It has been a very busy summer and fall with multiple interim committee hearings and statewide tours for capital development, water, transportation and off-highway vehicles. In addition, I had total hip replacement surgery on Oct. 28. For a couple of years, I have had a lot of pain in my right hip when I rode a horse for even a short period of time. In September, I finally had it X-rayed and it was plain to see that joint was worn out, so we scheduled the surgery and thanks to Dr. Tony Anderson of Durango Orthopedics and the great staff at Mercy Regional Medical Center, I am on my way to a very rapid and successful recovery.
Because of the hip surgery, I was unable to attend the last Water Resources Review Committee meeting on Oct. 29. I had asked Sen. Ellen Roberts, chair of the committee, to permit former Colorado Agricultural Commissioner Don Ament to give a presentation on the history of the Narrows Water Project on the South Platte River. My request was granted and it is my understanding that Ament did a wonderful job and I thank him for it. The South Platte River is the only major river in Colorado that does not have a water storage dam on the main stem. Just this spring, 2 million acre feet of water – water that legally could be stored and used in Colorado – left the state with no way of stopping it. This is a crying shame while we are continuing to divert West Slope water to the Front Range, agriculture water is being bought up and the land dried up for development, and Front Range aquifers are being sucked dry. South Platte water storage is a no brainer to me.
I attended the Legislative Transportation Review Committee held in Durango in late September. Thanks to all that participated and thanks to the committee for coming to Southwest Colorado. I continue to be concerned that we are falling further and further behind on maintenance of Colorado highways. It seems to me that maintenance must be the top priority and I was disappointed that the Colorado Department of Transportation recently announced that it would build new offices to the tune of $150 million and Gov. Hickenlooper announced that there will be $100 million used for bike paths. I am not opposed to bike paths, but Colorado taxpayers demand that we get our priorities right. Transportation is a major function of state government and will continue to be one of my top priorities.
I was able to successfully get the OHV Interim Committee established during the last session. Chaired by Rep. Lois Court, the committee met three times and a bill that I will carry, was adopted to be introduced in the next session. I appreciate the support of Rep. Court, a Democrat, and chair of the House Finance Committee where the bill was killed last year.
J. Paul Brown represents House District 59 in Colorado’s General Assembly. The district encompasses La Plata, Archuleta, San Juan, Ouray and Hinsdale counties and part of Gunnison County. Reach him at jpaul.brown.house@state.co.us
