[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Pages 22200-22201]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         BIGHORN CENTER TRIBUTE

 Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the 
Bighorn Center for Public Policy and to recognize the work of a great 
Coloradan, the Bighorn Center's CEO and founder, Rutt Bridges.
  The Bighorn Center for Public Policy was created in 1999 in an effort 
to provide Colorado with a truly nonpartisan organization that 
identifies, develops, and advocates public policies to enrich the 
quality of life in the State of Colorado. Over the past 7 years, the 
Bighorn Center has brought together leaders from both sides of the 
aisle to find real solutions to Colorado's ever-changing public policy 
needs.
  Rutt Bridges is a close friend and colleague. He is a man who 
understands the value of hard work and authentic leadership, and it has 
been my pleasure to work with him over the years to improve Colorado.
  More than 25 years ago, Mr. Bridges and his wife moved to Colorado 
and founded a small software company that used emerging computer 
technology to search for oil. With his ambition and intelligence, Mr. 
Bridges revolutionized the oil exploration business. His small software 
company quickly grew from 3 employees to over 70. When he sold his 
company in 1994, he committed himself to doing good for Colorado, and 
he has maintained that commitment to this day.
  The Bighorn Center's list of accomplishments is impressive. As 
Colorado attorney general, I worked with the Bighorn Center to develop 
the Colorado Anti-Bully Project. The Bighorn Center and Mr. Bridges are 
most well-known, however, for Colorado's telemarketing no-call list, 
passed in 2001 by Colorado's General Assembly. I am most proud of 
working with Rutt and the Center to help develop this landmark consumer 
protection law. Taking on special interests and supplying grassroots 
political pressure, the Bighorn Center was the driving force in making 
it easy for Coloradans to choose to block intrusive and unwanted 
telemarketing calls.
  Mr. Bridges and the Bighorn Center did not stop there and have often 
worked behind the scenes to encourage more campaign finance disclosure, 
convene meetings to discuss Colorado's budget issues, and create a DNA 
fingerprinting database for all criminals.

[[Page 22201]]

  The Bighorn Center also created the Bighorn Leadership Development 
Program, directed by another distinguished Coloradan, Brenda Morrison. 
This bipartisan program has effectively recruited and trained over 200 
young leaders to work for a better Colorado.
  I am proud of the accomplishments of the Bighorn Center for Public 
Policy, and I applaud Mr. Bridges, Ms. Morrison, and other staff at the 
Bighorn Center for their dedication to making Colorado a better place 
to live. While the Bighorn Center is closing its doors, its legacy and 
the work of these civic-minded Coloradans will continue.

                          ____________________