State and Local

The state already has laws against driving under the influence of drugs, which involve a field-sobriety test (aforero image)

DENVER–The third time may be the charm for a bill that sets a blood limit to determine who’s too baked to drive, which was approved Tuesday by the House Judiciary Committee.

“We can’t kick this can down the road any longer,” said House Minority Leader Mark Waller (R-Colorado Springs), who sponsored the bill with state Rep. Rhonda Fields (D-Aurora). “It’s high time we give law enforcement the tools they need to ensure the safety of our roads.” Read more »

Brophy said he’s learned of cases where citizens were assessed a “huge bill” for requests made through CORA

DENVER– The Senate passed a bill Tuesday to “reform” the Colorado Open Records Act to broaden government transparency, but the potential costs dismayed several Republican lawmakers who want clarity of its impact on citizens.

In a procedural move, five Republican senators demanded a factual fiscal note before the bill moved forward to its final vote – and ultimate passage. They voiced concerns that the bill would result in massive fee increases for public records – and be inconsistently applied by jurisdictions. Read more »

GUZMAN: “They do employ a lot of people. However, I’m here as the legislator. I’m here to vote on a very important bill about the safety of our people.”

DENVER — The Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, Senator Lucia Guzman (D-Denver), told The Denver Post in a recent interview that she supports a bill banning standard capacity gun magazines over 15 rounds, despite the fact that it could decimate jobs in her district.

On Friday, The Denver Post’s Lynn Bartels published an interview with Senator Guzman where she stood by her support of the bill, HB1224, even after Bartels pointed out that two companies residing in Guzman’s district, Lawrence Tool and Molding and Alfred Manufacturing, would leave the state should the bill pass.

“It’s always been a lifelong interest of mine to support small businesses, so it’s very problematic if we lose a business like that to our neighborhood,” said Senator Guzman.

“They do employ a lot of people. However, I’m here as the legislator. I’m here to vote on a very important bill about the safety of our people. And so yes, it gives me caution, but I’ll have to vote with that in mind.” Read more »

Democrat Sens. Linda Newell of Littleton and Morgan Carroll of Denver voted for SB 33 despite opposing similar bills in the past

DENVER– A controversial bill to grant in-state higher education tuition to illegal immigrants passed Monday in the Senate on a 23-12 vote – despite unanswered questions about the cost to Colorado taxpayers and the false promise of a path to citizenship for illegal students. Read more »

SEX-ED: Debate on the bill Friday lasted only an hour, a far cry from Tuesday’s hard-fought four-hour slugfest

DENVER–The House passed legislation Friday offering grants to school districts that expand their K-12 sex-education curriculum to include gays, lesbians, transgendered, sexual-assault victims and others.

The 37-28 party-line vote came after an hour of emotionally charged debate as Republicans pleaded for Democrats to join them in opposing the bill. The legislation, House Bill 1081, now goes to the Senate. Read more »

A House panel voted Thursday to repeal an old statute criminalizing adultery

DENVER– The state House Judiciary Committee voted to advance a bill that would repeal laws against adultery and promoting immorality, Thursday – but not without impassioned debate about the message the legislature is sending.

Some wonder if Colorado will be viewed as a wilder “Wild West” state – restricting guns, legalizing same-sex unions, selling marijuana souvenirs to tourists and sanctioning extramarital trysts. Read more »

The Colorado House is considering a bill offering grants to school districts that expand their sex-education curriculum

DENVER–The Colorado House is scheduled to take up Friday a bill offering grants to school districts that expand their sex-education curriculum to encompass a host of groups, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals, the transgendered, the disabled, sexual-assault victims and others. Read more »

Texas Governor Rick Perry is one of many out of state politicians now courting the Colorado company

DENVER–A dozen states are vying to welcome Magpul Industries if the company makes good on its vow to leave Colorado as a result of tough new gun-control legislation.

Officials from Alabama, South Carolina, Texas and West Virginia have targeted Magpul, urging the company in letters to consider their states as its relocation destination. Read more »

Gardner is pressing EAGLE-net for answers

DENVER –EAGLE-Net Alliance, a little-known Broomfield-based intergovernmental agency that has been plagued by questions about questionable expenses and waste, and whose govermment grant was suspended, is facing renewed scrutiny. Read more »

“Promoting immorality” is generally construed to mean renting a hotel room to an unmarried couple

DENVER–Colorado legislators have grappled with laws to ban guns, allow same sex unions and regulate marijuana –and now will consider  legislation to repeal an old state statute barring adultery. Read more »