Highlights from the Legislature on Thursday:
— Gov. Bill Ritter signed seven bills, including a package of bills to help the state fight wildfires. They include a new law that outlines government response to fires and another that allows counties to raise money to fight forest and prairie fires. A third measure requires local governments to sign agreements to fight fires.
— The House State Veterans and Military Affairs Committee killed a bill asking voters to change the way Colorado redraws congressional and legislative districts. Backers wanted a bipartisan committee to redraw the lines, and they wanted the committee in place before the next go-round after the 2010 federal census. But the House State Veterans and Military Affairs committee said there is not enough time to debate the issue.
— The House approved a bill (Senate Bill 180) giving firefighters the right to unionize without having to get local approval. It now goes back to the Senate for consideration of amendments.
— The Senate voted 20-15 to back a measure (Senate Bill 296) that would allow authorities to pull over people of not wearing seat belts and write them a $75 ticket. The bill now goes to the House, which killed the last two attempts to change the bill.
— The Senate voted 25-10 to back a sentencing reform measure (Senate Bill 286) that was watered down in the face of opposition from prosecutors and Gov. Bill Ritter. Democrats originally tried to enact changes in sentencing laws to allow first time, nonviolent offenders to avoid jail time, but prosecutors and Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said the changes to the complex criminal code would end up affecting violent criminals too.
Backers agreed to allow the state’s criminal justice commission to study the issue instead. The bill orders the commission to come up with a plan for tackling the issue by Nov. 30 and then make specific recommendations to lawmakers by Feb. 1, 2010, which may allow lawmakers to introduce another bill next year.
— The Senate voted 34-1 to pass a proposal (Senate Bill 85) to set up a volunteer task force to study how to get rid of the business personal property tax and find a way to make up for the lost revenue. Sen. Mark Scheffel had hoped to pass a 40-year phase-out of the tax but agreed to turn it into a study bill when it became clear it was headed for defeat.
— Alec Greven, the 9-year-old author of “How to Talk to Girls,” was honored by the Senate during a visit to the chamber.
