Fischer to focus on environment

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Randy Fischer, a Fort Collins Democrat and incumbent state representative from District 53, is proud of his leadership role in the last session in passing uranium-mining legislation that helps protect Colorado's groundwater supply. Fischer is being challenged by Donna Gallup this November.

Fischer said he was also pleased at the passage of his bill, the Healthy Rivers Act, which allows individuals to lease their water rights to the Colorado Instream Flow Program. "There's a lot of interest in the ranching community in preserving streams on their property," Fischer said, partly because there is potential recreation revenue in those streams.

Fischer, 57, has been a champion for the Colorado Water Institute, based at Colorado State University, which works on issues such as climate change and water quality and supply. He has also supported education-related bills. He was involved in drafting SB 218, which directed some of the royalty funds from mineral leases on public lands to the capital needs of higher education. A direct result, he noted, was $14 million in funding for a new science building at Front Range Community College. Both Colorado State University and FRCC are located in District 53.

Fischer, who owns an engineering consulting business, said if he's re-elected, he will continue to work on environmental issues as a member of the Natural Resources Committee. He also wants to focus on transportation issues, believing that moving toward multi-modal transportation is a worthy long-term project.

Fischer supports Amendment 59, the Savings Account for Education or SAFE, which will appear on this November's ballot. The measure allows the state to keep revenue in excess of that allowed by the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, with the funds to be put in a savings account for education. As a trade-off, the amendment would eliminate the education spending mandates of Amendment 23.

Fischer said SAFE is "the only viable mechanism to make sure we have the flexibility in our budgets to deal with future economic downturns." Residents would still be able to vote on tax increases, he noted, and there would still be a 6 percent growth limit for the state's general fund.

Fischer also supports Initiative 58, "A Smarter Colorado," which would eliminate the current severance tax subsidy enjoyed by the state's oil and gas industry. Since the 1970s, he explained, 87.5 percent of the severance tax has been refunded as a tax credit. Western Colorado is currently enjoying a "tremendous boom" in natural gas production, Fischer said, "and yet we're giving all our mineral wealth back to the companies."

Initiative 58 would raise $250 million to $325 million per year for the state. Contrary to industry claims, Fischer said, eliminating the subsidy would not affect prices paid by Colorado consumers, since the natural gas is being piped out of state.

Asked about the Northern Integrated Supply Project, or Glade Reservoir, Fischer said more information is needed about effects on water quality, and the combined effects of all projects need to be examined.