Richardsonhd56

04/30/2024

HIGHLY PATHOGENIC AVIAN INFLUENZA ALERT -Emergency Meeting of Colorado Ag Commission Announced

On April 24, 2024, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS), United States Department of Agriculture, issued a federal order to prevent the spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI). HPAI has also been positively identified in the state of Colorado in both poultry and dairy cattle.

On Tues, May 30, the Ag Commission will meet to discuss impacts to Colorado dairy herds and poultry operations.

This meeting will be to discuss an emergency rule to protect the health, safety, and welfare of Colorado’s poultry and livestock industries and of Colorado’s residents by limiting the opportunity for the spread of HPAI in Colorado. The Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture finds that immediate adoption of an emergency rule is imperatively necessary for preservation of public health, safety or welfare.

Symptoms in dairy cows include low appetite, decreased milk production and abnormal colostrum-like milk.

Additional information will be posted in comments after the meeting tomorrow.

Current Restrictions:
• Prior to interstate movement, dairy cattle are required to receive a negative test for Influenza A virus at an approved National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN) laboratory.
• Owners of herds in which dairy cattle test positive for interstate movement will be required to provide epidemiological information, including animal movement tracing.
• Dairy cattle moving interstate must adhere to conditions specified by APHIS.
• As will be described in forthcoming guidance, these steps will be immediately required for lactating dairy cattle, while these requirements for other classes of dairy cattle will be based on scientific factors concerning the virus and its evolving risk profile.

Mandatory Reporting
• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A nucleic acid detection diagnostic results (e.g. PCR or genetic sequencing) in livestock to USDA APHIS.
• Laboratories and state veterinarians must report positive Influenza A serology diagnostic results in livestock to USDA APHIS.

04/22/2024

LEGISLATURE PENALIZES LAW-ABIDING GUN OWNERS & MERCHANTS
While Giving Criminals a Free Pass

Colorado’s legislative majority is entirely unserious when it comes to reducing the potential for gun violence in our state. The numbers don’t lie.

Eight bills focused on fi****ms this session, of those only one died in committee. Was it one that clearly infringed on citizens' protected right to bear arms? Was it one that adds unnecessary expense or bureaucratic burden on fi****ms businesses? The answer to both questions is, “No.”

The one bill that won’t receive further consideration was HB24-1162 entitled, “Penalty for Theft of Fi****ms” which would have made any theft of a firearm a felony. I guess harsher penalties for criminals isn’t on the table when it comes to reducing crime. The legislative majority would much rather focus on the law-abiding than the criminal.

The following bills are still in play – each puts more restrictions (infringements?) on the law-abiding:

· HB24-1270 Firearm Liability Insurance Requirement

· HB24-1292 Prohibit Certain Weapons Used in Mass Shootings

· HB24-1348 Secure Firearm Storage in a Vehicle

· HB24-1349 Fi****ms & Ammunition Excise Tax

· HB24-1353 Fi****ms Dealer Requirements & Permit

· SB24-066 Fi****ms Merchant Category Code

· SB24-131 Prohibiting Carrying Fi****ms in Sensitive Spaces

While I acknowledge the importance of addressing public safety concerns, I believe these proposed measures have the potential to unduly restrict the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens. Each of these bills, if passed into law, could have far-reaching implications for responsible gun owners and individuals exercising their inherent right to self-defense. Each of them will likely be challenged in court and will likely be overturned. Each provides an opportunity for its sponsors to posture – but little more.

The legislative majority is demonstrably more interested in this posturing than in making any concrete steps to curb gun violence. They will point to these bills in the future and claim they tried. That each had to be passed, because each could potentially “save just one life” – and then continue to leap to the microphone after every incident to demand even more laws.

An armed society is a polite society. If we continue down this path, we will become a disarmed society and uncivil society, subject to those criminals who disregard the law and remain armed while the law-abiding must turn to the government that disarmed them for protection.

I urge all who care about their own safety and their ability to protect themselves and their loved ones, to reach out to the Legislature and the Governor and demand a halt to the further consideration of the seven bills still in progress.

You can find more information on each bill at: https://leg.colorado.gov/bills

03/31/2024

Wishing all a Blessed Easter!

03/27/2024

LAST NIGHT I REGISTERED AS A CANDIDATE FOR HD56

Why am I running? That is the first question people usually ask.

While my time as a Commissioner in Elbert County is coming to an end, my desire to serve my fellow citizens has not. I pledge to work to provide a government that:

· secures the rights and freedoms of all Coloradans,
· respects its constitutional restrictions,
· listens, and responds, to the needs of the people, and
· seeks always to reduce the burden on taxpayers.

Like many who live outside the Denver Metro area, I find the Colorado I once knew rapidly fading away. The divide between those who live in the largely agricultural eastern plains and those who control the legislature has never been wider – and it seems to be growing. If our voices are even heard, they are being ignored. This must change.

I will bring over twenty years of military service and a decade of practical elected experience in local government- as a former School Board Director and current County Commissioner- to the General Assembly.

In a legislature packed with activists and organizers, we need more people that have experience actually getting things done. We need more people that put their constituents ahead of ideology, and who serve the citizens, not the state. I will speak for the citizens of eastern Colorado. I will represent you.

More Info soon at: www.Richardson-HD56.com

03/06/2024

AS OF 2:49PM - ECSO Reports that the Rail Crossing has reopened and SH86 is now fully open throughout the length of the County. Please travel safely.

PLEASE SHARE - ROAD CLOSURE TOMORROW – SH86 – HIGH IMPACT TO TRAVEL

UPDATE 3:31PM Weds March 6, 2024 from CDOT - A FULL CLOSURE of SH 86 from Interstate 70 to the town of Kiowa (MP 24 - MP 59) will remain in place overnight Wednesday, March 6, 2024 and extending through 3:00 p.m. Thursday, March 7, 2024 due to some construction complications. This closure will be in place for Union Pacific to finish scheduled crossing repairs. Detours will be in place using North Elbert Road and the Kiowa-Bennett Highway.

Received from CDOT today at 3:59PM Tues March 5, 2024 - A FULL CLOSURE of SH 86 from Interstate 70 to the town of Kiowa (MP 24 - MP 59) will be in place Wednesday, March 6, 2024 from 7:00 am - 3:00 pm. This closure will be in place for Union Pacific to perform scheduled crossing repairs. Detours will be in place using North Elbert Road and the Kiowa-Bennett Highway.

From Elbert County: If you use SH 86 to travel to and from your home and must travel on the “closed” portion of the highway west of the rail crossing at the approach to I70, please use caution and common sense. Through traffic must use detours.

NOTE: Repairs require multiple lifts of asphalt which requires dry weather and generally temperatures above 40 degrees. Anticipate closure through at least noon on Thursday (long if weather prohibits completion of repairs.

02/15/2024

ELBERT COUNTY CELEBRATES
150th Anniversary of Our Founding

February 13th was the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Elbert County. Formed from the eastern portion of Douglas County and the northern part of Bent County, Elbert County originally stretched to the Kansas line from the current eastern boundary of DougCo.

Below is a link to a video of the kick off for a year-long celebration during which the story of how Kiowa became the county seat and the performance of our newly proclaimed County Song, "That's Why We're Here".

https://elbertcounty.granicus.com/player/clip/267

02/15/2024

BOCC RESOLUTION CALLS FOR SECURING OUR NATION’S BORDERS

Yesterday, the Elbert County BOCC unanimously passed a resolution in support of the actions Texas is taking to secure our nation’s southern border and condemn our federal government’s inaction on this issue. We also called upon our neighboring metro-area local governments to rescind their sanctuary status. This has become a true public safety issue and must be addressed.

As a board, we share the concerns expressed by citizens regarding the potential impacts of migrants illegally crossing unchecked across our nation’s southern border and flowing into Colorado’s Denver Metro area and have seen a surge in local trafficking of Fentanyl smuggled into our nation.

The impacts of the 2017 ordinance passed by the Denver City Council prohibiting city employees from collecting information on immigration or citizenship status, prohibiting the sharing of any other information about individuals for the purposes of immigration enforcement, and prohibiting the use of city resources for immigration enforcement has effectively made Denver a Sanctuary City and a magnet for those entering the country illegally.

As a result, Denver counts the highest number of illegal aliens per capita of any large city in the nation. Even the Mayor of Denver, has stated that, “This is both a humanitarian crisis for the individuals that are arriving, and it’s a fiscal crisis for the cities that are serving. Those two crises are coming to a head right now.” This morning, Elbert County and other surrounding local governments received a plea for bilingual interpreters to support their efforts to respond to the crisis they themselves set in motion.

Elbert County, which borders the Denver Metro area, lacks the Human Services, Public Health, Law Enforcement, and housing resources and infrastructure to address the impacts of any measurable influx of migrants who entered our nation illegally and we continue to make that clear to any and all that might eye us as a place to send “migrants” they can’t support.

While will absolutely support legal immigration, we must address the issue of those enterining our country illegally. In 2023 alone, United States Customs and Border Protection reported more than 3.2 million migrant encounters nationwide, of which over 2.4 million (a number exceeding the total combined population of Denver, Boulder, Broomfield, Adams and Arapahoe Counties) were recorded at the southern border. In the two-year period from 2021 through 2023, more than seven million encounters with migrants crossing the border occurred, a number nearly 20% higher than the total population of Colorado.

Something must be done. And that something should be relatively simple and easily agreed upon. Just enforce the laws of our land, control our borders, and cooperate at all levels of government to get this done.

02/11/2024

ALERT! PROPOSED BILL WOULD END COLORADO OIL & GAS PRODUCTION

UPDATE: The bill has been introduced under the deceptive title of, "Modifications to Energy and Carbon Management Processes." To be clear, it does not modify - it ends O&G production in Colorado. SB24-159 is not yet scheduled to be heard by the Senate Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee - but can be scheduled with 24 notice.

While in the past, they have pursued a "death by 1,000 cuts" strategy when it comes to the Oil & Gas industry, certain legislators are now going full "scorched earth" on this $40 Billion a year industry in Colorado that provides 100,000 jobs.

A bill has been drafted that would stop the issuing of drilling permits after 2030, and the drilling of any new wells after 2032.

We should be proud that Colorado's Oil & Gas production is the cleanest in the world. Ending production here won't help the environment. Production will just ramp up elsewhere where protections are not as strong.

If this bill even gets introduced, you can expect investment by this industry to end in our state and the impacts will be devastating.

The damage will hit close to home. Our county is the state's 15th-largest producer of oil and gas. With just 11 productive wells (up to 60 permitted), 37,000 barrels of oil, and 39 million cubic feet of gas were extracted in just the month of Oct 2023 alone. Hundreds of Elbert County citizens make a living from O&G and supporting businesses. Even more hold mineral rights that will be rendered valueless if this proposed bill becomes law.

Please reach out to Senator Priola (Adams County) and Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis (Boulder) and let them know how you feel about their plan to hurt Coloradans.

Please share - this will impact us all.

Oil and gas leaders see the measure as an effort to kill a multibillion-dollar Colorado industry outright.

01/28/2024

Many thanks to the Elbert County Partnership, the contestants, the judges, and all who presented at last night's Elbert County's Got Talent - What a tremendous event! Moo Moo!

Elbert County is more than a place. It is not defined by lines on a map, but by its people, their talents, their passions and the connections between them.

Congrats to Monty Gaddy for the selection of his original song - lyrics and music - "That's Why We're Here" as the Official Song of Elbert County. What a great way to recognize the 150th anniversary of our founding.

In an auditorium at Elizabeth Middle School, performers of all ages took to the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create Elbert County's first official song.