Legislative Bills Reflect Priorities

Legislators in the Northwest section of the Western Slope have ambitious goals in the bills they want to present in the legislature this year. Out of a list of five bills they would like to introduce, their first concerns are:

Rep. Bernie Buescher’s (D-Grand Junction) primary objective is to set up a rainy day fund for the state that would increase the state’s statutory reserve to 10 percent.  Sen. Josh Penry (R-Fruita) is suggesting a change in high school graduation requirements as his first action as state senator.Rep. Al White (R-Winter Park) wants to make sure tourism funding is not eliminated in an economic downtown in his initial bill while Kathleen Curry’s (D-Gunnison) first priority is to offer a bill that would allow Western State College to re-establish its graduate-school program. Rep. Steve King (R-Grand Junction) proposes to give law enforcement officers the same right to act as a parolee’s parole officer as his first bill as a legislator.

But what bill did Rep. Ray Rose (R-Montrose) put on top of his list? One would think that since his constituents in Montrose and Delta are impacted with oil and gas drilling, water quality issues and pressures of growth on agriculture, Rose would be kicking off his legislative year with a bill to reflect one of those concerns.

Nope. Rep. Rose’s priority is to allow antique car owners to use vintage plates for their car.