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Environment Colorado Interview with state House Majority Leader Alice Madden, January 2005.
Throughout your tenure in the Legislature, you’ve been a consistent champion of the environment. Now that you are in a position of leadership, what are your top priorities?
While solving the state’s fiscal crisis is our top priority, protecting Colorado’s environment remains a key focus of my legislative agenda. As Majority Leader, I will be working with my colleagues to guide legislation to increase accountability of the Public Utilities Commission, to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy, and enable funding mechanisms for open space acquisition.
You were a sponsor of legislation that later evolved into Amendment 37, the Renewable Energy Initiative, that passed in November. What are next steps to ensure Colorado’s clean energy future?
Amendment 37 is a landmark victory for our environment. The Initiative will result in a significant increase in wind and solar energy use and production in Colorado. But it is just the first step in ensuring clean air and energy stability in Colorado.
We need to continue to pursue new clean energy technologies and more efficient ways to use the energy that we have. This session the Legislature will debate a number of important energy issues ranging from tax credits for renewable energy to the expansion of energy efficiency programs.
You were also a vocal proponent of FasTracks – the build-out of our regional transit system. How important a victory is this for the future of the Front Range?
FasTracks is a very, very important victory for the region. FasTracks will have sweeping impacts on our economy, our environment and our quality of life. It will produce thousands of new jobs and pump billions of dollars into the local economy. Once completed, it will reduce the numbers of cars on the road which will help decrease air pollution.
But the most important benefit could come in how FasTracks shapes future development in the metro region. The experiences of other cities suggest that new transit lines attract compact development. FasTracks could become a magnet for smart growth.
Before you became Majority Leader, or even a legislator, you were a lawyer and a working mother of two. Do you have any advice for how a concerned yet busy citizen can impact the political process, short of running for office?
There are simple steps than anyone can take to effect positive political change for the environment. First, contact your state representatives and state senators. We are always happy to hear from our constituents. Let them know how you feel about a particular issue. That’s our job – to listen to our constituents and represent their interests.
The other thing is—get involved with other people who care about the same issues. Get your friends and colleagues to contact their representatives. Become active in an organization that works in the political process. When you organize with other people who share your same goals – real change is not far off. |
