Bills turn into 'Three E's'
of this legislative session
As your State Senator, I make it my duty to learn the intricacies of every bill that crosses my desk, to make sure that I am making informed decisions on my votes in committee and on the Senate floor. We are immersed in issues relating to health care, transportation, disaster recovery, gun ownership, housing, etc. But it turns out that a focus of my work has been in areas that, coincidentally, all begin with the letter "E."
I ha ve already helped send one bill to the Governor's desk on an issue involving education reform (HB 14-1208, a bill that authorizes school district partnerships in three rural areas). A bill protecting the elderly (SB 14-098) has passed the Senate on third reading and is now making its way through the House of Representatives. The third "E" that has absorbed so much of my attention is the area of economic development, and HB 14-1079 (Capital for Businesses) has passed the Senate in third reading and now goes back to the House for confirmation.
I am happy to discuss with you the ins-and-outs of any bill on any subject, but I think it's good for you to know that I am putting so much focus on these "three E's." Please contact me at [email protected] with any questions.
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I mentioned in the last newsletter that I am co-sponsoring the School Counselor Corps Grant Program (SB 14-150), and I'm pleased to say that it has passed in the Senate Education Committee. It amends and expands a program currently in place, designed to increase and support the amount of counseling available in secondary schools. The bill now is in the Senate Appropriations Committee. The School Turnaround bill (SB 14-124) has also passed the Education Committee and is also in Appropriations. It's the bill that would establish a grant program for leadership in the efforts to redirect those schools that need to be "turned around."
U.S. 36 was 'Coffee' topic
I want to extend my appreciation to everyone who attended 'Coffee with Constituents' at Indian Tree in Arvada on Thursday, March 13. We engaged in a valuable conversation about the long-term maintenance of U.S. Highway 36, including commuting options for the Boulder to Denver corridor. Thank you to Kurt Morrison from CDOT and Senator Rollie Heath for speaking on this topic.
Please come out to my next 'Coffee with Constituents' on Thursday, April 10, 7 a.m. - 8 a.m. 'Coffee with Constituents' will be held on the second Thursday of every month at the Indian Tree Golf Course Club House, 7555 Wadsworth Blvd., 7 a.m. - 8 a.m.
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Town Hall on floods, fire
Our monthly Town Hall meeting on Saturday, Ma rch 15 at Indian Tree featured an informative discussion on fire and flood recovery. Thank you to our guest speakers: Kevin Klein, Colorado's Director of Homeland Security & Emergency Management; and Vaughn Jones, Acting Deputy Chief of Operations for the Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control.
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Next Town Hall at library
The next Town Hall (and possibly several thereafter) will be held at the Standley Lake Library, 8485 Kipling St. in Arvada on Saturday, April 19, 10:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., and we will talk about developments within the State Budget. This issue is beginning to heat up in the General Assembly.
In partnership with State Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, the Town Halls are held on the third Saturday of every month.
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Sen. Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger was sworn in as State Senator to Colorado's District 19 on Dec. 13, 2013. She served as the Arvada City Council's District 1 representative following her election in November 2009, and she served as Mayor Pro Tem between 2011-2013. Her background is in education, and she received her master's degree in Adult Learning, Training and Development from Regis University. She was coordinator of the Master of Arts In Education Program at Regis; and she was coordinator for the Adams 12 Expelled Program. She has worked on behalf of numerous non-profits including Catholic Charities, the Arvada Center, Ralston House and the Arvada Community Food Bank.
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The Arvada Economic Development Association is accepting applications from Arvada businesses who want to take advantage of AEDA's 50-50 match funds grants. These grants, up to $15,000, allow existing businesses and property owners to make capital improvements to the exterior of their properties. Applications for this fiscal quarter, available via the AEDA website, are due for completion by March 31. Future quarter deadlines are listed on the AEDA website.
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Congratulations to Mike Litzau and Lisa Steven on their awards for Man and Woman of the Year, as recognized by the Arvada Chamber of Commerce. My office created a tribute in recognition of them and others who won awards from the Chamber that day: Scott Parker and Athan Miller, Image Award; and Michelle Francis and Jeremy Gregory, Young Professionals.
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I attended the two caucus meetings relevant to my Senate District 19 and talked to some people who are passionate about politics ... I spoke at the Alliance for Sustainable Colorado Legislative Briefing ... I attended the Metro North Chamber's "Day at the Capitol" on March 5 and talked to them about U.S. 36 and urban renewal ... I spoke at the Property & Casualty Insurance Day at the Capitol lunch panel ... I attended the Community Roundtable at the American Legion Hall in Arvada ... I participated in the Arvada Chamber's monthly Community Breakfast on March 7 ... I spoke about Senior issues as the guest speaker on a panel March 10 ... I had lunch with the Colorado Bankers Association ... I met with the organization "Speak up for Kids" ... I was the guest speaker March 12 at my Kiwanis Club and shared about my life as a legislator and the crazy things that you might not expect to happen at the State Capitol ... I attended the Westminster Fire Chief Green Chili Cook-off... If there is an event that you think I should attend, please notify me!
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More news via FB, Twitter
For regular (sometimes daily) updates on news at the Capitol, please consider following me on Facebook and Twitter. Thank you!
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