My grandfather was a mover and shaker in the Colorado sugar-beet industry with Great Western Sugar, and he was also a professor of agriculture at Colorado State University. But the agricultural roots my brother and sisters and I most appreciated were the ones associated with trips to the Western Stock Show, Little Britches Rodeo and the Colorado State Fair.
We rarely missed a show together. It was during those fun days we became closely acquainted with the importance of agriculture in Colorado, as we met my grandfather’s co-workers and friends, many ranchers and farmers, my cousin the cowboy and his friends, and the people behind the scenes in the rodeo and livestock handling.
So it is with a great debt to him I am a member of the House Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee. In the last few weeks, we have heard bills that not only advance the industry, they also help me continue to value how lucky we are to have a local and healthy food source, an appreciation of water, a love for agricultural events and friendships with some of the best people in the industry.
We have had some interesting bills debated recently celebrating one of the largest industries in the state.
We unanimously voted to approve the measures necessary to propel some of the $700 million-plus state stimulus money into many agricultural events important to Colorado. The passage of House Bill 21-1262 was not really a debate; it was more of an apology. When we had to cut the budget so severely last year because of COVID-19, public events around the state took a large hit, including the Western Stock Show in Denver, the Colorado State Fair in Pueblo and most county fairs.
In our “apology,” we voted to allocate $9 million to the Department of Agriculture, most of it for the Western Stock Show and Colorado State Fair. The money will help both of them recover from their losses last year. Their presence adds to our agricultural education, our livestock needs, competitions for big prizes, small businesses and county coffers.
In House Bill 21-1260, we voted unanimously to dedicate $20 million to the State Water Plan.
The plan was released in 2015 after a great deal of work in every basin, calling for an estimated $100 million a year dedicated to water projects, public awareness and engagement regarding statewide water issues. Water utilities and their ratepayers around Colorado pay some of that money, but the rest is left to the state. We are woefully behind.
This money, in addition to the money earned from the 2019 ballot measure legalizing and taxing sports gambling, isn’t enough, but it is a great start, a down payment of sorts. It will accelerate projects already on the worktable and encourage planning for more. Bill sponsors House Speaker Alec Garnett (D-Denver) and Rep. Marc Catlin (R-Montrose) said so much money will be coming at one time, it could outpace what the Colorado Water Conservation Board is prepared to handle. It’s a good problem to have.
A third bill we passed in committee, House Bill 21-1268, will provide matching grants to Colorado State University and the University of Colorado to study potential uses of emerging technologies to effectively manage Colorado’s water supply. These technologies include blockchain, telemetry, improved sensors and advanced aerial observation platforms, which could enhance confidence in the reliability of data in water rights transactions.
It is exciting to investigate the new wave of technology we are seeing, then determining how it may help our agricultural industry thrive.
And, finally, for the first time in Colorado’s history, a Republican, from the minority party, has been chosen as committee vice-chairman to the chairman, a Democrat from the majority party. Rep. Catlin, was so honored because of his vast experience to help lead the Agriculture, Livestock and Water Committee. We are all so proud that barriers were broken.
Agriculture is nonpartisan.
Rep. Barbara McLachlan is a Democrat representing District 59 in the Colorado Legislature.
