Townhall Meeting with Morgan Carroll

Morgan is the Colorado State Rep from HD36
State Representative
MORGAN CARROLL
Majority Caucus Chair
200 E. Colfax Ave., Room 271
Denver, CO 80203
Capitol: [masked]
Fax: [masked]
[masked] Committee Membership:
Member:
Legislative Council
Member:
Judiciary
Member:
Business Affairs & Labor

COLORADO
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
State Capitol
Denver
80203

The 2008 Legislative Session ended this Tuesday. Below you will find a summary of our key accomplishments and some of the significant legislation in this session. You may be pleased to note that the majority of legislation passed this year was done on a bi-partisan basis.

TOWNHALLS - YOU ARE INVITED!

Townhall: Meeting with Morgan
TOPIC: Aging & Senior Issues
Thursday May 15, 2008
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Community College of Aurora
All Welcome

Issues to be discussed include:
Medicare
Social Security
Private Pensions for Retirement
Senior Homestead Exemption
Maximizing Independence (Autonomy and Home Care)
Rights in Assisted Living
Nursing Home Advocacy
Cost of Prescription Drugs

Panelists will be:
Kelli Fritts - Associate State Director, Advocacy Representative for AARP Colorado
Rich Mauro - Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG)
Jay Reinan - attorney specializing in the representation of frail, vulnerable and elderly persons
Fern Osborne - Vice-President, Senior Lobby
Frank Lay - President, Colorado Alliance for Retired Americans

Townhall: State Rep. Karen Middleton
Tuesday May 20, 2008
7:00 - 8:30 PM
Guest: Rep. Morgan Carroll Session Summary on Health Care
Aurora Center for Active Adults
30 Del Mar Circle (6th & Del Mar)

PROGRESS & RESULTS IN THE 2008 SESSION

100 ? New schools that could be built under Building Excellent Schools Today ? or BEST ? (HB 1335).

25,000 ? Four- and five-year-olds who will be able to attend preschool and full-day kindergarten (HB 1375).

124,353 ? Students who will benefit from increases in higher education funding and need-based grants and scholarships (HB 1375).

50,000 ? Kids without insurance who will get health care because of new outreach efforts, expanded eligibility and streamlined enrollment procedures (SB 160 & 161, HB 1375).

80,000 ? Mothers across Colorado who will have the opportunity to donate adult stem cells from their umbilical cords for use as life-saving therapies for illnesses including leukemia, cerebral palsy and sickle cell anemia (HB 1372).

700 ? Coloradans on the developmental disabilities services waitlist who will no longer have to wait to receive the services they need (HB 1375).

1.3 Million ? Coloradans whose health insurance rates cannot be increased without good cause (Fair Accountable Insurance Rates Act ? or FAIR ? Act (HB 1389).

30,000 ? Small business owners who will no longer have to pay the Business Personal Property Tax and will be able to invest more time and money back into their business (HB 1225).

$63,000 ? Average salary of employees at Colorado?s 380 bioscience companies. Many of those companies are benefiting from Colorado?s successful Bioscience Discoveries Grant Program (HB 1001).

920,000 ? Rural Coloradans who can now generate their own solar and wind energy, while staying on the grid (HB 1160)

5600 ? Number of homeowners facing foreclosure who will have a better chance of staying in their homes because of legislation we passed this year (HB 1402).

2 Million Acres ? Amount of protected land in Colorado already conserved through the Conservation Easement Tax Credit Program. The program was made even stronger this year (HB 1352).

KEY BILLS IN THE 2008 LEGISLATIVE SESSION

SCHOOLS & EDUCATION

Build Excellent Schools Today ? HB 1335, Speaker Romanoff, President Groff & Sen. Schwartz: Makes as much as $1 billion available to repair and rebuild the state?s crumbling schools.

Ensure Safe Schools ? SB 1, Sen. Morse, Rep. Stephens: Creates a school safety resource center to assist in preparing and responding to school crises.

Expand Early Education ? HB 1388 (School Finance Act), Reps. Pommer, Sen. Windels: Allows 25,000 more 4- and 5-year-olds to enroll in preschool and full-day kindergarten.

Help Dyslexic Students ? HB 1223, Rep. Merrifield, Sen. Williams: Identifies dyslexia early on to help kids with special needs become effective learners.

Teach for Colorado ? SB 133, Sen. Shaffer, Rep. Andy Kerr: Provides incentives for college students to teach math and science after graduation.

Recruit & Retain Teachers ? HB 1384, Reps. Todd & Merrifield, Sen. Bacon: Awards stipends to teachers who focus on hard-to-serve districts and streamlines the licensure process.

There was more but the organizer deleted to make it fit.