Not a peep was said Friday when the Senate “debated” a prostitution solicitation bill.
The lack of discussion surprised Sen. Brandon Shaffer, the sponsor of Senate Bill 85, and others following the bill.
The only dissent came afterward when Senate Majority Leader John Morse objected to people calling it the “John” or the “Johns” bill.
“It’s the Fred bill,” the Colorado Springs Democrat joked.
Shaffer, the Senate president and a Longmont Democrat, said he doesn’t know why there wasn’t any discussion before tentative approval was given.
During the committee hearing, he accepted an amendment from Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, concerning a range of fines and perhaps that quelled concerns, he said.
The bill passed out of committee unanimously, but even in those cases there usually are questions and comments during the floor debate.
“We’ll see what happens with the final vote,” Shaffer said.
That could be as early as Monday.
Under SB 85, anyone convicted of soliciting, patronizing or arranging for a meeting with a prostitute faces fines of $5,000 to $10,000, but first-time offenders could be allowed to take an awareness course.
The penalty now is a $1,000 fine and up to a year in jail, though sentences are often much lower.
Lynn Bartels: 303-954-5327 or lbartels@denverpost.com
