Here is a summary of the bills I put forward in the 2011 session, and their status:
Lean Government Principles & Performance/HB 11-1212:
The bill defines lean government principles as a continuous and rapid process improvement of state government that involves eliminating a department's nonvalue-added processes, providing feedback on process improvements that have the purpose of increasing a department's efficiency and effectiveness, and measuring the outcomes of such improvements. The bill also states that if applied, a strategic plan must include a report regarding the application of lean government principles.
Sections 1 to 3 of the bill allow a department to apply lean government principles in establishing performance-based goals for purposes of performance-based budgeting. Section 4 of the bill requires that, no later than January 1, 2012, the department of personnel must collaborate with the office of information technology to create and make available to all departments common templates and tools for the implementation of lean government principles.
This bill was signed into law on May 13th, 2011.
Juror Service Courts/HB 11-1153:
The bill defines "juror service" as the period of time during which a person is committed to serving upon a jury, from the time the person reports and checks in on his or her designated reporting date through and until he or she is released by the court or by the jury commissioner. Each summons to juror service shall include instructions to the juror for retrieving jury service acknowledgment information. In setting the date to which a trial juror's service is postponed, the jury commissioner shall notify the juror by telephone or in writing of the new date.
The bill eliminates statutory language concerning juror service certificates and replaces it with language concerning juror service acknowledgment information. A jury commissioner shall retain juror service acknowledgment information and make it available electronically via the internet for 12 months after jurors have completed juror service. If a juror requests juror service acknowledgment information relating to his or her juror service at any time during the 12-month period, the jury commissioner shall provide the information within 60 days after the request. Trial juror payments for each juror's service shall be processed by the state by check or electronic funds transfer within 10 days after the conclusion of the juror's service. The state shall process grand juror payments at least on a monthly basis.
This bill was signed into law on March 29th, 2011.
Pay-As-You-Go Requirements/HB 11-1052:
The bill requires that any legislation that reduces revenues or spends taxpayer dollars must identify exactly where those dollars will come from. In these tough economic times when tough budget cuts are going to be necessary, there is nothing more important than to ensure that we never spend more than we have and, most important, make it very clear to Colorado taxpayers how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent and how the services they count on are being impacted.
This bill was defeated on a party-line vote in the House Committee on Finance on February 14th, 2011. Happy Valentine’s Day….
Local Improvement District Authority/HB 11-137:
Current law allows a county to create a local improvement district in order to construct and fund certain improvements within the boundaries of the district with the affirmative vote of affected property owners. Some of these improvements can be funded by imposing a sales tax throughout the district or by using a combination of assessments and a sales tax. This bill allows a district to also use these funding mechanisms to provide certain services.
This bill was defeated on a party-line vote in the House Committee on Local Government on February 16th, 2011.
Solid waste Diversion from Landfills/HB 11-1094:
The bill concerns the measurement of solid waste diverted from landfills, such as recycled and composted materials, and instructs the Colorado Department of Public Health's Solid and Hazardous Waste Commission to make recommendations to increase the amount of solid waste and other materials that can be diverted and to evaluate potential diversion and recycling goals that would be beneficial for citizens of the state to pursue
This bill was defeated on a party-line vote in the House Committee on Local Government on February 7th, 2011.
A sampling of bills that I co-sponsored, and their status:
HB11-1254 – House Democrats are fighting to curb the disturbing trend in trend of school bullying. This bill, brought by my colleague Rep. Sue Schafer (D-Wheatridge), creates a grant program to allow school administrators to conduct yearly surveys of bullying in their schools and develop methods for fighting against it. This bill is an important step towards ensuring that all of Colorado’s students have a safe place in which to learn and grow. This bill was signed into law on May 13th, 2011.
HB11-1201 – House Democrats are slashing governmental red tape to ensure that good teachers are in the class room teaching Colorado’s children, not pointlessly waiting to clear bureaucratic hurdles. My colleague Rep. Millie Hamner (D-Dillon) brought this bill to streamline the licensing of Colorado teachers. Specifically, this bill will allow teachers to submit an affidavit that they have completed their continuing education requirements, rather than submit more cumbersome forms. This bill was signed into law on May 4th, 2011.
HB11-1211 – House Democrats bringing accountability to state charted organizations, like Pinnacol Assurance, to ensure that they use our money for its appropriate purpose, not for lavish vacations. As you may recall, it came to light last year that Pinnacol was using money intended for worker’s compensation claims on golf trips to Pebble Beach and spa treatments in Utah. My colleague, Minority Leader Sal Pace (D-Pueblo), brought a bill to end these kinds of practices. His bill creates a limit on how much organizations like Pinnacol can spend on travel. This bill was signed into law on May 27th, 2011.
As always, I am very interested in your opinions regarding these bills or any others under consideration this session. Please contact me anytime at my office, 303-866-2915, or via email at repdlh@comcast.net.
State Representative Dickey Lee Hullinghorst
Colorado House District 10
