Legislators Respond on Biz Personal Property Tax, Health Insurance Reform, and CO Healthcare Cooperative

RE: SB26 Sen. Cheri Jahn (D-Jeffco)is against the Business Personal Property Tax but won't vote to repeal because education and local government are a higher priority.
CRBC supported SB26. Bill Status: Killed in Senate Finance Committee

"Each year I served in the House this issue came up. We managed to extend the exemption my last year to another 30,000 small businesses. I agree this is a tax that is just wrong but looking at the fiscal note it is very difficult to vote yes on something that is wiping out millions from our schools, which is on top of the $265 million they got hit with last year. Education is KEY to strong economic development and I can't justify another hit of $9.7 million in the 2013/2014 fiscal year.

Besides impacts to the schools, the fiscal impact to our local governments is huge, losing $24.2 million per year. This would be really bad timing to local districts that are already facing enormous funding cuts not only through state cuts but federal as well.

I hope you understand the terrible situation we are in with our budget this year with the cuts we are already making. It has been suggested we may be making cuts to education in the realm of $300 plus millions along with others.

Sincerely,
Cheri Jahn
303-866-4856

RE: SB019 permitting employers with less than fifty employees to reimburse their employees for some or all of health insurance premiums paid.

CRBC supports SB019 Bill Status: Passed Senate, laid over daily for second reading in House

Sen Keith King (R-SD12- El Paso) "Christine, thanks for the support of my bill. I appreciate it. It passed the Senate unanimously. Keith"

Sen. Jean White (R-Routt, Grand) agrees: "Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this important bill. I am a yes vote."

Sen. Nancy Spence (R-Centennial) agrees: "SB 19 on Small Business Health Care Reimbursement passed the senate with a unanimous vote on Feb. 28. The bill has now been assigned to the House Health and Human Services Committee."

Re: SB11-168 Colorado Healthcare Cooperative
CRBC opposes SB168 Bill Status: Scheduled for Senate Second Reading March 18

Sen Nancy Spence (R-SD27, Centennial) "I think there is no doubt that the R's in the senate will oppose SB168. I'm not sure what the D's will do with the bill - I suspect there will be a few who will oppose it."

Sen. Keith King (R-SD8,El Paso)"We can not afford this bill. I do not support it."

Sen Mark Scheffel(R-SD04,Douglas Cty) "This bill is scheduled to have its second reading in the Senate on 18 March. Senator Scheffel will keep these concerns in mind as the bill progress in the legislative process; we appreciate your input."

Sen. Edie Hudak (D-SD19, Westminster) "I would like to take a moment to explain to you what SB 168 does and why I am supporting this legislation.

SB 168 allows the Legislature the ability to have a consultant determine what the costs would be for Colorado to establish a CONSUMER-owned and -operated Health Care Cooperative. While the panel to direct this process would be appointed by the Governor, House, and Senate, the plan the consultant would analyze would focus on a cooperative owned and operated by the people of Colorado and managed by a member-appointed board. The government would have nothing to do with running health care in Colorado.The Cooperative would provide everyone in Colorado direct access to better health care and lower costs. I believe that it could help businesses in the state by stabilizing costs to provide health care benefits to employees. Reductions in costs for businesses could translate to businesses being able to hire more workers, expand their businesses, or provide more or better benefits.

The private health care industry would not be dismantled by this plan. In fact, providers would be given more freedom to innovate around service delivery and consumers would have more choice in health care.

As you know, health care costs are escalating. Additionally, national reform has not adequately addressed cost control. As a legislator, I think Colorado is in a unique position to innovate health care delivery in our state. We have many excellent examples of such systems throughout our state that we can build upon and many nationally recognized leaders in our state that we can call upon to help us. If the consultant finds that our Colorado plan - owned and operated by the people of Colorado - would improve safety, access, and quality while reducing costs, the Legislature would refer the idea to the ballot. It would ONLY be implemented if the people of Colorado agreed and voted it into law.

In these tough economic times, we need to see how we can ensure the health of our population while controlling spending. Whatever ideas we develop would not be implemented until the people in our state voted to implement it. I think we should build on our reputation for innovation and try to develop our own plan. That's what SB 168 will allow us to do. I hope you can support this effort."

Editor's note: "owned and operated by the people" is by definition a public system - not a private system.