Even though the legislature is technically in recess, I made my way to the Capitol on two occasions last week in order to attend SMART Act hearings. I attended the Joint Education Committee hearing, as well as the Energy portion of the Transportation and Energy Committee hearing. I will attend the Transportation portion later this week.

The SMART Act, which stands for State Measurement for Accountable, Responsive and Transparent Government Act, requires each state department, the independent agencies, and other state government entities to share with members of the legislature their annual performance goals. It is a great opportunity to hear directly from high level directors about their performance plans and strategies for reaching their goals. For more details on the hearings and links to their reports, see below.

I was also pleased to receive word this past week that I have been appointed to three new committee assignments. In addition to our Committees of Reference--which are official legislative committees in which we hear bills--legislators are often appointed to outside committees or boards as representatives of the legislature. I was appointed to the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Board of Directors, the Colorado Commission on Higher Education, and the Education Commission of the States.

Finally, I'll wrap up by noting how inspired I felt by the key messages in President Biden's inauguration speech this week. As William Galston said in his article about the inaugural address: "There are two kinds of inaugurations. For some, the theme is 'Let us continue'; for others, 'Let us begin anew.' Rarely has the latter seemed more apt--or necessary." Whether or not you voted for President Biden, his themes of unity and truth are important principals to strive for, especially when it comes to our work at the Colorado legislature. I hope that we can come together as a nation and, as Galston put it, "end this 'uncivil war' that for too long has pitted us against one another."

The Senate Transportation and Energy Committee joined forces with the House Energy and Environment Committee to hear from several state agencies about energy policies and goals for the state.

We began the hearing with a presentation by the State Auditor's Office on Severance Taxes in Colorado. The performance audit focused on the Department of Natural Resources and the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission with regard to severance tax collections. To read the report, their key findings and recommendations, click HERE.

Next we heard from Executive Director Will Toor of the Colorado Energy Office make a presentation about their departmental goals and performance plans. Director Toor shared with the group some new information around the Colorado Green House Gas Road Map that was recently completed in January. Here is a link to the presentation.

Then we heard from Executive Director Dan Gibbs of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, specifically from the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Several people contributed to the presentation including COGCC Director Julie Murphy and the Commission's Chairman, Jeff Robbins. To view the presentation, click HERE.

We wrapped up the hearing with a presentation from the Public Utilities Commission. They covered a range of topics, but they spent a good amount of time taking questions and public comment. Click HERE to view their presentation.

The House and Senate Education Committee joined together for our annual SMART Act Hearing last week. The meeting was chaired by Representative Barbara McLachlan and featured presentations by the Colorado Department of Higher Education, History Colorado, and the Colorado Department of Education.

The first presentation was given by CDHE's Executive Director Angie Paccione. She focused on the department's "Wildly Important Goals," the Master Plan known as Colorado Rises, and the impacts of the pandemic to higher education and post-secondary pathways. To view the presentation, click HERE.

Then, History Colorado made a presentation about their priorities. According to Steve Turner, Executive Director and State Historic Preservation Officer, the pandemic created a 42% drop in revenues this year. Click here to view the presentation.

And finally, we heard from Dr. Katy Anthes, Education Commissioner for the Colorado Department of Education. Much like the other presenters, Dr. Anthes focused quite a bit of her presentation on the impact of COVID to our educational system here in Colorado. To learn more, click HERE.

In addition to the SMART Act hearings, I had the pleasure of attending several speaking engagements, meetings with stakeholders, and other Senate business. In order to remain as open and transparent with you about my legislative activities, I have have brought back the "Tracking Your Senator" portion of the newsletter, which you can view below.

On Monday... celebrated Martin Luther King Jr. Day... met with the Colorado Education Association... met with Governor's office to discuss education policy... On Tuesday... met with officials from Western Governor's University... spoke on a panel for CASB (Colorado Association of School Boards)... met with representatives of Axiom Politics... On Wednesday... attended the Arvada Jefferson Kiwanis meeting... watched the Presidential inauguration... hosted an education stakeholder meeting... spoke on a panel with member of JCEA (Jefferson County Education Association)... On Thursday... attended the Joint Energy SMART Act Hearing... attended the Joint Education SMART Act Hearing... met with a representative of August Policy Strategies... On Friday... met with representatives of Crestone Peak Resources... attended the Arvada Chamber's "State of the Chamber" event... spoke on a panel for members of DEI (Democratic Education Initiative).