The battle over payday loan fees will strain partisan loyalties at the Legislature again this year as new legislation was introduced Friday in the House.
Colorado Independent energy and environmental reporter David O. Williams will appear tonight on the Rocky Mountain PBS show “Colorado State of Mind” on a panel that includes former Gov. Bill Ritter, Public Service Company of Colorado (Xcel Energy) president and CEO David Eves and Western Resource Advocates executive director Karin Sheldon.
A bill to pull state funding from local communities if they choose not to participate in the federal Secure Communities program–called an immigration dragnet by some State Representatives and local community leaders–passed the House on second reading today.
Gov. John Hickenlooper’s budget proposal cuts programs designed to reduce recidivism, prevent juveniles from entering the criminal justice system and cut the number of repeat drug offenders in jail — programs former Gov. Bill Ritter’s administration said were saving the state millions of dollars.
Former Colorado first lady Jeannie Ritter announced today that she has endorsed Michael Hancock for mayor of Denver.
Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper rolled out a budget plan Tuesday in which he proposes trying to make up hundreds of millions of dollars in shortfalls by mostly slashing elementary school funding. His plan would cut the K-12 budget by $375 million. Wednesday morning advocacy group Great Education Colorado sent out a call for Coloradans to oppose the Hickenlooper plan. The group succinctly describes how the costs will translate around the state and at local schools.
Stating that Colorado needs to be more pro-business, Gov. John Hickenlooper cut deep into K-12, further sacrificed state employee earnings, and shut down some state parks and services in the budget proposal he delivered Tuesday.
A bill compelling local governments in Colorado to comply with the controversial federal Secure Communities program passed its first hurdle today on a 7-4 committee vote, with Rep. John Soper, D-Thornton, being the lone Democrat voting in favor of the bill.
A bill to end collective bargaining by state employees was killed yesterday in committee, surprising no one. Bill sponsor, Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, said he would likely take up the issue again as Colorado “head[s] toward a fiscal apocalypse” and noted that House Republicans had similar legislation in the works.
Colorado State House Republicans targeting illegal immigration have another bill to rally around. Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, Tuesday introduced a bill (pdf) that would cut state funding from cities refusing to participate with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement program called “Secure Communities.” Balmer’s bill also targets individual Coloradans who harbor or transport illegal immigrants.
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