WELCOME

Thank you for visiting my personal website and entrusting me to represent you at the state legislature.

Difficult times like these truly provide both great challenges and great opportunities.  There was no shortage of either at the Colorado State Capitol this year.

Our state began this year with a serious budget shortfall, which needed to be fixed. Crucial public services were strained, and most importantly, people were hurting because of the recession. This year's budgeting process required that everyone make tough decisions and collaborate across the aisle to find workable compromises. I am pleased to report that despite this economic recession, we worked together to create a balanced budget while staying focused on helping the people of Colorado.

In the midst of these challenges, we worked together to seize important opportunities too. We created and protected jobs, helped small businesses in our state, improved access to health care while working to lower costs, helped struggling families, and we protected Colorado's promise of education and success by safeguarding our education system.

While working with others on critical legislation, I was proud to sponsor bills of my own like the Colorado Innovation Investment Tax Credit. The bill, which had strong bi-partisan support, encourages angel investors to provide seed capital to start-up technology-based companies to advance innovation and create good jobs.  I also sponsored legislation that created the Economic Opportunity Poverty Reduction Task Force to craft a comprehensive strategy for cutting our state's poverty rate in half within a decade while fostering a strong and sustainable economy that works for everyone. I worked hard on the Colorado Guaranteed Health Care Act to streamline our state's health care delivery and financing system. This measure came to within one vote of passing the House of Representatives.  The legislation focused on guaranteeing access to care while lowering overall costs and improving quality.

But much work remains, and my efforts are ongoing.  With this in mind, I want to express, especially to young people, that regardless of political winds or whether the legislature is in session or not, your civic engagement is crucial. I welcome and appreciate your interest and involvement in the important work of the people and am committed to serving you with honesty and accountability while striving to make our community a better place for all to live, work, and raise a family. Be well and stay in touch.

Please feel free to contact me via email or 970-221-1135 (Fort Collins) or 303-866-4569 (Capitol). During the interim it is best to send a letter, to my home address: John Kefalas, 604 Sycamore Street, Fort Collins, CO 80521.  Thanks.