ASSET

 

ASSET RECEIVES BI-PARTISAN SUPPORT

Did you hear that the ASSET (Advancing Students for a Stronger Economy Tomorrow) Bill received its first ever Senate bi-partisan vote as Sen. Michael Johnston and I brought it before the Senate Education Committee last Thursday? Yes! Sen. Owen Hill (R-Colorado Springs) voted in support of ASSET making the vote a 6-3 bi-partisan victory! Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia came to testify as the Director of the Dept. of Higher Education and on behalf of the Governor and I was so moved by the testimony offered by students who stand to benefit from this opportunity to attend college at in-state tuition rates. Many other supportive testimonies were heard from state institutions of Higher Ed and Chambers of Commerce and individuals from the business and faith community.

ASSET received some great media coverage!

The resounding message was that all of Colorado will benefit from this expanded opportunity for our students to earn a college education. Sen. Johnston and I expect continued bi-partisan support as ASSET moves next to Senate Appropriations before the whole Senate has the chance to vote and we send it to the House of Representatives. Reps. Crisanta Duran and Angela Williams are the ASSET prime sponsors in the House. I feel good about ASSET this year, we’re all working hard to ensure it gets to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law, and we want to acknowledge that this has only been possible because so many individuals and organizations have worked for years to get this great piece of legislation passed. This is ASSET’s year and I’ll be sure to keep you updated every step of the way!

Civil Unions Off to a Great Start

When the Chair of a committee is presenting a bill in front of their own committee it then becomes the responsibility of the Vice-Chair to run the hearing. It only happened a couple times for me when I was Vice-Chair of Senate Finance and it always made me a nervous wreck. Enter, freshman Senator, Jessie Ulibarri who had to chair one of the largest and most highly publicized hearings of the legislative year when Civil Unions came in front of the Judiciary Committee last Wednesday. Sen. Lucia Guzman is the Chair of Judiciary but, with Sen. Pat Steadman, is also prime sponsor of the Civil Unions legislation. Barely 10 days into the session, Sen. Ulibarri expertly chaired a hearing that he has testified in front of many times. Perhaps it was his extensive experience on the other side of the desk that helped him to facilitate a process that honored those bringing forth testimony and helped those in attendance clearly understand both the process and the bill. Many of our colleagues refer to him as an “up and coming” and a “rising star” but, I’m here to tell you that Senator Jessie Ulibarri has already arrived! I know this because we share an office at the Capitol and I am supposed to “mentor” him. Well, it is clearly a situation of mutual mentorship and I am already learning a great deal from my new colleague. I’m certainly proud to know him! And I’m proud to know Sens. Lucia Guzman and Pat Steadman and I am grateful for the opportunity to place my name on the bill as a co-sponsor. Their expert knowledge of this legislation and the ways in which they are able to infuse humor into the process makes me miss my time on the Senate Judiciary Committee. While I am deeply saddened that I’m not serving on that committee this year, I am so proud to see such amazing work that honors our communities and makes great policy! Civil Unions moves next to Appropriations and I am eager to cast my vote when it comes to the floor for a full vote of the Senate.

Stock Show and Other Updates

For the first time ever, I made it to the National Western Stock Show this year. As a member of the Ag Committee, I have made some great relationships with many folks from agriculture industries who participate in this annual event and I was thrilled to be able to attend. It gave me an opportunity to build bi-partisan camaraderie with other members of the House and Senate Ag committees. I sported my southwestern vest and red cowboy boots all day at the Capitol and when folks were surprised that I’d never been to a Stock Show, I was quick to point out that I’d been going to the State Fair in Pueblo since I was 5 years old! The Stock Show started in 1899 and you can read more about its 107 year history.

Some other updates:

LEADERSHIP
I’m chairing a committee! I serve as Chair of the State, Military, and Veterans Affairs Committee. We began hearing bills in that committee this past week. This leadership role in the Senate is an important one and I will work hard to live up the responsibility. I am also Vice-Chair of the Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Committee and serve on the Capitol Development Committee.

HELP ME SPREAD THE WORD
I attended a Bessemer Neighborhood Community meeting on Saturday and was disappointed to hear from a woman that she didn’t know I was regularly hosting town halls and community coffees. Please help me spread the word that:

COMMUNITY COFFEES are the 1st Saturday of every month at 9:00am, at the CPC office, 304 S. Union Ave.

TOWN HALLS are held the 3rd Saturday of every month at 10:00am, at the City/County Library, 100 E. Abriendo.

If you have suggestions for town hall topics or would like me to review a particular bill at a Community Coffee, feel free to send me an email at angela.giron.senate@state.co.us or call my Senate Office at 303-866-4878.

First Post of the 2013 Legislative Session

Town Hall and Gun Show

On Saturday, I hosted my first Town Hall of the year. Due to the high number of emails and phone calls I have received about gun control (representing a variety of perspectives), I decided to start with a conversation about Community Safety. I hosted a panel with the following:

· Law Enforcement – Sheriff Kirk Taylor
· Parks and Wildlife Commission – John Singletary, Chair
· Pueblo City Council – Steve Nawrocki, President
· Pueblo City Schools – Randy Evetts, Safe Schools Project Director
· School District 70 – Ed Smith, Superintendent

The whole idea behind the panel, for me, was to hear from district residents about this hot button issue that we will certainly grapple with in this legislative session. I reached out to Spanish Peaks because I wanted a mental health perspective and was disappointed when they cancelled at the last minute. While I was reminded by disability activists in the room that mentally ill people are no more likely than anyone else to pick up a gun and go on a shooting rampage, I do think that not having a mental health professional present left a significant gap in the conversation. I will continue to struggle with these issues with my colleagues in the legislature and I would ask our constituents to continue to reach out and inform us about your common sense solutions to community safety issues. KOAA had some great coverage of the event. I did have an interesting exchange with a man who regularly attends my town halls and who invited me to accompany him to a gun show later that afternoon. I took him up on that offer and met him out at the State Fair Ag Building for a tour of the gun show.

A few other weekend highlights

“Ich bin die Königin.”

“I am the Queen.” – that was my one and only line, in German, for the Pueblo German Club Fasching Winter Karneval on Saturday night. My duties as Queen included selecting best costumes, judging the “best legs” contest, and acting as Grand Marshal of the Parade. The acrobats were my favorite! I hope Christine Haney and the Pueblo German Club will make this an annual event. Besides, I need a second try at being their Queen – I would learn more German and I would put together a fabulous costume now that I have some great ideas from other that were there!


Going GREEN at the Capitol
IPads for everyone! I have long thought that there must be a better alternative to reams and reams of paper that we use at the Capitol. Enter the age of the iPad! All 100 legislators have them and the staff has developed some outstanding apps for us to use. We are better organized, more efficient, and will save thousands of trees!