STATE BILL COLORADO

Everyone knows Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper is a geek, but the official Colorado website provides confirming evidence, below.

The good thing is he’s also recreational, as the photo suggests. And that helps the ski industry.

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By Matt Masich, STATE BILL COLORADO

DENVER — If you aren’t going to use your judgeship, why not let someone else have it?

A bill introduced in the Colorado Senate last week would add a district judgeship in the western slope’s 7th Judicial District while taking away a vacant district judgeship in the 1st Judicial District, which comprises Jefferson and Gilpin counties. The bill gets its first hearing on Wednesday at the Senate Judiciary Committee.

The 1st Judicial District got funding for three new district judgeships in 2007, but two of those remained unfilled due to space constraints. If SB11-028 were to pass, one of these unfilled judgeships would to the 7th Judicial District, which comprises Delta, Gunnison, Hinsdale, Montrose, Ouray and San Miguel counties.

The change would be budget-neutral.

The bill is sponsored by Democratic Sen. Gail Schwartz and Republican Rep. Don Coram, who represent legislative districts that lie within the 7th Judicial District.

The judge-shift was requested by the Colorado Judicial Department, said spokesman Rob McCallum.

“Simply put, there was a greater and growing need for another judge in the seventh judicial district,” McCallum said by e-mail.

District court case filings have increased 25 percent over the last four years, according to Judicial Department data. Civil cases, excluding foreclosures and tax liens, have grown nearly 63 percent at the same time.

As a result, the district court is staffed at just 60 percent of the level recommended by the state court administrator’s office.

The 1st Judicial District court management gave its blessing to giving away the judgeship, according to a Judicial Department fact sheet.

STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov. John Hickenlooper today announced a four-day economic development tour through Colorado in the wake of his Tuesday inauguration as the state’s 42nd governor.

Gov. Hickenlooper to tour Colorado to promote bottom-up economic development plan

DENVER ­— Thursday, Jan. 13, 2010 — Gov. John Hickenlooper will tour Colorado over the next four days to promote a bottom-up economic development plan. He will meet with business leaders, community members and local officials in a series of meetings to discuss job creation, government efficiencies and economic development and recovery.

“We are focusing on the local talent and resources in all 64 Colorado counties,” Hickenlooper said. “We want to chart a course for economic revival from the bottom up, county by county. This trip is the start of that process.”

Traveling with the Governor will be Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia; Reeves Brown, Executive Director of the Department of Local Affairs; Al White, Director of the Colorado Tourism Office; and other members of the Governor’s senior staff.

All meetings are open to the public.

Friday, Jan. 14, 2011

10:00 a.m. Location: Singletree Community Center, 1010 Berry Creek Road, Edwards.

3:00 p.m. Location: Fruita Community Center, 324 North Coulson St., Fruita.

Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011

10:00 a.m. Location: Strater Hotel, Pullman Room, 699 Main Ave., Durango.

3:00 a.m. Location: Rio Grande Annex Community Room, 965 6th St., Del Norte.

Sunday, Jan. 16, 2011

1:00 p.m. Location: Spradley Community Center, Pueblo County Conference Room, 1001 N. Santa Fe Ave., Pueblo.

4:00 p.m. Location: Cheyenne Mountain Resort, 3225 Broadmoor Valley Road, Colorado Springs.

Monday, Jan. 17, 2011

10:00 a.m. Location: Limon Community Center, 477 D Ave., Limon.

3:00 p.m. Location: The Ranch, McKee Community Building, 5280 Arena Circle, Loveland.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Here’s the text of Gov. John Hickenlooper’s state of the state address.

Most of us have faced a faced a serious budget problem or another at some pivotal moment in our lives.
Certainly, this is not my first time at the deficit rodeo.
Almost 20 years ago to the day, a person who knew that I loved old buildings coaxed me down 70 miles south of here to look at the only registered historical landmark in downtown Colorado Springs.
It was scheduled for demolition.
I bought that building from the bank, but despite previous successes in Denver and Fort Collins, I could not attract investors to save the old Cheyenne Hotel.
After almost two years of work, when the bank was on the verge of repossessing the building, our general contractor, the man – the legend – Chuck Murphy, saw another approach.
He called a meeting of all the subcontractors who had bid on the project – the electrician, the plumber, the sprinkler guy, all of the others – to come listen to the same pitch I’d been giving to wealthy investors.
Despite my skepticism that small businesspeople would accept such risk, they put their money down. We raised the last $150,000 from the subcontractors. They become my partners.
From that point on, everything was different.
I’ll never forget when the electrician came and was concerned about lighting in the bar. He suggested that we replace the deluxe fan system in our plans with an equally durable fan that also featured lights.
I asked was the extra cost was going to be, and he said I’m your partner, “Why would I add an extra cost?”
That’s how we built the Phantom Canyon Brewing Co.
The stakes are a lot bigger now, but I’m here today to ask you to become our partners in transforming Our Colorado.
We have to deal with a $1 billion shortfall; we have to cut red tape; we have to create new jobs. No one could do this by themselves.
We need everybody in this room, everybody who is listening to this speech, every state employee, every farmer, every rancher, every small business owner and every worker across the entire state of Colorado to decide that we need each other and we are going to pull together in these hard times.
My thanks to the President of the Senate Brandon Schaffer, to the Speaker of the House Frank McNulty, and also to Senate Majority Leader John Morse, Senate Majority Leader Amy Stephens, House Minority Leader Mike Kopp, House Minority Leader Sal Pace and to every one of you serving in the Colorado General Assembly.
To Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia, Attorney General John Suthers, State Treasurer Walker Stapleton, Secretary of State Scott Gessler and the distinguished members of the Colorado Supreme Court who are with us today, I thank you for your commitment to Colorado.
Thank you to our newly-elected Sen. Michael Bennet and Denver’s glorious new Mayor Bill Vidal – both are there today. Congratulations to you both.
I want to especially thank my wife, Helen, and our son, Teddy, my 84-year-old step-father Bill McDonald (who was still listening to OneRepublic at 11:30 Tuesday night) and brother Sydney Kennedy, who without pay helped build each of our restaurants in Colorado, and the members of my cabinet and Governor’s Office staff who are joining me in this journey of public service. And to all of the state employees, I look forward to working with you.
For those of you like me who are newly elected, I want to extend a special acknowledgement.
No matter what your party affiliation may be, your willingness to contribute to Colorado by putting yourselves forward for public service is honorable.
Without exception, we have been impressed that so many of you have reached out, expressing a sincere commitment to roll up your sleeves and work collaboratively.
The dictionary defines “collaboration” as “a process of working together for shared goals.”
If ever there was a time in our history calling out for a spirit of collaboration to solve big problems, it is now.
So it’s clear that we have a great deal of work to do in the next 119 days.
The only way we are going to succeed is if we work together.
JOBS
Our top priority must be jobs.
Sustainable jobs are created by the private sector.
Our task must be to support that job growth, while also maintaining the highest ethical and environmental safeguards.
Listening to Coloradans, understanding the vision every county has for its economic future, is the first step. We need to unleash the entrepreneurial spirit that is alive in Colorado.
The economic plan we are proposing is not a top-down, government mandated scheme. It’s a bottom-up, community-based initiative that will reflect the priorities of your constituents.
The global recession did not start in Colorado, but we are convinced we can end it here.
There are many reasons to feel hopeful. We have made huge strides with renewable energy and have the potential to grow more and greener jobs.
We’ve got the Colorado Advantage: a great quality of life and unlimited economic potential; people want to live here; and we have outstanding universities, vibrant culture, unmatched recreational assets – not to mention the stunning Colorado landscapes.
And the kind of people who choose to live here are themselves a resource – they attract companies to Colorado by providing the creativity and innovation that helps businesses grow.
On my first day as your new governor, I signed executive orders designed to spur job creation, attract investors and cut red tape.
In the days ahead, I would like to see if we could look at adding a regulatory impact statement to new legislation. Just as we require a fiscal note for every new bill that estimates the costs to state government, we could also include an estimation of the cost to businesses of additional regulations.
We also hope that every bill you consider passing will be viewed through the lens of its impact on our economic growth. This doesn’t mean we compromise our standards or put our land, air or water at risk, but it does mean that we’ll keep a fierce and even relentless focus on jobs.
For example, we know there are several bills you are considering that will establish a venture capital fund for small businesses. We will work with you on these proposals and look forward to working with you and helping create a strong public-private partnership.
We invite you to participate in the process we are charting to develop a new state economic strategy. Over the next four days, as I travel to your districts across Colorado, I would like your help in getting the support of local business and civic organizations to create these plans.
Your involvement, as a real partner with our administration, could mean the difference between success and failure.
BUDGET
Just like families across Colorado do at their kitchen tables, we have to sit down at this kitchen table and make difficult choices in order to pay our bills, manage our expenses and live within our means in obviously leaner times.
How we bring our budget into balance and put Colorado on a sustainable fiscal path will be perhaps the most important legacy of this legislative session.
The challenge is daunting. We are currently face a shortfall for the next fiscal year of roughly $1 billion.
We thank you for all the hard work that has been done so far. Now it’s time to take the next step.
I’ve met with the Joint Budget Committee and am encouraged by the leadership represented there.
Chair Mary Hodge, Rep. Cheri Gerou and all the members of the JBC, are knowledgeable and experienced leaders. We look forward to working with them.
We’ve done something unique to compliment the bipartisan spirit of the JBC and that is to create our own bipartisan budget team. My budget director, Henry Sobanet, worked for Gov. Bill Owens. My senior advisor, Todd Saliman, worked for Gov. Bill Ritter.
They are both experienced state budget experts and they also work well together and respect each other. We are proud to have both of them on our team.
Our state Constitution requires us to balance the budget annually. We can do better. We propose looking at the state budget challenge from a multi-year perspective, just like any business would do. We are working with our budget team to develop proposals that span more than one fiscal year and will share these ideas with you in the weeks ahead.
We view our task in three parts: making the hard decisions to balance the annual budget; improving how we spend the money we have; and restoring structural balance to our spending and tax rules.
We cannot fix all of these items this year or even in this building. But a long-term plan is critical to Colorado’s future.
We don’t doubt how difficult this work will be – no one in this room took office to cut programs that our needed and used by some of our most vulnerable citizens. No one wants to vote to support a budget that cuts education when clearly we need to instead find ways to better support our school districts and colleges.
This legislative session we are going to engage in very direct, very pragmatic conversations about what we can and cannot afford to do as a state government.
We are going to undertake a frank analysis of how and where government works – what is the real impact being realized in terms of tax dollars being spent. And for those programs and policies that while undertaken with good intent but have not proven to be effective. We are going to collectively make the decision on where to cut.
Our goal is to redefine the role of government to match what the people of this state can afford.
We have already directed my cabinet to identify savings, redundancies and efficiencies in each department.
We also have to look for meaningful consolidation. We’ve already begun this process in the administration already by combining some jobs and consolidating others. At the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, for example, we’ve combined the Chief Medical Officer position and the office of the Executive Director.
Thanks to Speaker McNulty, Minority Leader Pace and President Schaffer and Minority Leader Kopp, with the support of Rep. Swordfeger (swerd-fig-er) form Pueblo we are also making savings in the Lieutenant Governor’s office by authorizing our great partner, Joe Garcia, to take on two jobs – his constitutional role as Lieutenant Governor and leading the state’s Department of Higher Education.
We also want to express my sincere appreciation to Attorney General Suthers and his staff. They’ve been a great partner with us in all of these efforts.
EDUCATION
Education is the social bedrock for the hopes and dreams of our children and the foundation that is necessary for their future prosperity.
No community can have sustained economic growth without a good education system.
The link between education and economic development is clear. Ask any business leader thinking of moving or relocating a business to another state and she’ll likely tell you that tax incentives and public subsidies matter less than a state’s quality of life and the excellence of its schools.
Beyond economics, however, we have a moral obligation to the children of Colorado to do all that we can in the midst of this economic downturn to see that our budget decisions avoid compromising their future.
The past four years have marked Colorado as a leader in education reform and we have important work to see through – both the goal of ensuring a student-centered education system articulated in CAP4K and the creation of a fair and effective educator evaluation system. We must change the dynamic that a child’s potential not be predetermined by his or her ZIP code.
We cannot give you a magic prescription for avoiding cuts in K-12 education, or a sustainable means of funding higher education.
We have read, and commend to you, a strategic plan recently completed by Gov. Ritter’s citizen panel led by Rico Munn and co-chaired by Jim Lyons and Dick Monfort, outlining the stark choices we must make for higher education in Colorado.
We have asked Lt. Gov. Garcia to pick up where this important report leaves off and to work with the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to help us make the tough decisions.
In the end, we believe we’ll need to engage all of Colorado in a serious conversation about the value of higher education. As somebody who chose to start a new business in the midst of a previous recession, let me tell you, this doesn’t have to be the time to limit our investments or our dreams.
HEALTH CARE
We have a different kind of challenge when it comes to health care. The changes made in Washington, whether you support the new law or not, have to be addressed by the states.
We are better poised than others to develop the architecture for health care exchanges. Decisions made by the last administration and the Legislature have created an opportunity for Colorado to do a better and a more efficient job of providing health care than many other states.
In fact, the new health care law includes some opportunities for innovation and redesign of our local health care system, in ways that can both save the state money and improve the health of our citizens. One such option is the creation of what are called “Health Care Homes” for individuals for chronic diseases.
By adopting new standards and designs, we can substantially reduce the state share of expenses that we provide for primary care. It will be strategies like this and the passage of last year’s hospital provider fee that both improve our system and reduce our financial burden.
WATER
Colorado’s future depends upon how we cultivate our intellectual treasures and our natural resources. Much attention has been devoted to a debate about energy, the right balance between developing natural gas, coal and renewable energies.
But the natural resource that may, in the end, have the greatest impact on Colorado’s economic growth, is water.
A recent report by the Inter-Basin Compact Committee makes clear that a “status quo” approach to water will inevitably lead to pressures that harm our environment and dry up precious agricultural land.
We cannot let that happen.
The IBCC and other water leaders and stakeholders across Colorado are ready to work in a comprehensive way to develop strategies, especially conservation, to ensure that our cities and rural communities are both protected.
We want this effort close to the Governor’s Office but to send a clear and unambiguous message that water is a top priority in this administration.
We’ll take this ethic of collaboration and the search for common-ground to other issues besides water. Protecting our environment, keeping our air clean, conserving the natural beauty that defines Colorado – these are values we cherish and we won’t sacrifice them.
In this regard, we are surely on the right path as we implement legislation that was signed into law last year, the Clean Air Clean Jobs Act. This law places Colorado at the forefront in reducing pollutants, creating jobs and while it hasn’t been without controversy, we shouldn’t move backwards.
EFFICIENCY
In each of the areas that I’ve discussed this morning – jobs, budget, education, health care and the environment – we believe we have an opportunity to build greater public confidence in good government.
We know that government is not the same as running a restaurant, but there are lessons from the private sector that have an application here.
Like the electrician who knew about the durable fan that also provided better lighting, you’re going to have ideas about how to make state government more efficient, more effective and more elegant. Let me explain what I mean.
Effective. Let’s measure every aspect of government to be sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Let’s look at outcomes to judge whether our programs are successful.
Efficient. Services should be delivered in ways that are timely and effective. We will review every program, identify waste and duplication and measure for efficiency – at the lowest possible cost.
Elegant. When I say elegant, I’m not talking about fashion – you can tell that, just look at me. I’m talking about the delivery of state services in a way that elevates both the state employee and the person receiving state services. When someone applies for a driver’s license or inspection they shouldn’t feel disrespected by the interaction, and neither should the state employee. This is the essence of customer service.
All of these changes require a fundamental shift in the culture of government, and we have no more important partner in this effort than our state employees. Making government more effective, efficient and elegant means listening to our state employees and learning from them how we can do better.
We will visit state offices across Colorado in search of ideas for efficiency, and ways to re-design the delivery of services.
CONCLUSION
Members of the General Assembly, it’s a little warmer in here than it was on the steps of the Capitol on Tuesday.
Now as Gov. Ritter suggested I should get one minute of speaking for every degree in temperature. We checked the thermostat on the way in, and it’s about 70 degrees in these chambers which means I have another I’m about a third of a way let me check my watch just kidding. I have only one more point to add.
A lot of people don’t think the state can operate in a nonpartisan way for the benefit of Colorado.
We think we can do that even with something as politically charged as redistricting. We believe this process can be accomplished in this session given the bipartisan work you have already begun.
Colorado will be best served if lines are drawn to promote competitive districts, and we look forward to working with you to accomplish this goal.
We called our transition effort “Partners for Colorado” for a reason. We see each and every Coloradan as a member of our administration, with a stake in our decision-making and an invitation to share good ideas.
Like that general contractor in Colorado Springs who saved the Cheyenne Hotel, we are looking for people who want to make the project succeed.
That doesn’t mean we are always going to agree on everything. We know we will have our differences.
But the important thing is that we keep talking until we figure out the right solutions for Colorado.
Together, we have the opportunity to redefine the role of government and to redefine how we govern. I charge this collective body to believe that each of your colleagues is here with good intent and has undertaken the role of public service to do the right thing for the people of this state and for our future.
Together, we can work to show the people of Colorado that we are here to serve them, and that our efforts reflect the Western values of hard work, honesty and respect. And let’s not forget humor. Or the value of sharing a beer after a hard day’s work.
We have important work to do together.
Let’s get to it.

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Photo: Jamie Cotten, Law Week Colorado
New Rep. Pete Lee, left, and returning Rep. John Kefalas, both Democrats, are sworn in at the Capitol on Wednesday.

By Jake Strickler, STATE BILL COLORADO

Wednesday’s 68th General Assembly of the Colorado House of Representatives began on a somber note as Denver’s Archbishop Chaput spoke in honor of the victims of last weeks’ tragic shooting in Arizona before leading the assembly in Morning Prayer.

The weight of that event, though noticeably present, did not stop the morning’s speakers from adopting a lighthearted and optimistic attitude toward having fresh blood and new ideas with which to confront the problems facing this state and the rest of the nation.

Before swearing in the representatives for this term, Chief Justice Michael Bender expressed his thanks for “having this indoors,” the first of several references to the bitter cold that has fallen upon Colorado over the last few days. The atmosphere within the chambers, in contrast, was warm and congenial. As outgoing Speaker of the House Terrance Carroll announced the nomination and confirmation of Republican Frank McNulty as new Speaker, one representative jokingly yelled out, “How about a hug?” The two obliged the request to applause and laughter.

After a brief recess in which a committee was formed to notify the Senate of the House’s readiness to move on to the afternoon’s joint session, the quips kept coming. Majority Leader Amy Stephens apologized for the delay while chuckling that the “Senate is slower than molasses.”
After the recess, the tone became more sedate and reflective as the representatives got down to business.

Dominant concerns

With the reading of the nominations to this session’s various committees, the dominant concerns of this term were immediately identified: energy policy, job creation, healthcare reform, education, and the struggling economy.

McNulty’s opening remarks confirmed and addressed all of these concerns. The message was clear from the beginning: “Coloradans are struggling.” He communicated his desire for all representatives, new and returning, to have absolute, unwavering focus on solutions to the above problems. He also emphasized the need for ideological unity, referring to the transfer of power from the Democrats to the Republicans’ current one-seat majority in the House: “Philosophical disagreements should not distract us from the important challenges at hand.”

After expounding further upon the urgency and gravity of the issues being faced, McNulty invoked the pioneer spirit that built this state and expressed his belief that the same resourcefulness and determination will help Colorado and Coloradans work through current hardships.

Incoming Minority Leader Sal Pace’s remarks were in general agreement with McNulty’s. After getting in one jab (“Thanks for keeping my podium warm for the next two years”), Pace was quick to take up McNulty’s call for unity among the parties. After characterizing “the peaceful and orderly transfer of power from one party to another” as a “true spectacle of democracy,” Pace called for all representatives to “turn down the rhetoric” and “work together on behalf of all the people of Colorado.

“If we invest a little up front, we’ll save a lot down the road,” was the central message of Pace’s remarks. If party differences can be laid aside and this energy redirected into solving problems, this term’s representatives can work to “ensure that every action we take under this dome is intended to leave things better for the next generation, and for those children in this gallery today.”

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Heads up: This is our daily look at Capitol goings-on. News tip? editor@circuitmedia.com.

By Don Knox, STATE BILL COLORADO

NPR HAS AN AMUSING LOOK AT A ‘TEFLON’ HICKENLOOPER and a not so amusing look at the budget woes he faces. Here’s “All Things Considered.” Speaker McNulty at 2:08: “The rich uncle that has been giving us money isn’t here anymore.”

STATE OF THE STATE PREVIEW: Gov. John Hickenlooper says he’ll offer core principles but no major new programs in his first state of the state speech, Associated Press asserts.
– Go here this morning to watch.

THAT WAS SOO NOVEMBER: What’s with that flare up yesterday with the changing of the committee names? The Post has more about it here. Ashby, too.

TOUGH CROWD: Left-leaning ColoradoPols.com accuses the right-leaning McNulty, on his first day as speaker, of speech plagiarism. Much ado?

FROM STATEBILL’S VIRTUAL BILL DESK:

* House filed 58 bills. See them here.
* Senate filed 38 bills. See them here.

Post’s Tim Hoover talks about 10 of those bills here.

STORY TIP FOR OTHER JOURNOS: Many folks accessing their State Bill “virtual bill boxes” from tablet computers yesterday … Do you subscribe? If so, go here to see what we’re talking about.

ABOUT THAT NEW ‘FACE THE STATE’ NEWSPAPER: Brad Jones & Co. is out with a new weekly print publication — yep, a new *newspaper* — that includes a very cool crossword puzzle featuring many of us dome-heads. Yes, we were obsessed with that damn puzzle. (Full disclosure: Circuit Media, our parent company, assists with production, sales. E-mail Meg Satrom for a media kit: meg@circuitmedia.com.)

EDUCATION SITUATION: The first education bill of the 2011 legislative session was introduced Wednesday, a measure that proposes corralling “excess” state revenues and using them to offset cuts in state K-12 support, Education News Colorado reports.

PULLED FROM THE PAPERS: Rep. Mark Waller, a Republican, impressed with Hick’s inaugural speech (CS Indy). GOP, Dems show unity — sort of. (Durango Herald). Dems wary of widespread cuts (Denver Daily News). GOP vows major reversals (Denver Daily News). Bills target gas, oil revenue, pieces of Ritter legacy (Durango Herald). Lawmakers hold to cautious optimism as session begins (Aurora Sentinel). Colorado legislative leaders differ on how to spur jobs, business (DBJ).

WILLIAMS WATCH: Post editorializes Dems right to withhold chairmanship. … Headlines: After fatal crash in Texas, Colorado senator shows up for first day of legislative session (Post). Colo. lawmaker in fatal crash speaks (Amarillo TV Channel 7). Defiant, Sen. Williams returns to legislature after fatal crash (KDVR). Question: Is the media keeping a respectful distance?

WHAT NEXT, CATS, DOGS SLEEPING TOGETHER?: In Congresss, Udall says Rs, Ds should sit close to each other.

OBSESSED: This column marks State Bill’s 6,000th ‘tweet.’

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Colorado representatives introduced 58 House bills today — the first day of the General Assembly.

Review summaries of the bills, sponsor names and committee assignments here, courtesy of State Bill.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Colorado senators introduced 38 Senate bills today — the first day of the General Assembly.

Review summaries of the bills, sponsor names and committee assignments here, courtesy of State Bill.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov. John Hickenlooper was inaugurated as Colorado’s 42nd governor on Tuesday. Here’s how news organizations treated the story.

The Pueblo Chieftain: There’s room for everyone at Colorado’s kitchen table, Gov. John Hickenlooper said during his inauguration on Tuesday. The challenge of the next four years will be keeping everybody fed.

AOL Politics Daily: They were swilling pints of Hickenlooper’s Inaugurale in Denver Tuesday, toasting John Hickenlooper, the former brewpub owner, mayor and now Colorado governor — a Democrat billed as a bipartisan solution in a purple state.

State Bill Colorado: Former Denver mayor and newly sworn in Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper wasted no time addressing the state’s economic woes, announcing in his inaugural speech three executive orders aimed at creating jobs.

The Denver Post: On a morning that demanded both sunglasses and long underwear, John Hickenlooper was sworn in Tuesday as Colorado’s 42nd governor, vowing to chart a bipartisan, business-friendly course and start work on improving the state’s anemic economy.

Associated Press: Hickenlooper joked after the address that he was so cold he couldn’t feel his fingers to turn the pages of his speech.

The Durango Herald: It was Jan. 12, 2010, when John Hickenlooper walked from Denver’s City Hall, across a park and up the steps of the state Capitol to announce his campaign for governor. He returned Tuesday, one day shy of a year later – this time with a military band playing “Hail to the Chief” – swore an oath on the Bible and became Colorado’s 42nd governor.

State Bill Colorado: Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, inaugurated today, elaborated on themes of civil discourse in the wake of the Arizona shootings and also gave more background on three executive orders he signed today.

State Bill Colorado: Former Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter appended this note for incoming Gov. John Hickenlooper to a painting in the governor’s office.

7News: New Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper has a long first day in office.

The Grand Junction Sentinel: None of the state’s Republican congressmen attended the event, including newly elected U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton of the 3rd Congressional District.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Gov. John Hickenlooper, inaugurated today, signed a fourth executive order that creates an education leadership council.

It supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council. That order was issued by Hickenlooper’s predecessor, Bill Ritter.

The announcement and the text of the order follow.

Gov. Hickenlooper signs Executive Order to create Education Leadership Council

DENVER ­— Tuesday, Jan. 11, 2011 — Gov. John Hickenlooper attended a luncheon today for the My Colorado student contest winners and signed an executive order to create the Governor’s Education Leadership Council.

“Our state’s future is only as strong as our students and their ability to gain a world-class education,” Hickenlooper said. “By establishing this leadership council, we are building on past successful initiatives and ensuring a skilled workforce to compete in a global economy.”

The Governor’s Education Leadership Council will be housed in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and will replace the previous Governor’s P-20 Educating Coordinating Council.

“Under Lt. Gov. Joe Garcia’s leadership,” Hickenlooper said, “we will help current students and future generations find the best education, regardless of geographic location, social or economic background.”

This is the fourth Executive Order signed today by Gov. Hickenlooper:

B 2010-010

EXECUTIVE ORDER

Creating the Governor’s Education Leadership Council

Pursuant to the authority vested in the Office of the Governor of the State of Colorado, I, John Hickenlooper, Governor of the State of Colorado, hereby issue this Executive Order creating the Governor’s Education Leadership Council to be housed in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor. This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council.

I. Background, Need, and Purpose

Colorado is a resource rich state, and its most vital resource is its people. Just as we cultivate our natural resources to make Colorado a more prosperous state, so too we must invest in and cultivate our citizens. Each successive generation must foster the development of its future teachers, entrepreneurs, farmers, small business owners, and professionals. To be competitive in the global marketplace, Colorado’s businesses and industries require increasing numbers of highly skilled employees. The state’s economic competitiveness and the prosperity and quality of life of its individual residents depend on the universal excellence and competitiveness of its public education systems. Colorado must educate its way to a stronger economy.

The 21st century talent pipeline must be inclusive, diverse, and reach all communities, regardless of their location, setting, or resources. It must be a seamless continuum from cradle to college, encompassing the state’s early childhood efforts at one end and world-class postsecondary institutions at the other. It must cultivate talent from the earliest stages of life, prepare students for successful entry into formal education systems, train students to be ready for entry into postsecondary or workforce pursuits upon completion of compulsory education, and ensure that only motivation and interest determine whether a student will enter into and complete postsecondary studies.

Between 2007 and 2010, the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council was successful in fulfilling the requirements of Executive Order B 003 07. The P-20 Education Coordinating Council created numerous recommendations for the improved alignment and design of the state’s early childhood, K-12 and postsecondary education systems. During this same timeframe, the Colorado General Assembly passed several additional laws and the Colorado State Board of Education passed rules with profound and far reaching implications for reforming the state’s education systems; the Colorado Commission on Higher Education prepared a forward-looking strategic plan and launched a statewide master planning process; and the Early Childhood Leadership Commission adopted the Early Childhood Colorado Framework as a strategic guide.

If implemented successfully, these initiatives hold the promise to align the state’s education systems, improve the quality of instruction throughout the state, and allow all students, regardless of their geographic location, ancestry, or personal wealth, to prepare for full participation in the increasingly demanding and competitive Colorado economy. The successful implementation of these laws is not the responsibility of one agency or board, but is a shared obligation of the executive and legislative branches of government, locally elected school boards and district administrators, educators in classrooms, early childhood providers, and postsecondary governing boards and administrators. Additionally, the ultimate success of these initiatives requires the involvement and support of parents, health care and human service providers, community partners, and the private sector.

Therefore, to deliver on the collective promise of the state’s recent education reforms and continue the cross-system dialogue that recently facilitated broad agreement on the direction of the future and functions of the state’s education systems, it is imperative that the Office of the Governor continues to provide a meaningful forum through which the state’s leadership can examine the current status of education policies, analyze the systems’ near-term opportunities and challenges, and make recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, and governing boards regarding potential long-term improvements to the state’s education systems that facilitate the goals of closing achievement gaps in schools, reducing the high school dropout rate, and dramatically increasing the number of postsecondary degrees and certificates earned by the state’s citizens.

For these purposes, the Education Leadership Council has been created.

II. Mission and Scope

A. The Education Leadership Council shall be housed in the Lieutenant Governor’s office. The Lieutenant Governor will be responsible for chairing the council, scheduling the meetings, setting the agenda, and reporting to the Governor.

B. The scope of the Education Leadership Council shall be to improve Colorado’s standing in the country as a leader in providing 21st century learning opportunities from birth through graduate school.

C. The purpose of the Education Leadership Council shall be to provide a forum for discussing the progress of the implementation and synchronization of the education reform initiatives recently enacted and any additional major reform initiatives that are enacted during the duration of the commission.

D. The Education Leadership Council shall also provide a forum to discuss policy initiatives that should be created, implemented or promoted for the purpose of addressing any of the issues identified in the Background, Need and Purpose statement of this Executive Order as well as efforts intended to address the following topics:

1. improving school readiness;

2. reducing dropout rates;

3. easing transitions between systems and institutions;

4. closing achievement gaps among members of different income, racial and ethnic groups;

5. reducing remediation rates for students entering higher education;

6. increasing student retention and graduation rates;

7. increasing the number of degrees and certificates awarded; and

8. removing barriers for entry into college and the performance of graduates.

E. The Education Leadership Council shall facilitate conversations to discuss the status of reform initiatives and, as needed, formulate recommendations, including possible legislative and policy remedies, needed for their accomplishment.

F. The Education Leadership Council shall guide the efforts of the governor to strategically and intentionally engage the private sector and foundation community to address current gaps in the education pipeline by leveraging their resources with existing public sector dollars.

G. The Education Leadership Council shall provide a report on its activities and recommendations to the Governor, General Assembly, State Board of Education, and Colorado Commission on Higher Education at the end of each calendar year of its formal existence.

H. The Education Leadership Council shall meet regularly and shall determine its own meeting schedule.

III. Membership

A. The Education Leadership Council shall be composed of members appointed by and serving at the pleasure of the Governor.

B. Required members of the Education Leadership Council shall include, but not be limited to the following members:

1. the Lieutenant Governor, who will serve as Chairman of the Council,

2. the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Higher Education or his or her designee from the Department of Higher Education,

3. the Commissioner of Education or his or her designee from the Department of Education,

4. the Chairman of the Colorado Commission on Higher Education or his or her designee from the CCHE,

5. the Chairman of the Colorado State Board of Education or his or her designee from the SBE,

6. the Chairman of the Senate Education Committee or his or her designee from the Senate Education Committee,

7. the Chairman of the House Education Committee or his or her designee from the House Education Committee,

8. the Executive Director of the Early Childhood Leadership Commission or his or her designee,

9. the Executive Director of Health and Human Services,

10. at least one member who is a member of a local school board,

11. at least one member who is a school superintendent or building principal,

12. at least one member who is a classroom teacher,

13. at least one member who is a board member of or administrator at a public charter school,

14. at least one member who is a postsecondary administrator representing the two-year sector,

15. at least one member who is a postsecondary administrator or instructor representing the four-year sector,

16. at least one member who represents private businesses or industries in Colorado,

17. at least one member who represents an organization that supports or has expertise in infant health and development, and

18. any other citizens of the State of Colorado that the Governor considers suitable for the council.

C. The Education Leadership Council may create subcommittees as needed to address specific issues and may, at the discretion of the Council, invite experts, consultants, and ex officio members to support the work of the subcommittees.

IV. Staffing and Resources

Staff in the Office of the Lieutenant Governor and Office of the Governor shall provide to the Education Leadership Council necessary support, information, data, analytical information, and administrative support.

The Education Leadership Council shall have the power to accept money and in-kind contributions from private entities and persons only to the extent such donations are necessary to cover its expenses. Any money contributed to the Education Leadership Council shall be directed to the Office of the Governor and deposited with the Treasurer of the State of Colorado in an account within the Office of the Governor’s budget. Members of the Education Leadership Council shall serve without compensation, but may, at the discretion of the chair and approval of the Office of the Governor, be reimbursed for any actual expenses incurred.

V. Directive

The Governor’s Education Leadership Council is hereby created. . This Executive Order supersedes Executive Order B 003 07 creating the Governor’s P-20 Education Coordinating Council.

VI. Duration

This Executive Order shall remain in force unless modified or rescinded earlier by a subsequent Executive Order

GIVEN under my hand and the

Executive Seal of the State of

Colorado, eleventh day

of January, 2011.

John W. Hickenlooper

Governor

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