Highlights from the Legislature on Wednesday:
— The Senate Appropriations Committee backed a proposal (Senate Bill 217) that would ask health insurers to come up with scaled-down policies for the uninsured. The aim is to eventually look at requiring all Coloradans to buy health insurance while offering subsidies to people who can’t afford the plans. However, those decisions wouldn’t be made until 2010. The bill now heads to the full Senate.
— The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill (House Bill 205) that would allow a judge to decide if convicted criminals get a new trial if DNA evidence is destroyed. The measure was inspired by the case of Clarence Moses-EL, who says he was wrongly convicted of a 1987 rape in Denver. Police destroyed evidence in the case after a judge ordered it be tested further. It now goes to the full House for debate.
— The House gave initial backing to a proposal (Senate Bill 77) to make it a misdemeanor to trick online ticket sites into selling more than the maximum number of tickets. The measure was proposed partly in response to problems the Colorado Rockies had with their World Series ticket sales.
New bills:
— Prohibit bringing aquatic nuisance species, like zebra mussels, into Colorado and allow authorities to inspect vehicles, boats and trailers for them if they have a “reasonable belief” such a species is present (Senate Bill 226). Earlier this month, natural resources chief Harris Sherman said the mussels are now confined to Lake Pueblo State Park but it could cost millions of dollars to control them if they spread beyond there.
— Allow the labor department’s employment and training division to accept and spend gifts, grants and donations (House Bill 1400).
— Ask voters to add an amendment to the state constitution making English the official language (Senate Concurrent Resolution 6).
— Prohibit a cigar bar from offering gambling (Senate Bill 225).
— Ask voters to pass a constitutional amendment changing the way bills are passed in the House and Senate. The measure (Senate Concurrent Resolution 5) would allow a bill to pass if it’s backed by a majority of members voting on the measure the House and Senate, rather than requiring a majority of all lawmakers.
