Colorado Farm Bureau has announced the recipients of its 2010 Pinnacle Award. This is the highest award given recognizing one Republican and one Democrat from both the House and Senate for their support on legislation that was vital to the agriculture community, overall commitment to Colorado Agriculture, and their willingness to advocate on behalf of [...]
Archive for the ‘2010 State Session’ Category
18 Jun
State Update…
2010 Colorado Legislation As we have passed the 30 day mark following the close of the 2010 Colorado General Assembly Session. All legislation has had to clear the Governor’s desk. Since the legislature adjourned on Wednesday, May 12 (the last day possible under the constitutionally mandated 120 day limit), Governor Ritter had until last Friday, [...]
15 Jun
Compromise Reached on Rafting Proposals
An agreement has been reached today between commercial rafting outfitters and private property owners along the Taylor River. The compromise clears the way for sponsors of 24 competing ballot measures to withdraw their respective proposals from the November ballot, averting an expensive and divisive election fight. Both parties have reached a settlement privately, avoiding possible [...]
27 May
2010 Colorado Legislative Session Comes to an End
The 2nd Legislative Session of the 67th General Assembly adjourned late Wednesday night, May 12th, finishing a few hours before the midnight deadline, but clearly not days early as they had hoped. The total number of ‘introduced’ bills this session was 649 (that does not include any Resolutions). In the end, it is expected that [...]
14 May
Jackson-Shaw Grants Taylor River Rafting Companies Permission To Float
Jackson-Shaw, owner of the Wilder on the Taylor fishing reserve, announced today that it is granting the two Taylor River rafting companies, Three Rivers Outfitting and Scenic River Tours, permission to float through its property this summer. Conflicts between fishermen and commercial rafting on the Taylor River gave rise earlier this year to Colorado House [...]
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 [...]
11 May
Ritter Vetoes Farm Plate Bill
Yesterday Governor Ritter vetoed his first bill of the 2010 session. The bill, HB 1101 “Concerning the registration of a vehicle used for agricultural production” offered by Rep. Baumgardner (R- Hot Sulphur Springs), would have prohibited issuers of farm truck license plates from requiring registrants to show proof of eligibility for those agricultural license plates. [...]
6 May
*UPDATE* Legislative Briefs…
*Update* Today (May 6th) the Senate Ag Committee unanimously killed HB1407. Colorado Farm Bureau was the only group to testify in opposition to the measure in the Ag Committee. CFB along with the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association were the only two groups to oppose the measure. Proposed Creation of a Range Worker Advisory Council Rep. Daniel [...]
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 [...]
28 Apr
“Son of Ref. O” Resolution Proposed
Senate Concurrent Resolution – 003 (“Ballot Initiatives to Amend Constitution”) was recently brought forward to the legislature by Sens. Tapia and White and Rep. Court. The measure is being coined as the “Son of Referendum O” (from the 2008 General Election), which was a measure to reform the ballot initiative process. Colorado Farm Bureau actively worked [...]
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 [...]
9 Apr
News Roundup- HB 1188
This week, the Wall Street Journal took a look at HB 1188 and lawmakers held firm despite allegations of extortion attempts by rafting interests. Critics question rafter’s motives after land, money talk Denver Post, Jessica Fender Landowners have questioned the motives of a river rafter at the heart of a legislative fight over access to [...]
9 Apr
Farm Bureau Talks HB 1188 on Rocky Mountain PBS
On Wednesday evening, Colorado Farm Bureau EVP Troy Bredenkamp and Terry Fankhauser of the Colorado Cattlemen’s Assn. appeared on the PBS show Studio 12, to talk about the Right to Trespass bill.
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 [...]
30 Mar
Fought by DOW, Habitat Stamp Bill Lost in House Committee
In 2009, SB 09-235 was passed to reauthorize the Habitat Stamp Program. It required an ongoing dialog between stakeholders to focus on finding solutions to outstanding issues of concern. These stakeholders, including the largest sportsmen organizations and the Sportsmen’s Advisory Group (SAG), sat down and discussed how to make the Habitat Stamp Program work 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 [...]
29 Mar
Groups File River Initiatives
As the debate on the Senate version of HB 1188 heats up in the media, John Leede and Charles Thrailkill, members of the Creekside Coalition, filed 20 ballot measures, limiting the use of rivers or targeting rafters with strict liability provisions. Rafting interests filed 4 of their own initiatives. They say they filed their ballot [...]
22 Mar
News Round-up: HB 1188
Rafting bill hits rough water GJ Sentinel – The Daily Sentinel The Colorado Senate did the prudent thing Friday and halted a rafting-rights bill that had been sailing through the … Raft bill sinks in legislature Grand Junction Sentinel - Charles Ashby – Not only would river rafting outfitters have earned the right to float through [...]
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 [...]
19 Mar
HB 1188 Passes with Amendments
The ‘Right to Trespass’ bill passed the full Senate today on an amendment that directs the Colorado water Congress to study the issue. The amendment states that the State “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 [...]
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 [...]
15 Mar
HB 1188 Hearing
Colorado Farm Bureau members filing into the Old Supreme Court chambers to oppose HB 1188.
12 Mar
ALERT: Senators, Vote NO on HB 1188
We have been notified that HB 1188 the ‘Right to Trespass’ bill’s hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee has been switched to this coming MONDAY, MARCH 15 at 1:30PM. Please plan to be in Denver if possible to attend the committee hearing in person. We need all hands on deck for this measure if we have any hope [...]
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 [...]
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