After her first year as a Colorado House Representative, Lesley Smith says she’s getting ready to face some new issues that will come before the state legislature in the coming session.
During a town hall meeting last Tuesday in Estes Park with about two dozen constituents, Smith said AI liability issues, environmental questions, and concurrent enrollment at four-year institutions are among the issues that interest her.
Smith represents District 49, which includes Estes Park in a wide swath of Northern Colorado that stretches from Wyoming south through western Larimer, western Boulder, Clear Creek, and Gilpin Counties.
While AI was included in discussions during the past year, Smith said there are “tough points” that will need to be addressed this coming year.
Smith said large technology companies stymie legislation affecting their business in the United States. Yet, “How is it that the European Union has really strict regulations around the IT business? I know that it can be done, and they’re doing fine in Europe, right? So that’s a little frustrating,” Smith said.
“It’s just unbelievable how AI is becoming more and more powerful. I’m also very concerned about the amount of water and energy it uses, and I want to make sure, if we have big data centers here, that they’re going to be running on clean energy and less water,” Smith said.
Speaking about environmental issues, Smith briefly discussed the upcoming Nov. 7 deadline to apportion water from the Colorado River, which could be delayed because of the federal government shutdown. Once a deadline passes, she said, “The legislatures have no say.” Instead, she indicated that the Bureau of Land Management would make the decision.
“What’s really alarming is all the clean energy grants that are going away,” Smith said. “CU just lost a really big one where they were looking at improving solar panels.”
Pointing to European solutions, Smith said mirroring the practice of installing portable solar panels that can be mounted on balconies could be a solution to Xcel Energy’s practice of shutting down power during high wind conditions.
Smith said creating a resolution through legislation would be highly complicated because of issues between the Public Utility Commission and state law that need to be balanced.
Providing education opportunities for high schoolers through concurrent enrollment is also high on Smith’s list of interest areas for the coming session. Concurrent enrollment allows students to receive college credit in their current school environment without attending the class on campus. The program only differs from a plan that enables the same educational credits, but only when the student attends class on the university campus.
Passage of legislation to allow credentialing is “glitchy, so we’re still trying to work that out,” Smith said.
Smith is a retired environmental scientist who worked at the University of Colorado Boulder. She has been an at-large University of Colorado regent and a Boulder Valley School District board member.
Smith’s territory as District 49’s representative stretches from the Wyoming state line south through western Larimer, western Boulder, Clear Creek, and Gilpin Counties.