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Colorado lawmakers have only a few days left to finish the business of state government, which means long nights are likely ahead for the next week.
Several proposals are still wending their way through the halls of the Capitol, and at this late juncture, a few seem to face high hurdles.
Most notably, a heavily anticipated plan to unravel Colorado’s fiscal boa constrictor is facing a fight—but there’s always the much-maligned citizens initiative process.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, told the Greeley Tribune’s editorial board last week that a backup of sorts might be the answer to the state’s constitutional woes.
He is trying to shepherd a resolution through the House that would ask voters whether they want to repeal a constitutional amendment that increases education funding every year, and allow the state to put excess revenues into an education savings account.
But even if all Democrats, who control both chambers, support the bill, sponsors Romanoff and state Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, are just shy of the votes they need to get a two-thirds majority.
The measure was scheduled for a vote in a state affairs committee on Wednesday, but it was delayed so the sponsors could try to shore up more support.
But the Legislature’s last day is fast approaching, so they might be running out of time. The general assembly goes home at midnight May 8, ready or not.
Johnson said in an interview last week that the bill faced opposition from his own party’s leadership, which he called “frustrating” because he believed some Republicans supported it.
“I think they’re all a little bit concerned to be the ones to stand out,” he said. “I’d rather solve the problem; I think that’s what people send us here for. If everybody agrees it’s the worst problem facing the state, isn’t that what we should do?”
If lawmakers can’t get it done, a citizen initiative might be the ticket, Romanoff told the Tribune. He said it was essentially the same language—repeal Amendment 23, which increases education funding annually, and de-Bruce the constitution, or allow the state to keep revenues over the limit set by the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.
“De-Bruce” refers to TABOR’s author, Douglas Bruce, a controversial figure at the Capitol, to say the least.
Under the plan, voters would still be able to give a thumbs-up or down on all tax proposals, but money once refunded under TABOR would be diverted into a lock-box savings account for K-12 education.
Even with the support of Gov. Bill Ritter, Attorney General John Suthers and Treasurer Cary Kennedy, the bill seems to be on shaky ground, so a citizens’ initiative might be the only way to go at this point.
The Romanoff-Johnson proposal is hardly the only major piece of legislation still awaiting a fate down in Denver. Other bills still left to be completed include a measure reforming the state’s auto insurance system; leveraging federal mineral lease revenues to pay for construction projects; preserving DNA evidence; and even another mining bill.
Last year, lawmakers wrapped up their work a day early. That doesn’t seem likely this go-around.
« Uranium mining still on the agenda
The Senate this week passed a bill that could shine some more light on mining operations around the state, including uranium mining in Northern Colorado.
A similar measure, by Fort Collins Democratic Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, died in a House committee, but the new version seems to have stronger support. It had not been introduced in the House as of Wednesday, however.
Kefalas and Fischer’s House Bill 1165 would have increased transparency about mining operations and strengthened the state’s watchdog status over mining operations and prospecting. But some committee members were concerned the measure was too broad because it covered all forms of mineral mining.
The Senate measure, Senate Bill 228, is sponsored by two high-country Democratic legislators, Kathleen Curry of Gunnison and Gail Schwartz of Snowmass. It would make all prospecting information submitted to the state’s Mined Land Reclamation Board subject to state sunshine laws.
As it is now, landowners cannot learn about potential mining operations near their homes because state laws allow mining companies to keep their prospecting operations quiet. But the new law would allow landowners to find out non-proprietary information.
But like the other big-ticket items still on the table, it remains to be seen whether there’s enough time to move the bill forward.
Several proposals are still wending their way through the halls of the Capitol, and at this late juncture, a few seem to face high hurdles.
Most notably, a heavily anticipated plan to unravel Colorado’s fiscal boa constrictor is facing a fight—but there’s always the much-maligned citizens initiative process.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, told the Greeley Tribune’s editorial board last week that a backup of sorts might be the answer to the state’s constitutional woes.
He is trying to shepherd a resolution through the House that would ask voters whether they want to repeal a constitutional amendment that increases education funding every year, and allow the state to put excess revenues into an education savings account.
But even if all Democrats, who control both chambers, support the bill, sponsors Romanoff and state Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, are just shy of the votes they need to get a two-thirds majority.
The measure was scheduled for a vote in a state affairs committee on Wednesday, but it was delayed so the sponsors could try to shore up more support.
But the Legislature’s last day is fast approaching, so they might be running out of time. The general assembly goes home at midnight May 8, ready or not.
Johnson said in an interview last week that the bill faced opposition from his own party’s leadership, which he called “frustrating” because he believed some Republicans supported it.
“I think they’re all a little bit concerned to be the ones to stand out,” he said. “I’d rather solve the problem; I think that’s what people send us here for. If everybody agrees it’s the worst problem facing the state, isn’t that what we should do?”
If lawmakers can’t get it done, a citizen initiative might be the ticket, Romanoff told the Tribune. He said it was essentially the same language—repeal Amendment 23, which increases education funding annually, and de-Bruce the constitution, or allow the state to keep revenues over the limit set by the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights.
“De-Bruce” refers to TABOR’s author, Douglas Bruce, a controversial figure at the Capitol, to say the least.
Under the plan, voters would still be able to give a thumbs-up or down on all tax proposals, but money once refunded under TABOR would be diverted into a lock-box savings account for K-12 education.
Even with the support of Gov. Bill Ritter, Attorney General John Suthers and Treasurer Cary Kennedy, the bill seems to be on shaky ground, so a citizens’ initiative might be the only way to go at this point.
The Romanoff-Johnson proposal is hardly the only major piece of legislation still awaiting a fate down in Denver. Other bills still left to be completed include a measure reforming the state’s auto insurance system; leveraging federal mineral lease revenues to pay for construction projects; preserving DNA evidence; and even another mining bill.
Last year, lawmakers wrapped up their work a day early. That doesn’t seem likely this go-around.
« Uranium mining still on the agenda
The Senate this week passed a bill that could shine some more light on mining operations around the state, including uranium mining in Northern Colorado.
A similar measure, by Fort Collins Democratic Reps. Randy Fischer and John Kefalas, died in a House committee, but the new version seems to have stronger support. It had not been introduced in the House as of Wednesday, however.
Kefalas and Fischer’s House Bill 1165 would have increased transparency about mining operations and strengthened the state’s watchdog status over mining operations and prospecting. But some committee members were concerned the measure was too broad because it covered all forms of mineral mining.
The Senate measure, Senate Bill 228, is sponsored by two high-country Democratic legislators, Kathleen Curry of Gunnison and Gail Schwartz of Snowmass. It would make all prospecting information submitted to the state’s Mined Land Reclamation Board subject to state sunshine laws.
As it is now, landowners cannot learn about potential mining operations near their homes because state laws allow mining companies to keep their prospecting operations quiet. But the new law would allow landowners to find out non-proprietary information.
But like the other big-ticket items still on the table, it remains to be seen whether there’s enough time to move the bill forward.
