Republicans, back in control of the Colorado House after six years out of power, on Wednesday unveiled a slew of legislation reflecting priorities ranging from restoring tax breaks for agriculture and scaling back health care for the poor to subsidizing private school tuition.
As the 2011 legislative session opened Wednesday, Republicans made the biggest splash with their bill filings. Democrats, meanwhile, had not yet filed what are expected to be a number of high-profile bills that could include allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition and establishing civil unions.
Lawmakers filed 95 bills in all Wednesday, and scores more are expected in the next few weeks.
Here are some highlights from legislation filed Wednesday:
House Bill 1048, sponsored by Rep. Spencer Swalm, R-Centennial, and Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud. The bill would create income- tax credits for parents whose children attend private schools or are home-schooled.
House Bill 1025, sponsored by Rep. Janak Joshi, R-Colorado Springs, and Lundberg. The measure would repeal fees imposed on hospitals that allowed for the expansion of eligibility in Medicaid and state children’s health insurance enrollment.
House Bill 1003, sponsored by Rep. Libby Szabo, R-Arvada, and Rep. Ken Summers, R-Lakewood, with no Senate sponsor yet. The bill would require a government-issued photo ID to vote in elections and bar the use of non-photo ID documents such as utility bills and bank statements that now can be used by voters at the polls.
House Bill 1005, sponsored by Rep. Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling, and Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray. The bill would restore a sales-tax exemption for products used in agricultural production ranging from pesticide to bull semen. A Democratic-led legislature last year repealed the tax break over bitter objections from Republican and rural lawmakers.
House Bill 1043, sponsored by Rep. Tom Massey, R-Poncha Springs, and Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver. The legislation attempts to clean up and clarify a bill from 2010 regulating medical marijuana, covering a range of issues from rules governing caregivers and physicians to medical-marijuana manufacturing facilities.
House Bill 1008, sponsored by Rep. Jim Kerr, R-Littleton, and Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango. The measure changes the makeup of the board of the Colorado Public Employees’ Retirement Association, tilting board membership so that a majority of its members are not eligible for PERA.
Senate Bill 1, sponsored by Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, and Senate President Brandon Shaffer, D-Longmont. The legislation creates a “knowledge-based economy fund,” a special pot of money set aside for K-12 schools.
Senate Bill 18, sponsored by Sen. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, and Rep. Chris Holbert, R-Parker. The bill requires people registering to vote to provide proof of citizenship by showing a passport, birth certificate or certain other documents.
House Bill 1052, sponsored by Rep. Dickie Lee Hullinghorst, D-Gunbarrel, and Senate Majority Leader John Morse, D-Colorado Springs. The bill requires that any measure that increases or cuts spending indicate in the state budget where the corresponding amount of money to pay for the cut or spending will come from.
House Bill 1012, sponsored by Rep. Ed Casso, D-Thornton, with no Senate sponsor yet. The bill would allow unaffiliated voters to participate in primary elections.
Tim Hoover: 303-954-1626 or thoover@denverpost.com
