The 2016 legislative session ended this past week and, as of a couple of hours ago, I’m thankfully back in La Plata County. I’ve turned in the keys to the short-term rental that serves as my base during the session and my patient husband has helped me once again pack up my stuff and move home.
Of the 22 bills I was prime sponsor of, 19 made it through the legislative process and either have been signed into law or await the governor’s signature. Nearly two-thirds of those bills had bipartisan sponsorship and all of them had bipartisan cosponsors and, obviously, bipartisan votes to make it through both chambers of our politically split Legislature. You can review the list of my sponsored bills, including the bill language, fiscal notes, history and final votes, at the state’s website, www.leg.state.co.us.
My bills this session covered a number of topics, many generated by my constituents. A good number were aimed at reducing high health care costs and increasing access to providers, since so many of my constituents struggle with high insurance premiums and still experience limited access to care. Other bill ideas came from local and tribal governments, interim work I had done last summer and fall, and the devastating Gold King mine spill above Silverton.
I carried a bill that begins the process of improving the state’s cryptic approach to characterizing independent contractors as employees, much to the distress of those unexpectedly caught in that bureaucratic quagmire. State agencies should not be viewed as the source of expensive and stressful disputes with small businesses owners and, with this bill clarifying the unemployment insurance classification, at last, we seem to be making progress in this area.
While my bill advancing biomass electricity generation was unsuccessful, its primary goal of providing an economically and environmentally sustainable means of removing Colorado’s woody biomass and putting it to good use was contained in a different bill of mine that did pass overwhelmingly in both the Senate and House.
Senate Bill 3 provides $1 million of state funds to mitigate wildfire risks in populated areas across the state. The public safety and watershed protection importance of the state continuing this program can’t be overstated and the investment is essential for receiving matching funds from participating federal agencies.
I chaired the Judiciary Committee this year and we heard a total of 76 bills in committee, many of which were complicated and often on emotional topics. It is a small committee of only five senators and we worked hard, listening to many hours of public testimony and giving each bill its due consideration. There wasn’t political posturing or time wasting by any committee members, but a lot of effort was put into the serious understanding and deliberation of a bill’s merits and demerits.
As to the legislative session as a whole, as always, there were ups and downs. My legislative aide, my daughter Caitlin Roberts, was an awesome assistant and she was most definitely a positive for me this session. My college intern, Trevor Morrin, was also a huge help. Work still remains on sorting out Colorado’s fiscal challenges, but the Colorado Legislature met its constitutional requirement of balancing our bipartisan budget, on time. It was my honor to serve another session as Senate President Pro Tempore and as your state senator.
Ellen Roberts represents Senate District 6 in Colorado’s General Assembly. The district encompasses Montezuma, Dolores, La Plata, Archuleta, Montrose, San Miguel, San Juan and Ouray counties. Contact Sen. Roberts by phone at (303) 866-4884, or by e-mail ellen.roberts.senate@state.co.us.
