Late-fee bill.
Once again Republicans are attempting to roll back late fees for Coloradans who are tardy when it comes to registering their cars.
“It is one of the most egregious fees,” said Sen. Tim Neville, R-Littleton. “A fee is supposed to be a charge to cover the cost of handling something. There really is no cost to the government here.”
He and his son, rookie Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock, are sponsoring Senate Bill 18 to , which starts at $25 a month and is capped at $100. It’s the first bill from the . (“He’s the good one,” father joked about his son.)
The bill is scheduled to be heard by the Senate Transportation Committee when it meets at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
The late fee was part of a larger Democratic transportation bill dubbed FASTER that was passed by the 2009 legislature. FASTER raised the first new money for transportation in 18 years. Previously, the late fee was $10 and some county clerks, including those in Jefferson and Weld counties, chose not to impose it. when they were hit with late fees, and Republicans have tried to curtail or eliminate them ever since.
The problem is the late fee has been an unexpected financial boon for transportation, which is why some lawmakers have opposed ending it. If the Neville-Neville bill passed, the state would collect almost $18 million less for transportation in the first full fiscal year, . Of that, counties would lose out on almost $4 million because counties get to keep $10 of each late fee transaction to cover costs.
The bill likely will pass the Republican-controlled Senate, but it’s fate is unknown when it hits the Democratic-controlled House. Democrats have only a three-seat majority, and Rep. Neville is optimistic he can pull off a vote or two to help protect “the little guy.”
