With all the junk we have stored in the attic, do we really need “heirloom” birth and marriage certificates signed by the governor? That’s the proposal contained in House Bill 1154, pending in the House Appropriations Committee.
The certificate would be “suitable for display” and would carry a $45 fee, $10 of which would be funneled to the Infant Immunization Fund or the Colorado Domestic Abuse Fund. Traditional birth and marriage certificates cost $15.
The super certificate would pay for itself from the premium fee, but the bill carries an unusual burden, requiring that the state registrar issue the certificate in a form that would be tamper-proof, preventing it from being counterfeited or used for fraudulent purposes “pursuant to the federal Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004.”
That’s a mouthful. Sounds like an awful lot of trouble for a wall hanging.
Preparing for primaries
Democrats running for office this year will have their official sendoff March 4 at the state party’s Jefferson-Jackson dinner in Denver. Brian Schweitzer, the first Democratic governor of Montana since 1988, will be the headliner. A Who’s Who of state Democrats will attend.
Only two Democratic primaries are on the horizon – the governor’s race between Bill Ritter and Gary Lindstrom, and the 7th Congressional District race where Ed Perlmutter and Peggy Lamm are duking it out. While some Democrats are speculating that Lindstrom might drop out of the governor’s race to run for re-election to his House seat, Lindstrom says he’s not even thinking about it.
Senate President Joan Fitz-Gerald will receive the Democrat of the Year award at the meeting for “doing the most for the party” in the last year, party chair Pat Waak said.
Challenge in the 3rd CD?
The buzz in Republican circles is that Lieutenant Gov. Jane Norton may challenge Democratic Rep. John Salazar of Manassa in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Pueblo and the Western Slope. Salazar, brother of Ken, the U.S. senator, has the power of incumbency, but as a freshman he can’t be considered a shoo-in. He is still new to the job and the sprawling district remains a swing district with 156,166 registered Republicans, 138,800 Democrats and 129,288 independents as of the last election. Norton isn’t talking.
Next secretary of state
Some Republicans wonder why Secretary of State Gigi Dennis has shown no interest in running for election to the office she now holds by appointment. Dennis says she’ll announce her intentions before precinct caucus day on March 21.
Dennis is a former state senator who had been serving as state director of rural development for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She was tapped by Gov. Bill Owens last August to fill the vacancy created when her predecessor went to Washington.
GOP State Treasurer Mike Coffman is planning to run for the office when he returns next month from Iraq, where he is serving in a U.S. Marine Corps civil affairs unit. Dennis said she is “being encouraged” to run, but didn’t say by whom – a good guess would be the same person who appointed her.
Louisiana absentee voting
Hurricane Katrina victims living in Colorado can vote absentee in their hometown parish as long as they haven’t registered to vote here or in another state. The Colorado secretary of state’s website contains phone numbers and an e-mail address to help people from Louisiana find out where they are registered so they can request an absentee mail ballot. For more information, go to www.elections.colorado.gov and check the right side of the screen for Louisiana Absentee Voter Information.
Julia C. Martinez (jmartinez@denverpost.com) is a member of The Denver Post editorial board.
