Welcome

I represent Colorado’s 13th House District in the Colorado legislature. House District 13 reaches from the northeast plains of Boulder County to the continental divide in western Clear Creek, Gilpin and Boulder Counties. It is a wonderful blend of rural and urban, mountains and plains. From major research institutions to quaint mountain towns, horse farms to hard rock mines, fourteen thousand foot peaks to white water, the land and people truly reflect the diversity of Colorado.

The 2009 legislative session has now ended.  We worked hard to close a $1.3 billion revenue gap without sacrificing essential safety net programs and education.

I worked to extend energy efficiency to the 1.3 million customers of rural electric associations.  I worked hard on funding for transit and making our transportation system more efficient.  Farmers and ranchers, sportsmen and backpackers, urban dwellers and residents of small towns all have a stake in making progress towards reducing our production of greenhouse gases.  We can work together to increase the use and availability of alternative modes of transportation.  Together we can protect and preserve Colorado's beautiful environment.

As we faced the budget, it was essential to be prudent in how we spend our revenues.  Investing in education produces the best return and has the most enduring results.  I was most concerned with providing access to early childhood education for more children; increasing graduation rates among all sectors of the high school population; and allocating as many resources as possible to higher education.

The high cost of health care and lack of insurance for 800,000 Coloradans is not only immoral, it is creating a serious drag on our economy to say nothing of the huge costs to taxpayers.  Relying on employers to provide health insurance exacerbates the problem in an economic downturn.   We should not be diverting up to a third of our health care dollars to administration, profit and overhead. Nor should the burden of paying for emergency care for the uninsured be shifted to those with insurance.  Health care should be available to all regardless of employment, existing health status or income.  The legislature passed several bills that will prevent private insurance from having to subsidize the uninsured, and make it easier to retain your health insurance if you lose your job.

Funding a 21st century transportation system was another major goal for me.  We made progress by raising revenue with which to fix our worst bridges and adding $15 million per year to the funds available for transit.  Our needs go beyond repair of dilapidated bridges.  We should be thinking more broadly about how Coloradans will achieve mobility in an age of high gas prices and concern over greenhouse gas emissions.  My goal is to fund and create a transportation system that provides mobility to all while minimizing the production of global warming pollution.

We cannot invest in these priorities if an ever greater share of the budget is obligated to prisons and the costs to society of the criminal justice system.  The 2009-10 budget will continue to fund effective measures to keep offenders who have served their time from re-offending and returning to prison.  We must find ways to divert from the justice system into treatment those with mental illness and harmful addictions.  And, we must reserve expensive prison beds for those who are the worst of the worst.  To do this, I will be working this summer and fall on reforming our sentencing structure so we are not warehousing those who could be rehabilitated and returned to society.

During the interim I will be meeting with community members to gather new ideas for moving Colorado forward. As always, I welcome your input. 

Please communicate with me by e-mail at Claire.Levy.House@state.co.us or by phone at 303-543-7275.

Thanks for allowing me to serve,

Claire

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