Highlights from the Colorado Legislature on Monday:
— A House committee rejected a proposal for more oversight of gas-drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing.
— Mandatory 30-minutes of physical activity per day for elementary school children was approved by the House Education Committee.
— A specialty plate saying “Protect Our Rivers” was rejected by a House committee because the money would have benefitted the conservation group Trout Unlimited.
— The Senate voted 24-9 to confirm Dr. Chris Urbina to lead the Department of Public Health and the Environment and Chief Medical Officer. Nine Republicans voted against the appointment because they questioned Urbina’s thoughts on global warming.
— The House voted to require private landowners to reimburse counties for pest-control services the counties perform on their land, and to cap the annual amounts counties may spend on rodent control.
New bills:
— Shifts several state funds to help balance the budget, including $15 million from the local government mineral impact
fund (Senate Bill 164). A previous bill sponsored by Republicans (Senate Bill 35) would do just the opposite, prohibiting those uses.
— Ends the sharing of tobacco taxes with local governments to balance the budget (Senate Bill 162).
— Adds the bingo-like game “keno” to the state lottery (House Bill 1243).
— Changes the Public Utilities Commission so that members have term limits and face retention votes (House Bill 1222).
— Ensures funding for “Smart Start” school breakfast subsidies (House Bill 1227).
— Requires a refundable bottle deposit (House Bill 1247).
