Highlights from the Legislature on Monday:
— Gov. Bill Ritter signed a measure (House Bill 1049) that gives terminated motor vehicle dealers the right to be adequately compensated for its investment should a motor vehicle manufacturer decide to re-establish the same line-make of automobiles in the same market-area after terminating a dealer.
— A bill requiring Colorado utilities to use more renewable energy, including smaller-scale solar projects, is now law. Gov. Bill Ritter signed it (House Bill 1001) at a solar installation company based in Denver. Utilities must now get 20 percent of their power from renewable sources by 2020. The bill increases that to 30 percent over the same time, a standard just below California’s 33 percent requirement. Most other states with renewable energy standards are in the 20 percent range.
— The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill (House Bill 1365) that would require Xcel Energy to reduce emissions from its coal-fired power plants, giving priority to replacing them with cleaner gas-powered plants. The bill is aimed at preventing the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from imposing emission rules of its own to bring the Front Range into compliance with federal clean air standards.
— The House Judiciary Committee wants to bar Colorado communities from banning the use of medical marijuana. The committee approved a bill (House Bill 1284) that instead allows communities to license and zone medical marijuana providers. The bill now goes to the House Appropriations Committee.
— The Colorado Senate passed a weakened version of a measure (House Bill 1188) that originally would have guaranteed rafters the right to float the state’s rivers. Fishermen and property owners objected and the Senate amended the bill to study the issue instead. It will now be considered by the House, which passed the original version of the bill.
