November 19, 2008 04:57 PM UTC

McGihon Ousted From Committee Chair

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• by: Colorado Pols

As the Rocky Mountain News reports:

An outspoken advocate of a government-run health care system for Colorado was removed as head of the legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee Tuesday.

House Speaker-designee Terrance Carroll said he is replacing Rep. Anne McGihon, a fellow Denver Democrat, because he thought the legislature needed to move in a new direction in health care discussions.

McGihon, who has headed the committee that deals with health care bills for the past four years, will be replaced by Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley. McGihon will retain a seat on the committee…

“You’re going to have to ask Terrance why he removed me,” McGihon said. “He didn’t tell me why he removed me.”

Carroll said it is time to look at a wider range of issues, including preventive care and greater access to quality health care, subjects he says would benefit from Riesberg’s background in nonprofit work involving the elderly.

He said that McGihon’s running against him for the speaker’s post didn’t influence his decision, noting that Gunnison Rep. Kathleen Curry also opposed him but remains chairwoman of the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee…

McGihon raised eyebrows right after the election as you may recall by almost gleefully dancing on the grave of presumed Speaker-in-waiting Bernie Buescher, which led to her own poorly-received bid for the job.

Just another example of how being a socially well-adjusted person really helps in this line of work…