Seed Newsvine
The Senate re-approved a bill requiring public schools, including charter schools, to avoid making soft drinks and other heavily sugared drinks available to students in vending machines, cafeterias and at on-campus events, sending the measure to Gov. Bill Ritter.
SB 129 directs school districts and the charter school institute to write policies limiting students' choice to milk, flavored milk, juices, sports drinks and water.
The Senate took the measure up again because it had been amended in the House. The final vote was 21-14.
Sen. Steve Johnson, R-Fort Collins, was the only Republican senator to support the bill, which had the support of all the chamber's Democrats.
Democrat Dan Gibbs of Silverthorne carried the bill in the Senate.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Thursday, April 3, 2008
State Employee Strike Ban Gets Guv's OK
A bill that would make clear that state employees are not allowed to strike won Gov. Bill Ritter's approval Thursday.
HB 1189 provides that a state employee or a labor organization commits a misdemeanor by inciting, encouraging, aiding or participating in a "strike, stoppage of work, slowdown or interruption of operations."
Ritter issued an executive order allowing state employees to form collective bargaining organizations for limited purposes last year.
His order purported to prohibit strikes by state employees.
However, Republicans, spurred on by an opinion by Attorney General John Suthers, had argued that Ritter's executive order opened the door to public employee strikes because Colorado had no law prohibiting them.
The measure was sponsored by Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, and Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne.
HB 1189 goes into effect immediately because the bill has an "emergency clause."
HB 1189 provides that a state employee or a labor organization commits a misdemeanor by inciting, encouraging, aiding or participating in a "strike, stoppage of work, slowdown or interruption of operations."
Ritter issued an executive order allowing state employees to form collective bargaining organizations for limited purposes last year.
His order purported to prohibit strikes by state employees.
However, Republicans, spurred on by an opinion by Attorney General John Suthers, had argued that Ritter's executive order opened the door to public employee strikes because Colorado had no law prohibiting them.
The measure was sponsored by Rep. Jim Riesberg, D-Greeley, and Sen. Dan Gibbs, D-Silverthorne.
HB 1189 goes into effect immediately because the bill has an "emergency clause."
Ritter Signs Eagle Hunting and Computer-Based Hunting Bans
Gov. Bill Ritter signed Thursday a bill that increases the penalties for poaching eagles in Colorado, as well as a measure that forbids the use of remote computer facilities to assist in hunting.
HB 1304 increases the fine applicable to illegal hunting of a bald eagle to $10,000 to $100,000 and specifies that a person convicted of such poaching will be assessed 20 suspension points against their hunting license.
The measure provides to bald eagles the same level of protection against poaching as exists for golden eagles, American peregrine falcon, desert bighorn sheep, Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep, and Rocky Mountain goat.
The state has 42 breeding pairs of bald eagles. The species was removed from the list of those protected as endangered or threatened under federal law last year.
The new bald eagle protection law was sponsored by Rep. Judy Solano, D-Brighton, and Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village.
Ritter also signed HB 1200, which makes remote hunting by means of a computer a crime. The measure is intended to prevent hunters from killing wildlife without being present in the general physical proximity of their prey.
Rep. John Soper, D-Thornton, and Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, were the sponsors of the remote hunting ban bill.
PHOTO: Gov. Ritter signs House Bill 1304 into law while Sigrid Noll Ueblacker of the Broomfield-based Birds of Prey Foundation, state Rep. Judy Solano (far left), Sen. Gail Schwartz – and an eagle – look on.
Spam Reduction Bill Heads to Ritter
A bill that would markedly toughen penalties for sending unsolicited commercial email messages, and give the state maximum ability to enforce the federal CAN-Spam Act as well as consumers education needed to fight spam, is on its way to Gov. Ritter.
HB 1178, sponsored by Reps. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada, and John Soper, D-Thornton, as well as Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, cleared the House a second time Thursday morning. The House had to take up the bill again, after initially giving it final clearance in February, because the Senate amended it before giving a final nod last week.
Carroll lauded the measure as an essential tool to fight a growing economic burden on business.
"Today the legislature sent a strong bi-partisan message – enough!” Carroll said. "Colorado companies and average citizens spend too much time, energy and money sifting through ridiculous claims of million dollar paydays, ads for E.D. medications and various other schemes -- just to get to their personal emails. This will not do."
According to a report issued by the University of Maryland, spam cost U.S. business about $22 billion in lost productivity in 2005. Another report, released by Nucleus Research in April 2007, says the lost productivity value is now about $70 billion.
Hagedorn said the bill is also aimed at helping the elderly, who are increasingly targets of computer crime.
"Spammers are using increasingly more sophisticated methods to target elderly folks and those with less computer know-how, conning them out of money and personal information like credit and social security numbers,” he said.
The average American receives, on average, at least 2,200 spam email messages each year, according to SpamFilterReview.com.
The proposed Spam Reduction Act of 2008 will become law in August if signed by Ritter.
HB 1178, sponsored by Reps. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, Sara Gagliardi, D-Arvada, and John Soper, D-Thornton, as well as Sen. Bob Hagedorn, D-Aurora, cleared the House a second time Thursday morning. The House had to take up the bill again, after initially giving it final clearance in February, because the Senate amended it before giving a final nod last week.
Carroll lauded the measure as an essential tool to fight a growing economic burden on business.
"Today the legislature sent a strong bi-partisan message – enough!” Carroll said. "Colorado companies and average citizens spend too much time, energy and money sifting through ridiculous claims of million dollar paydays, ads for E.D. medications and various other schemes -- just to get to their personal emails. This will not do."
According to a report issued by the University of Maryland, spam cost U.S. business about $22 billion in lost productivity in 2005. Another report, released by Nucleus Research in April 2007, says the lost productivity value is now about $70 billion.
Hagedorn said the bill is also aimed at helping the elderly, who are increasingly targets of computer crime.
"Spammers are using increasingly more sophisticated methods to target elderly folks and those with less computer know-how, conning them out of money and personal information like credit and social security numbers,” he said.
The average American receives, on average, at least 2,200 spam email messages each year, according to SpamFilterReview.com.
The proposed Spam Reduction Act of 2008 will become law in August if signed by Ritter.
Ritter, Legislators Announce Plan to Use Mineral Royalties To Create Rainy Day Reserve, Fund Higher Ed Capital Projects, Assist Local Communities
Gov. Bill Ritter and a bipartisan group of legislators announced Thursday morning a landmark bill to use the state's share of federal mineral royalties to fund higher education capital projects, assist local communities affected by energy development activities, and establish a reserve fund that would stabilize higher education funding.
About $1 billion of the expected royalty revenues would be directed to affected communities over the next decade. Another $650 million would be alloated toward capital construction projects at colleges and universities around the state.
The proposal would also direct three-quarters of a billion dollars into public education over the next ten years and dedicate $150 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Any bonus payments received by the state, in addition to royalties, would be used to fund the new rainy day reserve dedicated to higher education maintenance and appropriations stabilization. Another portion of those bonus payments would go into a "local government permanent fund" to help communities affected by energy extraction activities.
The U.S. government receives royalties on minerals, except for those governed by the General Mining Law of 1872, extracted from federal public lands. Colorado, like all other states, receives a share of the royalties attributable to extraction activities within its borders.
Forecasts say that Colorado can expect to receive about $2.7 billion in royalty payments between 2008 and 2018.
The bipartisan sponsors of the historic legislation spoke of its importance to assuring Colorado's fiscal stability as the bill was released this morning.
"The real legacy of this bi-partisan legislation is that when the drilling stops, Colorado will have a substantial permanent fund to take care of the state's colleges, universities and impacted communities,” Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, said.
Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, noted that the proposal, if enacted into law, would be Colorado's first effort to tap energy extraction as a means of funding basic needs in over 100 years of mining history.
"We’ve had repeated booms from mineral and energy development in this state for over 100 years,” Buescher said. “This will be the first time we put something away for our children.”
SB 218 will make its first legislative stop in the Senate Education Committee. The measure is sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, and Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, along with Penry and Buescher.
About $1 billion of the expected royalty revenues would be directed to affected communities over the next decade. Another $650 million would be alloated toward capital construction projects at colleges and universities around the state.
The proposal would also direct three-quarters of a billion dollars into public education over the next ten years and dedicate $150 million to the Colorado Water Conservation Board.
Any bonus payments received by the state, in addition to royalties, would be used to fund the new rainy day reserve dedicated to higher education maintenance and appropriations stabilization. Another portion of those bonus payments would go into a "local government permanent fund" to help communities affected by energy extraction activities.
The U.S. government receives royalties on minerals, except for those governed by the General Mining Law of 1872, extracted from federal public lands. Colorado, like all other states, receives a share of the royalties attributable to extraction activities within its borders.
Forecasts say that Colorado can expect to receive about $2.7 billion in royalty payments between 2008 and 2018.
The bipartisan sponsors of the historic legislation spoke of its importance to assuring Colorado's fiscal stability as the bill was released this morning.
"The real legacy of this bi-partisan legislation is that when the drilling stops, Colorado will have a substantial permanent fund to take care of the state's colleges, universities and impacted communities,” Sen. Josh Penry, R-Fruita, said.
Rep. Bernie Buescher, D-Grand Junction, noted that the proposal, if enacted into law, would be Colorado's first effort to tap energy extraction as a means of funding basic needs in over 100 years of mining history.
"We’ve had repeated booms from mineral and energy development in this state for over 100 years,” Buescher said. “This will be the first time we put something away for our children.”
SB 218 will make its first legislative stop in the Senate Education Committee. The measure is sponsored by Sen. Gail Schwartz, D-Snowmass Village, and Rep. David Balmer, R-Centennial, along with Penry and Buescher.
House Ag Committee Kills Mining Regulation Bill
A House committee killed Wednesday a bill that would have expanded the regulatory authority and size of the state's Mined Land Reclamation Board.
HB 1165 aimed to expand the state's ability to assure that all kinds of mining operations are conducted in a manner compatible with environmental concerns. A primary goal of the bill was to strengthen reclamation standards applicable to mine sites and assure that permittees have the resources needed to finance restoration of the mine site.
It also would have given local governments an effective veto over permits for a mine, including the ability to require conditions for approval.
The measure also would have added the director of the Department of Public Health and Environment and a local government representative to the board.
HB 1165 died by a one-vote margin. Democrats Mary Hodge of Brighton and Wes McKinley of Walsh joined all of the panel's Republicans in opposition.
The bill was sponsored by Fort Collins Democrats Randy Fischer and John Kefalas.
Colorado is in the midst of a mining boom. According to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times, Colorado and Utah have had the fastest growth in mining claims in the nation since 2003. The Environmental Working Group says that active claims in the Centennial state have more than quadrupled since then.
A 1992 accident at the Summitville mine in the Rio Grande National Forest killed all aquatic life in a 17-mile stretch of the Alamosa River. Costs to remedy the environmental damage exceeded $150 million. The mining company paid about one-fifth of that expense.
HB 1165 aimed to expand the state's ability to assure that all kinds of mining operations are conducted in a manner compatible with environmental concerns. A primary goal of the bill was to strengthen reclamation standards applicable to mine sites and assure that permittees have the resources needed to finance restoration of the mine site.
It also would have given local governments an effective veto over permits for a mine, including the ability to require conditions for approval.
The measure also would have added the director of the Department of Public Health and Environment and a local government representative to the board.
HB 1165 died by a one-vote margin. Democrats Mary Hodge of Brighton and Wes McKinley of Walsh joined all of the panel's Republicans in opposition.
The bill was sponsored by Fort Collins Democrats Randy Fischer and John Kefalas.
Colorado is in the midst of a mining boom. According to a recent report in the Los Angeles Times, Colorado and Utah have had the fastest growth in mining claims in the nation since 2003. The Environmental Working Group says that active claims in the Centennial state have more than quadrupled since then.
A 1992 accident at the Summitville mine in the Rio Grande National Forest killed all aquatic life in a 17-mile stretch of the Alamosa River. Costs to remedy the environmental damage exceeded $150 million. The mining company paid about one-fifth of that expense.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Bipartisan Effort to Create Rainy Day Fund Breaks Down After Ritter Says "No"
A bipartisan effort to create and fund a larger financial reserve for the state, conducted against the backdrop of the Senate's debate over the budget, ran into a big roadblock Wednesday after Gov. Bill Ritter's office said he opposed the compromise proposal.
Republican senators, including Greg Brophy of Wray and Josh Penry of Fruita, approached Senate Democrats about shifting about $30 million into a fund to cope with the possible effects of economic recession.
According to a Rocky Mountain News report, talks between the two parties hit a snag after Ritter's spokesman said the governor did not favor the particular cuts suggested as a way to get the $30 million.
"The budget amendments proposed by Republican senators to create a rainy day fund would have cut into public safety, prisons, criminal justice, health care, education and clean energy," Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said in a statement sent to Colorado Capitol Journal and other media entities. "Gov. Ritter is committed to saving taxpayer dollars and running state government as cost-effectively as possible - especially when the economy is in a precarious condition. But those were bad ideas."
The Senate later passed HB 1375, the so-called "long bill," on second reading after fending off a number of Republican amendments.
The Rocky article quotes Penry as saying discussions about how to fund a "rainy day" reserve will continue through third reading debate tomorrow.
In fact, according to another Rocky article posted this evening, Ritter will announce Thursday, along with a group of bipartisan legislators, a bill that taps into the state's share of federal mineral leasing revenue to create a rainy-day fund.
According to the article, the state's share of those revenues - about $671 million over the next ten years - will be used to increase higher education capital funding, build or improve roads, and create the new reserve.
Colorado does currently save some money. By law, the state must balance its budget each year and also has two reserve funds already in place.
The Taxpayers Bill of Rights requires the legislature to set aside three percent of revenues each year for "declared emergencies." However, TABOR specifies that economic conditions and revenue shortfalls do not qualify as "declared emergencies" justifying use of the funds in the reserve it created.
The other set-aside is the so-called "statutory reserve," which obligates the General Assembly to save four percent of annual appropriations. This fund is replenished each year because, practically speaking, it operates as a short-term cash kitty.
In addition to the two reserves already in place, the so-called Arveschoug-Bird law limits growth in general fund spending to a maximum of six percent per year.
According to a 2002 report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Colorado is one of nine states that lack a reserve specifically created to help the state weather economic recession and associated revenue declines.
More recent data gathered by the same organization indicates that Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas and Montana are the only four states that have no money set aside in a "rainy day" fund.
Republican senators, including Greg Brophy of Wray and Josh Penry of Fruita, approached Senate Democrats about shifting about $30 million into a fund to cope with the possible effects of economic recession.
According to a Rocky Mountain News report, talks between the two parties hit a snag after Ritter's spokesman said the governor did not favor the particular cuts suggested as a way to get the $30 million.
"The budget amendments proposed by Republican senators to create a rainy day fund would have cut into public safety, prisons, criminal justice, health care, education and clean energy," Ritter spokesman Evan Dreyer said in a statement sent to Colorado Capitol Journal and other media entities. "Gov. Ritter is committed to saving taxpayer dollars and running state government as cost-effectively as possible - especially when the economy is in a precarious condition. But those were bad ideas."
The Senate later passed HB 1375, the so-called "long bill," on second reading after fending off a number of Republican amendments.
The Rocky article quotes Penry as saying discussions about how to fund a "rainy day" reserve will continue through third reading debate tomorrow.
In fact, according to another Rocky article posted this evening, Ritter will announce Thursday, along with a group of bipartisan legislators, a bill that taps into the state's share of federal mineral leasing revenue to create a rainy-day fund.
According to the article, the state's share of those revenues - about $671 million over the next ten years - will be used to increase higher education capital funding, build or improve roads, and create the new reserve.
Colorado does currently save some money. By law, the state must balance its budget each year and also has two reserve funds already in place.
The Taxpayers Bill of Rights requires the legislature to set aside three percent of revenues each year for "declared emergencies." However, TABOR specifies that economic conditions and revenue shortfalls do not qualify as "declared emergencies" justifying use of the funds in the reserve it created.
The other set-aside is the so-called "statutory reserve," which obligates the General Assembly to save four percent of annual appropriations. This fund is replenished each year because, practically speaking, it operates as a short-term cash kitty.
In addition to the two reserves already in place, the so-called Arveschoug-Bird law limits growth in general fund spending to a maximum of six percent per year.
According to a 2002 report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Colorado is one of nine states that lack a reserve specifically created to help the state weather economic recession and associated revenue declines.
More recent data gathered by the same organization indicates that Colorado, Kansas, Arkansas and Montana are the only four states that have no money set aside in a "rainy day" fund.
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