February 2007

Legislative Alley

by  Bob Burton

Vice-President\Legislative Director

 

Hello Brothers and Sisters,

A new year is well underway and already we are seeing the fruit of all our hard work. Thanks to those of you who participated in the fall election by either supporting or voting for candidates who won that are supportive of working families. Because of your effort to vote our legislators in the Colorado House, the State Senate as well as the Governors mansion are holding a Democratic majority.  You have helped change the political landscape in Colorado from a "Red" state to one that now has a decidedly purple color and heading toward a bright blue.  Governor Ritter has put affordable health care at the top of his list for the many currently uninsured residents of Colorado.  Education and jobs is also a top priority in which he intends to work with the state legislature.

 

In the November election a strong signal for change was also sent to Washington D.C.  Both the House of Representatives and the Senate came under Democratic control. Hopefully the family friendly people that were sent to Washington will listen to the will of the people and take care of the peoples business instead of big business. With the Democrats in control of the House for the first time in twelve years, they put forth a 100-hour agenda.  New Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi listed 8 goals the Democrats wanted to accomplish in the first 100 hours of the 110th Congress.  They were all passed in the House in 87 hours. The 8 pieces of legislation are as follows:

 

1. Adopt new ethics rules...

2. Raise the minimum wage......

3. Expand taxpayer-financed research on embryonic stem cells...

4. Force more homeland security measures....

5. To negotiate for cheaper Medicare prescription drugs...

6. Lower interest rates on subsidized student loans...

7. Reimpose rules that require tax cuts or new spending to benefits programs to

be accompanied by revenue increases elsewhere in the budget...

8. Recover royalties from oil and gas companies and roll back industry tax cuts.

 

These are the results of sending people to Congress who put the interest of working families first over big business.  One of the next orders of business will include the Employee Free Choice Act which will help workers organize unions so please pay attention, ask questions and get involved!  May God bless you all and God Bless America.