Wednesday, May 14, 2008
10 a.m. Gov. Ritter will sign two of the most significant education bills of the 2008 legislative session into law:
Senate Bill 212, the bipartisan Colorado Achievement Plan for Kids, which will completely reform the state's K-12 content and assessment standards so students have the skills and knowledge necessary to compete and succeed in the 21st century global economy. The bill was sponsored by Sens. Penry and Romer and Reps. Witwer and Scanlan and is Gov. Ritter's signature education bill of the session.
HB 1388, the School Finance Act, sponsored by Rep. Pommer and Sen. Windels. The bill wipes out the waiting list for the Colorado Pre-School Program; expands full-day kindergarten for 22,000 children over five years and includes capital funding for full-day kindergarten classrooms; and creates an alternative-compensation grant program for teachers.
Gov. Ritter also will be signing two other bills at this ceremony:
HB 1021 (Peniston/Spence), Early Kindergarten Gifted Children
HB 1364 (Benefield & Massey/Windels) Data Accountability
Location: Arvada High School: 7951 W. 65th Ave.
1:30 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be signing several criminal-justice bills into law:
HB 1194 (Judd/Veiga), Increasing Penalties for Drunk Driving
HB 1377 (King/Penry), Bail for DUI and Felony Eluding
HB 1397 (Jahn & King/Kopp & Gordon), Preservation of DNA Evidence
SB 237 (Bacon/T. Carroll), Sex Offender Registration Convictions
SB 239 (Bacon/Jahn), Enhanced Penalties for Leaving an Accident
Other bills scheduled to be signed at this time:
HB 1391 (Romanoff/Keller), Mental Health Services Child Abuse Pilot
SB 152 (Tochtrop/Gagliardi), Regulate Practice of Occupational Therapy
Location: West Foyer, State Capitol.
2 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be taking part in the 2008 Denver Host Committee announcement to bring 1,000 bicycles to Denver for people to use during the Democratic National Convention in August.
Location: Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St., Second Floor, Outside Exhibit Hall A, Enter at 14th and California streets.
2:45 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be signing several agriculture/livestock bills into law:
SB 178 (Isgar/Looper) Horse Authority Special License Plates
SB 201 (Isgar/Curry), Livestock Animal Confinement Standards
HB 1399 (Isgar/Buescher), Unclaimed Property Ag Management Fund
Location: West Foyer, State Capitol.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
12:30 p.m. Gov. Ritter will be testifying before the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and
Mountain time Natural Resources regarding the future development of oil shale resources in Colorado. Click here to read Gov. Ritter's March 20 letter to the federal government concerning oil shale development.
Location: Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 366, Washington, D.C.
