Senator Spence believes that strong families, solid communities and churches are the best teachers of our core American values.

• She believes that Colorado voters want leaders who are role models . . . credible men and women who don't make distinctions between public and private morality.
• She believes that at "old-fashioned" conservative values of honesty, respect, patriotism and personal responsibility are worthwhile and that words alone cannot replace setting a good example.
• She believes that families are a vital part of Colorado's successful communities, and that government should support efforts to strengthen them.

Senator Spence is dedicated to the success of small business in Colorado and to the principles of free enterprise. She recognizes that Colorado’s economic future and the financial health of its citizens depend upon making Colorado a business friendly state. She knows small businesses are the backbone of Colorado's economy.

In the ten years she has served, Sen. Spence has earned perfect voting records on business issues by the National Federation of Independent Business, Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry, and the Southeast Business Partnership.

A free society relies on a respect for the law. Senator Spence believes in strong law enforcement and will continue to fight for swift punishment of criminals to keep homes and neighborhoods safe from crime. She supports judges who protect the rights of victims over the rights of the criminal.

With Colorado's federally-required statewide homeland security strategy, Colorado's Office of Preparedness coordinates exercises and training to develop plans to protect citizens and state commerce.

• Senator Spence was a co-sponsor of Amber Law legislation. This state program calls for local law enforcement agencies to first investigate reports of missing and abducted children to screen for possible false alarms, then notify the CBI of an abduction. Once CBI confirms the information, it will alert KOA-AM radio, which is the state’s designated Emergency Alert System station. That alert then is issued to broadcast and cable media throughout the state.
• She also co-sponsored legislation making the impersonation of a police officer a class 6 felony and the unauthorized use of a red and blue lights a class 1 misdemeanor. This law was a response to the death of Lacy Miller, a young college student from Ft. Collins who was murdered when she pulled her car over for a man impersonating a police officer.
• Supported legislation that posts photographs of two-time sexual offenders and those who fail to register as sex offenders on the Internet. Sex offenders are some of the most dangerous criminals on the streets because they are some of the most likely to re-offend. It is important that we maintain a vigilant tracking and accountability program when they are released from prison.
  

Colorado's economy, productivity and quality of life are linked to the transportation system – highways, railroads and airports. A core responsibility of the legislature is to support strong and dependable infrastructures.

We cannot afford any longer to neglect upkeep and postpone expansion of Colorado's transportation grid. Yet, we also cannot presume that the voting public will embrace a massive tax-and-fee hike.

Instead, we should treat transportation like the budget priority it's supposed to be by protecting current funding - constitutionally - from raids by the General Assembly. We also must make highway funding more fair for the taxpaying public as we become more innovative in our approach to financing new projects.

Science Fair at Local Elementary School

One of the great challenges facing Colorado is how best to improve public schools. Despite the efforts of parents, teachers, and school leaders, public schools continue to leave too many children behind. The gap between low-income mostly minority youngsters and their peers remains unacceptable.

State Standards Revision
The Colorado State Board of Education with the Department of Education are undertaking a comprehensive revision of standards. These standards identify what students should know and be able to do. They were first created and adopted in 1994. At the time, Colorado was a leader in standards-based reform. Three years later it based its 3-10 grade state assessments on each of those expectations.

Senate Bill 08-212 called "CAP4K" requires that there be a revision of standards and a third party analysis to improve the standards and to bridge pre-school to post-secondary expectations. This work to modernize standards is taken with an eye to incorporating 21st century skill, college readiness and career/workforce skills.
CSAP Scores
Colorado Student Assessment Program (CSAP) scores released in July 2009 reaffirm the need to move forward with bipartisan education reforms enacted in 2008 and to adopt yet other new policies. Across the state, assessment scores were largely flat. Sen. Spence feels that there is much more work that lies ahead if we are serious about reform -- and about tackling these mediocre CSAP scores.
Charter Schools
In 2009 there are 160 charter schools in Colorado serving thousands of youngsters in kindergarten through grade 12. Sen. Spence has been recognized as the Colorado League of Charter Schools best advocate for capital funding. She has passed legislation to provide fair and equitable treatment of all charter public schools.

Please participate in your democracy. It is very important that all Coloradoans register to vote, inform themselves of the issues and politicians and cast their vote.

The links in this section provide information and resources to help encourage all House District 3 constituents and other Coloradoans to participate.

Representative Anne McGihon is a member of the House Judiciary Committee, House Health and Human Services Committee and is Vice-Chair of the Legal Services Committee. Representative McGihon will also Chair the Alternatives in Health Medicine Interim Committee and serves as Colorado Uniform Laws Commissioner.

In addition to working on the broader majority agenda, Rep. McGihon works to protect victims of domestic violence in our communities, expand access to health care for Colorado business and employees, and promote environmental stewardship.

My public and community service is based on the values of individual liberty, personal responsibility and limited government. These values are integrated into my work across the issues outlined in this section. Education has been a large part of my public service for over 20 years. This is reflected in my work as your Representative since 1998, including two terms as Chairman of the House Education Committee.

The main issues that I have been working on are listed on the left: Education, Transportation, Crime, Economy and Business, and Families.

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I am honored to serve my constituents in the District regarding a wide range of issues from health care to economic development.

During the 65th Colorado General Assembly I will serve on the Legal Services Committee, and on the Judiciary and Health and Human Services Committees.

I am proud to have successfully tackled the 64th Colorado General Assembly during which I served on both the Judiciary Committee and the Technology and Information Committee. I introduced bills into the legislative session concerning Health Care, Prescription Drugs, Unemployment Insurance for victims of Domestic Violence and a Court Administrator clarification relating to evictions. I worked on an economic development project to strengthen Colorado's film industry, and worked to protect our state's beautiful resources. I am especially proud of working together with my colleagues in stopping the unwarranted impeachment of a State District Court judge.