Hudak’s Senate Notes – 1st half of March 2009

Month: 
March
Year: 
2009

MARCH MADNESS!

 

March began with what was basically a filibuster that kept the State Senate in session on Monday, March 2, until 2:30 a.m. for the 2nd Reading of SB 228 (see below). I’m not positive, but this might be a first for the Colorado General Assembly. The rest of the first two weeks of March were filled with lengthy committee meetings and the passage of many bills.

 

KEY ACTIONS (the most important things that have happened in the Legislature recently):

  • SB 228 – See the Issues page on my website for a description of the bill and the late-night filibuster. The bill has since passed the Senate and is off to the House.

  • SB 108, FASTER (Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery) – The bill passed the House and was signed into law by the Governor.

  • HB 1272 – IMPLEMENTATION OF AMENDMENT 50 – This bill implements the ballot initiative passed in November 2008 by establishing how the money that comes in from the expansion of limited gaming in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek will be allocated for community colleges. The most important aspect of the bill is the formula for determining how much gaming money can be attributed to the extension of hours that casinos are open and to the increase in betting limits. After much discussion and compromise in the House, the bill came to the Senate saying that any gaming revenue above the amount that came in last year, minus a 3% growth rate, will be distributed in the percentages required by Amendment 50. Senator Heath tried unsuccessfully to change the base to be an average of two years, since last year was the lowest for revenue from gaming in the last decade. The way the base is set also determines how much money goes to the Historic Fund, a provision set in law back when the ballot issue allowing limited gaming was originally passed. The lower the base, the more money that goes to the community colleges; the higher the base, the more money that goes for historic preservation. This is why the bill has been so controversial.  The Senate made a few technical amendments, and the House agreed to them, so the bill is off to the Governor.

  • SB 241 – DNA TESTING FOR FELONY ARRESTEES – This bill is known as “Katie’s Law” for the young woman from New Mexico who was raped and murdered several years ago. Because DNA evidence was available on Katie’s killer, her parents have been working to have states pass laws allowing DNA profiles to be entered into the national database so her killer can be found. Many law enforcement officials testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee in favor of this law, because DNA evidence can be helpful in solving many crimes. The bill passed the committee on a 6:1 vote and is awaiting a hearing in the Appropriations Committee.

 

TOWN HALL MEETING:

My next town hall meeting will be on Saturday, April 18, 10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m., at the Standley Lake Library. (Please note that this is a different location from the last town hall meeting.) Come and spend some time with your Senator!

 

MY BILLS:

As mentioned in previous editions of Hudak’s Senate Notes, I am the prime sponsor of four bills; this is their status:

  • SB 38 – Clarification of Judicial Fees – Passed the Senate; awaiting 2nd Reading in the House.

  • SB 90 – Parent Involvement in Education – Passed the Senate Education Committee; scheduled for the Senate Appropriations Committee on Friday, March 20.

  • SB 160 – Alternative Teacher Programs & Licensure – Passed the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee.

  • SB 163 – Education Accountability System – Passed the Senate Education Committee; awaiting a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

 

I am the Senate sponsor on six House bills; this is their status:

  • HB 1072 (with Rep. Middleton) – Library Districts – Passed the House and the Senate; awaiting the Governor’s action.

  • HB 1116 (with Rep. Frangas) – Children’s Dental Program Moneys – Passed the House and the Senate Health and Human Services Committee; awaiting a hearing in the Senate Appropriations Committee.

  • HB 1125 (with Rep. Merrifield) – Limit Incentives for School Attendance – Passed the House and the Senate; awaiting House consideration of concurrence.

  • HB 1227 (with Rep. Frangas) – Neighborhood Equity Skimming and Nuisances – Passed the House with the “nuisances” portion removed; passed the Senate Judiciary Committee and 2nd Reading.

  • HB 1264 (with Rep. Benefield) – Higher Education Costs for State Inmates – Passed the House; awaiting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on March 19.

  • HB 1296 (with Rep. Green), Extension for Reading Assistance Grant Program – Passed the House; awaiting a hearing in the Senate Education Committee on March 25.

 

It is worthy of note that I am sponsoring what are probably the longest and shortest bills of the year: SB 163, which will be about 130 pages with the amendments added in the Senate Education Committee, and HB 1296, which is one sentence long.

 

HUDAK’S COMMENTARY ON BILL ACTION:

See the “Issues” page on my website for my commentary on some bills that are noteworthy, either because of their content or because of what happened with them as they have gone through the legislative process.