DENVER—Gov. John Hickenlooper asked Coloradans to partner with state government during his first state of the state speech Thursday, saying he considers every Coloradan a member of his administration.
He also announced several proposals to cut the budget, including an economic plan that asks every county to develop a vision for its economic future and requiring any new legislation to consider regulatory impact on businesses. The suggestion got a hearty cheer from GOP lawmakers.
Hickenlooper told lawmakers he has begun consolidating state jobs and agencies to save money.
His call for a nonpartisan approach to improving the state drew a long standing ovation from state lawmakers assembled in the House of Representatives to listen to the speech.
“A lot of people don’t think the state can operate in a nonpartisan way for the benefit of Colorado. We don’t agree,” Hickenlooper said.
Without going into details, the new governor also sought to reassure lawmakers that he’s prepared to help them slash spending to balance the state checkbook.
“This is not my first time at the deficit rodeo,” Hickenlooper said, recounting budget problems he faced in business.
Hickenlooper laid out ideas to cut red tape for private businesses. One of his ideas: A new requirement for lawmakers to consider how regulations affect industry before approving those regulations.
The new governor also suggested that lawmakers look at the state budget over several years, not just a single fiscal year. Hickenlooper didn’t explain how exactly that would improve Colorado’s finances, but he promised more details soon.
“Our state constitution requires us to balance the budget annually. We can do better,” Hickenlooper said.
Without saying exactly what should be cut, Hickenlooper warned, “we are going to engage in very direct, very pragmatic conversations about what we can and cannot afford to do.”
Hickenlooper also said he’d work to improve customer service for taxpayers dealing with state government.
Hickenlooper’s vagueness won him praise from lawmakers in both parties.
“You didn’t see him, come out and say, ‘This is exactly what I want you to do,'” Democratic Rep. Mark Ferrandino, head of the budget-writing Joint Budget Committee.
Ferrandino said proposals to build new health care homes for people with chronic diseases would save money because they can be built with federal funds.
He also urged lawmakers to keep a hospital provider fee to subsidize hospitals. The program has drawn criticism from Republicans, who said there was no way to prevent those fees from being passed on to patients.
New Republican House Speaker Frank McNulty was even more blunt when he explained after the speech why Republicans clapped so often at Hickenlooper’s suggestions, especially his plans to look twice at new regulation.
“These are the exact things we’ve been talking about,” McNulty said.
After his speech, Hickenlooper met with reporters for a free-wheeling news conference. Hickenlooper pulled a set of flash cards out of his pocket, noting that he had one for each of the 100 state lawmakers as he gave his speech.
“I’m slightly dyslectic so it’s hard for me to remember faces. I have to meet five, six, seven times before I can recognize them,” he said.
Hickenlooper said the state should also promote the military, like Texas and Alabama, because “it’s part patriotic and part smart business sense.”
He also recommended that the state go to a two-year budget to better plan for the uncertain economic future.
