Republican “attack on the state’s most vulnerable citizens continues”

DENVER—Today, Colorado Senate President Brandon Shaffer (D-Longmont) offered the following comment as the legislature approaches the mid-session mark on Monday, March 14:

“The mid-session mark reveals the stark and sobering differences between Democrats and Republicans.

The Republicans’ extreme agenda would lavish almost a billion dollars of tax breaks on special interests, but deny kids the break they need to get a decent education.

The Republicans are willing to cut health care for more than 100,000 Coloradans, but not to cut tax loopholes for Wall Street giants.

Their extreme attack on the state’s most vulnerable citizens continues with shameful votes against essential services for Coloradans in need.

In a spectacular display of job-killing prowess the Republicans offer Arizona-style immigration legislation in spite of evidence it savaged Arizona’s tourism industry, causing the loss of jobs and millions in revenue for the state.

I am proud to be a Democrat, the party of every-day working Coloradans, a party that understands and acts upon a belief that we will be judged for how we provide jobs, how we educate our children and how we care for our veterans, our elderly and our disabled.   Yes, the contrast is stark and it is sobering.”

Below is a list of budget-busting, anti-family, anti-kids legislation touted by the Senate Republican Caucus.

If enacted here’s what will happen:

• SB 11-098 will cost counties and schools millions of dollars that cannot be replaced by the state government.
• SB 11-071 will increase pollution and related health care costs.
• SB 11-073 will require an additional $137 million cuts, much of it from education.  This may require additional school closings.
• SB 11-026 continues the assault on education.
• SB 11-118 grows government and adds additional bureaucracy.
• SB 11-095 assures that no more jobs are created to fix faulty bridges and roadways.

About the Senate Majority Twenty Democrats comprise the majority of Colorado’s 35-member Senate. Leadership for the 68th General Assembly includes Senate President Brandon Shaffer; President Pro Tempore Betty Boyd; Majority Leader John Morse; Assistant Majority Leader Lois Tochtrop, and Caucus Chair Morgan Carroll Breaking news, legislator biographies and photos are available at coloradosenate.org