Date: 02/12/2009

Final
BILL SUMMARY for SB09-052

SENATE COMMITTEE ON FINANCE

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer Senate Bill 09-052 to the Committee on ApproPASS



11:39 AM -- Senate Bill 09-052

The committee reconvened.

Senator Bacon, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-052, which increases the amount of funding for university research activities by diverting the revenue collected from waste tire fees to the State Education Fund. Senator Bacon stated this research helps to create jobs and new business.

The following witnesses testified on the bill:

11:41 AM -- Ms. Kathi Delehoy, representing Colorado State University, testified about the bill. She stated that the university did $300 million dollars in research last year, and that the waste tire fund is important to research efforts in Colorado. She also stated that these funds are significant because the university can leverage the funding into other federal and matching dollars available for research. Research creates new businesses and new jobs in Colorado, she explained.

11:43 AM -- Mr. P. Craig Taylor, representing the Colorado School of Mines, testified about the bill. He said he is doing research that employs graduate students and other individuals, and these efforts are important to developing renewable energy.

11:45 AM -- Mr. Steine Sture, representing the University of Colorado, testified in support of the bill because it would create more jobs, more businesses and make Colorado more competitive in the national economy. He stated that state matching is a must in order to be viewed as competitive for research dollars, which eventually creates jobs and companies in the renewable energy and biosciences industries.

Discussion ensued about the work that Colorado universities are doing to encourage research.


11:47 AM

Senator Sandoval closed public testimony.
BILL:SB09-052
TIME: 11:47:56 AM
MOVED:Heath
MOTION:Refer Senate Bill 09-052 to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion passed 5-1, with one excused.
SECONDED:
VOTE
Brophy
No
Heath
Yes
Isgar
Excused
King K.
Yes
Scheffel
Yes
Hudak
Yes
Sandoval
Yes
Final YES: 5 NO: 1 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS