Today marks the end of the eighth week of the legislative session. We’re almost half way through.

Farewell to the Rocky Mountain News
I was born and raised in Colorado. Every morning, there were two papers on our doorstep. My father preferred the Denver Post, but my Grandma was a Rocky Mountain News fan. I’ve always enjoyed reading both perspectives on the news.

Today, after nearly 150 years running, the Rocky shut down its press. 

The paper has reported Colorado’s current events as our state was settled, told our citizens’ stories, and carried the voices of governors and legislators far beyond the Capitol walls for a century and a half. I am saddened that when I get to work in the mornings now, only one statewide paper will be on my desk.

I extend a heartfelt thank you to the thousands of reporters who have served our state as Rocky Mountain News journalists. As we prattle on, your voices will be missed. 

Senate Bill 108
We readopted Senate Bill 108, or FASTER, the transportation omnibus bill. It will now make its way to Governor Ritter’s desk to become law. 

Transportation in Colorado is funded inadequately, and the way we pay for transportation is structurally flawed. It’s scary to restructure the way we direct dollars to transportation because change is scary, but it also takes courage to move this state forward, and that’s what we are doing with this bill. This bill will create thousands of jobs, and at the same time provide a stable, sustainable way to maintain and improve our transportation infrastructure. It’s one of the most important things we will accomplish this session.

Click here to read what the Denver Post had to say about it.

Peace Corps Resolution
Today we passed a resolution honoring the nearly 200,000 American men and women who have devoted years of their lives to the cause of peace by volunteering in developing nations. I praise their dedication and willingness to commit so much of their lives and give so much of themselves to the disadvantaged people of other nations. They are spreading peace one person at a time.

Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog at 5:05 PM UTC []

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A Chinese Fable

There was once a stonecutter, who was dissatisfied with himself and with his position in life.

One day, he passed a wealthy merchant’s house, and through the open gateway, saw many fine possessions and important visitors. “How powerful that merchant must be!” thought the stonecutter. He became very envious, and wished that he could be like the merchant. Then he would no longer have to live the life of a mere stonecutter.

To his great surprise, he suddenly became the merchant, enjoying more luxuries and power than he had ever dreamed of, envied and detested by those less wealthy than himself. But soon a high official passed by, carried in a sedan chair, accompanied by attendants, and escorted by soldiers beating gongs. Everyone, no matter how wealthy, had to bow low before the procession. “How powerful that official is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a high official!”

Then he became the high official, carried everywhere in his embroidered sedan chair, feared and hated by the people all around, who had to bow down before him as he passed. It was a hot summer day, and the official felt very uncomfortable in the sticky sedan chair. He looked up at the sun. It shone proudly in the sky, unaffected by his presence. “How powerful the sun is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the sun!”

Then he became the sun, shining fiercely down on everyone, scorching the fields, cursed by the farmers and laborers. But a huge black cloud moved between him and the earth, so that his light could no longer shine on everything below. “How powerful that storm cloud is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a cloud!”

Then he became the cloud, flooding the fields and villages, shouted at by everyone. But soon he found that he was being pushed away by some great force, and realized that it was the wind. “How powerful it is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be the wind!”

Then he became the wind, blowing tiles off the roofs of houses, uprooting trees, hated and feared by all below him. But after a while, he ran up against something that would not move, no matter how forcefully he blew against it – a huge, towering mountain. “How powerful that mountain is!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a mountain!” he thought. “I wish that I could be a mountain!”

Then he became the mountain, more powerful than anything else on earth. But as he stood there, he heard the sound of a hammer pounding a chisel into the solid rock, and felt himself being changed. “What could be more powerful than I, the mountain?” he thought. He looked down and saw far below him the figure of a stonecutter.

Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog at 3:31 PM UTC []

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The select committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth finished its work yesterday, bringing forth more than two dozen pieces of legislation that will help Colorado climb out of this recession. By expanding the new energy economy, creating jobs in rural areas, improving transportation infrastructure, and offering incentives to small businesses, we will stimulate our economy and continue to achieve the Colorado Promise.

The culmination of months of work by the select committee has resulted in an extensive set of proposals that will provide a long-term plan for creating and keeping good jobs for Coloradans. All of the bills must undergo the standard rigorous legislative review process, so some of them may not pass in the end, but these are the bills introduced thus far that we’ll consider in an effort for economic recovery:

SB 108
FASTER: Funding Advancements for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery

HB 1001
Income Tax Credit for Colorado Job Growth

HB 1105
Colorado Innovation Investment Tax Credit Act

SB 85
Phase Out Business Personal Property Tax

HB 1035
Tax Refund for Colorado-based Technology Companies

SB 232
Local Government Financing with Severance Tax Cash Funds

SB 67
Colorado Credit Reserve Program to Expand Credit for Small Businesses

SB 233
Tax Credit for Some Home Businesses

SB 178
Unemployment Insurance for Unemployed Individuals Available to Small Business

HB 1126
Encourage Solar Thermal Installations

HB 1149
Encourage New Homes to Use Solar Energy

SB 31
Clean Technology Discovery Grant Program

SB 171
New Energy Economy Training Programs

SB 238
Government Treatment of Solar Device Permits

SB 234
Create a Statewide Enterprise Zone

SB 162
Inventory of Broadband Service Areas

HB 1275
Emergency Medical Technician Provisional Certification

Posted by SenatorShaffer as Blog, Economy, Transportation at 11:47 AM UTC []

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