New Democrat Update

MAKING AN IMPACT

New Democrats should feel good about their accomplishments this past legislative session. The newly-formed New Democrat Caucus has already made its presence felt. Caucus members include State Reps. Bob Hagedorn of Aurora (Caucus Chair), Bob Bacon (Fort Collins), Fran Coleman (Denver), Albert Gagliardi (Alamosa), Dan Grossman (Denver), Gloria Leyba (Denver), Carl Miller (Leadville), Abel Tapia (Pueblo), Lois Tochtrop (Northglenn), Jennifer Veiga (Denver), Val Vigil (Commerce City), Suzanne Williams (Aurora), Sue Windels (Arvada) and Paul Zimmerman (Thornton). Senate participants are Sens. Mike Feeley (Lakewood), Stan Matsunaka (Loveland) and Terry Phillips (Louisville).

To really prevent crime and punish criminals - rather than just explaining away their behavior - State Rep. Veiga was successful at convincing large majorities in the House and Senate to require violent felons, at their own expense, to provide DNA samples. Collecting this information will make it possible to establish links between crime scenes across the state and nation, more quickly identifying offenders.

A Talmey-Drake poll, conducted for the Denver Rocky Mountain News and News4, ranked DNA sampling as the most popular initiative this session, with support from 81 percent of those Coloradans surveyed. The idea was based on a Colorado DLC White Paper authored last fall by New Democrat leader Rutt Bridges.

The Caucus also endorsed State Rep. Leyba's and Sen. Peggy Reeves’ (D-Fort Collins) idea to hold more older males responsible for the consequences of their actions, expanding statutory rape laws to include 15-and 16-year-old girls when the involved males are at least 10 years older. This new legislation will shrink the number of sexual predators seeking to control younger girls, father children as a measure of status and virility and use paternity for economic gain, often claiming portions of the mother's welfare check. It will also reduce the state's teen pregnancy rate, helping to break the generational cycle of children growing up in poverty, dropping out of school and entering the criminal justice system.

Overcoming some early right-wing opposition, the Caucus helped pass modest tax relief aimed at lifting working families out of poverty. The tax cut, modeled after President Bill Clinton’s 1993 expanded earned income tax credit, will put another $130 in the pockets of 226,000 low-income full-time Colorado workers. While not nearly enough for those who least deserve to be poor, this tax break will help make work pay and provide welfare recipients more incentive to enter the workforce.

Politically, ideas that fight crime, demand personal responsibility and promote work give Democrats credibility on the “ tough governing” portion of the public policy agenda (which also includes fiscal discipline), shifting the debate to the “compassion” issues - education, health care, strengthening communities, the environment - where our party traditionally has had an advantage. The New Democrat Caucus made progress on this front as well.

The Caucus developed vote-by-mail legislation to boost voting participation, save time and money for busy families, prevent election fraud and increase access for those with limited mobility. Voters would no longer need to go to the polls - they would be mailed a ballot that they would conveniently fill out and return. In other words, better service at less cost to taxpayers. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Feeley and Rep. Bacon, was based on a Colorado DLC white paper written by Rutt Bridges and John Loewy.

A “NOTHING MUCH” SESSION

Unfortunately, the overall performance of the legislature was not nearly as bright. Progress on top-priority issues like growth, education, transportation and taxes was mediocre at best. The Republican leadership and Gov. Bill Owens asked Colorado to “wait until next year.”

While the Caucus supported Rep. Bryan Sullivant's (R-Breckenridge) Responsible Growth initiative, his GOP colleagues killed this one chance to do something about an issue that troubles most state residents. Rep. Hagedorn and Sen. Phillips developed a proposal on urban sprawl that has the potential to raise the level of debate, influence an interim committee this summer and get something done next session.

Arguing against doing nothing or solutions like a one percent statewide growth cap, the Caucus has called for a “Third Way”on sprawl. Focusing on policies that should “First Do No Harm,” this approach identifies and evaluates the role of state government in promoting and discouraging sprawl.

Better-informed citizens and legislators can then have a thorough debate on what the state should or should not be doing. For example, steering state infrastructure and other funds to discourage sprawl and encourage development in existing communities might be considered.

On education, the Caucus promoted Rep. Tapia's initiative to increase early childhood development opportunities. In addition to making the American Dream a reality for more children, investing now makes common sense. Despite saving $2-$10 for every $1 invested, Republicans were shortsighted, killing the bill.

In fact, the GOP did very little on education, treading water on funding levels without implementing any new major reforms. The Governor and Republican legislators also could not agree on how to split the $2.8 billion tobacco settlement between rebuilding deteriorating schools and financing health-related programs.

On the bright side, voters should feel good about the bad ideas that the legislature did not get done. For example, in an unsuccessful attempt to silence working families, right-wing Republicans tried to prohibit state and local governments from offering payroll deduction opportunities to public employees for union dues if any of the money was to be used for political purposes. The real intent of the sponsors was exposed when they opposed the labor movement's offer to reimburse public entities for the related overhead expenses.

After years of passing a hard right social agenda knowing it would be vetoed, just enough Republicans blinked when they realized that a Democrat was no longer sitting in the Governor’s Office. Banning late-term abortion and same-sex marriage never got out of the box. Another major GOP priority - National Rifle Association pro-gun legislation - was taken off the table in wake of the Columbine tragedy.

To their credit, Republicans prudently reduced business property taxes and eliminated the antifamily marriage penalty. However, middle-class taxpayers should not get overly excited about the cut in personal income taxes from 5 percent to 4.75 percent. According to the state Department of Revenue and Legislative Council, people making $20,000-$50,000 and $50,001-$95,000 will only get $39 and $73, respectively.

Finally, the legislature voted to put the Governor’s $2.3 billion transportation bond proposal on this November's ballot. Under the Owens plan which mostly targets the I-25 corridor, the state will incur debt to spend future federal funding now, rather than when the monies are actually received.

The debate may be very similar to last year's unsuccessful campaign for Referendum B, which would have retained part of the state's surplus for road improvements, school construction and higher education. The Owens plan does not contain specific projects or outcomes for the money - the major reason why B was defeated. Voters have repeatedly said no to proposals without strong accountability provisions - especially if they do not expect to benefit directly from them.

In reality, the Owens plan only addresses a small part of the state's growing infrastructure needs. Even if approved, we will have to grapple with the rest of a very large backlog - this time without future federal funds (That money will be needed to pay back the bonds).

The project's proponents better wish they have advocates more convincing than the Senate President. In response to charges that borrowing would require Colorado's children to pay down the debt, Sen. Ray Powers (R-Colorado Springs) was quoted in the Denver Post as saying, “This is not our kids’ future. It's federal dollars.”

Unfortunately, money from Washington does not come out of thin air. In fact, Coloradans pay their share of federal taxes. One way or another, our kids will have to pony up.