Ritter tells AP his term as guv changed Colorado for the better

Gov. Bill Ritter says his term as governor brought needed and positive change to Colorado.

Ritter told an AP reporter that the strengthening of the state's renewable energy industry and the stabilizing of funding for transportation will be his most important and enduring legacies.

According to an article in the Durango Herald, Ritter also acknowledged that his efforts to encourage more cooperation between the representatives of the state's business interests and its labor movement had not worked out.

Ritter has not publicly announced his post-gubernatorial plans.

Business paper reports that Marostica won't be retained by Hickenlooper

Gov.-elect John Hickenlooper won't be keeping his predecessor's economic development chief.

The Denver Business Journal reported Thursday that former GOP Rep. Don Marostica, who leads the state Office of Economic Development and International Trade, had sought to keep the post, but that Hickenlooper has decided to bring in a new cabinet when he takes office in January.

Marostica joined Gov. Bill Ritter's administration in July 2009. He had previously served in the House from Jan. 2007, representing a Loveland-area district.

Ritter's chief of staff to leave job

Gov. Bill Ritter's chief of staff is leaving the post to return to the private sector.

Jim Carpenter, who has held the job since Ritter became governor, plans to join a public affairs firm.

Carpenter managed U.S. Interior secretary Ken Salazar's successful 2004 run for a U.S. Senate seat and also worked for former Gov. Roy Romer and former U.S. Sen. Timothy Wirth.

He'll work with Mike Stratton, another former Salazar staffer, at a public affairs firm.

Ritter Praises "Green" Stimulus Infusion

Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that $3.6 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be used to help train disadvantaged Denver residents to enter the green building industry.

The federal money will allow Mi Casa Resource Center for Women Inc. will partner with other organizations to serve 500 people, targeting the unemployed, minorities and women.

“The Recovery Act is helping to prepare our workforce for the jobs of the future, including green jobs that will be in demand in the New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “Training programs like the one funded today will help some of our neediest citizens access stable career opportunities.”

The grant was awarded through a competitive process by the U.S. Department of Labor through a program called Pathways Out of Poverty. The Mi Casa grant was among 38 announced today for a total of $150 million.

Projects will be implemented at the community level with a focus on helping people living below the poverty line. The programs are designed to help people gain the skills necessary to find work in energy efficiency and renewable energy.

Mi Casa Resource Center will partner with Charity House, iCAST, Denver Institute of Urban Studies, American Pathways University and the Denver Office of Economic Development.

The participants will receive support and referral services and education and training in energy efficient building construction and retrofits, renewable electrical power, deconstruction and materials use, and energy efficiency assessment.

At least $5.7 billion in Recovery Act funds are expected to come to Colorado over the next two years.

Ritter Lauds Recovery Act Grants to Rural Businesses

Gov. Bill Ritter applauded today an Obama administration announcement today that $1.4 million in funds from the federal economic stimulus program will be used to build a new grocery store and business complex in Crestone, Saguache County, and keep a 21-year-old dance studio open in Durango.

The funds are part of a loan guarantee program administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

“The Recovery Act is helping banks lend to rural businesses at a time when they need it the most,” said. “Our community banks are helping rural communities complete important projects like the new stores in Crestone that will create new jobs.”

Ritter was referring to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the formal name of the law enacted last March.

The two loans are among 130 announced by the USDA using $452 million in Recovery Act funds. They are part of the USDA Rural Development's Business and Industry Guaranteed Loan Program. By guaranteeing up to 80 percent of loans less than $5 million, the USDA helps banks agree to provide capital to rural businesses at a time when loans are extremely difficult to obtain.

At least $5.7 billion in Recovery Act funds are expected to come to Colorado over the next two years.

2010 Legislative Session Opens

Members of the 67th General Assembly gathered at the Capitol today to launch the 2010 session of the legislature.

House speaker Terrance Carroll, Senate president Brandon Shaffer, and the Republican minority leaders of both chambers focused on the state's budget problems in their traditional opening day speeches.

Gov. Bill Ritter will deliver his final "State of the State" address tomorrow. He is expected to lay out several priorities for the session and provide some information about the budget cuts needed to close Colorado's budget shortfall.

Ritter to be First CO Guv since 1970s to Miss Second Term

Gov. Bill Ritter's decision to step aside after one term is somewhat unique in Colorado history. Most chief executives have, at least in recent decades, been re-elected.

The last Colorado governor who did not serve a second term was John D. Vanderhoof. He served between July 1973 and January 1975 after succeeding John Love in office when Love took a job in President Richard M. Nixon's administration. Vanderhoof sought re-election in 1974 but was defeated by Democrat Richard D. Lamm.

Prior to Vanderhoof, who was a Republican, the last governor who did not serve a second term was Democrat Edwin Johnson. He served between 1953-55, during the era when the length of a governor's term was just two years.

Other one-termers since statehood include Democrat James Grant (1883-85), Republican Benjamin Eaton (1885-87), Democrat Alva Adams (1887-89), Republican Job Cooper (1889-91), Republican John Routt (1891-93), Populist party member David Waite (1893-95), Republican Albert McIntire (1895-97), Democrat Alva Adams (1897-99), Democrat Charles Thomas (1899-1901), Democrat James Orman (1901-1903), Republican James Peabody (1903-05), Republican Henry Buchtel (1907-09), Democrat Elias Ammons (1913-15), Republican George Carlson (1915-17), Democrat Julius Gunter (1917-19), Democrat William Sweet (1923-25), Republican Clarence Morley (1925-27), and Democrat Teller Ammons (1937-39).

Gov. Ritter Won't Seek Second Term

Gov. Bill Ritter announced this morning that he will not seek re-election to a second term.

Ritter, 53, was elected in 2006. During his tenure he has led a charge to diversify the state's energy portfolio, improve public schools and expand health care coverage.

In the past year, however, as the national recession worsened, Ritter has been forced to ask the General Assembly for repeated budget cuts.

The governor said that his decision is based on a desire to strengthen his relationships with his wife and children and put aside partisan campaign pressures so that he can spend his last year in office dealing with the state budget and other issues.

"It is my family who has sacrificed the most," Ritter said. "My wife Jeannie, my kids, three of whom are here today. I haven’t found a proper balance where my family is concerned. I haven’t made them the priority they should be."

The Ritters have a grown-up son, a son in college and two other children at home.

The governor said that he is confident that he would have won a re-election bid and that he is not worried that his decision makes it more likely that the Republican party will win the governor's seat.

"It’s a long way to the election and I felt the election was absolutely winnable," Ritter said. "I’m a trial lawyer. I love a fight."

Ritter argued that the state's economy is improving and that, when he leaves office in Jan. 2011, the state will be in even better shape.

"Colorado is on the road to recovery," he said.

No other Democrats have announced plans to seek the governor's seat this year. Possible contenders include Denver mayor John Hickenlooper, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and former state House speaker Andrew Romanoff.

Republican candidates include former U.S. Rep. Scott McInnis and Evergreen businessman Dan Maes.

Ritter Reverses Course on LEAF Raid

Gov. Bill Ritter said Wednesday that he would not, after all, seek to transfer more than $1 million from the fund to pay law enforcement officers overtime in order to enforce DUI laws on holiday weekends this year.

The governor had said on Tuesday that he would seek to shift the money to drug and alcohol treatment programs. The money in the so-called "LEAF" (for Law Enforcement Assistance Fund) was frozen in an executive order issued by Ritter on Saturday.

Ritter's spokesperson, Evan Dreyer, said the governor has not ruled out asking the legislature to shift LEAF money to drug and alcohol treatment programs in future years.

LEAF was created by the General Assembly in 1983 and is funded by an automatic fine assessed on every person convicted of DUI in the state.

Ritter Will Cut 331 Jobs to Balance Budget

Gov. Bill Ritter has increased the number of state jobs he will cut in order to balance the budget.

The governor's office disclosed the higher number when it released documents relating to its financial plan Monday.

The Ritter administration had announced last week that the job losses would total 266.

Not all of the job reductions involve layoffs, since the governor's office is counting vacant positions that would be left unfilled.

The budget cuts announced by Ritter in order to close a budget deficit in excess of $200 million this fiscal year include:

• $25 million less for state prisons, including about $19 million saved by speeding up parole for eligible inmates and shortening parole supervision periods;

• a 1.5 percent reduction in the reimbursements paid to health care providers, which will save Colorado $8.6 million;

• elimination of 59 beds for mental health patients at a facility in Fort Logan and closure of a 32-bed facility for developmentally disabled patients in Grand Junction, which would save about $2.3 million; and

• reduction of $4.5 million from a program that gives $200 monthly stipends to disabled people awaiting federal Social Security benefits.

The governor's office also announced Monday that it would delay an effort to cut more than $475,000 from a program that allows some state employees to use publicly-owned vehicles as a means of transportation to and from work.

Ritter Announces More Budget Cuts for FY 2010

Gov. Bill Ritter said Tuesday he will cut $320 million in state spending this fiscal year by releasing some prisoners and eliminating almost 270 government jobs, among other actions, and that he will seek to raise fees for background checks on those who seek to buy guns.

The announcement came as the governor works to close an expected $318 million shortfall this fiscal year.

The current budget gap follows earlier expected deficits of $1.4 billion, which were eliminated by other spending reductions and transfers from cash funds.

Ritter also plans to attack the current shortfall by relying on federal dollars provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by President Barack Obama in February. $52.5 million will be provided this year by Washington to pay for Medicaid programs. Ritter is also counting on $80.9 million to replace money Colorado cut from its higher education institutions.

So-called "stimulus" money from the federal government will be reduced next year and then be eliminated in fiscal year 2012.

The governor will also rely on additional transfers from cash funds.

Next year's shortfall could be larger than the one Ritter is currently dealing with under the authority granted him by state law to prevent budget deficits. Some estimates indicate that the state government could be facing an obligation to pay at least $350 million more for prisons, health care and social programs.

The spending reductions from corrections will come, according to Ritter, by releasing some prisoners six months early and by terminating post-release supervision of some convicts on parole.

Ritter also wants to eliminate 59 beds at a Fort Logan mental health facility and close a 32-bed nursing home in Grand Junction.

The plan also eliminates $200 monthly stipends given people who have applied for Social Security Supplemental benefits from the federal government but have not yet started receiving them.

The spending cuts amount to about 3.5 percent of the state's general fund.

The suggested fee increases include a new $10.50 charge for background checks assessed on those who attempt to purchase a firearm and an increase in the current $17.95 fee assessed on new government employees for a criminal background check.

The General Assembly would have to approve the fee increases for them to take effect.

The governor has the authority to execute the spending cuts without legislative approval. Most of them will take effect Sept. 1.

Ritter Releases Recovery Act Report

Gov. Bill Ritter has released a report detailing the ways in which Colorado expects to use federal dollars provided by recently-enacted economic stimulus legislation, as well as opportunities for private citizens and business to benefit from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The report, prepared by the governor's economic recovery advisors, is available here.

Former Sen. Grossman Named to Ethics Panel

A former Democratic state legislator has been appointed to one of the five seats on the state's Independent Ethics Commission.

Dan Grossman, who served as a state representative between 1997-2003 and as a state senator from 2003-2007, was nominated by Senate president Peter Groff, D-Denver, to replace Republican Sally Hooper.

Grossman's nomination will have to be confirmed by the state senate. The vote on the nomination is expected to occur Wednesday.

Gov. Bill Ritter will name a replacement for Democratic commission member Nancy Friedman. Ritter is required by law to appoint a Republican to that seat.

The Independent Ethics Commission is responsible for enforcing Amendment 41, the far-reaching anti-corruption initiative approved by voters in 2006.

Ritter Awards Grants for Local Infrastructure Projects

Municipalities and counties around Colorado were awarded Friday more than $23 million from the state's severance tax and mineral lease revenues for a variety of infrastructure projects, according to an announcement issued by Gov. Bill Ritter's office.

“Communities all across Colorado are struggling to cope with the challenges of current economic conditions,” said Ritter. "These grants will allow communities to make key investments in projects that will put people back to work and strengthen local economies in the short-term, while making communities more sustainable and economically healthy in the long-term.”

The 47 funded projects include construction of a library in El Paso county, design of a water treatment plant for Rifle, replacement of a natural gas pipeline in Ignacio, replacement of the Beaver Creek Bridge in La Plata county, construction of a wastewater treatment plant in Fruita and a new police station in Windsor, and provision of digital mammography equipment at the Salida hospital.

Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Grant funds are matched by other private and public funds, which will result in the $23.2 million announced by Ritter being leveraged to $218.5 million for construction and other development activity around the state.

"Projects that meet basic needs like water, sewer, drainage, and local roads received highest priority," Department of Local Affairs director Susan Kirkpatrick said. "Projects that demonstrated a strong energy conservation or renewable energy component also received priority.”

The grant program was created by the General Assembly in 1977.

Ritter Honors Fallen Lawmen

Gov. Bill Ritter led a ceremony commemorating the lives and sacrifices of Colorado peace officers Friday and issued a proclamation in honor of the state's Law Enforcement Memorial Day.

Ritter also laid a wreath at the base of the Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial.

“It is my honor to lay a wreath at the foot of the Law Enforcement Memorial,” Ritter said. “These brave men and women—and their families, deserve every ounce of gratitude we can give. They put their lives on the line to serve and protect us day in and day out, and for that they will forever have our deepest respect and our eternal debt and gratitude.”

This year, the names of Officer Nicholas K. Heine of the Pueblo Police, Alexandar Brighton of the Trinidad Police, and Jesse B. Craig, Sr. and Jacob A. Kipper of the Rocky Ford Police will be added to the memorial.

The ceremony took place at the State Patrol Academy in Golden.

The Colorado Law Enforcement Memorial Day service takes place each year on the first Friday in May.

Ritter to Sign Bills Saturday

Gov. Bill Ritter will sign six bills into law Saturday.

According to a press release issued by spokesperson Evan Dreyer, Ritter will okay SB 126, HB 1059, HB 1237, HB 1213, SB 104 and SB 144 at signing ceremonies in Denver, Arvada and Broomfield.

SB 126 renews the provision of state law allowing taxpayers to donate part of their refund to the multiple sclerosis fund. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Linda Newell, D-Littleton, and Rep. Dennis Apuan, D-Colorado Springs.

HB 1059 mandates continuing coverage http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=6077175309734867272by health insurers when policyholders participate in clinical tests. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Dianne Primavera, D-Broomfield, and Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora.

HB 1237 is a measure relating to state payments for the education of disabled youth. It was sponsored by Rep. Dianne Primavera, D-Broomfield, and Sen. Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont.

HB 1213, sponsored by Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada, and Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, creates a state housing development grant fund in order to facilitate construction of additional affordable housing.

SB 104 requires Colorado child welfare regulators to provided foster children being emancipated with relevant and certified identity documents, including birth certificates and social security cards, at state expense. The measure was sponsored by Sen. Paula Sandoval, D-Denver, and Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada.

SB 144 makes changes to the function, composition and procedures of the state Commission on the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. It was sponsored by Sen. Ken Kester, R-Las Animas, and Rep. Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada.

Senate Approves Bill Discouraging School District "Re-Brucing"

The Senate approved Tuesday a bill that would discourage voters that have previously exempted their local school districts from Taxpayer Bill of Rights revenue limits from reimposing those limits.

SB 291 would prevent "re-Bruced" districts from replacing revenue lost by the TABOR caps with state funding.

Several school districts around the state are considering subjecting themselves yet again to revenue limits, despite prior decisions by voters in their boundaries to waive them.

Among the arguments made in support of that idea is a claim that voters' choices to "de-Bruce" were not meant to freeze mill levies at current levels, as a 2007 bill enacted by the General Assembly and upheld against a TABOR challenge by the state supreme court earlier this year requires.

But Democrats, including Gov. Bill Ritter and Senate Education Chairman Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, argue that "re-Brucing" would allow districts to shift responsibility for financing local schools to the state.

SB 291 gained final clearance on a party-line vote, but not without some drama in the final stages of the process.

Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, staged a one-man, three-hour filibuster against the measure when it came before the chamber on second-reading.

He read state statutes, quoted from supreme court decisions, and otherwise talked in an effort to delay consideration of the bill.

On Tuesday Mitchell made only a short, seven-sentence statement, accentuated by a humorous reference to his filibuster, before SB 291 went to a final vote in the Senate.

House Gives Final OK to FY 2010 Budget

The House overwhelmingly gave final approval this morning to a bipartisan budget compromise that closes a $300 shortfall in the fiscal year 2010 state spending plan.

Lawmakers agreed to cut spending by about $77 million and raise about $255 million in additional revenue for the state.

Included in the spending cuts are a requirement that many state employees take up to eight unpaid days off in the next fiscal year.

The so-called "Long Bill" also provides that Medicaid fees paid to doctors and hospitals would be reduced by $58 million and transfers about $28 million from K-12 education to higher education.

The measure also authorizes the use of about $35 million in money from the state's tobacco tax revenue, which is ordinarily allocated to health promotion and efforts to prevent smoking, for general fund purposes.

A separate bill closes a property tax exemption applicable to senior citizens for one year. That measure, which would be effective for one year, is expected to raise about $90 million in revenue.

House approval of SB 259 is not the end of the General Assembly's work on next year's budget and other fiscal matters. The "Long Bill" must return to the Senate for consideration.

In addition, Democrats are likely to propose a bill eliminating sales tax exemptions for cigarettes and vending machine sales. That bill, if enacted, would raise about $38 million in revenue each year.

The House-approved budget avoids any additional reductions in higher education spending for next fiscal year.

Gov. Bill Ritter warned earlier in the week that cuts to spending on the state's colleges and universities might place the state at risk of losing access to more than $700 million in federal economic stimulus dollars authorized by the Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Legislature Drops Idea of Tapping Pinnacol Funds to Close Shortfall

The "raid" on assets belonging to Pinnacol Assurance, the quasi-governmental entity that provides workers compensation insurance coverage to private businesses in Colorado, is no longer an available option to close the state's budget shortfall.

Legislative leaders announced the idea would be tabled after Gov. Bill Ritter announced his opposition to it.

"Members of my staff and I have tried in good faith to reach an agreement with Pinnacol," Ritter said. "However, there remain too many unresolved issues and questions for Colorado citizens and Pinnacol shareholders and customers. Therefore, with a budget deadline looming, I have halted negotiations with Pinnacol. Together with my budget office, the JBC and legislative leadership, we are now focusing on a number of other steps to erase the shortfall caused by the economic downturn, without devastating cuts to higher education."

Pinnacol's executives placed a full-page ad in Sunday's Denver Post urging the public to protest the planned seizure of the government-created entity's surpluses.

Pinnacol has about $2 billion in assets. A measure sponsored by Sen. Brandon Shaffer, which cleared the Senate Monday, would have re-directed $500 million from Pinnacol to the state general fund.

Meanwhile legislative leaders also announced that they would not cut $300 million from Colorado's higher education system to close the remaining shortfall in the fiscal year 2010 budget.

Gov. Bill Ritter had said he opposed those cuts, arguing that they would violate the terms of the recently-enacted federal Economic Recovery and Reinvestment Act and cost the state about $750 million in stimulus dollars.

FASTER OK With Ritter

A bill that would raise Coloradoan's motor vehicle registration fees to pay for highway and bridge improvements and repairs was signed into law by Gov. Bill Ritter today.

SB 108, which has been given the acronym "FASTER," would generate more than $250 million per year for the state's transportation system. Some of the money would be used to repair more than 100 structurally deficient bridges.

"With this bill, we'll be able to begin work on the many unsafe bridges and roads all across this state -- work that has been neglected for far too long," Ritter said at the signing ceremony, which was held near a bridge at I-25 and 84th Avenue. "And at a time when the entire country is suffering from a recession, this legislation will let us save jobs, create jobs and help us get our economy moving again."

The measure, which drew nearly unanimous GOP opposition, grew out of Ritter's Blue Ribbon Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel. That advisory commission began meeting in 2007 and eventually won support for its recommendations from many business organizations and local governments.

The bill will allow local governments to toll existing roads in order to generate revenues. It will also impose a small fee on rental car transactions.

According to the measure's sponsors, SB 108 will cause the average driver to pay about $2.60 more per month to register a motor vehicle in the first year of the law's effect and an additional $3.50 per month when the new law is fully implemented in 2012.

Some of the money raised will go into a State Bridge Enterprise fund dedicated to repairing damaged or decaying bridges. That fund will be phased in over three years and will finance a $100 million annual investment in bridge repairs and replacements.

The new law also:

1. establishes a "High-Performance Transportation Enterprise" that aims to encourage innovative financing strategies, including certificates of participation, public-private partnerships, operating concession agreements, user-fee financing and design/build contracting;

2. allocates, upon full implementation, $150 million per year to state and local road-safety projects, with the existing distribution formula of 60 percent to the state, 22 percent to counties and 18 percent to municipalities maintained;

3. gives veto authority over proposed public highway user-fees by requiring 100 percent approval of federal, state and impacted local governments before establishing a highway user-fee or congestion-based tolling;

4. allocates $5 million of the funds each year to the State Transit and Rail Fund proposed in SB 94;

5. allows the Regional Transportation District to seek voter approval of financial measures without legislative approval;

6. creates an "Efficiency and Accountability Committee" within the Colorado Department of Transportation, comprised of private sector contractors and engineers, to identify financial and operational inefficiencies; and

7. requires CDOT's executive director to report annually to the General Assembly on Efficiency and Accountability Committee activities and implementation recommendations.

SB 108 was sponsored by Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne, and Rep. Joe Rice, D-Littleton.

"FASTER is an important part of the solution to a huge problem," Rice said. "FASTER will protect and create thousands of jobs for Coloradans, and it will allow us to address some significant safety concerns, as we repair and rebuild hundreds of crumbling bridges and many miles of our rutted roads."