Congratulations to Representative-elect Daniel Kagan, and to all the candidates for the House District 3 vacancy. I am so proud of the cooperative spirit of the vacancy campaign and gratified at the talent of all the candidates.
Representative-elect Kagan's swearing-in will be scheduled before the House comes to order Monday morning.
It has been my honor to serve House District 3, and I look forward to seeing you soon.
Big news, both sad and exciting
It is with very mixed emotions that I am announcing my resignation as representative of House District 3, effective March 27. I especially want to thank all of the fabulous precinct committee people in my district. I tried to reach all of you yesterday to tell you the news myself. Thank you for giving me the privilege to serve our wonderful district.
I have rejoined the law firm of Akerman Senterfitt, and will work in the firm’s Government Affairs and Public Policy group, assisting clients locally and nationally from Akerman's offices in Denver and Washington D.C. Since I will be in Washington about half the time, it will be impossible for me to continue as a Representative.
I’m very proud of what we have accomplished, especially in the field of health care. The creation of the 208 Commission provided us with a clear and reliable picture of alternative models of health care reform, with the costs and benefits of each model calculated by objective experts in the field.
We also modernized public health, and we made significant progress on reforming the delivery of behavioral health. I am proud of the significant progress we are making in providing access to quality, affordable health care for many Coloradans.
I will not be abandoning the cause for which I have passionately worked in the General Assembly, but will pursue it on the national level.
Akerman Senterfitt is the firm I joined right after leaving law school. I worked there for several years, in the field of banking law, before joining a Washington, D.C. firm and subsequently moving to Denver. I have lived in Denver for the past 20 years and am devoted to the city and the State of Colorado.
Again, it has been my privilege to serve the residents of House District 3. I’m sad to be leaving the General Assembly and the many admirable colleagues with whom I’ve worked.
Thank you,
Anne
We are more than halfway through the session, with the second half promising to be just as exciting as the first.
Yesterday was among the most intense days we’ve had in the House, as my oil and gas rules bill (HB 1292) endured a lengthy and contested debate. As sponsor of the bill, I helped ensure that all proponents who wanted to speak stayed on message.
For just under 5 hours the debate raged. Republicans offered numerous amendments to the bill. They argued that the bill would hurt the oil and gas industry, which is already ailing due to stringent rules imposed on it.
What's in the Stimulus for Health Care?
I have been asked by many people today about what is in the compromise stimulus bill for health care. I m happy to note that COBRA payments and Electronic Medical Records are still included. Here is a summary from Kaiser Daily Health report:
House and Senate negotiators on Wednesday reached a tentative compromise on a $789.5 billion economic stimulus package that includes some concessions on health care, "clearing the way" for final passage of the package by the end of the week, the New York Times reports (Herszenhorn/Hulse, New York Times, 2/12). According to the Washington Post, "despite the acknowledgement of ceding some ground," President Obama "secured many of his biggest priorities in the legislation, including the longer-term health care and energy investments that the administration views as a down payment on broader reforms" (Murray/Kane, Washington Post, 2/12). Among other provisions, the compromise stimulus package would:
This week I attended a conference on the Dutch and German health care systems. I learned how those nations’ health insurers compete for business, and yet only 1.5% of Dutch citizens remain uninsured. I learned valuable lessons to apply in my effort to see all Coloradoans get affordable quality health care.
Here in Colorado, a useful guide to health care issues and programs has just been published. It’s called The 2009 Colorado Health Care Resource Book, and you can download it by clicking on this link:
Coffee & Chat with Rep. McGihon
Have you wondered what Colorado’s legislature is up to? Maybe you would simply like to say “hello.” If so, we need to get together and chat at Kaladi Brothers! Here are the details:
Date: February 12, 2009
Time: 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
Place:
Kaladi Brothers
1730 E. Evans Avenue
Denver, CO 80210
Please come, bring your ideas and your friends. I look forward to seeing you!
Healthcare in the Federal Stimulus
Many of you have asked how the federal government can help Colorado with health care in the proposed two-year $825 billion stimulus package. Here are some recent developments:
Yesterday, several Congressional committees tackled this subject by including additional funds for Medicaid, $20 billion for health care information technology, and federal subsidies for health insurance premiums under COBRA, among other provisions. Earlier provisions would prevent reductions in Medicaid reimbursements to hospices, long-term care facilities and medical students.
Under the stimulus package, the federal government would subsidize 65% of COBRA premiums for as long as 12 months. Recently unemployed workers 55 and older -- or those with at least 10 years of tenure at their jobs -- could continue to receive health insurance through COBRA. They could receive COBRA benefits until they find a new job that offers coverage or until they turn 65, when they can enroll in Medicare.
Anne on KCFR - Colorado Matters Radio, January 5, 2009
An audio recording from the KCFR website:
The Session Ahead: Health Care
The legislature convenes Wednesday. Host Ryan Warner discusses health care priorities with Rep. Spencer Swalm, a Centennial Republican, and Democratic Rep. Anne McGihon of Denver.
Tuesday was an amazing day. We planned to leave our hotel early to walk over to the Capitol and get in – thinking we would be fine on timing to find our seats for the swearing in. We had in mind that by walking, we would get our morning exercise and get our bodies warmed up before sitting out in the damp Washington chill.
When I got up at 5:30 am, someone shouted – “oh my gosh, it’s packed out there already!” We turned on the television and saw big crowds gathering all across the Mall. It was also icy cold and breezy.
So nine of us started out and walked from 21st and M Street to 16th Street, stopping for coffee and breakfast, then zigzagged through downtown to avoid the crowds and the barricades. Many downtown streets had been blocked off overnight - Metro buses were parked across 15th Street around McPherson Square; some streets were filled with temporary metal guards surrounded by unmarked police vehicles or military Hummers. National Guardsmen and women from Delaware covered H Street intersections, while City police from all over Texas helped at the Convention Center. As we walked, everyone was friendly, though it looked like the City could go into lockdown at any moment. When we arrived at New Jersey and D Streets, near Union Station and the Capitol, the crowds were getting larger, the pedicabs were getting stuck in the pedestrian traffic, and the hired cars were too.
Our group had to split up according to our different seating areas. Half of us had to walk all the way around the Capitol to find our entrances. But having a ticket and getting in line didn’t guarantee admission, as it turned out. There were numerous people who traveled all the way to Washington, were given tickets by Members of Congress, stood in line from pre-dawn and then never got into the seating areas. Security screening broke down because there wasn’t a back-up generator; one gate was shut because the crowd got too pushy.
Today A Day of Service, Yesterday a Concert, and Tomorrow an Inaugural
In honor of Dr. King and the inauguration of President Elect Barack Obama, like many across the nation, Washingtonians are dedicating today to a day of service. Across the City, there are people working in shelters, cleaning up neighborhoods and schools, doing renovation projects where needed, and filling care packages for our military who are overseas. The President-elect is doing service in Southeast Washington.
I am lucky to be here in Washington with a ticket for the Inaugural. I am here among many friends from Washington and from all over the country. We have known each other since high school in Washington, from law school in Florida, from the Flemming Fellows Leadership Program, from politics or from Denver. (And for those of you who think I might be ungrateful for her help, my mother declined her invitation to attend!)
The community of the Washington Cathedral is doing its day for Martha’s Table. Martha’s Table’s mission is to help at-risk children, youth, families and individuals improve their lives by providing educational programs, food, clothing, and enrichment opportunities. It is unique because Martha’s Table operates by going out into the City. The Cathedral community will prepare and deliver food to homeless persons throughout Washington. Tonight, on Inauguration Eve and in the spirit of service and community, there is a benefit for three of Washington’s charity organizations that have supported sustainable farmers and the underserved for over 20 years. A dozen meals with a dozen chefs will be served in beautiful homes by chefs such as Alice Waters and Rick Bayless.
