Following the November 2 election, Colorado is truly a purple state. Republicans now control the Colorado House with a 33-32 majority*, won three of the statewide races and two Congressional races. Democrats were able to keep control of the Colorado Senate, the Governor’s office as well as the U.S. Senate.
Author Archive
12 May
Legislative Briefs…
Floating Bill Sinks A conference committee that was convened to work out differences between two versions of the controversial Right-to-Trespass (HB 1188 – Right-to-Float) legislation was unable to find compromise and the committee was discontinued. Rep. Kathleen Curry (I-Gunnison) made a motion to support a version of the bill that was slightly modified from the [...]
5 May
Legislative Briefs…
One Week Left There is one week left in the 2010 legislative session and Colorado Farm Bureau is busy wrapping up work on various bills still moving through the system. A brief summery of the remaining bills can be found below. HB 1429 – Legislative Review of Tax Benefits, was defeated on the House floor [...]
23 Apr
Legislative Briefs…
Rafting Bill Still Alive The Colorado House of Representatives voted today to send the controversial right-to-trespass bill, HB 1188, to conference committee. Representative Kathleen Curry, the House sponsor of the measure, did not support the Senate version of the bill which directed the Colorado Water Congress to facilitate a study regarding the issue and to report [...]
1 Apr
Budget Debate Closes Capitol
The 2010-11 State Budget was debated in the House of Representatives this week. Due to the severe economic downturn and significantly decreased state revenues, the conversation was bleak. After just a couple of hours of debate, the House voted cut their losses and instead of attempting to approve a balanced budget, they voted to close [...]
1 Apr
Legislative Briefs…
Budget Debate Clears House – The Colorado House of Representatives debated and approved the 2010-11 State Budget (HB10-1376) this week. There was little controversy during the debate of the $18.2 billion budget. The most recent revenue forecast indicated that the General Fund Revenues would increase by $389.4 million, giving a little more breathing room for [...]
29 Mar
Budget Debate Begins
The 2010 Long Bill (HB 10-1376) has been introduced. The March 2010 forecast indicates that General Fund revenues will increase by $389.4 million (5.8%) for fiscal year 2010-11. General Fund appropriations subject to the statutory limit for fiscal year 2010-11 total $6,938.6 million. This is a 4.6% ($308.3 million) increase. In addition to the Long [...]
20 Mar
Legislative Calendar
Monday – March 22 HB 1101 – Farm Truck Registration (Senate State Affairs – 1:30 p.m.) Tuesday – March 23 HB 1361 – Habitat Stamp Program Enhancement (House State Affairs – 1:30 p.m.) Wednesday – March 24 DOW Briefing on Habitat Stamp Program Pursuant to SB09-235 (Joint Ag Committee – 7:30 a.m.) SB 139 – [...]
20 Mar
State Revenues Bouncing Back?
For the first time in recent memory, the economic forecast that was released today had a more positive story to tell. Due to corporate and individual income tax collections that came in higher than expected, the state budget is approximately $35.1 million ahead of where the General Assembly had originally planned for. Governor Ritter’s economic [...]
20 Mar
HB 1188 Amended to a Study
Today, the controversial right-to-trespass bill, HB 1188, was amended to become a study by the Colorado Water Congress. Senator Al White ran the amendment, which recognizes the need to study and potentially clarify the existing law concerning civil and criminal trespass by boaters on rivers and streams flowing through private property in Colorado. The CWC [...]
16 Mar
HB 1188 Passes on to Full Senate
After more than 7 hours of public testimony and debate, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted to send the controversial Right to Trespass bill, HB 1188, to the Senate Floor on a party line vote. Amendment language was added to the bill that broadened the language to include all boaters, not just commercial outfitters. The amendment [...]
11 Mar
Legislative Briefs…
House gives final approval to SB 52 The Colorado House of Representatives approved a bill aimed at providing certainty for water wells pumping in designated ground water basins. CFB supported SB 52, which was sponsored by Senator Greg Brophy and Representative Kathleen Curry. The bill clarifies legislative intent of the 1965 Ground Water Management Act [...]
7 Mar
Legislative Briefs…
SB 165 moves quickly through legislative process. SB 165 specifies that no water well permit will be required for the use of nontributary/non-CBM water produced from oil & gas wells if that water is being used by oil & gas operators within the geologic basin where the groundwater is removed to facilitate or permit the [...]
25 Feb
Legislative Briefs…
Ag Land Valuation Bill Amended….Legislation that created a 13-member land assessment and classification task force for the purpose of studying the assessment and classification of agricultural land was heavily amended in the House State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee on Tuesday. HB 1293 now simply creates a “task force” that will be made up of [...]
13 Feb
Legislative Briefs…Week In Review
CFB Opposed Water Bills Are Tabled – Two water bills that Farm Bureau opposed were pulled off the table by sponsor Sen. Mary Hodge (D-Brighton) on Thursday. SB 67 aimed to exempt some public school wells from having to augment their water usage. FB policy supports the prior appropriations doctrine and as concerned with the [...]
11 Feb
Legislative Briefs…
Right to Float Goes to the Floor, Tax Bills Pass, and Wind Bill Becomes a Study… HB 1188 – “Clarify River Outfitter Navigation Right”, Introduced by Rep. Kathleen Curry, (I – Gunnison), passed the House Judiciary Committee on Monday, Feb. 8, after a solid six hour hearing. The Colorado Farm Bureau is vigorously opposed to [...]
10 Jul
SB-24 Rulemaking Update
The Colorado Wildlife Commission met on July 9 to finalize the rules for the implementation to the game damage regulations stemming from the passage of SB09-24. The Commission voted unanimously to approve the draft regulation changes proposed by staff that included changing the access fee provision from $100 to $500 and the statutory provisions regarding [...]
Shawn Martini
Chad Vorthmann
Rachel Vermillion
Garin Vorthmann
Crystal Korrey
Troy B
El Sagehorn
Brent Boydston
