Breast-feeding breaks rejected
The Senate on Wednesday rejected Senate Bill 167, which offers breaks to women who are breast-feeding in the workplace. The bill was defeated 13-21, but, because of a procedural motion, it could be reconsidered within the next three days.
The bill, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Deanna Hanna of Lakewood, would have allowed women who work for companies that allow work breaks to schedule those breaks to fit their milk-production cycle. It also encouraged companies to provide space to women who are breast-feeding.
Four senators who voted for the bill Tuesday changed their votes Wednesday – Republican Sens. Kiki Traylor, Steve Johnson and John Evans and Democratic Sen. Jim Isgar.
Even after amendments, the bill imposed too much of a burden on businesses and there was not enough evidence working moms can’t breast-feed at work now, they said.
Ethics investigation for Hanna
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon on Wednesday launched an ethics investigation into Democratic Sen. Deanna Hanna’s conduct.
Last summer, Hanna wrote a letter to the Colorado Association of Realtors asking that they contribute $1,400 to her campaign.
The letter said in part, “It is my hope that you will make our relationship whole again. There are going to be some very important issues ahead of us.”
In a statement, Gordon said, the letter could be interpreted as an attempt by Hanna to threaten the group into contributing.
The committee will be made up of three Democrats and two Republicans.
Issue prompts unlikely alliance
Former Republican Senate President John Andrews has joined forces with the three Democrats behind Defend Colorado Now, the citizen’s campaign for a constitutional amendment limiting government services for illegal immigrants in Colorado.
The most prominent of those Democrats, former Gov. Dick Lamm, is a one-time political adversary, Andrews admitted.
“This issue has become so urgent that it really transcends the political parties,” he said.
“Years ago, when I was taking Dick Lamm on, it would have been hard to foresee that the two of us would be allies. And yet it’s easy for us to set partisanship aside and join on this issue.”
Clean-air rules get initial OK
The House gave initial approval to a proposal that would allow Colorado to keep its current clean-air standards rather than letting them be set by the federal government. The measure (House Bill 1309) faces a third reading before it goes to the Senate.
In other action:
A proposal to reduce the legal liability of property owners that grant public access for recreation passed the Senate 34-0 on Wednesday. House Bill 1049 could reopen access to Mount Lincoln, Mount Bross and Mount Democrat, which have been closed because private-property owners with access to the peaks have worried about lawsuits.
A Senate committee delayed a vote on a measure (Senate Bill 166) that would create “reciprocal beneficiary agreements,” offering some limited protections to same-sex couples and other adults who cannot marry, without conferring domestic partnership status.
