680-page budget hits floor with a thud
Let the nit-picking begin.
Colorado state representatives on Tuesday began sifting through the 680-page budget proposal to find money for pet programs and to cut spending for programs they oppose.
Democrats and Republicans are meeting independently to prepare for a full debate later this week.
Lawmakers have until Thursday afternoon to draft amendments to the budget proposal that the Joint Budget Committee has been researching and drafting for four months.
Welker still faces flap over e-mail forwards
Rep. Jim Welker, R-Loveland, who distributed e-mails questioning the character of some blacks and Muslims, should not expect to silence his critics by saying he did not agree with the messages, two Democratic legislators said Tuesday.
Welker apologized two weeks ago for forwarding an e-mail to other lawmakers and constituents suggesting some black victims of Hurricane Katrina were lazy.
After the apology, another e-mail forwarded by Welker surfaced. It questioned whether devout Muslims could be patriotic Americans.
Welker has said he did not remember sending it.
Welker said his mistake was not disclosing he did not write the e-mails.
“It’s part of free speech in America. When I read things in the newspaper, there are things I agree with and things I disagree with. It’s an opportunity to pass on information. It’s up to the reader to agree or disagree,” he said.
Reps. Angie Paccione and Mike Merrifield said Welker had missed the point.
Teen pregnancy bill advances in Senate
Pregnant teenage girls would be able to authorize their own medical care under a measure (House Bill 1249) given preliminary approval by the Senate on Tuesday.
A Republican amendment to allow doctors to tell the child’s parents about her care failed. Democrats said the bill doesn’t prevent that, but Republicans said federal law does.
Bill would change voting for president
Democratic Senate Majority Leader Ken Gordon introduced legislation Tuesday to allow Colorado to enter into an interstate compact that would elect the president by popular, instead of electoral, vote.
If passed, the measure would go into effect once states that make up a majority of the nation’s 538 electoral votes enact the legislation.
Gordon said the bill is intended to prevent presidential candidates from focusing most of their time and attention on states with many electoral votes at the expense of other states.
ID-breach protection leaps Senate hurdle
The Senate gave preliminary approval Tuesday to a measure (House Bill 1119) that would require companies and nonprofit organizations to notify customers when their personal information has been breached.
Heat-shutoff curbs for poor proposed
Electric and gas companies would be prohibited from shutting the heat on low-income seniors and the medically fragile for nonpayment between November 2006 and April 2007 if they pay a portion of past due amounts and set up a payment plan, under a bill (Senate Bill 220) introduced Tuesday.
