: Governor could tax soda
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