A sign of hope for Colorado, UCD
With UCD Chancellor M. Roy Wilson, standing on his left, Gov. Bill Ritter speaks on the importance of Senate Bill 97 before signing it into law. The bill, sponsored by House Majority Leader Alice Madden, D-Boulder, and Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald, D-Coal Creek Canyon, allocates new dollars from the tobacco litigation settlement to help pay for programs such as indigent care, children’s basic health care, treatment of drug and alcohol abuse, and mental health programs. The bill also restores funding to the University of Colorado Denver, which currently ranks 48th nationally in state support for medical schools. In his March 26 Communiqué, Wilson notes, “I was pleased to be on hand as Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed into law Senate Bill 97—the measure to redirect tobacco settlement moneys back to their intended purpose for health care and health education. However, we need to keep in mind that continuing efforts could affect the actual distribution of those dollars. As of today, we are expecting approximately $8.9 million for fiscal year 2007-08.”