The political posturing on a spending bill for the Colorado Department of Public Safety continues to churn through the General Assembly.
House Democrats delayed taking action on the bill Friday, a move that sparked a blast from Republicans who are trying to reclaim the political high ground .
“I cannot think of any legitimate reason why House Democrats would delay final consideration of this important supplemental funding bill,” said House Minority Leader Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland. “The fiscal year is almost two-thirds over and each day House Democrats delay the approval of this important public safety funding bill denies justice for crime victims in Colorado and ignores our responsibility as legislators to protect the public safety and welfare of the people of Colorado.”
The bill includes more than $2 million in supplemental spending authority for the department but now sits in limbo after the Senate refused to negotiate with the House on a divisive amendment to better fund background checks on concealed carry gun permits, opting not to go to a conference committee on the measure.
It spurred complaints from critics about delaying money earmarked for testing evidence in rape and drunk driving cases, as well as child abuse investigations.
House Speaker Pro Tem Dan Pabon, a Denver Democrat, called the Senate GOP move the equivalent of saying “we’ll take our toys and leave the sandbox.”
But in an interview earlier this week, Pabon held out hope for an alternative path — such as moving the amendment concerning the background checks to a separate bill. The move would allow the Senate’s version of the spending legislation to win approval but may leave Democrats uncertain as to whether Republicans would just block the separate bill.
Either way, the political pressuring from both sides is expected to continue.
