"Gracie's bill" passes out of Senate, heads to the House
The Senate voted on Friday to exempt physicians who treat patients with a rare disease from the state's non-compete convenant. This was in reaction to patients and their families who brought the issue forward and advocated for change.
At the Capitol, we like to refer to
Senate Bill 18-082 as
"Gracie's Bill". It was her story, told by her mother and SD19 constituent
Susan Hoyt, that compelled me to run the bill for this critical change. Seven year old Grace Hoyt has a rare disease called Posterior Column Ataxia with Retinitis Pigmentosa. This means that she has ataxia, is legally blind, and does not feel pain.
Listening to Gracie's story in the
State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee
Not feeling pain is the most difficult part of her condition. Gracie has had numerous infections resulting in hospitalization. In 2013, the doctor treating Gracie left her position and moved to a different hospital. Unfortunately, the terms of her non-compete agreement prevented her from communicating with the family about Gracie's care.
To this day the Hoyts have not found an infectious disease specialist who can treat Gracie like their former doctor. It is extremely difficult to find a doctor who can treat individuals with rare diseases and disorders, much less lose that docotor to a non-compete agreement. Thankfully, we passed "Gracie's Bill" on a 34-1 vote.
Educator loan forgiveness bill in committee this week
Last year, the legislature passed
HB17-1003 to examine the educator shortage in Colorado. The resulting
report, a joint effort of the Colorado Department of Higher Education and the Colorado Department of Education, cited several reasons for the shortage: "low teacher salaries, rising costs of college education coupled with increased student loan debt, competition with more prestigious and higher paying professions...etc."
Teaching how a bill becomes a law to
5th graders at Arvada K-8
The report calls out promising practices for addressing the educator shortage in three areas: recruitment, induction and retention. Educator Loan Forgiveness programs was one strategy emphasized in the report. They note: "Given the high cost of teacher preparation and percentage of teachers who receive student loans to finance their education, loan forgiveness and scholarships are strong incentives to prospective educator preparation students." Furthermore, these programs can also prompt re-entry into the profession.
The overwhelming majority of states, 40, offer some form of loan forgiveness through federal funding. That's why I'm bringing forward SB18-147 concerning the educator loan forgiveness program to address educator shortages. The bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday, February 13 at 2 pm in committee room 357.
Rural broadband fix clears major hurdle
Last week we addressed an issue that has long been on our agenda: Increasing access to broadband for all Coloradans. After a lengthy debate and several amendments, the Senate passed
SB18-002 c
oncerning the financing of rural broadband deployment.
According to
The Fence Post, the "
aim is to equip rural and other underserved areas with better broadband capabilities." They further elaborate that, "To do this, a portion of the funds would come from the High Cost Support Mechanism, which is a TABOR-exempt fund. The money in that fund comes from landline and cell phones and would be used to help subsidize high-speed internet costs."
Currently, many rural communities do not have access to broadband internet, or if they do, it is poor and unreliable. This bill will help resolve this technological gap. SB18-002 now heads to the House for further deliberation.
Colorado Women's Lobby at their Day on the Hill
Rachel Zenzinger
Rachel Zenzinger won election to the Colorado State Senate, representing District 19, in November 2016. She serves on the Senate Trasnportation Committee, Education Committee, and Statutory Revision Committee. She is also a member of several interim committees including the CDOT Efficiency and Accountability Committee and the School Finance Interim Committee.
Legislative Town Hall
Please join Reps. Tracy Kraft-Tharp and Lang Sias, and myself for our next legislative town hall meeting this Saturday, February 17 from 10:30 am - 12:00 pm, at the Standley Lake Library, 8485 Kipling St, Arvada, CO 80005. The topic is mental health and will include speakers Harriet Hall from the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, and Camille Harding from the Colorado Department of Human Services. They will discuss the strengthening of
Colorado's statewide response to mental and behavioral health, including the crisis system. We hope to see you there!
Volunteer Cathy Schuster helping out with Coffee With Constituents
What's Brewing at the Capitol at Denver Beer Co.
Join us for the next "What's Brewing at the Capitol" event on Wednesday, February 28 at 7 pm at the Denver Beer Company,
5768 Olde Wadsworth Blvd, Arvada, CO 80002. This is an informal event where you can enjoy a craft beer with your Senator. We hope to see you there!
Westminster City Councilor
Shannon Bird & Mayor Herb Atchison
Tracking your Senator
On Monday, I attended the
Volunteers of America legislative luncheon... As well as the
BOCES legislative luncheon... And, I presented
SB18-082 to the State Affairs Committee...On Tuesday, I facetimed with 2nd graders from
Erie Elementary School from the Senate floor... And, I presented
SB18-102 to the Senate Transportation Committee... On Wednesday, I attended the
Mile High United Way breakfast as part of their day at the Capitol... I attended the
CEA Fellowship luncheon as their guest speaker... We celebrated with the
Colorado Bioscience Association during their day at the Capitol... I presented
SB18-090, SB18-095, and SB18-098 to the Senate Judiciary Committee... I met with a representative of
Bristol Meyers Squibb... I attended the
CEA meet and greet for constituent Nate Golich who is their new lobbyist... I was the guest speaker for the
NW Business and Professional Women's group... On Thursday, I attended the
EDCC legislative luncheon.. And, I attended the
Community Health Providers luncheon... I also met with officials from the
Metro Community Provider Network ... And, we recognized students visiting with
AVID... I also attended the
City of Westminster legislative reception... On Friday, I hosted
Coffee With Constituents at Indian Tree... I also presented to students at
Arvada K-8 School... and I met with constituent Bob Briggs to discuss the
Rocky Mountain Railroad Xpress.
With Lisa Elliott, constituent
visting the Capitol with CEA
If there is an event you think I should attend, please notify me!
Donations
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