Help HCAC gather signatures at PrideFest

Health Care for All Colorado

Calling all volunteers and Ballot Initiative #12 Petition Circulators!  This weekend, over 250,000 people will gather in Denver to celebrate the 37th annual PrideFest at Civic Center Park. This is a very receptive crowd for our ballot initiative.

Hours for the festival are 11 am to 7 pm on Saturday, June 15, and 10 am to 6 pm on Sunday, June 16.

We will stage at the front of our office building at 789 Sherman Street both mornings from 9 am to 10 am to allow volunteers to pick up petitions and badges and to ask any questions about the signature gathering process. Bring a friend and work in teams, or we can also pair up individuals each morning that want to work in teams.

This is a critical opportunity to gather a huge amount of signatures this weekend with some effort and commitment.  Please let Danielle Robbio, our summer intern from Boston University, know if you need more information or plan to volunteer.  She may be reached at her email address at drobbio@bu.edu.

Thanks much and let’s go get some signatures!

Health Care for All Colorado
http://www.healthcareforallcolorado.org/

Boulder City Council Considers Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project

Nablus City, West Bank

The Boulder City Council is currently debating whether to give official status to the Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project.  Nablus is a city of about 125,000 located in the West Bank of Palestine about 30 miles north of Jerusalem.  The basic purpose of the Boulder-Nablus Sister City Project is to foster closer relations between people in Palestine and the United States.  Such relations, it is hoped,  will encourage a more even handed foreign policy by the US government and will help (in a small way) to generate a just resolution for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Continue reading

Obama administration resists Freedom of Information Request on Keystone XL approval process

State Department denies request for quick release of lobbyist documents; appeal filed

WASHINGTON – April 26 – The State Department has denied Friends of the Earth’s request for expedited release of internal documents that could shed light on the web of lobbyists TransCanada and the Province of Alberta have hired in order to fast track approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline. Friends of the Earth today filed a formal appeal. Continue reading

Colorado legislature poised to pass SB-176, which authorizes investment in one foreign nation – Israel

In February, Colorado state Senators Carroll and Scheffel introduced SB 13-176, which authorizes the state treasurer to invest state moneys in debt obligations backed by the full faith and credit of the state of Israel. There was no explanation of: 1) how this bill would benefit Colorado;  2) why the bill was needed, or 3) why the bill focused on only one foreign nation – Israel. Continue reading

Senator Aguilar shelves Coop Bill untill 2014

On April 12, 2013, Senator Aguilar laid over (withdrew her legislation) SCR13-002, for the Colorado Health Care Cooperative, until January 8, 2014. The Colorado Health Care Cooperative extends Obama’s Affordable Care Act and develops a unique plan for controlling costs while providing accessible health care for all residents. Although Senator Aguilar could not obtain the two thirds vote of the Senate needed for this Constitutional Amendment Referendum, Co-operate Colorado‘s multi-year strategy remains intact, the progress has been great, and momentum is strong and rising. Continue reading

Sad day for Colorado – HB 1275 dies in committee

State Representative Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins)

Joann Ginal’s bill, HB 13—1275, which would have required the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to commission a study to identify health impacts of oil and gas activity, died in committee, on a 5-6 vote.  All 5 Republicans plus Rep. Dave Young (D-Greeley) voted against it.  The bill was heavily lobbied against by Governor Hickenlooper’s appointee to the CDPHE, Chris Urbina, who stayed for the whole 3.5-hour committee meeting and testified along with his staff.  In addition, Dr. Urbina had been lobbying Rep. Young prior to the hearing.

Sierra Club and 350.org Arrange Busing from Denver to Keystone XL Hearing in Nebraska

The Sierra Club and 350.org are coordinating bus transportation from Denver/Boulder to the only public hearing regarding the Keystone XL pipeline, which is scheduled for Thursday, April 18th, in Grand Island, Nebraska. Given the long distance of the hearing from large cities, it’s likely the location was chosen to suppress participation in the hearing and discourage public input. TransCanada, the company that plans to build the pipeline, is hoping that it’ll be a small gathering – that nobody will make a fuss. They’re hoping that it’s too far away from major cities, hoping that we’ve gotten bored, hoping that we’re not paying attention. We need to prove them wrong. Please sign up here to attend the public hearing:

RSVP first on this signup page, and if you’re on Facebook you can RSVP there too!

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Support HB 1275 – in Committee this Thursday

State Representative Joann Ginal (D-Fort Collins)

Please Support HB 13—1275  A Report on the Health Impacts of Oil and Gas Operations Near the Front Range. This bill would require Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to commission a study of epidemiological data to identify possible health impacts related to oil and gas activity.

This bill will be heard on Thursday, ~10:00 am, April 11, 2011 at the State Capitol, 200 E. Colfax, Denver, CO.

 

 

 

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Water Speculators, Developers and the Plot to Destroy Chatfield Reservoir

The Park Killers

by PHILLIP DOE

The other night I went to a killing.  It was all very matter of fact.  Five judges sat at the front of the room listening to people testify for or against the killing of public recreation and wildlife at Chatfield Reservoir.  An urban recreation and wildlife center, Chatfield receives over 1.5 million visitor days a year.  It is Colorado’s premiere state park, helping to underwrite more remote and less visited parks.  Too, it is a bird sanctuary, home to at least one endangered species, and a place without equal in the state because of its proximity to Denver.  You can get there by simply pedaling your bike, many do. Continue reading

Health Coop Bill (SCR13-002) Passes Out of Committee

After hours of informative and emotionally moving testimony in support of the Colorado Health Care Cooperative, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee passed SCR13-002, Sen. Irene Aguilar’s bill. The bill passed 4-3 on party lines.

Also passed was Sen. Aguilar’s SJR13-021 bill to create an interim committee to study ways to create a comprehensive health care system for all Coloradans. We’re excited about this also.  SJR13-021 was introduced last week to meet the deadline for interim committee bill submissions. Most people are not even aware of the bill. Below is basic information. The bill and additional information can be found on our website. Continue reading