Author: John Schroyer
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Governor: Springs not getting its share of young people
Colorado Springs should focus on attracting more young people if it wants its economy to grow. That was the first of several suggestions offered by Gov. John Hickenlooper during an interview Thursday with The Gazette editorial board, when asked how the state could help the Pikes Peak region recover from the recent recession. “If you…
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Tales of triumph, tragedy used to inspire lawmakers
DENVER — The 2013 legislative session opened Wednesday not just with policy statements and goals, but also with a number of personal stories, both of triumph and tragedy. In the state Senate, the newly-anointed President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and Minority Leader Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs, did not identify specific policy issues they plan to…
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Morse, Waller predict legislative fight on gun rights
Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save It looks like there will be a showdown at the state Capitol this year over the Second Amendment. Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and House Minority Leader Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, predicted in back-to-back…
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Morse, Waller predict legislative fight on gun rights
It looks like there will be a showdown at the state Capitol this year over the Second Amendment. Senate President John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, and House Minority Leader Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, predicted in back-to-back interviews with The Gazette editorial board that there will be a political battle over gun regulations. “Absolutely, your gun rights…
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Legislators far from certain on marijuana regulations
Amendment 64 gave state legislators just a few months in 2013 to put together regulations for recreational marijuana businesses. Now, it looks as though a wait for recommendations from a state task force will give lawmakers an even shorter timeline. Many lawmakers — including ones from Colorado Springs — will be waiting until the end…
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Ferrandino says legislative priorities are jobs, education
Number one: Jobs. Number two: Education. Those were the priorities laid out by Speaker-designee of the House Mark Ferrandino during a meeting Thursday with The Gazette editorial board. Ferrandino, a Denver Democrat, is the new leader of the state House of Representatives, which Democrats re-took in the November election. “That’s the number one issue that…
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DeGette introduces bill to ban large assault magazines
A new Democratic move to ban high-capacity clips for assault rifles is being orchestrated by Denver’s U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette, along with New York’s Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy. The bill, introduced Thursday morning, has been dubbed the High Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act. The measure would reinstate a prohibition that expired in 2004 on the sale…
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Lawmakers might give themselves a raise soon
State lawmakers in the General Assembly are paid a $30,000-a-year salary for their service.Some say that modest paycheck is an obstacle to representative democracy.“I’ve personally talked to potential candidates who have decided not to run because of the salary,” said El Paso County Republican Party Chairman Eli Bremer. “You’re really limiting the pool of candidates…
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Legal climbing takes a tough step
Though a pair of Colorado congressmen trumpeted Monday that Congress is helping make the Manitou Incline legal to climb, there are still local hurdles to overcome before fitness enthusiasts can hike the trail without trespassing on private property, said a local activist.The U.S. Senate passed a bill Sunday night from Colorado Democratic U.S. Sen. Michael…
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City defends its panhandling ban in court filing
The city attorney’s office defended Colorado Springs’ new panhandling ban on Thursday in a formal response filed in federal district court, and asked that a lawsuit against the ban be dismissed. The suit to overturn the ban is slated for trial, since federal Judge Marcia Krieger issued a preliminary injunction against it on Dec. 18.…