TheCopperCowboy
February 20th, 2008, 07:45 PM
http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008/feb/19/beer-tax-health-care/
Poll: Beer tax for health care?
By Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 02:42 p.m., February 19, 2008
Updated 03:27 p.m., February 19, 2008
While the governor and lawmakers said what they would and wouldn't do for health care this year, nobody mentioned Rep. Jerry Frangas.
But the Denver Democrat very quietly drafted a bill introduced this week that would raise alcohol taxes 2 percent to cover all of Colorado's 180,000 uninsured children.
The tax of 11 cents, for example, on a $5.49 six-pack of Budweiser, would raise about $57 million for the state children's health care program. When paired with federal matching funds, Frangas said it would provide up to $150 million.
Gov. Bill Ritter, leading Democratic lawmakers and various interest groups have been publicly debating how and whether to ask voters to raise taxes to address a number of needs - including health care.
Recently, talk has shifted away from a health care tax in favor of a possible severance tax hike on the booming oil and gas industry to put more money into higher education, transportation, the environment, or some combination of those.
Asked about Frangas' bill, Ritter's spokesman Evan Dreyer said he hadn't heard about it but noted the governor said last week "that he was not inclined to see a health care measure go to the ballot in November."
Frangas said he has spoken with Senate President Peter Groff about getting a Senate sponsor for HB 1341, but that Groff was noncommittal. Frangas said he also spoke with House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who got him up to speed on the larger debate over what if any tax increase to refer to voters next year.
Romanoff told the Rocky Tuesday that he and other lawmakers are working with Ritter on what he called "an organic conversation" about what question will wind up on the ballot.
Children's health care remains a top priority that lawmakers are struggling to figure out a way to pay for with the state's limited resources, Romanoff said. "I'm glad that Rep. Frangas has put an idea on the table," he added.
Frangas said he knows he's venturing out on his own with his bill. But he said he's doing it because his constituents have told him it's a good idea. Plus, he said, the idea polls well.
Colorado has a lower alcohol tax than most other states, according to an analysis prepared for Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, this month by an economist with the state's Legislative Council. A 2 percent tax hike would bring Colorado's alcohol tax up to 4.9 percent.
Hagedorn, who co-chairs the joint Health & Human Services Committee, said he considered introducing a bill similar to Frangas' this year, but shelved that idea in favor of a bill he plans to introduce in late March that would put the legislature on a three-step path toward putting a health care tax question on the 2010 ballot.
"Any money that can go into health care for Coloradans who do not have access to health care I think is a good idea," Hagedorn said. "But my caution would be: make sure there is a good effort to get it passed. You're going up against a billion-dollar industry."
bargec@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5059
Poll: Beer tax for health care?
By Chris Barge, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)
Originally published 02:42 p.m., February 19, 2008
Updated 03:27 p.m., February 19, 2008
While the governor and lawmakers said what they would and wouldn't do for health care this year, nobody mentioned Rep. Jerry Frangas.
But the Denver Democrat very quietly drafted a bill introduced this week that would raise alcohol taxes 2 percent to cover all of Colorado's 180,000 uninsured children.
The tax of 11 cents, for example, on a $5.49 six-pack of Budweiser, would raise about $57 million for the state children's health care program. When paired with federal matching funds, Frangas said it would provide up to $150 million.
Gov. Bill Ritter, leading Democratic lawmakers and various interest groups have been publicly debating how and whether to ask voters to raise taxes to address a number of needs - including health care.
Recently, talk has shifted away from a health care tax in favor of a possible severance tax hike on the booming oil and gas industry to put more money into higher education, transportation, the environment, or some combination of those.
Asked about Frangas' bill, Ritter's spokesman Evan Dreyer said he hadn't heard about it but noted the governor said last week "that he was not inclined to see a health care measure go to the ballot in November."
Frangas said he has spoken with Senate President Peter Groff about getting a Senate sponsor for HB 1341, but that Groff was noncommittal. Frangas said he also spoke with House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who got him up to speed on the larger debate over what if any tax increase to refer to voters next year.
Romanoff told the Rocky Tuesday that he and other lawmakers are working with Ritter on what he called "an organic conversation" about what question will wind up on the ballot.
Children's health care remains a top priority that lawmakers are struggling to figure out a way to pay for with the state's limited resources, Romanoff said. "I'm glad that Rep. Frangas has put an idea on the table," he added.
Frangas said he knows he's venturing out on his own with his bill. But he said he's doing it because his constituents have told him it's a good idea. Plus, he said, the idea polls well.
Colorado has a lower alcohol tax than most other states, according to an analysis prepared for Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, this month by an economist with the state's Legislative Council. A 2 percent tax hike would bring Colorado's alcohol tax up to 4.9 percent.
Hagedorn, who co-chairs the joint Health & Human Services Committee, said he considered introducing a bill similar to Frangas' this year, but shelved that idea in favor of a bill he plans to introduce in late March that would put the legislature on a three-step path toward putting a health care tax question on the 2010 ballot.
"Any money that can go into health care for Coloradans who do not have access to health care I think is a good idea," Hagedorn said. "But my caution would be: make sure there is a good effort to get it passed. You're going up against a billion-dollar industry."
bargec@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5059