On Tuesday, the acute and immediate need for the passage of sound Carbon Monoxide legislation in Colorado was most evident. The hearing was held in the Old Supreme Court Chambers, to accommodate members of the public, members of the General Assembly, as well as the Members of the Business Affairs Committee. We listened to grieving family members testify. They highlighted the accomplishments of recent victims, all lives cut short too young, including the Lofgren family and DU student Lauren Johnson. The testimony highlighted the fact that these deaths were unnecessary and untimely.

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Last week the 2009 Colorado Legislative Session opened to much fanfare. Today, after a mandatory meeting for legislators on the General Assembly's sexual harassment policy, we can now get down to work.

Given the state's economic woes, as well as issues that continue to face health care, I anticipate a busy session and hopefully a highly productive one.

As my constituent, you are warmly encouraged to contact me as the session progresses. Let me know how you feel about bills and issues as they arise. Thank you!

Anne

As we near the end of this national weekend of Thanksgiving, I am grateful for many things – good friends, good food, a loving family and most especially the hardworking House District 3 constituents and volunteers who worked with me this election cycle.

You contributed your time and money so generously to assure that we turned out the vote to win for Democrats both nationally and in state elections. Once again, HD3 had one of the highest percentages of voter turnout and Democratic performance in Colorado thanks to your phone banking and canvassing throughout October, as well as Election Day door knocking.

Thank you for your warm words of congratulations and support since Election Day. I will not serve as Chair of the House Health and Human Services Committee in the upcoming session, and look forward to the freedom that gives me to work on a variety of issues. And I look forward to another productive session addressing your concerns.

I intend to write more on what I think it is important to do going forward, and need to hear from you. What are your priorities and goals in the state? What can we do in the state to affect national priorities? Look for postings of coffees with me at Kaladi's and Mile High Coffee soon.

My thanks and good wishes to you and yours.

-Anne

House District 3's famous phone banking is in full force, and we need you! There are now more registered Democrats than Republicans in Arapahoe, Denver and Jefferson Counties, so our task is bigger than in past years.

Join us Monday through Thursday* between 5 pm and 8 pm to phone bank with your neighbors, and we will feed you a wonderful home cooked meal!

WHERE: 837 Sherman Street, Denver
WHEN: Weeknights at 5 pm
CONTACT: 303-861-5900, ext 310 or just come join us!

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Last night I had the opportunity to meet and debate my Republican opponent for the House District 3 election this November. Our debate will be aired on Denver 8 TV on Saturday, September 27 at 7 PM. Denver 8 TV will be airing Candidate Forums in a variety of Denver candidate elections this fall. The current schedule for the upcoming Denver area debates on Denver 8 TV is as follows:

State Senate - District 35 - September 27, 11:30 am, 9:00 pm and September 30, 8:30 pm

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John McCain’s selection of Sarah Palin as his nominee for Vice President comes 24 years after Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro – it took the Republican Party a long time to catch up to the Democrats on that front. But Sarah Palin, only one heartbeat away from being President, would set the country back a hundred years.

It’s not Palin’s lack of national or foreign policy experience that should worry you most. The Republican choice for Vice Presidential nominee supports the most conservative agenda including creationism teaching in public schools; taking away a woman’s right to control her own reproductive health; opposing all GLBT relationships, including marriage and civil unions. She shoots AK47s in Iraq and thinks that theses guns should be allowed in the streets of America. She fired the state official who wouldn’t violate state civil service rules by firing Palin’s former brother-in-law at her request. Her political “management” experience comes from being mayor of a small (population 9000) town in Alaska and then being governor for 18 months of a state with only 640,000 residents (about the size of Baltimore, Maryland), all of whom receive an annual oil and gas dividend payment.

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Dennis "Dee" Roe died yesterday at Rose Hospital. Dee was a founding member of the Colorado Progressive Coalition in 1997 and continued to work with the Coalition until a few months ago, when his medical problems became too severe to continue. He had a major part in working to obtain prescription drug benefits in Colorado, holding public forums across the state on this issue, doing grassroots organizing to bring consumers into the health care reform effort, and again organizing forums to inform people of the 208 Commission and the opportunities that could be realized for health care reform through that Commission. He would often testify at the Legislature on important health care bills.

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Anticipating the sound of the final gavel marking the close of the 2008 legislative session, I want to share with you some notable accomplishments of the General Assembly this year. I'll start with health care reform, given its place as my prime focus and its importance as a hot topic this election year.

Over the past two years, I have worked in collaboration with the chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on comprehensive health care reform. I salute Sen. Bob Hagedorn's 16 years of public service in the House and Senate. Of the many bills we have worked on together, two bills this session are especially noteworthy. A bill that advances the discussion on comprehensive health care reform, SB 217, also known as Centennial Care Choices, is on its way to the Governor for signature. And SB 160 will expand health care coverage to 50,000 more children.

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Treat yourself and a friend to the 4th Annual University Park Home Tour. This fun event benefits the students of University Park Elementary School, located at 2300 S. St. Paul. The tour features five fabulous homes plus the historic Chamberlin Observatory in this very popular Denver neighborhood.

When: Sunday, May 4, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Where: University Park

Cost: $15 in advance or $20 day of event

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Please join me in supporting the Dumb Friends League during the 2008 Furry Scurry to be held, as usual, in Washington Park. This annual event is being held on this Saturday, May 3rd.

I will be walking with “Ms. G” , one of my two sweet canine companions. Any contribution is welcome.

You can sponsor my participation by either going online at: http://ddfl.convio.net/goto/Anne.McGihon or mailing a check (made out to Dumb Friends League)

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