Final
STAFF SUMMARY OF MEETING

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON STATE, VETERANS, & MILITARY AFFAIRS

Date:03/17/2009
ATTENDANCE
Time:02:03 PM to 06:05 PM
Casso
X
Court
X
Place:HCR 0112
Hullinghorst
X
Lambert
X
This Meeting was called to order by
Massey
X
Representative Todd
McCann
X
Miklosi
X
This Report was prepared by
Murray
E
Bo Pogue
Nikkel
X
Labuda
X
Todd
X
X = Present, E = Excused, A = Absent, * = Present after roll call
Bills Addressed: Action Taken:
SB09-092
SB09-099
SB09-068
Referred to the Committee of the Whole
Referred to Appropriations
Referred to Finance


02:03 PM


The committee was called to order. A quorum was present.

02:04 PM -- Senate Bill 09-092

Representative Marostica, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-092, concerning the requirement that state-owned motor vehicles operate on compressed natural gas. Representative Marostica explained the effect of the bill, and discussed the benefits of using natural gas in vehicles. Representative Marostica responded to questions regarding the ability of the state's automobile fuel storage facilities to be converted to natural gas. Representative Marostica responded to questions regarding the future use of hybrid vehicles by the state if the bill passes, and the potential for maintaining flexibility among state agencies to purchase various types of vehicles. Discussion ensued regarding the available supply of natural gas should the use of natural gas in vehicles become popular.

02:15 PM

Discussion continued regarding natural gas availability. Discussion returned to requiring state agencies to purchase vehicles that run on natural gas, as opposed to granting flexibility in vehicle purchasing. Representative Marostica responded to questions regarding the ability to make state vehicle purchasing technology-neutral, thus granting flexibility to agencies. Discussion ensued regarding the ability of state agencies to purchase vehicles fueled by compressed natural gas under current law, and the intent of Senate Bill 09-092. Discussion followed regarding the impact of increased natural gas vehicle purchasing by the state on the overall market for natural gas vehicles.







02:25 PM

The following persons testified regarding Senate Bill 09-092:

02:25 PM --
Mr. Curtis Reuter, representing Noble Energy, testified in favor of the bill. Mr. Reuter discussed the economic and environmental benefits of using vehicles powered by natural gas, versus using conventional vehicles. Mr. Reuter also discussed the benefits of switching to domestic sources of energy. Mr. Reuter responded to questions regarding the level of natural-gas-powered vehicle use in Colorado, and the impact of switching to natural gas vehicles nationwide on the availability of natural gas. Mr. Reuter responded to further questions regarding the number of compressed natural gas suppliers in Colorado. Discussion ensued regarding the ability of private compressed natural gas vehicle owners to install fueling infrastructure on their own property, and the carbon output of natural gas vehicles as compared to hybrid or electric vehicles.

02:34 PM --
Mr. Craig Wagstaff, representing Questar Gas, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-092. Mr. Wagstaff discussed Questar's participation in the natural gas industry, and the company's efforts to expand the natural gas fueling infrastructure. Mr. Wagstaff also discussed the market penetration of natural gas vehicles in Utah, and the benefits of using natural gas-powered vehicles. Mr. Wagstaff then explained how users fill natural gas-powered vehicles. Mr. Wagstaff responded to questions regarding the types of vehicles that are powered by natural gas, and the life-cycle cost of natural gas vehicles compared to conventional vehicles. Mr. Wagstaff responded to further questions regarding the availability of natural gas.

02:45 PM

Mr. Wagstaff explained how Questar became involved in the natural gas-vehicle market, and the use of natural gas vehicles by the Utah state government.

02:46 PM --
Mr. Jim Cole, representing the Colorado Oil and Gas Association, testified in favor of the bill. Mr. Cole discussed the safety of natural gas, and the economic and environmental benefits of using natural gas in vehicles. Mr. Cole responded to questions regarding the long-term sustainability of using natural gas in vehicles on a wide scale. Mr. Cole responded to further questions regarding the adaptability of existing automobile inventories to natural gas use.

02:56 PM --
Mr. James Orsulak, representing Clean Energy, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-092. Mr. Orsulak provided input on the long-term sustainability of natural gas as a fuel source, and discussed natural gas sources. Mr. Orsulak also discussed the market penetration of natural gas-powered vehicles, and the benefits of using natural gas in vehicles. Mr. Orsulak then provided input on the use of natural gas vehicles in Colorado. Mr. Orsulak responded to questions regarding underground sources of natural gas. Discussion ensued regarding current state law pertaining to the use of alternative fuel vehicles.

03:05 PM --
Mr. Cliff Smedley, representing himself, testified in favor of the bill. Mr. Smedley offered input on the use of natural gas-fueled vehicles from the perspective of an owner of such a vehicle. Mr. Smedley responded to questions regarding how natural gas vehicles are refueled.


03:10 PM

Discussion ensued regarding the potential for amending Senate Bill 09-092 to provide flexibility in purchasing natural gas-fueled vehicles.
BILL:SB09-092
TIME: 03:13:48 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-092 to the Committee of the Whole with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 9-1-1 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Casso
VOTE
Casso
Yes
Court
Yes
Hullinghorst
Yes
Lambert
Yes
Massey
Yes
McCann
Yes
Miklosi
Yes
Murray
Excused
Nikkel
Yes
Labuda
No
Todd
Yes
Final YES: 9 NO: 1 EXC: 1 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS

03:16 PM -- Senate Bill 09-099

Representative Ferrandino, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-099, concerning centralized databases to aid the delivery of state procurement services. Representative Ferrandino discussed the effect of the bill, along with the bill's fiscal impact. Representative Ferrandino clarified the effect of the bill in response to a question.


03:20 PM

The following persons testified regarding Senate Bill 09-099:

03:21 PM --
Ms. Adrienne Benavidez and Mr. John Utterback, representing the Department of Personnel and Administration, testified in favor of the bill. Ms. Benavidez discussed the benefits of migrating the state's procurement system to the Internet, and the fiscal impact of doing so. Representative Ferrandino responded to questions regarding the position of vendors who contract with the state on creating an Internet-based procurement delivery system. Discussion ensued regarding the impact of the creation of a western states government purchasing consortium on the ability of small businesses to secure state contracts. Discussion followed regarding the efficiencies to be realized under Senate Bill 09-099, in light of the shifting of moneys shown in the bill's fiscal note. Representative Ferrandino responded to questions regarding the ability to create the centralized database under the bill using existing resources.

03:32 PM

Ms. Benavidez responded to questions regarding the need for additional employees to implement the centralized procurement system under the bill, and the ability of the Department of Personnel and Administration to pare down jobs once the system is implemented. Representative Ferrandino explained how efficiencies will be realized in other agencies once the system is implemented. Discussion ensued regarding these efficiencies.

03:37 PM

No amendments were offered to Senate Bill 09-099. Discussion returned to the fiscal impact of the bill.
BILL:SB09-099
TIME: 03:39:23 PM
MOVED:Court
MOTION:Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-099 to the Committee on Appropriations with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on a 7-2-2 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Hullinghorst
VOTE
Casso
Yes
Court
Yes
Hullinghorst
Yes
Lambert
No
Massey
Yes
McCann
Yes
Miklosi
Yes
Murray
Excused
Nikkel
Excused
Labuda
No
Todd
Yes
Final YES: 7 NO: 2 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS




03:40 PM -- Senate Bill 09-068

Representative McCann, prime sponsor, presented Senate Bill 09-068, concerning funding to support domestic abuse services, and, in connection therewith, allocating a portion of the funding to assist military members and their families. Committee members received two hand-outs detailing practices in other states for committing portions of marriage and divorce filing fees to domestic violence programs (Attachments A and B), and a report on the Domestic Abuse Assistance Program created by the Department of Human Services (Attachment C). Representative McCann explained the effect of the bill, and her reasons for running the legislation. Representative McCann discussed the funding sources for increased domestic abuse services, and current sources for funding domestic abuse programs. Representative McCann then discussed the use of marriage and divorce processing fees for domestic violence programs in other states, as outlined in attachments A and B. Discussion ensued regarding Colorado's marriage license fee rates, and the funding sources for the increased programming under the bill.

090317AttachA.pdf 090317AttachB.pdf 090317AttachC.pdf

03:54 PM

Discussion ensued regarding the basis for directing a portion of the moneys raised under Senate Bill 09-068 to services for military service members and their families. The discussion included the rate of domestic violence among families with military service members, and the stereotyping of violence among such populations.

03:57 PM

The following persons testified regarding Senate Bill 09-068:

03:57 PM --
Ms. Amy Miller, representing the Colorado Coalition Against Domestic Violence, testified in favor of the bill. Ms. Miller provided input on the rate of domestic violence among military service members and their families. Ms. Miller discussed the funding landscape for domestic violence services in Colorado, and the benefits of increasing funding levels for such services. Ms. Miller also discussed the need among military families for domestic abuse services, and the effect of the bill on other populations. Ms. Miller then discussed how increased surcharges on marriage and divorce filings were selected for revenue sources to fund increased domestic abuse services, and explained how such funding is used in Colorado. Ms. Miller responded to questions regarding the comparative rates of domestic violence between married and nonmarried couples in Colorado.

04:09 PM

Discussion ensued regarding the rates of domestic violence among married and nonmarried couples, and the reasons for targeting married couples with increased fees to fund increased domestic violence services under the bill. Discussion followed regarding the potential for creating a nexus between domestic violence services and the funding source for the increased services. Ms. Miller responded to questions regarding the stability of the funding source created by Senate Bill 09-068. Discussion turned to the amount of fees that will be directed to counties to administer the bill.


04:20 PM --
Ms. Carol Kresge, representing herself, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-068. Ms. Kresge recounted her experiences as a victim of domestic violence, and explained how the services she received helped her to escape the violence. Discussion ensued regarding the funding source for increasing domestic abuse services under the bill.

04:30 PM

Representative Lambert recounted a situation in which he provided security for a victim of domestic abuse. Discussion continued regarding the funding mechanism for the bill.

04:33 PM --
Ms. Judy Schurf, representing herself, testified in favor of the bill. Ms. Schurf recounted her experiences as a victim of domestic violence, and explained how help from domestic abuse service providers assisted her.

04:36 PM --
Ms. Amy Craig, representing herself, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-068. Ms. Craig recounted her experiences as a child victim of domestic abuse, and later as a spousal victim of abuse. Ms. Craig discussed the impact that domestic violence has on children, using her own experiences as an example. Ms. Craig then discussed the fee increases assessed under the bill, and the potential impact of not funding domestic violence services.

04:47 PM --
Ms. Michelle Fuller, representing Safehouse Denver, testified in favor of the bill. Ms. Fuller addressed the issue of the nexus between increased fees for marriage and divorce processing and the funding of increased domestic abuse services. Ms. Fuller then read from a series of letters addressed to the committee from residents of Safehouse Denver.

04:51 PM --
Mr. Scott Shields, representing Family Tree, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-068. Mr. Shields discussed the services provided by Family Tree, and the need for additional funding to maintain services. Mr. Shields then discussed the sources of funding available to domestic abuse service providers, and the populations that rely on the services provided by Family Tree. Mr. Shields responded to questions regarding the types of services that would be provided with the increased funding mandated by the bill. Discussion ensued regarding the proper source of funding for increasing the level of domestic violence services. Mr. Shields responded to further questions regarding the veterans and military families that are served by Family Tree. Committee members received a brochure outlining Family Tree's military family assistance program (Attachment D).

090317AttachD.pdf

05:03 PM

Mr. Shields responded to questions regarding the percentage of the population served by Family Tree that are veterans or military families.

05:05 PM --
Mr. Nate Gorman, representing the United Veterans Committee, testified regarding the bill from a neutral position. Mr. Gorman discussed certain language in the bill that directs a portion of the funding raised by the bill to military veterans and service members.


05:07 PM --
Ms. Wendy Leu, representing the Colorado Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, testified in favor of Senate Bill 09-068. Ms. Leu discussed needs in the area of domestic violence services, and pointed out the need for domestic violence services for men. Ms. Leu also discussed the assessment of the fee on marriage licenses.

05:11 PM --
Ms. Chris Radeff, representing the Colorado Bar Association, testified in opposition to the portion of the bill that increases the divorce filing fee. Committee members received a document summarizing Colorado's court fees (Attachment E). Ms. Radeff discussed the impact of increasing divorce filing fees on those who seek a divorce, and other fees assessed for court filings. Ms. Radeff also discussed the populations that are not served by the court system due to the inability to pay court fees. Ms. Radeff then expressed support for increasing the marriage filing fee to support increased domestic abuse services. Discussion ensued regarding the potential for funding increased domestic violence services through assessment of fees on those convicted of domestic abuse. Ms. Radeff responded to questions regarding trends in moving away from marriage into domestic partnership. Discussion ensued regarding the rate of fee collection by the Colorado court system.

090317AttachE.pdf

05:21 PM

Discussion returned to the nexus between an increase in divorce and marriage filing fees and funding increased services for domestic violence. Discussion followed regarding the rate of domestic violence among married and nonmarried couples.

05:28 PM --
Dr. Charles Corry, representing the Equal Justice Foundation, testified in opposition to Senate Bill 09-068. Committee members received copies of a memorandum from Dr. Corry entitled "Vote for SB 09-068 and destroy a soldier" (Attachment F). Dr. Corry provided his professional background, recounted his experiences as a victim of domestic violence, and explained how he was targeted as the perpetrator of the violence. Dr. Corry also recounted his experiences as a stalking victim by his spouse. Dr. Corry then explained the potential effect of the increased rate of domestic violence charges on military service members.

090317AttachF.pdf

05:38 PM

Dr. Corry drew a connection between increasing funding for domestic violence services and an increase in the placement of protection orders. Dr. Corry also questioned the ability of protection orders to protect individuals, and discussed the negative impacts of increasing the number of protection orders on military service members.

05:44 PM --
Mr. Cliff Smedley, representing the Equal Justice Foundation, testified against the bill. Committee members received copies of a news article about a woman who recently sought to have her husband murdered (Attachment G). Mr. Smedley discussed certain disparities between the treatment of men and women who have suffered from domestic violence. Mr. Smedley also discussed divorce scenarios in which men and women receive disparate treatment as a result of divorce laws and court practices.

090317AttachG.pdf



05:53 PM

No amendments were offered to Senate Bill 09-068. Representative McCann provided closing remarks in favor of the bill, addressing issues that were brought up previously. Representative Massey explained his reasoning behind his vote on the bill, and discussed the funding source for increasing services for domestic violence. Representative Lambert also discussed the bill's funding source, and recounted a situation of domestic violence he encountered during his military service. Discussion ensued regarding the level of fee increases for marriage and divorce filings, and the benefits to be realized by increasing the fees.
BILL:SB09-068
TIME: 05:57:24 PM
MOVED:McCann
MOTION:Moved to refer Senate Bill 09-068 to the Committee on Finance with favorable recommendation. The motion passed on an 8-1-2 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Court
VOTE
Casso
Yes
Court
Yes
Hullinghorst
Yes
Lambert
No
Massey
Yes
McCann
Yes
Miklosi
Yes
Murray
Excused
Nikkel
Excused
Labuda
Yes
Todd
Yes
Final YES: 8 NO: 1 EXC: 2 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS
06:05 PM

The committee adjourned.