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.

Here are other highlights in the health care arena:

• Under the FAIR Act, or Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act, health insurance rates cannot be increased without good cause. (HB 1389)
• Reimbursement rates will be increased for services provided to low-income and disabled patients through Medicaid. (HB 1375)
• Insurance companies must provide evidence-based screenings for colon cancer, the second leading cancer killer in Colorado.
• 80,000 Colorado mothers will be able to donate adult stem cells from umbilical cords for use as life-saving therapies for such illnesses as leukemia, cerebral palsy and sickle cell anemia. (HB 1372)

Other key bills this session:

• BEST, or Build Excellent Schools Today, makes up to $1 billion available to repair and rebuild crumbling schools. (HB 1335) In addition, SB 218 re-allocates federal mineral lease funds to help under-funded college campuses maintain their infrastructure.
• Under HB 1384, stipends will be awarded to teachers who focus on hard-to-serve districts. The bill also streamlines the licensure process.
• Utility-scale solar energy projects will be opened to the market, thanks to HB 1164.
• HB 1280 protects water rights and keeps more water in the river to safeguard ecosystems.
• The business personal property tax will be eliminated for 30,000 small businesses. (HB 1225)
• Some $26.5 million will be available for universities and start-up companies to move bioscience and other new technologies out of the lab and into the marketplace. (HB 1001)

I'd like to extend a big thank you to all my constituents, who have provided so much helpful feedback this session.

Anne

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