“You haven’t made a statement yet? Shall we vote on that?” – An exasperated Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, after Sen. John Evans, R-Parker, persisted in asking long questions during a committee hearing.
“The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.” – House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, referring to Republican complaints about how his party is running the legislature.
“This rainy-day fund has gotten me into a little bit of trouble with my wife. She’s wondering why we’re not talking about the same thing for our home budget.” – Rep. Cory Gardner, R-Yuma, backer of a plan to require the state to set aside money for future fiscal emergencies.
“Ever since we took over the minority, I feel like I moved my desk to a proctologist’s office. Because every day something uncomfortable happens to me in a place that I can’t see.” – Rep. Al White , R-Winter Park
THE BILL
School spending on steady incline: One of the biggest items in the state budget is spending on public schools. Here is a recent history of the state’s share of total spending for public schools.
LOOKING AHEAD
Lawmakers love to talk, so meetings often run for hours. Schedules are subject to change, so check ahead if you plan to attend.
MONDAY
Avian Flu: The legislature’s special committee on homeland security meets with bird-flu experts. At noon.
Identity Theft: The Senate Judiciary Committee considers House Bill 1119, which requires individuals and businesses to notify customers any time a security breach exposes computerized personal information. At 1:30 p.m.
TUESDAY
Eminent Domain: Five bills concerning the government’s power to take private property to be considered by the House State Affairs Committee. House Concurrent Resolution 1001 would submit to voters a ballot measure that would prohibit government from taking property to boost tax receipts or increase employment. 1:30 p.m.
THURSDAY
Health Care: Senate Bill 208 would create the Health Care Reform Committee to study universal coverage. The Senate Health and Human Services committee meets at 1:30 p.m.
Las Animas County: The Senate Local Government Committee takes up House Bill 1332, which boosts the salaries of elected officials in the county government a total $83,339. In the morning after the floor adjourns.
