Dianne Primavera

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Dianne Primavera
Member of the Colorado House of Representatives from the 33rd district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 10, 2007[1]
Preceded by	Bill Berens
Born	January 28, 1950 (1950-01-28) (age 58) Denver, Colorado
Political party	Democratic
Religion	Roman Catholic

Dianne I. Primavera^[2] (born January 28, 1950^[3]) is a legislator in the U.S. state of Colorado. Primavera was first elected as a Democrat in 2006 to the Colorado House of Representatives. She represents House District 33, centered around Broomfield, Colorado.^[4] In her first term in the legislature, Primavera has focused on health care issues.^[5]

Contents 1 Biography 2 Legislative career 2.1 2004, 2006 elections 2.2 2007 legislative session 2.3 2008 legislative session 2.4 2008 election 3 References 4 External links

[edit] Biography

Born in Denver, Colorado,^[3] Primavera earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Regis University in 1972 and a master's degree in vocational rehabilitation counseling from the University of Northern Colorado in 1975.^[2]

Primavera began her career as a case manager for the Weld County Community Center Board. She later was employed as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Colorado Department of Social Services, and rose to became a supervisor in the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation.^[2]

In 1988, Primavera was diagnosed with breast cancer and given less than 5 years to live by physicians. During her cancer treatment, she went through both a divorce and unemployment, leaving her without health insurance.^[6] Primavera was also diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1992.^[7]She ultimately survived her bout with cancer and has participated in the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.^[6] Primavera has two daughters, Kelsey and Darcie.^[3]

In 1990, Primavera joined the Rocky Mountain Regional Brain Injury Center as Education & Training Coordinator. In 1994, she was hired as a customer service manager for the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, a job she held until 2001. She joined the Colorado Department of Revenue in 2001, working as a director first in the Titles and Registration division, and then in Emissions and Constituent Relations from 2003 through 2004.^[3] Primavera was the conference director for the White House Conference on Aging, working with the Division of Aging and Adult Services in the Colorado Department of Human Services. At the time of her election to the state legislature, she was program director for Learning Services Corp.^[2]

Primavera, a resident of Broomfield, Colorado,^[3] has been a member of the Broomfield Health and Human Services Advisory Committee, the 17th Judicial District’s Crime Victim Compensation Board, Denver Public Schools Special Education Advisory Committee, and the boards of the Susan M. Duncan Family YMCA and Chester House. She was appointed by Gov. Bill Owens to the Independent Living Council, and has been a member of State Workers Advocating for the Youth and the Medicaid Advisory Committee for Persons with Disabilities.^[2]

[edit] Legislative career

Bills Introduced in 2007 by Rep. Primavera (for which Rep. Primavera is the primary originating sponsor)
BILL	TITLE	OUTCOME
HB07-1046	Concerning the elimination of outdated provision of law related to the Department of Revenue resulting from the Law's obsolescence or infrequency of use [...]	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1117	Concerning the requirement that a protective helmet be worn by a person under eighteen years of age during the operation of certain vehicles.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1128	Concerning the creation of a Health Facilities Advisory Committee on patient safety.	Defeated in House on second reading
HB07-1249	Concerning regulation of movers of household goods [...]	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1258	Concerning the funding for the medically indigent program through the Colorado Health Care Services Fund.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1286	Concerning documentation required to be submitted by an individual applying for unemployment insurance benefits pursuant to a reciprocal interstate agreement when the individual is not a Colorado resident.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1301	Concerning increasing the availability of cervical cancer immunizations [...]	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1317	Concerning posting sex offender registration information on a local law enforcement agency website.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1318	Concerning third parties legally responsible for payment of a claim for health care.	Laid over by House
HB07-1354	Concerning the addition of a line to Colorado state individual income tax return forms whereby individual taxpayers may make a voluntary contribution to the Colorado Breast and Women's Reproductive Cancers Fund.	Signed by Gov. Ritter
HB07-1375	Concerning a requirement of notification of certain information to a victim of an alleged sex crime in a disciplinary case involving a licensed professional.	Signed by Gov. Ritter

[edit] 2004, 2006 elections

After being elected secretary of the Broomfield County Democratic Party in 2003^[3], Primavera campaigned for the state legislature against Republican Bill Berens in 2004, losing with 47 percent of the popular vote.

Primavera challenged the incumbent Berens in 2006 in what became one of the most hotly contested races statewide.^[8][9] During the race, Berens was criticized for accepting a $20,000 golf tournament prize from the Colorado Oil and Gas Association.^[10] Primavera received roughly $60,000 in campaign donations, outraising Berens by about two to one; playing off her name, one of her fundraisers was titled "Pasta and Primavera."^[11] She prevailed in the general election with just over 51 percent support, winning by slightly less than 1000 votes.^[4] Because of the close margin, the winner of the race was not known until several days after the polls closed.^[10][12]

[edit] 2007 legislative session

In the 2007 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Primavera sat on the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Transportation and Energy Committee. ^[13]

Among Primavera's first bills were measures intended to improve patient safety by addressing mistakes made in health care administration,^[14][15] to revise obsolete statutes pertaining to the Colorado Department of Revenue, to regulate movers and to increase funding for health clinics.^[16] A cancer survivor, Primavera introduced legislation to establish a Colorado Breast and Women's Reproductive Cancers Fund and an donation checkoff on Colorado income tax forms for the fund,^[7][17] to be administered by the Colorado Cancer Coalition.^[18] She also supported an unsuccessful bill to require cervical cancer vaccinations,^[19] but introduced another bill, that was signed into law, to create a public awareness program for cervical cancer vaccinations,^[20][21][22] and require that Medicaid and private health insurance cover the costs of the vaccine.^[23] The bill also used tobacco settlement money to create a fund to provide the vaccine to underinsured women.^[24]

Primavera also sponsored a successful bill to require that minors be required to wear helmets while riding motorcycles,^[25] which passed despite strong opposition from House Republicans.^[26] During the session, Primavera was also one of only a few Democrats to oppose a controversial plan by Governor Bill Ritter to freeze property tax rates in order to increase public school funding.^[27]

In her first legislative session, Primavera introduced 13 bills, 11 of which were signed into law.^[28] For her work on health care issues, Primavera was given the Colorado Lawmaker Award by the Colorado Women's Chamber of Commerce and the Denver Women's Commission.^[29]

Following the legislative session, Primavera sat on the interim Transportation Legislation Review Committee.^[30]

[edit] 2008 legislative session

In the 2008 session of the Colorado General Assembly, Primavera sits on the House Health and Human Services Committee and the House Transportation and Energy Committee. ^[31] In February 2008, Primavera was unanimously elected vice-chair of the Legislative Audit Committee.^[32]

Primavera has sponsored legislation to alter the process for criminal offenders' designation as a "sexually violent predator;" under her proposed bill, only judges, rather than parole boards, would be able to apply the designation.^[33] She has also sponsored legislation to create a tax checkoff for the Adult Stem Cells Cure Fund, designed to promote umbilical cord blood donations.^[34][35] Primavera was also the House sponsor of legislation to create the Colorado Autism Commission,^[36] legislation to require that health insurance the terms, costs, and benefits of their insurance plans on a public website,^[37] and legislation to earmark some tax revenues from gambling to gambling addiction prevention and counseling.^[38]

[edit] 2008 election

Primavera filed to run for a second term in 2007; Republican Nick Kliebenstein announced his bid to seek Primavera's seat in July of that year.^[39]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Colorado General Assembly profile