The flag-adorned logo is still there. But Gov. Bill Owens‘ Center for the New American Century website has gone blank. A note on the site says it is “currently undergoing renovation. Please check back later.”
Renovation? “That means it’s dormant,” says Sean Duffy, Owens’ former adviser and now a private consultant. In addition, the center has no director. The buzz in GOP circles is that the governor has been too tied up campaigning for Referendums C and D to raise money for his think tank. Some wonder if it’s even relevant since Owens is nearing the end of his tenure and he’s on the outs with many fellow Republicans. But Owens’ spokesman, Dan Hopkins, says that after tomorrow’s election, “the governor is planning to focus on it and there will be other activity next year.”
The nonprofit center was launched in 2003 with proceeds from the governor’s second inaugural party. At the time, Owens was flying high in polls and riding a wave of national media attention. (The National Review called him the best governor in America and conservative columnist George Will dropped his name as presidential timber). The center was viewed by many as a vehicle to fuel his national ambitions, build his legacy and push his “center right” agenda on low taxes and limited government. But much has changed since then. Among other things, Democrats regained control of both chambers of the state legislature, making it hard for Owens to push his agenda. Now, he is at odds with conservatives over Referendums C and D. “The governor got completely swallowed up by personal events, plus the legislature flipped and now you have this – Referendums C and D,” said one Republican.
Still, Duffy believes a policy think tank might serve Owens well as he wraps up his two-decade career in state government and embarks on a new venture. There’s still talk of a possible run for the U.S. Senate in ’08.
Hot issue: immigration
Illegal immigration is shaping up to be a hot issue next year in many state legislatures. In Colorado, hard-line conservatives are mapping strategies.
The National Conference of State Legislatures has received so many inquiries about illegal immigration proposals that it will hold a regional meeting in Denver on Dec. 12 to help lawmakers from Arizona, Nevada, Utah, New Mexico and Colorado sort out the issues.
In the first six months of 2005, state legislatures considered 300 bills on immigrant and refugee policy. Thirty-six eventually became law, most dealing with document requirements. Colorado reinstated Medicaid benefits to legal immigrants in response to a court ruling and created a task force to address human trafficking. The most extreme legislation did not pass other legislatures. Ann Morse, program director for NCSL’s Immigrant Policy Project, said interest in illegal immigration revived after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and remains strong. Hundreds of new bills are sure to be introduced in 2006 and the subject could be a key election issue in many states.
Who will judge judges?
Fixing the state’s Judicial Performance Commission is taking longer than expected. Two members on the 10-member panel are jockeying for one seat. The state Supreme Court recently turned down a request to answer an interrogatory on which of the two political picks should remain. But the court suggested other legal avenues to pursue, including a different type of filing to the high court. Attorney Mark Grueskin said the options are being evaluated and a new filing could be submitted in coming weeks.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
