Highlights from the Colorado Legislature on Friday:
— A proposal to make it harder to change the Colorado Constitution cleared its second big test when the House signed off on Senate Concurrent Resolution 1..The two chambers will have to rectify differences before sending the measure to Gov. John Hickenlooper.
— Hickenlooper announced he’s ready to start the most important part of his job—signing bills into law. The governor scheduled a bill-signing ceremony for Tuesday but didn’t say what he planned to sign; only non-controversial measures have cleared the Legislature so far.
— Lawmakers heard grim projections from University of Denver economists enlisted to review the state’s tax structure. The economists predicted that the state’s spending on K-12 education and Medicaid will gobble up its entire budget in coming years if tax law isn’t changed.
— The Senate gave preliminary approval to a measure banning the sometimes-dangerous use of “prone restraint,” in which a person is held facedown, at state institutions including prisons. Senate Bill 49 faces one more vote before heading to the House.
— The House voted to require death certificates to list whether the deceased was pregnant within 12 months preceding death (House Bill 1183).
— The Senate gave preliminary approval to a measure aimed at clarifying rights for children in foster care (Senate Bill 120).
— The Senate delayed action on a bill to require lengthy security advisories at public buildings that use security scanners such as metal detectors (Senate Bill 55).
New bills:
— Revises sentencing guidelines for people convicted of traffic offenses related to drugs or alcohol (House Bill 1268).
— Makes it easier to reduce fees set specifically in statute without changing the law (House Bill 1269).
