Compromises and progress

Compromises and progress

October 9, 2001

Capitol Report
State Senator Jim Isgar

This has been a week of compromises and progress at the Capitol. Everyone’s legislative agenda was pre-empted by the economic slowdown and a sharp decrease in state revenues changed our focus. Projections now are that Colorado will have $352 million less than expected in the budget. These latest projections still do not reflect the further downturn since September 11th, and we will have a better sense of the real impacts by the end of the year.

In spite of the national tragedy and our economic slowdown, we have passed some significant pieces of legislation through compromise and bipartisan agreement in the Legislature.

The budget is back in balance for the meantime primarily through a compromise agreement that cuts back capital construction projects and supplemental transportation money. As we see a weakening state economy, legislators had to make some tough decisions surrounding which capital projects would move forward. Construction projects that are "out of the ground" or already under contract will proceed, others will continue only when funds are available. Fort Lewis College will be able to demolish Hesperus Hall and repair the gymnasium roof.

However, Berndt Hall’s reconstruction will have to wait. Highway funding is still a huge issue, and will be in the foreseeable future. Colorado Department of Transportation receives about $1.3 billion in highway users‚ tax fund and federal matching funds annually, but the state supplemental funds for highway construction, which were available in economically "flush" times, have now disappeared.

I did support one change in the budget: to fund improvements to the Cumbres & Toltec Railroad between Cha-ma and the San Luis Valley. Without state funding, $800,000 in federal funds and $280,000 from New Mexico would be lost. Colorado’s share of the project is $380,000. I believe this project is important because it helps our tourism industry and maintains the "matching" federal and New Mexico funding.

We also moved forward on growth issues, giving local governments some important tools to use. The Senate and House agreed to empower counties and statutory cities with the ability to use growth impact fees so that growth "pays its own way." If this bill passes the House and is signed by the governor, counties and statutory cities along with home rule cities can use impact fees to fund public projects if they so chose.

Another major compromise gave funding for treatment of breast and cervical cancer. Currently, women are screened for cancer under a federal program, but there is no funding for their treatment if the diagnosis is positive. There was some disagreement over whether the money should come from tobacco settlement money or the general fund. Sen. Peggy Reeves (D-Ft. Collins) and others hammered out an agreement so that funding will come from both sources.

State workers feeling the crunch of a huge increase in health insurance premiums will get help as a result of a compromise with the governor’s office. This stopgap agreement will help subsidize some of the increase (some Pueblo workers saw a 300 percent increase in their premiums). But a faulty state bidding process will have to be addressed in the regular session.

We have not yet settled the issue of re-drawing congressional districts, which by its nature is very partisan. I suspect that we will agree to disagree on this issue.

After an exhausting few days, I am ready for my second special session to end. In conclusion, I would like to quote my colleague Senator Ken Gordon who said, "There is more that unites us than divides us; there is much for us to be thankful for in the midst of trouble and that every idea honestly put forward deserves respectful consideration."

Jim Isgar is a state senator from La Plata County. He can be reached in La Plata County at (970) 385-7664, or at the Capitol in Denver at (303) 866-4884.