Swamped by reporters after making the assignment, McNulty said that Gov. John Hickenlooper called the special session to advance “gay marriage” in Colorado but that Republicans were focused on job creation. He said Hickenlooper was spending tax money to run the special session on an election-year campaign issue meant to trip up Republican candidacies.

The State, Veterans and Military Affairs committee is known as the kill committee this year. The civil unions bill, sponsored by Denver Democrats Pat Steadman in the Senate and Mark Ferrandino in the House, never went to the State Affairs committee during the regular session. It went to the Judiciary Committee, the Finance Committee and the Appropriations Committee, passing with one-vote majorities in each by winning over one Republican lawmaker on each committee.

Talking to reporters after McNulty finished, Ferrandino lamented the action taken by the Speaker.

“The majority, including 46 percent of Republican delegates to the party convention this year, has supported this bill. This is not a controversial issue here. He sent it to the kill committee. It should have followed the same process as it followed during the regular session.”

Ferrandino said the selection of the kill committee on the part of McNulty was of a piece with what happened at the end of the session when McNulty led a filibuster and called a recess of the House in order to kill the bill.

“[McNulty] says that [Hickenlooper] is playing politics but the Speaker let 37 bills die, many of them related to job creation, when he maneuvered to kill civil unions legislation last week.”

The State Committee is scheduled to meet at 3:30 this afternoon.

Ferrandio said that Coloradans are sick and tired of the games that have been played in the House this year.

“I don’t know why [McNulty] is so opposed to this bill. I think the Speaker is listening to a small minority of supporters. You’ve heard him referring to ‘gay marriage.’ This isn’t about gay marriage. That’s not in the bill.

“All we’ve ever asked for is equal rights. That’s it.”

[ Image: McNulty talking to reporters by TCI ]

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In an accent best described as mid-Monty Python, the Centennial Republican on Monday gave members of the Colorado House the respect House Speaker Terrance Carroll recently demanded, and then some.

“Mr. Speaker. Your Excellency, the most High Speaker, Protector of the This Chamber, Protector of Our Most Sovereign State of Colorado and Defender of the Faith,” Balmer began, reading his own version of a standard procedural motion. “My Lords and My Ladies, I pray, Lend me Thine Ears.”

Three beseeches and a ye or two later, Balmer had ‘em rolling in the aisles as he asked legislators “to approve the Most Worthy Journal as corrected by the most Honorable and Most Loyal Chief Clerk of the August House of Representatives.”

Read the full speech here.

It really must be seen to be — well, believed isn’t quite the right word, but in any case, Square State’s johne grabbed the video:

The oration wasn’t in response to Carroll’s ruling Friday that “all lobbyists, governor’s staff, executive staff, visitors, Capitol staff and press’ show some respect by use [sic] representatives’ proper titles,” Balmer told the Denver Post’s Jessica Fender. “I just decided to make it a little more fun today and hearken back to our great orators,” Balmer said.

“Can we do the part again about me being excellent, and all that stuff?” Carroll, a Democrat, asked once Balmer had finished.

Not everyone was amused.

Amid comments posting favorite lines from “Henry V” — without exactly comparing that to Balmer’s jibe — was one Denver Post reader’s take: “Get to work. There’s plenty enough needing attention without wasting time being cute for the press.”

Today’s House calendar here
Today’s Senate calendar here

I’m a little late on this but then I was traumatized by Rep. Stafford singing “Happy Birthday” to everyone who will celebrate their birthdays this year.

Sheesh.

A comparison of Colorado Senate News.com and Colorado House.org, the Web site maintained by the House Majority Communications Office, demonstrates stark differences between providing public information on legislative activities and lobbing partisan attacks on political opponents – and all seemingly conducted by taxpayer-funded state employees.

Colorado Confidential will have more on this developing story throughout the week.