GOV. RITTER JOINS LAWMAKERS AT FT. COLLINS TOWN HALL

 

FORT COLLINS — Gov. Bill Ritter joined Fort Collins state Reps. John Kefalas and Randy Fischer and Sen. Bob Bacon at a town hall meeting here this evening, discussing Colorado's economy, taking questions from residents and signing six bills into law.

 

"Working with lawmakers like Reps. Kefalas and Fischer and Sen. Bacon, our focus this legislative session was on creating jobs, helping existing businesses and recruiting new companies to Colorado," Gov. Ritter said. "We provided immediate relief to businesses and working families to help them get through this downturn, and we made smart, long-term investments in education, workforce development and innovation.

 

"We're leading Colorado forward and positioning ourselves for a strong recovery and a sustainable future," Gov. Ritter said, "and several of the bills I'm signing here in Fort Collins tonight directly help advance those goals." Those bills include:

 

House Bill 09-1105 (Kefalas/Scheffel), which will create an income-tax credit for "angel investors" and those who invest in Colorado businesses involved in the research, development or manufacturing of innovative technologies, products and processes.

 

"When we incentivize angel investors to provide immediate capital to early-stage companies, we make good on our commitments to invest in our people and our future," Rep. Kefalas said. "These companies become growth engines for the state, and help attract additional investors and entrepreneurs."

 

House Bill 09-1349 (Fischer/Heath), which will help workers who lost their jobs between Sept. 1, 2008, and Feb. 16, 2009, continue their health coverage through Cobra, CoverColorado and other programs.

 

"Families struggle to adapt to all the changes that come with an unexpected job loss," Rep. Fischer said.  "We can help ease the pain during these tough times by making sure families have peace of mind about their health care.  Hopefully, it is one less thing for families to worry about so they can focus on finding their next job."

 

Senate Bill 09-052 (Bacon/Pommer), which will provide state matching funds to Colorado colleges and universities seeking federal research grants. This will help level the playing field for Colorado institutions competing against universities nationwide, and will help recruit high-caliber faculty to Colorado.

 

"When Colorado has been facing declining revenue and cuts in most state departments, I am proud that we were able to find some meaningful funding for higher education," Sen. Bacon said. "This bill will increase funding for the Innovative Higher Education Research Fund to attract matching federal research grants and create a greater number of jobs in Colorado."

 

House Bill 09-1064 (Kefalas/Sandoval), which will create a special task force to help reduce the number of families and children living in poverty and expand economic opportunities for people statewide.

 

"Expanding the circle of opportunity demands a comprehensive, integrated, and strategic action plan," Rep. Kefalas said.  "With so many Coloradans living paycheck to paycheck, we cannot afford to wait.  Reducing poverty is absolutely essential to building a strong, 21^st century economy that works for everyone."

 

Other bills signed tonight:

 

House Bill 09-1094 (Levy & Fischer/Bacon), which will ban all motorists from texting while driving and prohibit all drivers 18 and younger from using cell phones while behind the wheel. The bill was introduced following last year's death of 9-year-old Erica Forney as she rode her bicycle in Fort Collins. She was killed by a driver who police say was distracted by the use of her cell phone.

 

"Driving requires our full attention," Gov. Ritter said. "Drivers should not be texting while behind the wheel. And drivers younger than 18 ought to be focusing on the road, not their cell phones."

 

"After the tragedy here in Fort Collins, it became a priority for me to update our laws to keep up with the changing technology," Rep. Fischer said. "This safety measure will help prevent future tragedies, but there is much more work that needs to be done to address the dangers of distracted drivers who are using cell phones at the wheel."

 

House Bill 09-1282 (Fischer/Schwartz), which will help improve recycling programs for electronic devices in Colorado and keep electronic waste out of landfills.

 

"Finally, we will have a road map of how to keep computers and other electronics out of landfills," said Rep. Fischer.  "We are addressing this public health threat head-on by making sure lead and mercury are not leaching into our drinking water."

 

Friday is the final day for Gov. Ritter to take action on bills from the 2009 legislative session. Click here or visit www.colorado.gov/governor for a complete list of 2009 bills signed into law.