Select Committee Committee on Joint Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth (02/06/2009)

Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

COMMITTEE ON JOINT SELECT COMMITTEE ON JOB CREATION AND ECONOMIC GROWTH

Date:	02/06/2009	ATTENDANCE

Time:	12:08 PM to 01:15 PM	Balmer	X
		Heath	X
Place:	SCR 356	Liston	X
		McFadyen	X
This Meeting was called to order by		Mitchell	E
	Senator Schwartz	Scheffel	X
		Solano	X
This Report was prepared by		Veiga	X
	Ron Kirk	Rice	X
		Schwartz	X
		X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call

Bills Addressed:		Action Taken:
SB09-081 HB09-1105 HB09-1126 Draft LLS # 09-0726 Draft LLS # 09-0765 Draft LLS # 09-0647 Draft LLS # 09-0793 HB09-1212 SB09-085 Presentation by U.S. Forest Service		Laid Over Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Rejected for Consideration Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Amended and Moved Forward for Consideration by the GA Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Move Forward for Consideration by the General Assembly Presentation by the U.S. Forest Service on the Stimulus Leg.

12:09 PM -- Senate Bill 09-081 - Concerning a Telephone Machinery Sales Tax Exemption

Senator Schwartz, Chair, called the meeting to order and staff distributed a spreadsheet on the bills before the committee (Attachment A).

Senator Shaffer, prime sponsor, turned the presentation over to Mr. Gary Clark, Quest, to discuss the provisions in Senate Bill 09-081 (Attachment B). Mr. Clark began by distributing a map of the states that provide telecommunications and manufacturing equipment sales tax exemptions (Attachment C) and a fact sheet on the effect of a $100 million expenditure for telecommunication equipment (Attachment D). Mr. Clark explained the bill's potential to benefit the citizens of Colorado by bringing capital to telecommunication businesses in the state. He commented that the telecommunications exemption has worked well in other states. Mr. Clark testified in favor of the measure.

The following person testified:

12:14 PM -- Mr. Lyle Williamson, Verizon, testified in support of the legislation and distributed a letter of support for the bill (Attachment E). He noted that Verizon employs more than 2,600 Colorado citizens and has spent almost $800 million in Colorado over the last eight years. He closed by saying that Senate Bill 09-081 will help spur additional investment for Verizon and other communications companies and urged the committee to support the legislation.

12:15 PM

After a brief committee discussion, the bill was taken off the table and laid over for a final vote for Friday, February 13, 2009.

12:20 PM -- House Bill 09-1105 - Concerning the Colorado Innovation Investment Tax Credit


BILL:	HB09-1105
TIME:	12:22:36 PM
MOVED:	Schwartz
MOTION:	Move House Bill 09-1105 (Attachment F) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:24 PM -- House Bill 09-1126 - Concerning Incentives for the Development of Solar Thermal Energy Systems


BILL:	HB09-1126
TIME:	12:26:11 PM
MOVED:	Rice
MOTION:	Move House Bill 09-1126 (Attachment G) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:27 PM -- Draft LLS # 09-0726 - Concerning the Creation of a Web Page for all State Requirements Related to Starting a Small Business

12:29 PM -- Mr. Richard Werner, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT), testified in support of the bill. After a brief committee discussion, Draft LLS # 09-0726 (Attachment H) was removed from consideration.

12:32 PM -- Draft LLS # 09-0765 - Statewide Bonding for Residential Renewal


BILL:	SB09-765
TIME:	12:32:51 PM
MOVED:	Schwartz
MOTION:	Move Draft LLS 09-0765 (Attachment I) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:34 PM -- Draft LLS # 09-0647 - Concerning Unemployment Insurance Benefits


BILL:	SB09-647
TIME:	12:34:38 PM
MOVED:	Heath
MOTION:	Move Draft LLS # 09-0647 (Attachment J) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:37 PM -- Draft LLS # 09-0793 - Concerning the Clean Energy Development Authority

Representative Solano, prime sponsor, distributed proposed revisions to the CEDA statute (Attachment K), draft dated February 5, 2009, as an amendment to Draft LLS # 09-0793. The motion was adopted on a 9-0 roll call vote with Senator Mitchell excused from the vote.


BILL:	Draft LLS # 09-0793
TIME:	12:37:00 PM
MOVED:	Solano
MOTION:	Move proposed amendments to the CEDA statute to amend Draft LLS # 09-0793. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS


BILL:	Draft LLS # 09-0793
TIME:	12:38:47 PM
MOVED:	Solano
MOTION:	Move Draft LLS 09-0793 (Attachment L) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:48 PM -- House Bill 09-1212 - Concerning an Income Tax Credit for New Home Buyers


BILL:	HB09-1212
TIME:	12:48:27 PM
MOVED:	Liston
MOTION:	Move House Bill 09-1212 (Attachment M) forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 9-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Yes
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 9 NO: 0 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

12:49 PM -- Senate Bill 09-085 - Concerning A Property Tax Exemption For Business Personal Property

The following persons testified:

12:52 PM -- Mr. Mark Radtke, Colorado Municipal League, testified in opposition toward the bill.
12:55 PM -- Mr. Chris Mendez, Colorado Counties Incorporated, testified in opposition toward the bill.


BILL:	SB09-085
TIME:	01:02:53 PM
MOVED:	Scheffel
MOTION:	Move Senate Bill 09-085 forward for consideration by the General Assembly. The motion passed on a 8-0 vote.
SECONDED:
		VOTE
	Balmer	Excused
	Heath	Yes
	Liston	Yes
	McFadyen	Yes
	Mitchell	Excused
	Scheffel	Yes
	Solano	Yes
	Veiga	Yes
	Rice	Yes
	Schwartz	Yes

Final YES: 8 NO: 0 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

01:03 PM -- Presentation by the U.S. Forest Service

01:03 PM -- Mr. Rick Cables, U.S. Forest Service, commented that the federal stimulus package may have up to $1.3 billion in money for the Forest Service and some of this money will come to Colorado. He noted that this money can be used by the Forest Service to create jobs. Many of these jobs will be shovel-ready projects that will provide work for laborers and other workers. In 2009, we have many projects related to bark-beetle mitigation that will reduce fire threats. These are real-time projects. If the legislature tries to obtain some of this federal money, it would be very helpful for the state. These federal lands can be used to get a chunk of the federal stimulus dollars. Mr. Cables closed by suggesting that the legislature craft a resolution or letter to the U.S. Congress to ask for funds.

01:11 PM

Representative McFadyen made a motion to ask the General Assembly to draft a letter of support to the U.S. Congress to obtain funds for U.S. Forest Service lands in Colorado. The motion passed on a voice call vote by those members present. Representative Balmer and Senator Mitchell were excused from the vote.

01:15 PM

Adjourn.