Tag: mike johnston

DENVER-- Governor Bill Ritter signed SB 191, the controversial teacher assessment bill passed at the end of the session into law Thursday. The governor said the bill was the capstone of his administration's work on education policy and a model for education nationwide.

DENVER-- Colorado joined Virginia this week in edging closer to charging out-of-state internet sales tax following a final vote on HB 1193 in the Senate Wednesday. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Jack Pommer, D-Boulder, and Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, would require retailers to either collect the tax or send notices to Colorado customers informing them that they need to pay the taxes.

In heated debate Wednesday over controversial legislation aimed at taxing purchases from out-of-state online retailers, Sen. Shawn Mitchell, R-Broomfield, argued that a proposed amendment to failed to fully guard purchaser privacy. He offered examples. Would you want a government bureaucrat to know that a Sen. John Morse spent money for products from Pfizer pharmaceuticals or from lingerie retailer Fredrick's of Hollywood? he asked, chiding his Democratic colleague. Mitchell said it was one thing to open up your bookstore spending to the state but spending on drugs, for example, or "domestic pleasure appliances" would be something else.