Highlights from the Legislature on Friday.
— The Senate Appropriations Committee rejected a measure (Senate Bill 195) that would have allowed the execution of people who sexually assault children younger than age 13. It would have cost the state about $616,000 next year for trials, appeals, public defenders and prison costs.
— The Senate Appropriations Committee backed a weaker version of a measure (Senate Bill 213) allowing the state to charge a $5 toll on Interstate 70 between Floyd Hill and the Eisenhower Tunnel. Rather than requiring the state to ask for federal permission to charge a toll, it would only encourage officials to request a waiver. It now goes to the full Senate for debate.
— Pharmacists would have to redispense returned medication under a measure (Senate Bill 190) backed by the Senate Appropriations Committee. Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Thornton, says it will help protect the state’s water supply by preventing unwanted medication from ending up in the state’s wastewater and drinking water.
— The full Senate gave initial backing to a $353 million plan to build a new state judicial building and state museum. The buildings now occupy the same plot of land near the state Capitol. The state would enter into a lease-purchase agreement to build two new buildings using increased court filing fees. (Senate Bill 206).
— The House gave initial approval to a proposal (House Bill 1225) to exempt about 30,000 small businesses from paying the business personal property tax on their equipment. Currently, businesses with less than $2,500 in equipment are exempt. The bill would gradually raise the exemption to $7,000 by 2011. The bill faces a third reading before heading to the Senate.
— The House approved and sent to the Senate a measure (House Bill 1353) requiring state officials to review proposed conservation easements following reports the program has been abused.
The easements guarantee that land will not be developed, allowing property owners to write off easements as a charitable contributions, and they get to keep the land.
— The House gave initial approval to a measure (Senate Bill 88) that prohibits youths under 18 to possess tobacco products. It faces a third reading before going back to the Senate for consideration of amendments.
