Author: Dean Toda

Driving into town on Monday for a bill-signing ceremony, Gov. Bill Ritter passed a sign that says, “Why Does Ritter Hate El Paso Cty?” That’s the message. The sign along Interstate 25, near the exit to the empty industrial plants of Garden of the Gods Road, gives no phone number or Web site, no clue…

DENVER • The contrast was striking. When legislative Republicans held their wrap-up discussion of the 2009 regular session, the event consisted of the Senate and House minority leaders crammed into a Capitol office with a gaggle of reporters. The mood was glum, as the two politicians, Sen. Josh Penry of Grand Junction and Rep. Mike…

DENVER • Supporters of the Army’s efforts to expand the Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site launched a campaign Tuesday to persuade Gov. Bill Ritter to veto a measure intended to make expansion impractical. And they have found a new ally: former Congressman Scott McInnis, who used to represent many of the ranchers who oppose the expansion.…

DENVER – A bill to repeal the death penalty in Colorado landed on death row Monday after the State Senate voted to gut the measure.The Senate’s action set up a possible confrontation with the House, which had approved the repeal. But any long-shot negotiations to bridge the chasm between the two houses face a deadline…

DENVER – Gov. Bill Ritter signed the 2009-10 state budget into law on Friday after months of wrangling in the legislature about how to trim the state’s spending to match a recession-induced decline in revenues. Ritter exercised his line-item veto authority on only five items, most notably a provision that allowed the state’s public colleges…

DENVER – A bill to abolish the death penalty in Colorado advanced Wednesday when the state Senate’s State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee approved it on a 3-2 vote. By abolishing the death penalty, HB1274 would save an estimated $1 million a year, mostly by ending death-penalty prosecutions. Because the money saved would be transferred…

DENVER • The state House of Representatives gave final approval Tuesday to a bill extending health insurance and other benefits to the same-sex partners of state employees. A 34-30 vote on SB88 sent the measure to the desk of Gov. Bill Ritter. If he signs it, a state employee can get benefits for a same-sex…

DENVER • Approving a fundamental change in the way Colorado’s government operates, the state House on Tuesday approved a bill lifting a cap on the growth of state spending and ending a variety of state spending formulas. The 35-29 vote sent Senate Bill 228 back to the Senate, which approved the measure earlier in the…

DENVER • A bill to phase out a tax on the property used to do business in Colorado apparently died Monday in the state Senate. The business personal property tax is collected each year on all manner of business equipment, from laptops to forklifts. SB085, sponsored by Sen. Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, sought to phase out…

DENVER • A bill to phase out a tax on the property used to do business in Colorado apparently died Monday in the state Senate. The business personal property tax is collected each year on all manner of business equipment, from laptops to forklifts. SB085, sponsored by Sen. Mark Scheffel, R-Parker, sought to phase out…