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Greetings!
Everyone keeps asking what I plan to do this summer, now that the legislative session has adjourned for the year. Do you get to slow down? Will you be traveling? Are you gainfully employed? The answer to all these questions is "No. (but I'd like to be)"
First, I am planning to step back just a bit from the schedule of weekly email newsletters that I sent out during the legislative session. Now that summer is here, look for a little less frequency in these communications. Twice a month or so seems likely. It really depends on how much traveling I do or whether I find a part-time job. And of course, it depends on how often I have news to update.
CAMPAIGN SEASON BEGINS
Yes, 2012 is an election year and yes, my name will be on the ballot as a candidate for reelection to the State Senate. I am just starting to settle into campaign mode.
Tuesday, June 26 is the primary election. There are very few contested primary races this year, although the Republicans seem to have a lot more than the Dems. If you live in Senate District 31, the only primary contests are for Republican candidates for Congressional District 1 and CU Regent At-Large. It's important that you vote nonetheless.
Campaign season means work with the Democratic Senate Campaign Fund. Much of my time this summer will be spent helping other Democratic candidates for the State Senate, ensuring that our party maintains its majority. Democrats held 20 of 35 seats in the Senate during the 68th General Assembly, and we'd like to have at least that many again in the 69th.
In Denver, Sens. Irene Aguilar and Mike Johnston are also on the ballot with me this year. But the key to holding a majority of the Senate will lie in suburban districts bordering Denver. In addition to helping with fundraising, I'll be campaigning to reelect Sens. Linda Newell, Mary Hodge and Evie Hudak and to get Rep. Andy Kerr elected to a new, vacant Senate seat in Lakewood.
ENDORSEMENTS, RATINGS & SCORECARDS
As we enter the campaign season various advocacy groups are looking back at our voting records and looking forward by offering their endorsement of our candidacy. Endorsements signal that an interest group likes a particular candidate, but ratings and scorecards show you how incumbents compare to their peers. While you have to consider the source when viewing this information, it does provide helpful perspective on the work of the General Assembly and individual legislators. In the coming weeks there will be plenty of news about the release of endorsements, rating and scorecards. I keep track of it all on my website:
- Click here for a listing of Endorsements for my candidacy for reelection
- Click here for an index of Scorecards that have been published and links to the document and the organization that produced it
One of the most recent endorsements I've earned made news last week - Click Here to read about the Colorado Association of Commerce & Industry, a group that has been traditionally stingy about endorsing Democratic candidates. I'm one of three Dems they've endorsed so far this year.
WRAPPING UP THE 2012 LEGISLATIVE SESSION(S)
I've written several summaries of the accomplishments of the 2012 sessions. Here's a nice compilation of the links to the various blog posts:
We've also added to the website quite a few stories from the news media that detail various bits of the action, drama and comedy from the 2012 sessions. You can relive it all by pouring over the pages of my website at: www.PatSteadman.com
BILL SIGNINGS
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Governor Hickenlooper signs HB 12-1315 into
law while Rep. Jon Becker and I look on with
a group of advocates and supporters from the
Colorado Energy Office, renewable energy
businesses and environmental organizations. |
Governor Hickenlooper has until Friday, June 8 to sign or veto bills passed during the regular legislative session. The following Friday will be the deadline to sign or veto bills from the special session. If the governor does not act on a bill within the deadline it becomes law without his signature. So far this year that's only happened once - HB 12-1348 - and in that case the governor was quite purposeful in refusing to sign or veto the bill. HB 1348 dealt with available office space within the Capitol Complex of state buildings, and it allocated certain floors in a soon to be vacated building to the legislature. It represented a bit of spat between the executive and legislative branches, but the governor knew a veto was likely to be overridden so he let the bill go without acting on it.
Almost all of the bills I sponsored this year have now been signed into law - of those that passed, I should say. On Monday afternoon, June 4, Gov. Hickenlooper signed HB 12-1281, a Medicaid provider payment reform pilot program that will allow partnerships to better manage care and control costs. It's easy to talk about structuring payment incentives to improve outcomes and not simply pay a fee for every service provided. But it will take a collaborative effort to actually build a care delivery model to accomplish these goals, and HB 1281 should help us get there. The JBC has a keen interest in seeing reforms such a this take hold in our Medicaid program.
As always, you can find a complete list of the bills I sponsored this year and their current status by visiting this page on my website. At this point the status of just about every one of the bills I passed this year is "Signed by Governor."
UPCOMING EVENTS
As campaign season takes off, look for lots of events on the Event Calendar on my website. I'll be walking door-to-door, attending picnics and neighborhood meetings and making myself as available to the constituents of Senate District 31 as I possibly can. I'll also be hosting and attending lots of fundraisers...!
Thursday, June 7, 2012, 5:30 to 7:00 pm
Democratic Senate Campaign Fund: Post-Session Fund-Raiser
at the home of Pat Steadman & Dave Misner
1257 Corona St., Denver CO 80218
Many of the members of the Senate Democratic Caucus and most of our candidates for election this year will be on hand for this annual event to raise money for targeted campaigns to keep a Democratic majority in the State Senate. Guests are asked to contribute $100 to DSCF, and it's not too late to join the Host Committee! Click here to donate online.
Sunday, June 17, 2012, 9:00 am
PrideFest Parade
Begins in Cheesman Park, ends in Civic Center
Now more than ever I'm seeking volunteers to march behind the State Senator Pat Steadman banner in the annual PrideFest Parade - I've been named one of the Grand Marshals for the parade! This means I'll be riding in a convertible at the beginning of the parade and I'll need some enthusiastic volunteers to be representin' me in the candidate contingent further back. Contact me if you'd like to be in the parade: 720-530-7047 or pat@patsteadman.com
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Family and friends helped carry the banner in the PrideFest Parade in 2011 -
we're looking for a few good volunteers to help us out this year! |
STAY IN TOUCH!
I hope you've found these email newsletters informative and useful. I try to keep it relevant and interesting so you can appreciate the work of your State Senator. Please follow me on Twitter and like my page on Facebook using the links below. Be sure to check out my website at www.PatSteadman.com for all the latest news and events. I want to hear from you, so please be in touch!
Thanks for reading!
Pat Steadman
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