Latest NewsTown Hall: Health Care, Fracking, Role of Government
We held our first town hall meeting of the 2012 session on Jan. 14, and I was pleased to have about 50 people spend part of their Saturday morning with me. Since I was elected in 2008, one of my most fundamental questions as a legislator has been "What is the role of government in our society?" I led off Saturday's discussion with that very question, and noted that there are strong differences between those who believe there should only be a few legitimate core functions of government and those who think the public sector should play a robust role. Pete Leibig, President and CEO of Clinica Family Health Services, spoke about the numerous modern accomplishments of an organization that has grown from very humble beginnings in the 1970s. Our next speaker was Elise Jones, Executive Director of the Colorado Environmental Coalition, who spoke about a very current concern - hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking."
New Session Jan. 11, First Town Hall Jan. 14
With every new year comes a new legislative session, and we will kick off the 2012 session this Wednesday, Jan. 11. It should be 120 very exciting days at the Capitol, as we wrestle with any number of challenges - jobs and the economy, education, energy and the environment, public health and safety, election issues, civil rights and more. For a preview of some of what's to come, just click here to read my 2012 presession newsletter. Also, I hope you'll be able to join me on Saturday, Jan. 14 at 10:15 a.m. for our first town hall meeting of the session. The meeting will be held at the Meadows Branch of the Boulder Public Library, 4800 Baseline Road, and I'll start by talking about key issues and bills I'll be sponsoring in 2012. Health care will be one of the key issues, so I've invited Pete Leibig, President and CEO of Clinica Health Services, to be our guest speaker. District 18 Expanding to the West
The "old" District 18 basically included the City of Boulder, the towns of Niwot and Hygiene, and areas of unincorporated Boulder County to the east and north of Boulder and to the west and north of Longmont. As you can see, the new district will expand to the western and northern boundaries of Boulder County, including the towns of Lyons, Nederland, Allenspark, Jamestown and Ward. Running for Reelection
It's official. I've decided to run for another four-year term in the Colorado Senate, and I will stand for reelection as your senator from District 18 in 2012. I've loved living in the area that is now District 18 for more than 40 years, and I care deeply about Colorado and its future. I believe my record shows that I'm willing and able to make a difference as a legislator, and I'm looking forward to hopefully earning four more years in the Senate so I can continue working with constituents and colleagues on the issues that matter to all of us. Small Business Growth forum Aug. 23You might have noticed that the economy has been in the news a bit lately, so let's do something about it! On Tuesday, Aug. 23, we will be holding a forum on Small Business Growth - from 7:30 a.m. until 9:00 a.m. at the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, 2440 Pearl in Boulder. One of the top goals for this forum is to help ensure that local small business owners know the various resources that are available to them. |
The Colorado Supreme Court recently affirmed new state House and Senate district boundaries for the next 10 years. As a result, our Senate District 18 will expand greatly in geographic area, with most of the expansion in western Boulder County. 
