Secretary of State Gigi Dennis says the cost of elections is going up due to federal and state requirements. This year alone, she estimates $15 million will be spent to help several counties bring their precincts and voting equipment into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and to cover higher expenses for all the counties. That’s double last year’s spending. The money is coming from the feds.
Cross-party wrangling
The split between Gov. Bill Owens and some members of his own Republican Party could make for some of the most entertaining antics of the 2006 legislative session. Owens is particularly keen to fend off Sen. Tom Wiens of Castle Rock, who proved a thorn in his side last year. Owens said he is working with – of all people – Boulder Democrat Jack Pommer to “protect” him from Wiens’ efforts to strip the eminent domain powers of private toll road companies.
Wiens passed a bill last year aimed at blocking condemnation of private property, and after Owens vetoed it, Wiens promised to try again this year. “The issue of protecting private property rights is so central and so fundamental to the Republican Party philosophy of governing that we take this as a very serious issue,” said Wiens. “The governor is completely and totally out of step with the core values of our party.”
Owens also vetoed Pommer’s bill designed to set up a process for creating private toll roads. Pommer says he has been negotiating a solution with the governor’s office and plans to re-introduce his bill with some revisions.
“I would die for that man,” Pommer teasingly said of Owens. “Just kidding. The fact is, we agreed on the general goal. I didn’t want to stop toll roads. I just wanted to make sure they fit into the state planning process and follow environmental rules.”
Owens’ spokesman, Dan Hopkins, says the governor isn’t shy about working with Democrats to achieve an objective that’s good for the state. “This shows the policy side of Bill Owens. He learned from [former Democratic Gov.] Roy Romer that you can accomplish things working with the opposite party.” Romer served much of his tenure with a GOP-dominated legislature. Owens is ending his administration with Democrats in control of both chambers.
Owens’ final state address
Owens presents his final state-of-the-state address to the General Assembly on Thursday at a standing-room-only joint session. One of the priorities he will outline for his final year in office is designed to strengthen laws that track violent sexual predators. A key provision of his proposed legislation will require violent sex offenders who move to Colorado from other states to notify law enforcement of their arrival. In turn, authorities will post their names and addresses on the Internet.
The invisible candidates
With four months remaining before the state assemblies in May, do you know where your gubernatorial candidate is? The weekend of May 20, delegates will meet – Democrats in Greeley and Republicans in Colorado Springs – to decide which candidates will be on the August primary ballots and in what order their names will appear. Yet, the gubernatorial candidates are practically invisible.
Eight years ago, when Gov. Romer left office, there was no doubt who was running for the vacant seat. Owens, then state treasurer, and Democratic Lt. Gov. Gail Schoettler were making plenty of noise even though they had challengers in their own parties. Even four years ago, the candidates were more visible. Some will find this year’s slow start refreshing.
Word is that the Republican candidates will launch their campaigns in earnest next month. Democratic frontrunner Bill Ritter has indicated he will begin pumping up his campaign later this month.
As of today, the field remains Marc Holtzman and Bob Beauprez for the Republicans and Ritter and Gary Lindstrom for the Democrats. But the quiet is practically deafening. Maybe a surprise candidate will step in and energize the race.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
