Just two days into office, Gov. Bill Ritter told both chambers of the legislature in his first “State of the State” address that he wants to take Colorado’s citizens into the 21st Century through better education, better health care and renewable energy.
Legislators gave Ritter sustained applause, particularly on his proposals for health care and education.
After promising to listen to the citizens and working to solve their problems, Ritter tackled the energy issues first, promising to build a “New Energy Economy” for Colorado.
“Energy is today’s version of the space race of the ’60s and the technology race of the ’70s and ’80s,” he said. “We have a head start because of our natural resources, our intellectual resources and our entrepreneurial spirit.”
Ritter said he will adopt the Western Governor’s Association’s resolution calling for a 20 percent improvement in the efficiency of electric use.
“Getting wind energy (from the windmills) on to the wires will be one of my highest priorities,” he said to sustained applause.
On health care, Ritter noted that 770,000 Coloradans, including 180,000 children, don’t have health insurance. “My long-term vision is to establish a Colorado Health Plan that provides every Coloradan with access to some basic form of health insurance and health care by 2010. I look forward to solving this crisis with the legislature,” he said.
“We can make immediate progress by joining a multi-state drug-purchasing pool…This will be one of my first executive orders,” he said, to more applause.
“Another immediate step will be to restore the eligibility requirements for state funding for pregnancy-prevention and family planning programs,” he said to a loud cheers and a standing ovation.
He said he was appointing Lt. Gov. Barbara O’Brien to lead an effort to have 80 percent of the state’s children immunized by next year, which brought the legislators to their feet again in applause.
Ritter said transportation is a prime factor for moving into the 21st Century and that he would appoint a Colorado Transportation Finance and Implementation Panel to listen to citizens about their transportation needs, to find ways of financing the improvements and to get the changes made.
The governor moved on to remarks about economic development, when he interrupted his speech to announce that Denver this morning had been chosen to host the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He thanked Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper, who was in the audience.
Ritter emphasized his commitment to education by saying twice that fewer than half of the black, Latino and American Indian students who start high school in Colorado actually finish. “Our goal is to cut the drop-out rate in half within 10 years,” he said.
“Colorado ranks 49th in the country in per capita dollars directed to higher education,” he said. “Our higher-education system, particularly our community colleges, is vital to rural Colorado. I want our colleges and universities to double the production of technical certificates and college degrees over the next 10 years.”
The former Denver district attorney said prisoner recidivism will be a target of his because more than half of the state’s prison inmates wind up back in prison within three years of being released.
Ritter closed his remarks by focusing on the state’s children and promising to fulfill his Colorado Promise “for our children and our families.”
“I campaigned across this great state for almost two years,” he said. “I talked to thousands of people and listened to their hopes, their dreams and their struggles.
“I listened to them all, and they sounded a common refrain. They want us to solve problems. They want affordable health care, better schools and good jobs. They want us to protect Colorado’s land, air, water and wildlife.
“I start with a simple promise to all of you: I will always listen,” said Ritter, who unofficially changed the annual report to the “State of the People” speech.
Ritter closed his remarks by focusing on the state’s children and promising to fulfill his Colorado Promise “for our children and our families.”
