Mary Hodge for State Senate

Economy and Housing

Colorado needs a healthy economy in order to attract businesses, stay competitive, and, most importantly, remain a great place to live and raise a family. 

What I have done:

• Sponsored HB08-1183 to provide a job creation credit to rural communities
• Carried SB08-147 to add affordable housing to the list of energy efficient buildings in the state, as part of the Governor's New Energy Economy
• Voted Yes on HB08-1225 to reduce the tax burden on small businesses by increasing the personal property tax exemption to $4000
• Tackled the foreclosure crisis by supporting legislation to:
  • tighten standards for mortgage brokers
  • hold appraisers accountable
  • create, within the Department of Local Affairs, a hotline that helps those facing foreclosure

What I will do:

• Continue to work on legislation that encourages job creation in new and existing sectors
• Find ways to ensure our workers can afford and keep their homes

Education

Education must remain at the forefront of our legislative agenda.

What I have done:

• Endorsed B.E.S.T (HB08-1335), or Building Excellent Schools Today, to help fund projects to fix and replace crumbling schools.
• Supported HB08-1375 to increase need-based grants and scholarships for students in higher education

What I will do:

• Find ways to retain good teachers, reduce class sizes, and reduce our drop-out rates
• Improve higher education funding and help Colorado's students attend college.

 Healthcare

What I have done:

• Worked to pass the FAIR Act (HB08-1389). The Colorado insurance commissioner can now reject unjustified rate hikes, and help keep your rates affordable.
• Supported SB08-160 and SB08-161, which expanded health care access for kids and increased eligibilty. 50,000 more kids can now get the health care they need.

What I will do:

• Study plans to insure all Coloradoans
• Find ways to improve rural healthcare access
• Work with my colleagues to fix our broken health care system

Water

Water can be a contentious issue at the Capitol and elsewhere in the state. In Colorado, 85% of the water is owned by agricultural interests, and most of it originates on the western slope. However, the bulk of the population lives along the front range.

What I have done:

• Sponsored successful legislation (HB 06-1124) to encourage local cooperative efforts to allow for fallowing and leasing
• Carried SB06-132 to continue the Domestic Wastewater Treatment Grant program and enable unincorporated communities to build wastewater treatment plants
• Been a member of the Interim Water Resources Review Committee for six years
  • Purpose is to contribute to and monitor the conservation, use, development, and financing of water resources for the welfare of Coloradoans
  • The Committee proposes water resources legislation

What I will do:

• Work to bring all stakeholders to the table and craft win-win solutions, such as:
  • creating storage for the western slope in wet years
  • enlarging existing storage
  • encouraging local cooperative efforts.