GovRitterBanner

Press Release- April 18, 2007

OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 18, 2007

Contact:
Evan Dreyer, 720.350.8370

Gov. Ritter and Lt. Gov. O'Brien today marked their first 100 days in office. "The people of this state elected us to solve problems," Gov. Ritter said. "That's exactly what we said we would do and it's exactly what we have done over the past 100 days."
 
GOVERNOR RITTER: FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

Bills Signed Into Law: 172
Executive Orders Issued: 96
Nominations & Appointments: 125

  • New Energy Economy
    • Doubled Colorado's renewable energy standard to 20% by 2020 (HB 1281).
    • Promoted full legislative package, including Clean Energy Fund, Wind on the Wires transmission bills and incentives for renewable-energy production.
    • Landed Vestas Blades manufacturing plant (460 jobs).
    • Issued Greening of State Government executive order.
    • Quadrupling the number of E-85 ethanol fuel pumps around Colorado.
  • Environment & Natural Resources
    • Proposed overhaul of Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to broaden membership and take public health and environment into account.
    • Called for legislative task force to examine northeast Colorado water issues.
    • Hired a climate change adviser to the Office of Policy and Initiatives.
    • Submitted revisions to Colorado¿s roadless-protection petition.
    • Signed HB 1132 into law, allowing water quality and environmental impacts to be considered in water-transfer decisions.
  • Health Care
    • Established Preferred Drug List, lowering prescription drug costs for Medicaid clients and saving at least $1.6M annually.
    • Established Colorado Cares Rx Program, providing discounted generic medication to 264,000 Coloradans (SB 1).
    • Signed HB 1133, the Health Care Whistleblower Protection Bill.
    • Created Nurse Workforce and Patient Care Task Force.
    • Initiated legislation to add three members to "208" Commission.
    • Signed SB 60, which helps notify rape victims of emergency contraception.
    • Signed SB 97, which redirects tobacco settlement money into health care.
    • Signed SB 79, which requires standard medical contracts between insurers and doctors and other health providers.
  • Transportation
    • Named 32-member Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel.
    • Hosted 600 participants at ¿Bridges to the 21st Century' Statewide Transportation Summit.
  • Education
    • Introduced plan to keep State Education Fund from becoming insolvent.
    • Signed HB 1014, reviving graduate programs at Western State College.
    • Signed HB 1048, allowing the state to measure student progress over time.
    • Proposed an additional $5.7M in financial aid for college students.
    • Proposed $25M for construction projects at colleges and other facilities.
  • Economic Development
    • Convened a Business Advisory Group of 20 business leaders.
    • Established a Jobs Cabinet.
    • Landed Vestas Blades manufacturing plant (460 jobs).
  • Criminal Justice
    • Introduced plan to reduce the state's nearly 50 percent offender recidivism rate.
    • Signed HB 1010, modernizing crime-fighting tools for police at crime scenes.
    • Appointed six new judges.
  • Driver¿s License Offices
    • Proposed re-opening 2 driver's license offices (Adams and Jefferson counties).
  • Government Efficiency
    • Proposed Government Efficiency and Management Performance Review.
    • Dissolved Office of Colorado Benefits Management System, saving $200K.
    • Restored employee payroll deduction option.
  • Storm Relief
    • Authorized up to $1M in emergency funds for Holly tornado recovery.
    • Arranged for 50 FEMA mobile homes and travel trailers for people of Holly.
    • Authorized $2.5M southeast Colorado blizzard recovery.
    • Seeking aid for cattlemen, ranchers and farmers through USDA and Congress.
  • Lawsuit Settlement
    • Facilitated settlement of lawsuit involving long wait times for county jail inmates to receive court-ordered mental-health competency hearings.
LT. GOV. O'BRIEN: FIRST 100 DAYS IN OFFICE

  • Colorado Commission on Indian Affairs
    • Facilitated first-ever "learning" trip with Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes.
    • Convened Ute Mountain Ute tribal council members, Cortez law enforcement, and other city and county leaders to discuss mutual concerns in Montezuma and Cortez counties.
    • Collaborated with Sen. Williams to write and successfully pass SJR07-024.
  • Health and Wellness
    • Partnered with Kaiser Permanente and CDPHE to launch the "Live Well" initiative.
    • Acting as spokesperson for CHP+ program.
    • Chairing the Metro Denver Health and Wellness Commission.
    • Partnered with a coalition to write HB1347.
    • Worked with HCPF, CDPHE on funding for obesity and nutrition programs and promotion.
  • Early Childhood
    • Worked to move policy work on ECE to the Office of the Lt. Governor.
    • Launched key efforts and raised needed funds to examine a potential governance structure for early childhood in Colorado.
    • Launched efforts to increase Colorado Preschool and Kindergarten Program by an additional 2,000 slots, fulfilling a 2003 goal of the Children's Campaign.
  • K-12 Education
    • Made key contributions to fine tuning governor's executive order establishing the P-20 Council.
    • Partnered with the Donnell-Kay and Piton Foundations to host a conference and several meetings with business and legislative leaders regarding education reform.
    • Appointed by the governor to represent Colorado on the Education Commission of the States.
  • Governor's Commission on Community Service
    • Aligned federal priorities for Commission on Community Service with Colorado Promise.
  • Economic Development
    • Partnered with the Colorado Council on the Arts, C.U. Denver Film Program, and the Denver Film Society to create a new focus on the arts as an economic development tool.
    • Chairing the Henderson Underground Science and Engineering Project.
RITTER ADMINISTRATION: FIRST 100 DAYS

  • Department of Agriculture
    • Responded to southeast Colorado blizzards with hay drops; working with federal government and Congress to secure disaster designation; and helped coordinate Operation Blizzard Benefit Concert.
    • Examining well-water issues along South Platte River in northeast Colorado.
    • Testified at Farm Bill field hearing in Colorado.
  • Department of Corrections
    • Working with the Department of Public Safety to reduce prison recidivism.
    • Partnering with Colorado Buildings and Trades Council to establish an apprenticeship program for electrical workers, welders, plumbers/pipefitters and metal workers.
    • Establishing a program to provide inmate labor to Colorado's agriculture industry.
    • Reduced budget request for new state prison by $2M.
  • Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
    • Absorbed responsibilities of Colorado Benefits Management System with Department of Human Services.
    • Reorganizing department with new leadership team, mission, vision and goals.
    • Implementing governor¿s Preferred Drug List executive order.
    • Created position for director of Client and Community Relations.
  • Department of Higher Education
    • Secured an additional $57.8M, or 8.45% for higher-ed funding in FY07/08.
    • Accepted a grant from the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education to hold a summit in June to address long-term financing of public higher education.
  • Department of Human Services
    • Opened Forensic Unit at Colorado Mental Health Institute in Pueblo and reduced wait-list of inmates waiting for competency hearings. Also settled a related lawsuit.
    • Increased support for counties to meet obligations to Colorado's needy population.
    • Absorbed responsibilities of Colorado Benefit Management System along with Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.
    • Initiated plans and requested funds to improve physical standards at the Homelake Domiciliary and Veterans Nursing Home.
  • Department of Labor and Employment
    • Introduced new website for job-seekers and workforce professionals.
    • Provided extensive assistance on implementation of new immigration laws regarding employment eligibility and legal-worker status.
    • Received honors from the EPA for developing an innovative system to manage the State Petroleum Storage Tank Fund, resulting in faster and cheaper cleanups.
  • Department of Local Affairs
    • Coordinated emergency-response and recovery efforts after the Holly tornado, including securing 50 travel trailers from FEMA for families who lost their homes.
    • Led response efforts following this winter's blizzards in southeast Colorado.
    • Established new Foreclosure Hotline to combat Colorado's high foreclosure rate.
    • Awarded $20.6M to energy-impacted communities for public improvement projects.
    • Awarded $232K to seven regional growth management projects around the state.
  • Department of Military and Veterans Affairs
    • Trained and prepared for deployments of 162-person security force company, 30- person aero-medical evacuation unit and 280-man special forces unit.
    • Improved recruiting and retention in Army National Guard to reach 107% strength and 101% strength in Air National Guard.
    • Supported legislation to establish an oversight commission for the State Veterans Nursing Homes (HB 1211).
    • Supported legislation to establish local advisory boards for each State Veterans Nursing Home (HB 1212).
    • Conducted eight searches for overdue/crashed aircraft.
  • Department of Natural Resources
    • Leading the effort to reform the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission by expanding its membership and broadening its mission (HB 1341).
    • Worked with Gov. Ritter to submit a roadless-area petition to the federal government.
    • Produced the first renewable energy leasing opportunities map, identifying nearly 50,000 acres of potential land for renewable energy leasing across the state.
    • Worked with lawmakers on two important water-right bills, HB 1305 and HB 1012.
  • Department of Public Health and Environment
    • Passed new regulations governing mercury emissions from coal-fired power plants, requiring reductions faster than expected under a federal rule.
    • Serving on Cabinet-level interagency Climate Change Team responsible for developing a state strategy to address issues of climate change.
    • Launched the $3M-a-year public-private LiveWell Colorado program to encourage improved physical activity and nutrition.
    • Preparing to debut the Smart Meal Seal pilot.
    • Piloting SimplyWell, a comprehensive health risk management solutions program.
  • Department of Public Safety
    • With Department of Corrections, leading the effort to cut prison recidivism rates.
    • Supporting "Safet2Tell" violence-prevention program, which provides students, teachers and parents with a confidential program to report school safety concerns.
    • Completed a project that electronically transmits fingerprint records to the FBI.
    • Signed an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that will provide ICE training to 22 state troopers for a new Immigration Enforcement Unit.
    • Provided DNA analysis that solved two 20-year old criminal cases.
    • Colorado State Patrol troopers were among first responders to Holly tornado.
    • Colorado Bureau of Investigation launched a new identity theft unit.
  • Department of Regulatory Agencies
    • Secured resources to open civil rights offices in Pueblo and Grand Junction.
    • Responded to concerns that citizens may not be aware of their rights throughout the regulatory process. Began disseminating statement of rights to anyone who files a complaint with the department.
    • Posted an area on website with cross-divisional Q & A links geared toward most frequently asked questions from consumers.
    • Approved a solar energy contract between Xcel Energy and SunEdison that provides for construction of the nation¿s largest photovoltaic plant. Groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for April 23 in Alamosa.
  • Department of Revenue
    • Expanded online license-plate renewal.
    • Implemented online payment processing for Net-filers.
    • Working toward re-opening several driver's license offices around Colorado and making online renewal available by late summer 2007.
  • Department of Transportation
    • Participated in "Bridges to the 21st Century" Statewide Transportation Summit.
    • Snowplow drivers logged 67,000 hours of overtime responding to winter blizzards and maintenance crews have filled more than 155,000 potholes.
    • Launched 511, a new traveler information hotline for weather and construction info.
    • Debuted "Driver's Seat" education and safety campaign for teen drivers and parents.