Johnson worked on health care
By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News
Republican state Sen. Steve Johnson, running for re-election in District
15, assures voters the state is correctly spending revenues retained through
Referendum C, and he wants to keep it that way.
Voters passed the legislation last year to stem the budget bloodletting
resulting from a struggling economy. If those revenues are higher than
the estimated $3.7 billion annually for five years, they should be retained
and used for the needs of a growing state, he said.
Johnson, 46, who lives in rural Fort Collins, is a veterinarian and teacher
at Heritage Christian High School. He served as a state representative
six years before being elected to the Senate in 2002. In his legislative
career, he is known for being the original sponsor of the No Sales Call
List in Colorado. He also broke ranks with many Republicans by supporting
Referendum C.
If re-elected, one of his top priorities is to make quality health care
available to all Coloradans and to work to hold down health care costs.
In the last session, Johnson co-sponsored SB 198 to reduce medical office
paperwork. "The governor vetoed it under pressure from the insurance industry,"
he said. He also favored reducing the cost of prescription drugs through
bulk purchasing, which was also vetoed.
Johnson, however, does not favor universal health-care coverage or single-payer
insurance. "I don't want the government making my health decisions," he
said. "We need to get everyone covered, but I think it can be done through
the private sector."
As a state legislator, Johnson is covered by the state's health insurance
plan. "It's the first job I've ever had that came with health insurance,"
he said. While in the veterinary business, he paid into a small-group plan.
On immigration issues, Johnson favors proof of citizenship to register
to vote. He disagrees with the federal law that grants citizenship to children
born in this country to illegal immigrants. He favors fining employers
who hire illegal workers, and he co-sponsored the bill that denies certain
state benefits to those over 18 without proof of legal residency.
Transportation funding is another priority, said Johnson, noting there
is a funding shortfall of $60 billion to $80 billion over the next 20 years
when state and local needs are combined. He favored the failed Referendum
D, which would have allowed the state to sell bonds to jump-start construction
projects. "The state needs to propose another bonding plan," he said. Johnson
also favors a regional transportation authority to fund local projects.
On other issues, Johnson had the following views:
- Marriage means a union of one man and one woman. Same-sex couples can
get the same civil benefits through legal contracts, he said.
>- The state needs stronger legislation to prevent railroads from blocking
intersections for extended periods. An Indiana law limits those blocks
to five minutes.
- Eminent domain should never be used to take property from one private
person and give it to another private person.
- Colorado's share of the multi-year tobacco settlement should not be sold
for a one-time revenue boost.
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