DENVER—Your weekly look at what’s coming up at the Colorado Legislature:
BIGGEST GUN OF ALL
Colorado lawmakers thought it was a big deal when Vice President Joe Biden personally phoned a few to lobby for passage of several gun control measures. That kind of attention pales in comparison to this week’s highlight—a Colorado visit by President Barack Obama to tout the new measures signed into law March 20.
THE CHECKBOOK’S STILL OPEN
The $20.5 billion budget has cleared the Senate. Now it’s the House’s turn to go through the appropriately dubbed “Long Bill.” The general fund that lawmakers control has been growing and is now at $8.3 billion, allowing for more funding for schools, colleges and construction projects.
JOINT’S STILL ROLLIN’
A House-Senate combination committee looking at marijuana regulation, a no-pun joint committee was scheduled to complete work last week. But thorny pot regulations have proven tougher than lawmakers thought. The committee has extended its work and meets again Monday.
HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL
Democratic Sen. Irene Aguilar has an idea to create a state-run universal health care system. The proposal is something of a long shot—it would require new payroll taxes and an income tax hike. The proposal is up for its first review Thursday in the Health & Human Services Committee, which is helmed by Aguilar herself.
COLLEGE CLOSE TO HOME
A bill to allow community colleges to grant more four-year degrees faces a test Monday in the House Education Committee. The bill has already cleared the Senate, despite some suspicion there needs to be additional review before community colleges expand too far into the business of giving bachelor’s degrees.
