- Colorado’s unemployment rate did not increase from April to May and was 2/10% lower than in May 2009.
- In the monthly survey of Colorado households, 1,100 more Coloradans described themselves as employed.
- Colorado’s unemployment rate remains nearly 2 points lower than the national rate.
- New foreclosure filings are at an 18 month low.
- Construction begins in June on the first FASTER-related bridge repair project to improve safety while creating new jobs.
- The American Legislative Exchange Council ranks Colorado’s economic outlook 2nd best among all 50 states.
Archive for the ‘Elected’ Category
Recent Economic Data Show Progress in Colorado
Friday, June 18th, 2010House Democratic Letter to AG John Suthers
Thursday, April 1st, 2010The following letter was sent to Colorado Attorney General John Suthers by House Speaker Terrance Carroll and Democratic members of the House of Representatives:
The Honorable Attorney General John Suthers:
We are writing today in response to your decision to add your name-and the state of Colorado-to the Florida lawsuit to “protect the individual freedom, public health and welfare” of Coloradans. We could not disagree more with your decision. Democrats in Congress and President Obama demonstrated courageous leadership by passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. We stand united in support ofthis long overdue policy change.
While we respect your autonomy to file a lawsuit independent of the legislature, we believe this particular action is misguided and is politically motivated.
Colorado is better positioned than most states to make the most ofnational reforms because of initiatives already implemented by Governor Ritter and the legislature. The groundwork for our state-based reforms began with the bi-partisan Blue Ribbon Commission for Healthcare Reform in 2007, which studied how to increase coverage and reduce cost. Senate Bill 208 was supported by 16 Republican legislators, including then-Representative Josh Penry, a co-sponsor.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act include health insurance market reforms that will bring immediate benefits to millions of Americans, including those who currently have coverage. The following benefits will be available in the first year after enactment of the two bills.
Small Business Tax Credits
* Offers tax credits to small businesses beginning in 2010 to make employee coverage more affordable. Tax credits of up to 35 percent of premiums will be immediately available to firms that choose to offer coverage. The full credit will be available to firms with 10 or fewer employees with average annual wages of $25,000, while firms with up to 25 or fewer employees and average annual wages of up to $50,000 will also be eligible for the credit. Effective calendar year 2010. Later, when Exchanges are operational, tax credits will be up to 50 percent of premiums
No Pre-existing Coverage Exclusions for Children
* Prohibits health insurers from excluding coverage of pre-existing conditions for children. Effective six months after enactment, applies to all employer plans and new plans in the individual market. (This provision will apply to all people in 2014).
Access to Affordable Coverage for the Uninsured with Pre-existing Conditions
* Provides $5 billion in immediate federal support for a new program to provide affordable coverage to uninsured Americans with pre-existing conditions until new Exchanges are operational in 2014. Effective 90 days after enactment.
Closing the Coverage Gap in the Medicare (Part D) Drug Benefit
* Provides a $250 rebate check for Medicare beneficiaries who hit the ¡¥donut hole¡¦ in 2010. Effective calendar year 2010. (Beginning in 2011, institutes a 50 percent discount on brand-name drugs in the donut hole; also fills the donut hole by 2020.)
Patient Protections
* Protects patients’ choice of doctors by allowing plan members to pick any participating primary care provider, prohibiting insurers from requiring prior authorization before a woman sees an ob-gyn, and ensuring access to emergency care. This provision applies to all new plans. Effective six months after enactment.
Gov. Ritter Signs Bill To Ban Health Insurance Gender Discrimination
Monday, March 29th, 2010Gov. Bill Ritter today signed House Bill 1008, sponsored by Reps. Sue Schafer and Beth McCann and Sens. Morgan Carroll and Gail Schwartz, to prevent insurance companies from discriminating against women when setting health insurance rates.
“Today’s legislation eliminates the type of gender discrimination practiced by insurance companies in setting rates for women – rates which can be up to 59 percent higher than rates for men,” Gov. Ritter said. “This bill ensures access to care and coverage for all at an equitable price and eliminates the financial burden that gender rating puts on women.”
HB 1008 passed with strong bipartisan support and was signed into law by Gov. Ritter during the fourth annual Health Care Day of Action at the Capitol.
“Gender should not be considered a preexisting condition,” Sen. Schwartz said. “Ensuring that all Coloradans have equal access to health care is vital to the well-being of our state. Affordable health care for women helps care for Colorado’s children and families.”
“As the country looks to D.C. for federal health care reform, Colorado can now thank the legislature for health care equality,” Sen. Carroll said. “With the signing of this bill into law, legislators are standing up for what is just in health care: women and men stand on level ground in Colorado today.”
“I am very pleased that Colorado has eliminated unfair health insurance premiums on women,” Rep. Schafer said. “Now women and men of the same age will pay the same cost for the same coverage in individual private insurance plans.”
“I am thrilled that we were able to get this bill passed,” Rep. McCann said. “When I first graduated from law school we started the Colorado Women’s Bar Association, and one of the first issues we tackled was gender discrimination in health insurance. It is ironic that many years later, I am still working on this issue. I am honored to be in a position now to co-sponsor a bill that is a great step forward for women in Colorado who are in the individual health care market.”
The new law no longer allows gender rating in Colorado’s individual insurance market. More than 130,000 Colorado women aged 19-64 had individual insurance in 2006-07, and 90 percent of the plans offered in Colorado utilized gender rating in the individual insurance market.
This practice is currently prohibited in the small group market and the new law will bring equity to the individual market. HB 1008 will make health insurance more affordable and accessible for women purchasing insurance in the individual market.
The Road to Recovery
Monday, February 22nd, 2010Colorado Ranks 4th In Nation In Recovery Act Transparency
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010A new study released today ranks Colorado fourth in the nation for Recovery Act spending transparency. The ranking was released in a new national study, called “Show Us the Stimulus (Again),” analyzes how well states are reporting Recovery Act spending on their website. The study was conducted by the nonprofit research center Good Jobs First.
“Over the last year, we have worked hard to fulfill my commitment of making Recovery Act spending in Colorado as transparent, open and accountable as possible to the people of Colorado,” Gov. Ritter said. “Through public outreach, aggressive oversight and extensive reports on www.colorado.gov/recovery, we are ensuring that Colorado taxpayers know how their funds are being spent. I am proud that our efforts are being recognized nationally.”
The report scored state Recovery Act websites according to their ability to show various types of spending information, including contracts awarded, distribution of spending by county or town, and details of specific projects. On a scale of 0 to 100, Colorado scored 72. The average score was 44. Maryland topped the list. The report authors are part of a national coalition called States for a Transparent and Accountable Recovery (STAR coalition).
This report updates a similar study released in July 2009 that also ranked Colorado near the top of states.
“Colorado’s Recovery Act website is sophisticated, comprehensive, and easily navigable,” the report said. “The state uses mapping and narrative information effectively to disclose information about spending, project progress, and job creation and retention. Data can be retrieved by drilling down through maps or by accessing provided reports. Information appears to be timely and frequently updated.”
The website is maintained by the Governor’s Economic Recovery Team and includes a map that shows Recovery Act projects and lists of contractors and reports. The website is updated daily and the staff is working on adding new features in coming months.
To view the study, go to http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/ARRAwebreportjan2010.pdf
At least $6.7 billion in Recovery Act funding is expected to come to Colorado through more than 100 different programs, including tax cuts for 1.8 million families, increased safety net benefits and infrastructure projects that are creating or saving thousands of jobs.
For more information about the Recovery Act in Colorado, visit www.colorado.gov/recovery.
Gov. Ritter Announces Recovery Act Energy Partnerships For Colorado Communities
Monday, January 11th, 2010Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that 18 community partners across Colorado have received grants totaling $2.2 million to develop local strategies for saving energy and creating jobs in the state’s rural, agricultural and mountainous regions.
“We’re excited to see champions for the New Energy Economy on the ground in these local communities, working closely with citizens, businesses and governments to help them save money, create jobs and increase our energy security,” Gov. Ritter said. “These grants will give regions across the state opportunities to focus on how they can benefit from energy efficiency and conservation.”
The grants, awarded by the Governor’s Energy Office, are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will fund local community energy coordinators (CECs) to drive efforts helping towns, counties, residents and businesses become more energy efficient. The CEC positions will be administered by local organizations, including non-profits, utilities, councils of governments, counties and higher education institutions.
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Colorado Broadband Footprint Unveiled
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009Colorado is one step closer to having quality, high-speed internet available to all citizens. The Governor’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) has released comprehensive maps depicting broadband availability across the state, the speeds at which service is provided, and the population density of unserved areas. The 2008 Senate Bill 215, sponsored by Senator Gail Schwartz and Representative Jim Riesberg, called for the creation of the broadband inventory, which serves as a starting point for developing effective broadband deployment and adoption strategies.
“This is an important advancement in the push for enhanced broadband services and adoption of a technology critical to economic development, heath, education, and civic engagement,” said Gov. Ritter. “Understanding where broadband is deployed today will enable us to make advancements in broadband tomorrow.”
The maps were developed by Connect Colorado, a subsidiary of Connected Nation, who collected the broadband provider data and developed an interactive web service for citizens to check broadband availability, locate providers in their area, and report data inaccuracies.
While the project found the vast majority of Colorado has basic broadband coverage, there are other important factors – such adequate speed and adoption – that contribute to a state’s “broadband fitness.” The project explored these areas, but OIT hopes to round out the work with a $2.1 million grant through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that it recently received from the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. The funding will enable OIT to continue its broadband data collection and mapping efforts and to help identify priority areas for activities to promote the deployment and use of broadband service.
New Report Maps Path Forward on State Electricity, Carbon Goals
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009Renewable Energy Development Infrastructure study outlines need for transmission, utility-scale renewable energy, efficiency and natural gas investments
Gov. Bill Ritter yesterday released a new report mapping out how Colorado’s electricity sector can reduce carbon dioxide emissions 20 percent over the next decade by significantly expanding investments in new high-voltage transmission and utility-scale renewable energy, increasing emphasis on energy efficiency and developing a greater role for natural gas.
The Renewable Energy Development Infrastructure (REDI) report concludes that expansion of Colorado’s high-voltage transmission infrastructure will considerably improve the reliability of the state’s electricity delivery system and accommodate greater development of renewable energy from rural Colorado to electric customers across the state.
“Updating and expanding our aging and constrained transmission infrastructure is a critical piece of our New Energy Economy,” Gov. Ritter said. “Investment in transmission means jobs and a major boost to Colorado’s economy, including in rural areas that are home to many of our state’s richest renewable energy resources. Bringing dependable, affordable clean energy – whether solar, wind or natural gas – from where it’s generated to where it’s needed the most will keep Colorado on the leading edge in a world moving fast toward a new energy future.”
Read more details here.
Colorado Democratic Party Chair Waak Statement On Economic Recovery Act
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009Washington – Offering further proof that the President’s Economic Recovery Act is working, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office released estimates Monday showing that economic recovery funds has saved or created between 600,000 and 1.6 million jobs in the third quarter and raised the gross domestic product by as much as 3.2 percent. The CBO findings follow a report from the New York Times, citing leading economists who concluded the Recovery Act “is helping an economy in free fall a year ago to grow again and shed fewer jobs than it otherwise would.” [New York Times, 11/20/09]. In response, Colorado Democratic Party Chair Pat Waak released the following statement:
“This new report offers further proof that the Economic Recovery Act is working. Leading economists have said that the Recovery Act is on track to reach its goal of saving or creating 3.5 million jobs, and now the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office confirms this with its findings that the recovery funds have already saved or created between 600,000 and 1.6 million jobs.
“While we still have work to do to get our economy back on track, it is clear that the Recovery Act has prevented an economic catastrophe. But this success comes no thanks to Representatives Coffman and Lamborn and the Republican ‘Party Of NO,’ who put politics ahead of common sense and voted against the Recovery Act. Colorado Republicans were unanimous in their opposition to the act, preferring to continue down the path of failed Bush economic policies. Representatives Lamborn and Coffman and their colleagues in Congress have shown time and time again that they are more interested in seeing Democrats fail than in fighting for the best interests of Coloradans.
“Despite unrelenting opposition from the Republican ‘Party of NO,’ President Obama and Congressional Democrats continue to promote policies to create jobs, grow our economy and deliver on the change Americans overwhelming voted for last November. It’s time for Colorado’s Republicans to stop playing politics and to start working with us.”