SUCCESS IN DENVER —Over the last year, CoPIRG was able to counter powerful interests that use their influence in the Legislature. Victories include a ban on smoking in workplaces like restaurants and bars, protection from identity theft and limiting lobbyist giving.

Over the last year CoPIRG has worked in the Colorado Legislature to lower energy prices, clean up dirty politics, prevent identity theft and make health care more affordable.

As part of our work in Denver we tracked the voting records of our state legislators. This fall we released our legislative scorecards, which show how our leaders voted on critical public interest issues.

Here, you will find a sampling of legislators, and a description on the most important public interest votes over the last year. To find out how your representatives voted on these critical issues, go to www.copirg.org/scorecards.

Energy Solutions
Energy Efficiency Colorado Bill (HB06-1147): With energy prices skyrocketing, CoPIRG worked to pass this money- and energy-saving bill. The measure would have created a program to give Coloradans rebates on efficient products, including water heaters, double-pane windows, insulation and solar heating and cooling systems. Estimated savings would total $525 million by 2030 and eliminate the need for several additional polluting power plants.

• Gov. Owens vetoed this bill. CoPIRG is now working to make sure that energy efficiency plays a prominent role in the gubernatorial debate.

Low-Income Energy Efficiency Assistance (HB06-1200): This bill allocates $19 million in energy efficiency assistance over four years to low-income households. Energy efficiency measures that will be installed include insulation, caulking and weather stripping, low-flow showerheads, efficient light bulbs, and high-efficiency water heaters and space heating systems.

• The bill was passed and signed into law.

Consumer Protection
Data Breach Notification (HB06-1119): Easy access to our confidential identifying information, including Social Security numbers, has contributed to the identity theft epidemic. This law makes companies, including credit card companies, merchants, credit bureaus and other businesses, send a notice to customers when thier personal information has been breached.

• Gov. Owens signed the data breach notification bill into law.

Stop Price Gouging (HB06-1251): There are many with the means, motive and opportunity to manipulate oil prices. The current oil price shock may be caused by more basic dynamics of supply and demand, but as markets tighten and control over the industry continues to consolidate, the opportunity and potential rewards of manipulation will only grow. This bill would have outlawed price gouging practices.

• Though the bill passed it was vetoed by the governor. CoPIRG continues it work to protect vulnerable consumers from price gouging.

Heath Care Watch
Affordable Prescription Drugs (SB06-001): HMOs and the federal government use their buying power to negotiate fairer prices for the drugs they purchase. Unfortunately, uninsured consumers have no one doing the same on their behalf, so drug companies profit the most from chronically ill Americans without prescription drug coverage. This bill would have allowed Colorado to apply to be part of a multi-state prescription drug-buying pool that would allow government agencies, Medicaid and individuals to use their combined buying power to negotiate lower drug prices.

• While Gov. Owens vetoed this measure, there is growing support for establishing a prescription drug buying pool.

Making Hospitals Come Clean (HB06-1045): Hospitals in Colorado are required to report how many of their patients acquire certain infections during treatment. This law aims to reduce the number of patients who become sick from infections by making this information public and providing hospitals with an added incentive to improve patient care.

• CoPIRG celebrated the passage of this measure into law.

Smoke Free Colorado (HB06-1175): Each year, 53,000 people die from secondhand smoke in the United States. Just two hours of exposure in a smoke-filled room is equivalent to smoking 10 cigarettes. This law prohibits smoking in workplaces, including restaurants and bars.

• On July 1, Colorado work places officially went smoke free.

Drug “Discount” Program (HB06-1100): CoPIRG opposed this bill because it was an entirely voluntary discount program for drug companies. A discount program needs negotiating leverage to get the best price from drug companies. Without such tools, drug companies have complete control over the program and suffer no consequences if they fail to participate or fail to offer sufficient discounts.

• The measure was defeated in the Legislature.

Improving Democracy

Lobbying Reform (SB06-051): This measure aims at eliminating the unlimited amounts of cash and in-kind gifts from lobbyists into office accounts. Currently, money flowing into office accounts is unlimited in amount and only has to be reported once a year. There is never any reporting of how office account money is spent.

• This bill was passed through the Legislature and signed into law.

Limiting the Citizen Initiative Process (SCR06-003): This law would have required a 60 percent voter approval for constitutional ballot questions. Previously the required amount was only 50 percent voter approval. If this were the case years ago women would not have the right to vote because that initiative did not pass by 60 percent.

• CoPIRG and our allies were able to block this bill in the Legislature.