The 2018 legislative session came out with a couple of big items from lawmakers.
Namely, transportation funding and PERA reform- something lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are marking as achievements.
Senate President Kevin Grantham says that’s not all: the senate also passed legislation to bring resources to rural communities, resolutions on election district boundaries, and the restructuring of the Colorado Energy Office.
When it comes to transportation, the millions of dollars approved by the legislature still needs some voter approval in order to happen.
Without the approval of bonding measures, it could mean several projects throughout the state won’t get done.
‘It’s going to hurt everybody, you know there’s some of the major projects on the list that need to be done on I-25 & I-70 but there’s some projects in rural Colorado that if we don’t get these done- stuff right in their own back yard that won’t be able to get accomplished,’ said Pres. Grantham (R-Cañon City).
Still, the amount of funding approved by the legislature is an unprecedented $495 million.
Additionally, a bi-partisan rural broadband finance bill is another item Grantham is marking as a major accomplishment.
‘There are some places in Colorado still using dial-up,’ said Grantham.
The senate president saying in some cases schools and hospitals are using the antiquated system.
With the rural broadband finance bill, it will bring access to areas making it easier for programs such as telemedicine.
Grantham is term-limited, when asked about his future in politics he said ‘you never know, I never discount the possibility of what may or may not be ahead of me.’
With the primary races coming up in about a month Grantham didn’t say specifically who he’d like to see in the governor’s office only ‘a Republican,’ adding that all the party candidates bring something to the table and he’d ‘be happy to vote for anyone of them in November.’
