We were relieved to see legislative Democrats and Gov. Bill Owens have cut a deal to help low-income families pay stratospheric home heating bills.
For the current fiscal year, $20 million will go for heating bill assistance, with $4 million set aside to make homes more energy-efficient. In each of the next three fiscal years, $7 million from severance tax revenues will go into the Low-income Energy Assistance Program, and $4 million, $5 million and $6 million, progressively, into reducing home energy consumption.
“This was a situation where we all agreed what we wanted to get done,” said Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction. “Although we had some philosophical differences, we worked through those differences.”
Instead of stopgap assistance bills passed in a panic each January, the state will be making a long-term commitment to help low-income families pay their heating bills and also reduce energy consumption, Buescher noted. To us, that’s a sensible and humane approach that comes just as home heating bills are squeezing all of us.
