A bill to award Colorado’s presidential electoral votes to the winner of the nationwide popular vote hit fifth gear Wednesday, speeding through a state Senate committee and zooming toward the full Senate.
Thirteen current state senators voted in favor of an identical bill when it came before the legislature two years ago. Eighteen votes are needed to pass a bill in the Senate.
“I think I can get to 18,” Sen. Chris Romer, a Denver Democrat sponsoring the bill in the Senate, said.
House Bill 1299 would make Colorado the fifth state to sign onto an interstate compact to award its electoral votes to the presidential candidate with the most votes nationwide, regardless of whether that candidate won the state.
The compact takes effect only if the member states combine to make up 270 electoral votes, enough to decide the election. Currently four states amounting to 50 electoral votes have signed the compact. Colorado has nine votes.
“This system allows me to have an equal vote to everybody else in the country,” said Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins.
But critics of the plan said Wednesday that it could lead to constitutional chaos in the U.S. and widespread lawsuits.
“I see this as an anti-Colorado bill that takes away our influence,” said Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs.
The measure passed out of committee on a 3-1 party-line vote, with Democrats in favor.
John Ingold: 303-954-1068 or jingold@denverpost.com
