LOVELAND -- A record crowd turned out today to the sixth annual Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance Legislative Preview to hear about what issues the region's state representatives are focusing on during the next session.

Members of the Greeley, Loveland and Fort Collins chambers of commerce and the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corp. packed a meeting room at the McKee Conference and Wellness Center in Loveland this morning to hear about the NCLA's priority agenda as well as to listen to a panel of local representatives discuss issues of concern to them.

Northern Colorado's representatives were in full force with attendance by Larimer County Reps. Democrats Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, and Republican Don Marostica; Weld County Reps. Jim Riesberg, D, and Glenn Vaad, R; and Republican Kevin Lundberg, whose district is in both Larimer and Weld counties. State senators also present were Bob Bacon, D-Larimer County, and Steve Johnson, R-Larimer County, and Scott Renfroe, R-Weld County.

The NCLA, the joint public policy arm of the chambers and NCEDC, has focused its 2008 legislative priority on job creation, general business and work-force issues; transportation; work-force preparedness, K-12 and higher education; the state's fiscal structure; health care; and environmental policy on climate change.

"We believe Colorado is really at an economic crossroads," said Sandra Solin, issues manager for the NCLA.

A resounding theme of the panel presentation was the need to fund higher education and transportation. The discussion on funding issues led to a call for change to Colorado's fiscal structure to allow better funding.

"If we need to invest in transportation, health care and environment protection, we're in big trouble," Johnson said, citing the need for major fiscal reforms. "This cannibalism is just going to continue."

Riesberg, who chairs the Capital Development Committee, cautioned against the NCLA's support of maintaining the allocations required by House Bill 1310 -- one-third for capital projects and two-thirds for transportation. He explained that the committee will consider 155 projects this year -- including facilities for state higher education -- but will probably only be able to fund 23.

While transportation is a very important investment, he explained that the lack of funds for capital projects could eventually lead to not being able to fund even basic maintenance of state-owned facilities.

Both Lundberg and Renfroe also identified the need to adhere to the voter decision for limited government spending by making cuts where possible and making very deliberate funding decisions.