Representative Barbara McLachlan and Senator Cleve Simpson visited the library and held a Q&A with residents.
Rep. Barbara McLachlan and Sen. Cleve Simpson attended a bill summary Saturday at the Durango Public Library. Health care, agriculture and education were just some of the topics discussed in front of an audience of about 60 people. (Christian Barney/Durango Herald)
Colorado Reps. Barbara McLachlan and Cleve Simpson mentioned school funding, health care and annexation during a legislative roundtable in Durango on Saturday.
More specifically, they addressed a contract dispute between CommonSpirit Health and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield that temporarily lost insurance coverage to thousands of workers in Durango and La Plata counties. Troubles and tensions between the city of Durango and the Southern Ute Indian tribes became a problem.
During a question and answer session moderated by the League of Women Voters of La Plata County, lawmakers talked about the bills they are most proud of, including those related to agriculture, education and the environment.
McLachlan reflected on her time in the Colorado House of Representatives, where she served as House Education Chair for six years, and said she is inching toward the end of her final term, which ends on Jan. 8, 2025.
Senator Simpson will continue to represent voters in Colorado’s 6th Congressional District, which covers Alamosa, Archuleta, Conejos, Costilla, Dolores, La Plata, Mineral, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Rio Grande, Saguash, San Juan, and San Miguel counties. He is aiming for re-election. .
McLachlan said Congress’ success in eliminating the budget stabilization factor this year should clear the way for schools to receive billions of dollars in the 2024-25 school year, even though schools are now fully funded. He said that does not mean that.
Wealthier school districts benefited more from budget stabilizers than rural schools. The new funding will allow local schools to hire new teachers and start new programs, she said.
McLachlan said he was proud of Animas High School students who led the advocacy effort to draft and pass House Bill 1003, which expands policies to allow schools and staff to maintain and administer Narcan, which can treat drug overdoses.
About 60 people attended the legislative summary meeting at the Durango Public Library.
Ms. McLachlan, a Democrat, said she enjoyed the bipartisan outing with Ms. Simpson, a Republican. In the end, what matters is the people, not the political parties.
Durango and La Plata county residents packed the Durango Public Library event room on Saturday to hear Colorado State Representatives Barbara McLachlan and Sen. Cleve Simpson speak. (Christian Burney/Durango Herald)
When asked what happened to the proposed study to examine the feasibility of a single-payer health care system, Simpson said the study would benefit Durangoans and Coloradans through insurance contract negotiations between Anthem and CommonSpirit. Attendees noted that they had always been skeptical of a single-payer health care system, but welcomed listening and learning from others. Stated.
He had lived in Australia for several years and said in his experience the single-payer system resulted in long waiting times for treatment. But after listening to different people’s opinions, he said, he was able to learn more about people’s needs and how health care wasn’t meeting them. In any case, he just didn’t have a chance to vote.
Simpson said he doesn’t know why a proposed study on the feasibility of a single-payer system hasn’t gotten off the ground, but he’s sure politics is involved.
“I was very clear about where I thought the policy was in the first place, but I approached all of this with a really open mind and engagement and asked myself, ‘Maybe I’m missing something?’ I’m thinking about it,” he said. “Now, I never got to a position where I could vote for or against it.”
Some residents wanted to know how the Colorado Legislature could prevent new cases like the Anthem-Common Spirit disagreement from impacting insureds.
Ms McLachlan said she didn’t have an answer.
“I know the health secretary was very involved in this,” she said.
Simpson said more information about negotiations between the insurance and health care giants could help understand how the dispute began and how it could be prevented in the future.
Mr. Simpson stated that Durango’s interest in annexing private property within the outer boundaries of the Southern Ute Indian Tribe would ensure the tribe’s right to approve or reject annexations within its lands. He said the proposed legislation would ratify federal law and treaties already signed with tribes. On the book.
“Tribes felt it was very important to enact (the bill), so I supported it and that it affirmed their jurisdiction based on federal policy and treaty language. I followed my position,” he said.
The nuances of this issue concern the ownership of private property on reservations and whether tribal sovereignty extends to their private land.
He said the city of Durango, the tribe and private property owners all have their own positions on the story, and tensions between the tribe and the city probably shouldn’t have reached a boiling point in the first place.
Colorado Senate Bill 24-193, which if enacted would reaffirm protections for tribes from unauthorized land annexation, passed with unanimous support in the state House and Senate, surprising Simpson. Simpson said the situation exceeded local officials’ expectations. He said.
Gov. Jared Polis hasn’t signed any legislation yet, but McLachlan said he has a large body of legislation that needs to be signed into law.
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