It’s almost hard to believe that in two weeks the legislative session will be over and I’ll be happily settling back in at home, not having to return to the Capitol at the end of each weekend. I’ll miss seeing the friendly TSA crew at the Durango airport, though, who send me off and greet me back each week – thanks, guys!
We’ve had our share of controversial bills this session, which is a natural consequence of competing visions for state government coming from each party who control one, but not both, of the chambers. Despite those differences, we’ve also found common ground in areas like the state budget and other key legislation.
The split control of the legislature means a number of bills don’t survive both chambers, but instead of being snuffed out in the first committee that the bills are heard in, there’s a healthy airing of the bills’ merits and demerits on the chambers’ floors. That was the vision of representative democracy laid out by our country’s founders and it’s the kind of participatory government that many countries seek to foster themselves.
This session hasn’t been all roses, but as Churchill said, “Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”
The Colorado Youth Advisory Council made their presentation of policy recommendations to an attentive and appreciative audience of legislators again this year. I’m always impressed by the high school students’ depth and keen interest in policies important to Colorado’s youth. Some of them now graduate from high school and head on to other educational and career pursuits, so we’re recruiting new members for the next school year. If you know of an interested student, they can apply through the youth council’s website at www.coyac.org.
While the dust hasn’t yet settled on this year’s session and which bills may make it into law, COYAC’s recommendations on the areas of K-12 standardized testing, teen mental health issues, school safety, human trafficking and planning for Colorado’s water future were particularly timely. Bills related to each of these topics were introduced this session and I know many of the legislators considered the youth input as the bills went through the process. I am convinced that the leadership skills of COYAC’s young council members, including Logan Graham and Raven Fallon-Cyr from my Senate district, will give our state a better future. I truly appreciate the time and energy of all of the students, their parents, and the COYAC staff and volunteers put into the council this session.
When the legislative session wraps up on May 6, my work continues on the interim legislative committees. I’ll be chairing both the water resources review committee and the health insurance exchange oversight committee, which will keep me on the road quite a bit, but I’ll also be attending meetings around the district to touch base with folks. It’s my plan to hold town hall meetings over the summer in each of the eight counties in my district.
Trying to summarize what’s been happening during the session and with the more than 660 introduced bills is hard to do in a biweekly column, but I appreciate all of the publications, hard copy and electronic, that give me the space to keep in touch with you!
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 at ellen.roberts.senate@state.co.us.
