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June 12, 2002

From The Governor's Office...
Colorado Governor Bill Owens' e-Newsletter

Fires Underscore Need for Governor's Order
Governor Owens has banned fireworks and open flame statewide.  He emphasized, “If people in Colorado don't understand yet what a serious situation we are in, perhaps, this will be a good indication.  My message to Coloradans is simple, don’t start fires out of doors this summer, period.”  Owens has spent several days visiting victims of the fires.  Full text.

Owens Trims Budget Down to Size
Stressing that a proposed 7.3 percent spending increase in the face of a 13 percent drop in revenue defies fiscal reality, Gov. Bill Owens picked up his veto pen and cut $228 million from the 2002-03 state budget. Full text.

Governor Nixes College Tuition Hikes
Gov. Owens, as part of his line-item budget vetoes, eliminated a 7.7 percent hike in tuition at Colorado public colleges and universities.  He asked the Colorado Commission on Higher Education to work with the colleges to find a more reasonable increase.  Full text.

Governor Committed to Transportation
At a highway construction site, with work underway on a massive bridge in the background, Gov. Bill Owens signed historic legislation investing more than $15 billion in Colorado's transportation system without raising taxes.  Owens said, "Years from now, we will look back on this day and see that it was a milestone for transportation in Colorado." Full text and Photo.

Owens Opens Colorado's Newest State Park
Governor Owens has inaugurated Colorado's newest state park.  John Martin Reservoir State Park, near Hasty between Las Animas and Lamar, is the latest of 40 state parks, and is the first state park in southeastern Colorado. Full text and Photos.

Governor, Cabinet Hold Western Slope Town Meetings
Governor Owens and members of his cabinet have made a wide-ranging bus visit to communities on the Western Slope and throughout southern Colorado.  Full text and Photos.

Owens Signs Environmental Bills
Governor Owens has signed into law the "Instream Flow Bill" to protect Colorado rivers and streams -- legislation the environmental group Trout Unlimited has called "the most significant legislation for Colorado's rivers in 15 years."  Full text.

Governor Protecting At-Risk Children
Governor Owens recently signed legislation making prenatal care available to low-income pregnant women through the basic Children's Health Plan (CHP).  Providing such care was one of the priorities Owens outlined in his 2002 State of the State Address.  Full text.

Governor Praised for Air Quality Focus
In a lead editorial, the Denver Post praised Gov. Owens' commitment to improving air quality, giving Owens substantial credit for the Denver Metro area's becoming the first U.S. city to reach "full attainment" of federal air quality standards.   Full text.