DENVER-
Peace activists, the families of soldiers and anyone else with an opinion on the war in Iraq will be invited to weigh in on a legislative resolution criticizing President Bush’s decision to send more troops to the country.
A hearing has been scheduled for March 14 and it will probably be held in the Old Supreme Court chambers, the largest hearing room in the state Capitol, Sen. Ron Tupa, D-Boulder, said Friday.
Lawmakers usually don’t hold hearings on resolutions, which don’t have the force of law. Instead they usually just put them straight to a vote on the floor of the House or Senate.
“I think it’s an important enough issue that it should get a fair hearing,” Tupa said.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Andy McElhany, R-Colorado Springs, opposes having Colorado lawmakers trying to “micromanage” the war in Iraq anyway but objected to holding a hearing too.
“I think it’s particularly offensive to go through the political circus routine,” McElhany said.
Even though Tupa and co-sponsor Sen. Ken Gordon, D-Denver, removed much of the language Republicans at first objected to in the resolution, some still think it would hurt morale because it proposes solutions to help win the war.
Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, said people on all sides of the issue have the right to speak out but he thinks sometimes people should chose not to exercise that right.
“You accomplish absolutely nothing and you do destroy morale,” Brophy said of holding a hearing on the resolution.
