DENVER—Gov. Bill Ritter signed a bipartisan package of 10 bills Thursday designed to help Coloradans with developmental disabilities and their families.
He also signed a measure allowing the state to help farmers and ranchers find temporary workers from other countries.
Ritter vetoed bills requiring the state to provide chiropractic care, massage therapy and acupuncture to Medicaid clients with spinal cord injuries, barring school districts from punishing students who are absent during statewide tests and toughening rules for electricians.
Thursday was Ritter’s deadline for acting on measures passed by this year’s Legislature.
He said more than 8,000 people with developmental disabilities are on waiting lists in Colorado for medical and support services.
He said the new laws will help shorten or eliminate the waiting lists and expand incentives for businesses and nonprofits that hire people with developmental disabilities.
