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‘A Colorado for All’ — Polis’ address gets mixed reactions at state Capitol

    The start of the General Assembly session marked the beginning of a new administration at the state Capitol in Denver, complete with a Democratic sweep of the top elected offices as well as the state House and Senate.
    On Jan. 6, Gov. Jared Polis took the oath of office, in a ceremony that included poets and blessings from a variety of faiths. On Jan. 8, the state’s 43rd governor presented his first State of the State address under a theme of “A Colorado for All.”
    “The state of our state is solid. It is strong. It is successful. It is daring. And it is bold,” one of Polis’ favorite watchwords and one that he repeated eight times during the speech.
    Polis largely stuck to the four themes that he campaigned on: reducing health care costs, pushing the state to 100 percent renewable energy, providing free full-day kindergarten and tax reform.
    Polis’ plans for health care touched on the costs experienced by those in rural and mountain communities. “There is no reason a family in Glenwood Springs or Gunnison should pay twice as much for health care as a family in Denver,” Polis said, a statement that drew a standing ovation from both sides of the aisles.
    He also endorsed a plan to allow Coloradans to import prescription drugs from Canada, which he said are half or a third of the cost compared to Colorado.
    And Polis continued his pledge to bring universal, high-quality affordable health care to every Coloradan. “We know that won’t happen overnight, but the work we will do together in this legislative session will put us on the right path.”
    On agriculture, Polis pointed out that “volatile commodities markets, a damaging trade war from Washington” and an increasingly serious water shortage are making life harder for those in the ag industry. He said his pick for ag commissioner — Kate Greenberg, formerly of the National Young Farmers Union — will focus on the future of farming.
    Polis also pledged to a “bipartisan and sustainable funding source” for the state water plan, and to partner with groups like the Rocky Mountain Farmers’ Union to “reduce barriers to employee ownerships and to grow wages in the ag sector,” as well as expanding access to capital for the next generation of farmers.
    Polis emphasized his commitment to renewable energy and addressing climate change, both of which will require less dependence on fossil fuels.
    But he also pledged to find ways to take care of those who work in the energy industry. “Some of the hardest-working people in Colorado today work in the coal and oil and gas industries, and we will not leave them behind,” he pledged. That means transitioning to good-paying jobs that take advantage of the skills and experience of those workers.
    Polis’ comments on tax reform took some by surprise. He proposed reducing tax rates for Colorado families and small businesses, cutting back on tax deductions for big corporations and seeking tax efficiencies.
    Polis later told reporters he would favor a 3 to 5 percent reduction in the income tax rate, a proposal contained in a bill introduced in the state Senate the same day.
    Senate Bill 55 is sponsored by northeastern Colorado lawmakers Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg of Sterling and Rep. Rod Pelton of Cheyenne Wells. Polis told reporters he has not yet seen the bill, but it appears to match his proposal from the speech.
    SB 55 would reduce the individual and the corporate state income tax rate from 4.63 percent to 4.49 percent and would reduce the state alternative minimum tax by 0.14 percent. It has been assigned to the Senate Finance Committee; no hearing date has yet been set.
    Reaction to Polis’ speech ranged from exuberant to skeptical.
    “While it is important to look toward the future of agriculture, it’s vital not to forget the lessons the past has taught us,” said Colorado Farm Bureau president Don Shawcroft. “Support of all farmers and ranchers across the state is key, whether they are big or small, organic or conventional, young or old.”
    As to the water plan, Shawcroft added that agriculture “is most profitable and most productive when farmers and ranchers have access to the water resources they need. Those resources can’t be tied up on the Front Range.”
    What stood out for Pelton is “a lot of new spending,” he told this reporter. “When he talks about cutting taxes, and you want to add a lot of new programs, how will you pay for it?” Pelton said it sounded like smoke and mirrors and Polis saying what people wanted to hear. Pelton said he did like the mentions of rural issues and agriculture.
    “If we can cut taxes and not pay [for these new programs] by increasing fees or attacking TABOR, I’m all for it,” Pelton added. “Any attack on TABOR is a nonstarter for me.”
    “He talked a whole lot about taxes and how we need to make sure we make Colorado better for everyone with tax efficiencies,” said Republican Rep. Kimmi Lewis of Kim. “But as you know, taxing is something [Democrats] have always been good about. They believe taxing is kind of romantic and can explain it so it looks good. If they want to cut taxes, I want to see it. ... I don’t know how they will pay for these things they promised. I guess we’ll wait and see.”
    One thing Polis’ speech did not mention is guns. Democrats have promised to run a bill on extreme-risk protective orders, aka a “red flag” bill, that would allow a court to order the temporary removal of guns and ammunition from those considered a risk to themselves or to others. Polis later told reporters he supports the concept but didn’t feel the need to include it in the speech. Pelton said he was surprised that Polis didn’t mention it.
    “One key word could put us over the edge,” added Lewis. “We know they’re going to try and attack our guns.”
    Said Pelton, “We’re going to have to find common ground, because we can’t afford to pay for everything he spelled out today.”
    Sonnenberg was excused at the end of last week and did not attend the State of the State address.
    
Ag put back in rural committee name
    Speaker of the House K.C. Becker, facing complaints about eliminating agriculture as a committee title, has renamed the Rural Affairs Committee to the Rural Affairs and Agriculture Committee.
    That committee is scheduled this week to review House Bill 1029, which would redraw the boundaries of the Republican River District. Democratic Rep. Jeni Arndt of Fort Collins is sponsoring the bill on behalf of the interim Water Resources Review Committee and told this reporter that new boundaries will pull in well owners whose groundwater pumping is depleting the flow of the Republican as well as interfering with compact compliance.
    The district was drawn by the legislature in 2004 along a geographic ridge and now must be modified to include these additional well owners. Arndt said that those in the district pay $14.85 per irrigated acre for compact compliance; the well owners brought in under HB 1029 will also pay that fee.
    The largest group of well owners to be brought into the district are located in Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. The redrawn boundaries also would bring in a small portion of Washington County.
   

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