Ulibarri’s controversial proposal is nearly identical to a ballot initiative that failed to garner enough signatures to make the ballot last year
DENVER – A bill to grant state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards to Illegal immigrants cleared its first hurdle Wednesday night – passed by the Senate Judiciary Committee, 3 to 2, with Republican state Sens. Steve King of Grand Junction and Kevin Lundberg of Berthoud voting in opposition.
Critics say the bill sidesteps local control, which may not fly with Governor John Hickenlooper, a former mayor (AEI Image)
DENVER– Formerly known as The Firefighters Collective Bargaining Act, Senate Bill 25 has been repackaged as The Colorado Firefighters Safety Act to appeal to Gov. John Hickenlooper – and avoid his veto.
The revised measure no longer mandates collective bargaining, but critics say the bill tramples the ballot process in local communities. That may not fly with Hickenlooper, a former mayor. Read more »
FERRANDINO: “Partisan politics get played down here – we all know that, we all do it.”
DENVER– The state House passed the fiscal year 2013-2014 budget – known as the Long Bill – with bipartisan support Friday, 45 to 18.. Speeches – for and against the $20 billion budget – were laced with accusations and recriminations for the partisan politics played during the 12-hour debate on Thursday. Read more »
The green energy resolution passed the Senate on a party line vote
DENVER– State Sen. Gail Schwartz (D-Snowmass Village) advanced a resolution extolling the benefits of renewable energy to Colorado’s economy – but it sparked heated opposition from Senate Republicans who criticized the measure’s language and disputed many of its assertions.
“We just want to acknowledge the importance of renewable energy and what that has done for Colorado’s economy, research and development,” Schwartz told the Senate on Monday. Read more »
Not a single Republican voted for the budget, which cleared the Senate on Thursday
DENVER – Senate Democrats passed a $20.5 billion budget for fiscal year 2013-2014 over the objections of Republicans who argued it grows government bureaucracy and 14,000 pages of new policies and regulations. Read more »
BURNED: The audit included a long list of controversial expenditures by the agency
DENVER – The Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division under the Department of Revenue has mismanaged the $14.4 million in revenue generated by the industry since 2011, according to the findings of a recent state audit.
“Overall, we found that the Division has not managed its resources effectively to meet its objectives,” stated the report issued by the Colorado Auditor Dianne E. Ray. Read more »
The embattled Energy Office may soon receive more funding, despite lingering questions about how previous funds were spent
DENVER – The Democrat-controlled state House will vote Wednesday to add another taxpayer-funded, energy-efficiency program to those administered under Gov. John Hickenlooper’s embattled Colorado Energy Office, which has yet to account for $252 million spent to bolster such programs over the past five years. Read more »
Colorado is one of five states which have not adopted Jessica’s Law
DENVER – Democrat legislators have pushed a liberal social agenda this year – from unprecedented new gun control laws to repealing adultery and morality laws. Now, they’ve killed a bill to strengthen criminal penalties against child sex offenders — and proffered bills that would protect the rights of such criminals. Read more »
REVERSAL: Salazar’s bill would overturn a 2006 law that passed with broad bi-partisan support
DENVER– Most illegal immigrants living in Colorado will be protected from being reported to federal immigration officials and fearing deportation according a measure that cleared a state House committee.
“We’re talking about community trust. We’re talking about dignity and safety. We’re talking about family,” declared Rep. Joe Salazar (D-Thornton), who is sponsoring the bill with Democrat Sens. Morgan Carroll of Aurora and Irene Aguilar of Denver. Read more »
If the controversial measures are signed into law, the county sheriffs may file suit to overturn the measures
DENVER– Gov. John Hickenlooper’s push for gun-control laws may collide with 62 Colorado county sheriffs who issued a statement opposing measures that include universal background checks for gun transfers and banning high capacity magazines in excess of 15 rounds.
If the bills are signed into law, the county sheriffs may file a lawsuit against the state to halt the measures. The sheriffs issued a statement opposing the bills because they cannot be enforced without a gun registry and violate 2nd Amendment rights. Read more »
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