Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY POVERTY REDUCTION TASK FORCE

Date:10/20/2009
ATTENDANCE
Time:09:06 AM to 12:23 PM
Boyd
X
Gagliardi
X
Place:LSB A
Hudak
X
Kagan
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Scheffel
X
Representative Kefalas
Summers
*
Waller
X
This Report was prepared by
White
*
Bo Pogue
Sandoval
X
Kefalas
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
Opening Remarks
Bill 1
Bill 2
Bill 3
Bill 4
Bill 5
Bill 6
Bill 7
Bill 8
Subcommittee Updates
Closing Remarks
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
Pass
Pass
Pass amended
Pass
Pass amended
Pass
Pass
Pass
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only


09:06 AM -- Opening Remarks

Representative Kefalas, chair, presented opening remarks regarding the day's agenda for the task force, and how the task force would proceed in taking action on draft legislation and amendments.


09:09 AM -- Bill 1

Representative Kefalas provided background on Bill 1, concerning an increase in the threshold necessary to trigger a temporary income tax rate reduction as a method to refund excess state revenues by an amount equal to the threshold necessary to trigger the earned income tax credit refund (Attachment A). Discussion ensued regarding the potential fiscal impact of the proposed legislation.

091020AttachA.pdf
BILL:Bill 1
TIME: 09:13:17 AM
MOVED:Kefalas
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 1 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 7-3 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
No
Waller
No
White
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

09:14 AM

The committee discussed sponsorship of the bill and other bill particulars.

09:15 AM -- Bill 2

Representative Waller provided background on Bill 2, concerning clarifying civil liability regarding negligent hiring practices for an employer that hires a person with a criminal record (Attachment B), and explained the effect of the proposed legislation. Representative Waller provided hypothetical examples pertaining to situations in which employers would be held liable for employees' actions under the bill. Discussion ensued regarding a provision in the bill that requires criminal history background checks in certain situations.

091020AttachB.pdf


09:22 AM

The following person testified regarding Bill 2:

09:22 AM -- Ms. Carol Peeples, representing the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition, testified in favor of Bill 2. Committee members received a briefing sheet on the proposed legislation, prepared by the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition (Attachment C). Ms. Peeples discussed the barriers experienced by ex-convicts as they attempt to reintegrate into society, including the inability to attain employment. Ms. Peeples also provided clarification regarding certain portions of the bill, and discussed the effect of similar legislation in other states.

091020AttachC.pdf
BILL:Bill 2
TIME: 09:25:37 AM
MOVED:Waller
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 2 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 10-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Kagan
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

09:27 AM

The committee discussed sponsorship and other pertinent bill information. Senator Hudak discussed her interest in Bill 2. Discussion ensued regarding the house of introduction for the bill.


09:29 AM -- Bill 3

Senator Boyd explained the effect of Bill 3, concerning documents relating to the reduction of poverty in Colorado (Attachment D). Senator Boyd also explained the effect of a proposed amendment to the bill, amendment L.002 (Attachment E), and provided background regarding the need for the amendment. Senator Boyd explained how amendment L.002 changes the bill's title.

091020AttachD.pdf091020AttachE.pdf
BILL:Bill 3
TIME: 09:34:14 AM
MOVED:Boyd
MOTION:Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment E) to Bill 3. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Gagliardi
Hudak
Kagan
Scheffel
Summers
Waller
White
Sandoval
Kefalas
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection
BILL:Bill 3
TIME: 09:35:05 AM
MOVED:Boyd
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 3, as amended, to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 10-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Summers
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS



09:36 AM

Discussion ensued regarding bill sponsorship and other details.

09:37 AM -- Bill 4

Senator Boyd explained the effect of Bill 4, concerning authorizing the Department of Human Services to use a portion of existing appropriations to conduct an independent evaluation of the Statewide Strategic Use Fund (Attachment F). Senator Boyd responded to questions regarding the need for an independent evaluation of the fund's programming if an evaluation is already taking place of the constituent parts of the program. Senator Boyd provided clarification regarding the genesis of the bill, and how the bill will serve to reduce poverty. Discussion ensued regarding existing evaluation of the programming operated with Statewide Strategic Use Fund moneys, and appropriate levels of expenditures for evaluating state programs. Mr. Bill Hanna, representing the Department of Human Services, was called upon to provide clarification regarding the need for Bill 4. Mr. Hanna discussed the lack of evaluation of the use of fund moneys under current law, and the need for an independent evaluation. Mr. Hanna responded to questions regarding criticism of the effectiveness of the use of Statewide Strategic Use Fund moneys, and provided background on programs funded with fund moneys.

091020AttachF.pdf

09:49 AM

Discussion continued regarding the need for an independent evaluation of the use of Statewide Strategic Use Fund moneys, and the benefits of being proactive in evaluating the fund's operation. Mr. Hanna responded to questions regarding the criteria that would be considered under an evaluation of the fund. Discussion ensued regarding a similar evaluation process conducted by the Tony Grampsas Youth Services program. Mr. Hanna responded to questions regarding a comparison of the criteria that would be considered under the bill's independent evaluation and the criteria considered under the fund's current evaluation process. Discussion followed regarding the potential for public input concerning the use of Statewide Strategic Use Fund moneys through the evaluation process established by Bill 4. Discussion ensued regarding the impact of the evaluation process on poverty reduction.

10:01 AM

Discussion returned to the need for an independent evaluation of the Statewide Strategic Use Fund, and the potential for an evaluation to improve the use of fund moneys. Mr. Hanna provided clarification regarding the differing metrics of the current fund evaluation process and the process to be implemented under Bill 4. Mr. Hanna responded to further questions regarding the current feedback process for program effectiveness, and how this will be affected by the bill.


10:12 AM

Mr. Hanna responded to questions regarding the external nature of the evaluation that would be conducted under Bill 4.
BILL:Bill 4
TIME: 10:12:52 AM
MOVED:Boyd
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 4 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 7-3 roll call vote.
SECONDED:White
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
No
Hudak
No
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

10:13 AM

Discussion ensued regarding sponsorship for Bill 4 and other details.


10:15 AM -- Bill 5

Representative Summers explained the effect of Bill 5, concerning a state outreach plan related to the supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) (Attachment G). Representative Summers also explained his position on several forthcoming amendments, and requested that the bill be forwarded without amendments. Representative Summers then discussed the effect of amendment L.004 (Attachment H). Representative Kefalas explained the effect of forthcoming amendments L.001 (Attachment I), L.002 (Attachment J), and L.003 (Attachment K).

091020AttachG.pdf091020AttachH.pdf091020AttachI.pdf091020AttachJ.pdf091020AttachK.pdf

10:26 AM

Representative Kefalas continued to explain the effect of a trio of amendments. Discussion ensued regarding the need for amendment L.003. Discussion followed regarding the impact of amendment L.003 on the certification time periods for SNAP eligibility. Discussion turned to the fiscal impact of the amendments at the federal level, and the need to coordinate eligibility levels for various government programs.


10:36 AM

Discussion continued regarding the potential for coordinating eligibility levels for various government programs, and the benefits of the proposed amendments. Discussion ensued regarding the impact of boosting participation in the SNAP program on the local economy, and its potential impact on bringing down food prices. Representative Summers provided clarification regarding the effect of certain language in amendment L.004.
BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:41:07 AM
MOVED:Summers
MOTION:Moved amendment L.004 (Attachment H) to Bill 5. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Gagliardi
Hudak
Kagan
Scheffel
Summers
Waller
White
Sandoval
Kefalas
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


10:42 AM

Representative Kefalas further explained the effect of amendment L.003, and responded to questions regarding the difference between the state board and the state department, as referenced in the amendment. Mr. Hanna provided clarification regarding the effect of amendment L.003.
BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:44:23 AM
MOVED:Kefalas
MOTION:Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment K) to Bill 5. The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Boyd
VOTE
Boyd
Gagliardi
Hudak
Kagan
Scheffel
Summers
Waller
White
Sandoval
Kefalas
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


10:47 AM

Representative Kefalas clarified the effect of amendment L.002.
BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:48:19 AM
MOVED:Kefalas
MOTION:Moved amendment L.002 (Attachment J) to Bill 5. The motion passed on a 6-4 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
No
Waller
No
White
No
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Not Final YES: 6 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


10:50 AM

Representative Kefalas clarified the effect of amendment L.001. Discussion ensued regarding the potential for severing the amendment to preserve the language that amends the bill title. Ms. Brita Darling, Office of Legislative Legal Services, weighed in on the idea of severing the amendment.
BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:50:03 AM
MOVED:Boyd
MOTION:Moved amendment L.001 to Bill 5 (Attachment I) severed section #1 (page 1, lines 1 through 9). The motion passed on a 6-4 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Kagan
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
No
Waller
No
White
No
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Not Final YES: 6 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS
BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:53:37 AM
MOVED:Kagan
MOTION:Moved amendment L.001 to Bill 5 severed section #2 (page 1, lines 10 and 11). The motion passed without objection.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Gagliardi
Hudak
Kagan
Scheffel
Summers
Waller
White
Sandoval
Kefalas
Not Final YES: 0 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: Pass Without Objection


BILL:Bill 5
TIME: 10:54:30 AM
MOVED:Summers
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 5, as amended, to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 9-1 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
No
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 1 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

10:55 AM

The committee discussed sponsorship of Bill 5 and other details.



10:56 AM -- Bill 6

Senator Sandoval provided background on Bill 6, concerning the duties of the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force (Attachment L). Committee members received a handout proposing a model for measuring poverty (Attachment M). Discussion ensued regarding the potential fiscal impact of the proposed legislation.

091020AttachL.pdf 091020AttachM.pdf
BILL:Bill 6
TIME: 10:58:40 AM
MOVED:Sandoval
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 6 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 10-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Boyd
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 10 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:00 AM -- Bill 7

Representative Kagan provided background on Bill 7, concerning authorization for certain public entities to enter into voluntary agreements affecting rent on private residential property (Attachment N), and explained the effect of the proposed legislation. Representative Kagan provided hypothetical examples in explaining the effect of the bill. Discussion ensued regarding the voluntary nature of the bill, and the potential for local governments to use the provisions of the legislation as a device for extortion.

091020AttachN.pdf


11:10 AM

Discussion continued regarding the voluntary nature of the provisions of Bill 7, and the impact of the bill on the ability of land developers to negotiate with local governments from a position of equity. Senator Hudak discussed the planning process at the local level, and how the community involves itself in land use and development. Senator White weighed in on the land use and development process. Representative Kagan discussed the effect of current anti-rent control statutes on the provisions of Bill 7.

11:21 AM

Representative Waller explained the effect of prepared amendment L.003 (Attachment O). Representative Waller responded to questions regarding the impact of the amendment on property planning and design. Discussion ensued regarding the need to study the effect of amendment L.003 more fully, and the impact of the amendment on the voluntary nature of developer/local government interaction.

091020AttachO.pdf
BILL:Bill 7
TIME: 11:26:25 AM
MOVED:Waller
MOTION:Moved amendment L.003 (Attachment O) to Bill 7. The motion failed on a 4-6 roll call vote.
SECONDED:White
VOTE
Boyd
No
Gagliardi
No
Hudak
No
Kagan
No
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
No
Kefalas
No
Not Final YES: 4 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL


BILL:Bill 7
TIME: 11:27:44 AM
MOVED:White
MOTION:Moved to strike the enacting clause for Bill 7 (page 2, strike line 1). The motion failed on a 4-6 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Summers
VOTE
Boyd
No
Gagliardi
No
Hudak
No
Kagan
No
Scheffel
Yes
Summers
Yes
Waller
Yes
White
Yes
Sandoval
No
Kefalas
No
Not Final YES: 4 NO: 6 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: FAIL
BILL:Bill 7
TIME: 11:29:16 AM
MOVED:Kagan
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 7 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 6-4 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
No
Waller
No
White
No
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 6 NO: 4 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




11:30 AM -- Bill 8

Senator Hudak explained the effect of Bill 8, concerning collaboration in the provision of multi-agency services (Attachment P). Senator Hudak responded to questions regarding the position of the agencies that would be affected by the proposed legislation. Discussion ensued regarding the voluntary nature of the bill. Senator Hudak responded to questions regarding how the bill would affect an agency that objects to working with a multi-agency collaborative. Senator Hudak responded to questions regarding how certain voluntary collaboratives are precluded under current law, and discussed the potential effect of the bill on expanding partnerships among agencies and institutions.

091020AttachP.pdf

11:41 AM

Discussion returned to the voluntary nature of the bill. Senator Hudak responded to questions regarding feedback received from multi-agency collaborative participants on Bill 8.
BILL:Bill 8
TIME: 11:43:16 AM
MOVED:Hudak
MOTION:Moved to refer Bill 8 to the Legislative Council with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 7-3 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Gagliardi
VOTE
Boyd
Yes
Gagliardi
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Kagan
Yes
Scheffel
No
Summers
Yes
Waller
No
White
No
Sandoval
Yes
Kefalas
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 3 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

11:44 AM

The committee discussed bill sponsorship and other details.

11:45 AM -- Subcommittee Presentations -- Preliminary Findings and Conclusions

Representative Kefalas indicated that subcommittees would give updates to the committee on preliminary findings and conclusions.

11:46 AM

Senator Sandoval updated the committee on the progress of the Scope of the Problem and Metrics Subcommittee. She described the mission of the subcommittee. She discussed the inadequacy of the federal poverty guidelines and suggested ways to explore other measures, such as the Self-Sufficiency Standard and the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) measure. Senator Sandoval provided comparisons of the different poverty measures. She noted that Legislative Council Staff is working to calculate a Colorado NAS measure. She addressed federal legislation concerning poverty measurement. She said that further study should be given to gradations of poverty within the state. Senator Sandoval referred to Attachment M, which was distributed during her presentation of Bill Number 6. She described the subcommittee's working model concerning how people get out of poverty. Representative Kefalas shared additional comments.

11:55 AM

Representative Gagliardi updated the committee on the progress of the Housing and Utilities Subcommittee. She described a survey concerning ideas for legislation and discussed upcoming meetings concerning cuts to senior support services and economic development programs. Representative Gagliardi provided an overview of the witnesses that had presented at subcommittee meetings, and offered conclusions reached from the meetings. She discussed recommendations concerning a dedicated funding source for affordable housing, housing available near transportation, and current state funding for affordable housing and low-income energy assistance programs. She addressed Bill Number 7, which had been previously discussed. She recommended that the committee address the issue of discrimination in the housing market against victims of domestic violence.

12:00 PM

Senator Boyd updated the committee on the progress of the Access to and Coordination of Public Benefits and Nonprofit/Faith-Based Services Subcommittee. She described past meetings of the subcommittee and discussed future meetings. She noted the importance of understanding what benefits currently exist, such as child care assistance, food assistance, adult education programs, low-income energy assistance, and disability determination services. She stated that the committee had not yet addressed the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, or the Colorado Benefits Management System. She described proposed legislation that the committee had previously discussed. Senator Boyd stated that it is not clear how big the faith-based community is. She described a survey that will assess the services provided by the faith-based/nonprofit community, and noted that the survey will include questions pertaining to the service area addressed. She stated that the subcommittee plans to meet year-round. Representative Summers added that the assessment of faith-based/nonprofit assistance is a significant task of the subcommittee.


12:05 PM

Senator Hudak updated the committee on the progress of the Poverty and Education Subcommittee. She distributed a list of the subcommittee's recommendations (Attachment Q). Senator Hudak stated that education is the key to preventing poverty and is one of the most successful methods for getting individuals out of poverty. She noted that the subcommittee took a broad view of educational opportunities. She described the membership of the subcommittee. She remarked that the committee embraced three ideas that Representative Kefalas had previously mentioned: Promise Neighborhoods, increasing the college graduation rate, and incentivizing mentoring. Senator Hudak discussed collaboration with the work of other committees. She addressed the list of the subcommittee's recommendations, and spoke specifically about recommendation number 10, which concerns congressional support for the expansion of the required eligibility activities in TANF reauthorization to support college completion. She discussed legislation pending in the School Finance Interim Committee concerning Promise Neighborhoods. Discussion continued. Senator Sandoval addressed recommendation number 1.

091020AttachQ.pdf

12:13 PM

Representative Waller updated the committee on the progress of the Job Creation with Sustainable Income and Work Supports Subcommittee. He described the membership of the subcommittee and provided detail on the discussions of the subcommittee. He noted that Mr. Don Marostica, Director of the Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade, testified at one of the meetings. Representative Waller discussed the difference between employer-focused and employee-focused members of the subcommittee. He explained the correlation between education and access to work. He stated his hope that the task force would be able to focus on job creation more in future meetings.

12:17 PM -- Closing Remarks

Representative Kefalas made closing remarks. He thanked Senator Sandoval for her service as vice-chair and expressed his appreciation for the work of the other members of the task force. He described the task force's progress towards re-framing the poverty reduction discussion as a question of job creation and a skilled work force, access to training, and other focus points. He specifically noted his appreciation for the different perspectives of the Republican members of the task force. Representative Kefalas thanked Legislative Council Staff, the community, and the departments. He discussed the first year report, which is due in January 2010. He stated that drafts would be made available to the members of the committee for feedback. He concluded that the committee had been successful in finding common ground and focusing on conclusions.

12:21 PM

Senator Boyd expressed her appreciation for Representative Kefalas' work as chair. Representative Gagliardi relayed comments from a constituent concerning the lack of representation of certain populations on the subcommittees, and noted that more individuals should be brought in. Representative Kefalas shared additional comments.

12:23 PM

The committee adjourned.