Rep. McNulty: Union Comes to Collect

New Propaganda Puts Spotlight on Union Demands for Higher Pay and Benefits

State Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, today issued a sharp rebuke to a new missive issued by Colorado WINS, the union that bargains for Colorado state employees.

“We are in the midst of a recession and facing a massive state budget shortfall and the union is blind to it as they continue to push their Chicago-style politics,” McNulty said. “As a former civil servant myself, I know that our state employees take pride in what they do for our state, and while union bosses are busy whining and issuing politicized reports, Colorado’s state employees are going above and beyond to serve their fellow Coloradans, and I thank them for that. The real issue here is that Gov. Ritter set the stage for increased labor tensions when he granted union bosses access to state government.”

McNulty is referring to an executive order signed by Gov. Bill Ritter that granted unions access to state government employees. Touted by Ritter as an efficiency measure, Republicans at the time warned that the move would eventually result in increased costs to Colorado taxpayers.

“Colorado taxpayers are already paying the bill for increased bureaucracy in the form of higher fees and taxes and car registration fees,” McNulty said. “Now we can thank our governor for an impending union-taxpayer showdown that threatens to hurt state employees and put state services at risk.”

According to a report in the Denver Business Journal, last June, Colorado state employee union officials went before the Joint Budget Committee asking the committee members to boost wages and benefits for state employees by eliminating important economic development measures the state offers.

“It has been my experience that Colorado state employees will do whatever it takes to get the job done,” McNulty said. “Unfortunately, union bosses have placed them in a bad situation.”

Rep. May Statement on Ritter Announcement

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today issued the following statement in response to Governor Bill Ritter’s announcement of his “jobs plan”:

“As we continue to grapple with the continued effects of a struggling economy, a focus on jobs is absolutely essential.

“I would suggest that if Gov. Ritter wants to get Coloradans back to work, he repeal his onerous tax and fee increases, scale back his damaging oil and gas rules, and rethink the way government does business.

“Unfortunately, the governor seems to be more focused on job training programs than proposals to get Coloradans back to work.

“It is time to take a new approach to solve our long-term problems.”

Charter School Victory Lauded

State Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, today praised a bipartisan vote to prevent an audit singling out Colorado’s charter schools. The Legislative Audit Committee voted yesterday against the proposed audit, which Republican lawmakers called a punitive overreaction to the failings of one charter school. The measure failed on a five to two vote.

“Colorado’s charter schools continue to provide an excellent educational opportunity for our children,” Rep. Lambert said. “I applaud the Audit Committee’s decision to reject Rep. Merrifield’s (D-Colorado Springs) proposal in his continued attempts to discredit these particular institutions.”

State Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud, who is serving as a temporary member on the Legislative Audit Committee this week, echoed Lambert’s statement.

“This request was way over the top,” he said. “It was a misguided attempt to unfairly target and discredit Colorado's charter schools and deprive parents of their right to public school choice.”

Both legislators say Colorado charter schools have been successful in educating Colorado students and providing educational opportunities to underprivileged children.

May Statement on Latest Round of Budget Cuts

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today issued the following statement in response to Governor Bill Ritter’s latest budget balancing plan:

“As we continue to grapple with measures to balance the budget, I believe that we should use this situation as an opportunity to examine meaningful government reform as opposed to using one time gimmicks and budget balancing tricks.

“I was disappointed to see that many of the governor’s proposals merely delay the inevitable.

“It is time to take a new approach to solving our long term problems.

“We invite the governor to work with us in a true bipartisan fashion to reform government.”

Lambert Questions New Government Hiring on Eve of Furlough Day

State Rep. Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs, today decried the Governor’s Energy Office for advertising three new job postings on their Web site while state employees face another unpaid day off.
“I find it difficult to understand why the governor would be advertising for new government jobs while state government is facing across the board budget cuts,” Lambert said. “Now is not the time to be expanding government.”

The job advertisements in question are for positions within the Governor’s Energy office. After reviewing the job postings, Lambert questioned why state government would be furloughing existing employees and hiring new state employees simultaneously.

“I have to question the logic behind adding five more highly paid government bureaucrats with lavish benefit packages while we are furloughing state employees,” Lambert said. “It seems that the so-called hiring freeze is now officially dead.”

Lambert also points to other recent media reports citing wasteful spending at the Department of Education and a scathing audit of the CollegeInvest program as evidence that state government needs to rein in spending and control costs.

“It is shameful that the governor is still expanding pet government projects while he unilaterally cuts several days of pay from existing state employees, proposes more cuts to the homestead property tax exemption for senior citizens, and cuts fire and police protection in casino communities,” Lambert said. “It is time we reexamine government priorities and set things straight.”

The job announcements can be found online at Colorado Governor's Energy Office Web site.

Rep. Murray Appointed to SIPA Board of Directors

State Rep. Carole Murray, R-Castle Rock, today announced that she has been appointed to serve on the Colorado Statewide Internet Portal Authority (SIPA) Board of Directors.

Murray will serve as the member of the Colorado House of Representatives on the SIPA Board of Directors. As a member of the board, Murray will work with other board members to oversee the maintenance and development of the Colorado.gov Web site.

“Every day, more and more Coloradans are interacting with their state government through the Web,” Murray said. “That is why it is important to deliver state government information and services as efficiently and user friendly as possible.”

The 13-member SIPA Board of Directors is consists of representatives from both the private and public sector. Created by the state Legislature in 2004, the SIPA Board of Directors is tasked with using the latest in technological and business solutions to deliver the best possible state government experience for Web users.

“Colorado citizens expect their government to deliver as many services as possible via the internet and I hope to be able to facilitate movement in that direction, not only for state government, but for local jurisdictions as well,” Murray said. “For example, the Douglas County School District uses SIPA as their fee payment engine, used by Douglas County parents every day. Any local jurisdiction may use SIPA to handle their local contact with citizens.”

When Murray was Douglas County Clerk and Recorder, she was instrumental in crafting a bill enabling electronic real estate recordings, which now makes Colorado one of the leading states to allow e-recordings.

Murray, who was recommended to serve on the board by House Republican Leader Mike may, R-Parker, was appointed by House Speaker Terrance Carroll, D-Denver. She will begin serving as a member of the SIPA Board of Directors immediately.

Tipton and King say New DNA Collection Law will Save Lives

Colorado today joins a growing list of states across the country that has implemented Katie’s Law.

Taking effect today in Colorado, Katie’s Law will institute the collection of certain DNA information from people who are arrested on felony charges.

Bill sponsors, Rep. Scott Tipton, R-Cortez, and Rep. Steve King, R-Grand Junction, says that this new law will protect the public by clearing more open and cold cases than any other single piece of legislation in Colorado history. “DNA collection provides law enforcement with a powerful tool that they can use to positively identify suspects,” Tipton said. "DNA is the best evidence and I am excited that this law is going to save lives.”

Katie’s Law is named for murder victim Katie Sepich. New Mexico State University graduate student Katie Sepich was 22 when she was raped and murdered in 2003. Since then, Katie’s mother, Jayann Sepich, has advocated for stronger DNA collection across the U.S.
DNA evidence from the case was recovered from under her fingernails. Her killer was later arrested for burglary in another case. Only after his conviction was his DNA collected and a match made in the Sepich murder.

“Collection of DNA evidence is a scientific tool for justice,” King said. “This is an important step toward not only convicting those who are guilty, but freeing the innocents who have been wrongly accused.” The new law also contains provisions for the expunging of DNA records and destruction of the DNA evidence if a defendant is not convicted of a felony.

Rep. McNulty Earns Spirit of Independence Award

The Independent Bankers of Colorado Presents Representative Frank McNulty
With the Spirit of Independence Award

Vail, CO- The Independent Bankers of Colorado (IBC) awarded Representative Frank McNulty with its 2009 Spirit of Independence Award in Vail Colorado, during the annual membership convention.

The IBC’s Spirit of Independence Award acknowledges lawmakers who stand firm in support of what they believe, often in the face of intense pressure from opposing interest groups and partisan politics. Recipients of this award have a pulse on what is important to their constituents when negotiating key pieces of legislation and work to protect Coloradans.

Representative Frank McNulty serves House District 43, consisting primarily of the Highlands Ranch community. Representative McNulty works for a balanced, secure and responsible energy future that includes traditional, alternative, and renewable sources of energy.

He champions limited government, responsible water policies, and a budget that reflects Colorado’s diverse resources and economic sectors. “Representative McNulty has been a friend to independent community banks since joining the House of Representative in 2006,” said Barbara Walker, Executive Director of the Independent Bankers of Colorado. “He has been a dedicated supporter of the communities we serve, especially small businesses.”

This year, Representative McNulty sponsored key legislation supported by the IBC that establishes the Colorado Division of Housing as the official state foreclosure reporting entity. He led the opposition to the expansion of the Governor’s Energy Office ability to make direct consumer, small business and agricultural loans that undermine the ability of independent community banks and other private lenders to engage in traditional public private partnerships to multiply government funds and projects that support effective and sustainable local economic development.

The Independent Bankers of Colorado represent over 110 community banks doing business in over 500 locations throughout Colorado. The IBC believes in the enhancement and promotion of strong community banks and Main Street prosperity. It is the IBC mission to serve and promote local communities, small businesses, and family farm and ranches throughout Colorado.

House Gop Leader Mike May Monthly Newsletter

Interested Coloradans:

Even though the legislature has been out of session since May, there has been no lack of activity at the capitol.

This summer there are numerous committees meeting to study issues such as school finance, health care and long term fiscal stability for the state. There are also many discussions on the state’s current budget situation because of a recent economic forecast that shows the state has spent more money than it will collect.

Budget Blues
You may be surprised to hear the state is facing financial struggles, especially in light of recent news.

The governor last month created a new $150,000 position within his office; the Democrat Senate President handed out $40,000 worth of bonuses to his staff; and the state employees’ union asked for benefit and pay increases. The state also added 1400 employees to the state bureaucracy this year and is still advertising job positions for custodial services, landscaping and dining services.

However, the latest economic forecast predicts that at the rate the state is collecting and spending money, by this time next year it will have committed to spend $870 million more than it will collect.

Fortunately, here in Colorado we are constitutionally required to balance the state’s budget each year. We also have the Taxpayers’ Bill of Rights, which has kept spending relatively low in Colorado compared to other states like California. TABOR also prevents the legislature from raising taxes to fill the budget hole, unless the voters give their permission first.

Unfortunately, there are a number of accounting gimmicks and fee-raising options that the legislature has at its disposal. When the governor acknowledges the state’s financial struggles, this is his preferred method of addressing them. At first, he claimed Colorado would be largely immune from the recession. Then, when reality set in, he approved more than $1 billion worth of fee increases to cover the state’s budget gap, costing the average Colorado family more than an additional $800 after just one legislative session.

Last week, however, the governor announced that he was going to work with his departments to cut up to 10 percent of their budgets. That’s good news because the sooner we stop spending money we don’t have, the quicker we will recover from this downturn.

If the governor follows through with his commitment, it is unlikely the legislature will need to return for a special session over the summer.

FASTER Fury
Many Coloradans have understandably been unhappy to find out that the cost to register their vehicles could be four times higher this year than it was last year.

Gov. Ritter this session passed a bill he dubbed FASTER to raise the fines and fees associated with vehicle registration in order to fund transportation priorities. However, the governor also passed a bill later in the year that siphons money away from transportation. He did both despite opposition from Republicans and the motoring public. Now, Coloradans will be paying more and getting far less than they should for it.

The late fines went into effect in March and the fees just went into effect yesterday.

The pressure from the public has been so intense that Gov. Ritter has indicated he may take a look at changing portions of the bill next year. Please help us get these excessive fines and fees repealed by calling the governor at 303-866-2471 or e-mailing him here. You can also e-mail me your stories if you would like them to be shared on our web siteand with my legislative colleagues during the debate next year.

New Laws From A-Z
In addition to the FASTER fees, numerous other laws also went into effect yesterday. There’s everything from allowing insurance discounts for wellness, which I supported, to zapping a long-standing state spending limit, which I opposed.

Some of the new laws I supported:
HB 1012 – Allows insurance companies to provide incentives for participation in wellness and prevention programs.
HB 1081 – Increases the statute of limitations to allow for more time to investigate vehicular homicides.
HB 1109 – Extends foreclosure protection to more struggling homeowners.
HB 1132 – Updates state law protecting children from Internet luring, indecent material, and sexual exploitation to include the use of text messaging and instant messaging.
HB 1163 – Increases penalties for possessing child pornography, requires registration for convicted predators who move to Colorado from another state, and clarifies child abuse law by allowing out-of-state offenses to count as aggravating offenses in Colorado.
SB 80 – Creates a pilot program to allow for the limited collection of rainwater from qualified rooftops.
SB 241 – Based on Katie's Law, moves Colorado toward the increased use of DNA to prevent already-identified suspects from slipping unnoticed through the system if they are arrested on charges for another crime.
HB 1326 – Reforms the initiative petition process.

Some of the laws I opposed:
SB 228 – Repeals a long-standing state spending limit and the long-term transportation and capital construction funding tied to that limit.
HB 1260 – Authorizes two adults who are not married to enter into a designated beneficiary agreement and be the beneficiary of one another.
HB 1293 – Implements a new fee on hospitals.
SB 68 – Imposes a new $20 fee on marriage licenses and $10 fee on divorce proceeding papers.

Other Announcements
Yesterday, the Highlands Ranch Veterans Monument was dedicated in Civic Green Park, near the entrance to the Highlands Ranch Library. The memorial will help us honor and remember the sacrifices of friends and family members in our community and the service they have given our country in the pursuit of freedom.

We should also celebrate freedom this weekend on Independence Day. In downtown Parker, the “Let Freedom Sing” event will feature the Red White and Brew MusicFest on Saturday, July 4, from 2 to 10 p.m. The fireworks display will begin at dusk. Click here for more information.

There are plenty of other local events as well for the 4^th of July. Lone Tree’s celebration will include the annual Firecracker 5K Run, the community parade and plenty of other entertainment before the fireworks display begins. For more information on that celebration, click here.

Lone Tree will be hosting a summer concert series with more family fun on July 25, in Sweetwater Park. Details are here.

The Douglas County Fair and Rodeo will begin on August 1 at the Douglas County Fair Grounds. Details will begin appearing here as we get closer to August.

Mike May
mike.may.house@state.co.us
303-866-5523

Session Marked by Partisanship and Race to Expand Government

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today summed up the 2009 legislative session by saying that the Legislature and the Ritter Administration have failed to meet their responsibilities to manage the government.

“It is astonishing that Democrats have found ways to expand government bureaucracy even in the midst of a recession,” May said. “The mismanagement of Colorado’s state government that we have seen from this governor has reached new heights.”

Republican lawmakers have been critical of the many Democrat backed proposals to raise fees, expand government bureaucracy, and push through their social agenda. May says these Democrat initiatives are going to hit Coloradans hard.

“The real story about this session is that Colorado families are going to see a major increase in their cost of living in the form of increased fees and taxes,” May said. “Pair that with the Democrats race to shut down the energy industry and embolden labor unions and we have a recipe for continued job losses.”

May is referring to Governor Ritter’s push to approve new rules on Colorado’s oil and gas industry, rules that many industry leaders say will lead to a drop in energy industry activity in the state.

“Where has the governor been on leading this state out of the recession?” May said. “The lack of leadership from the first floor of the capitol has set the second floor adrift. If we are going to get Colorado back on track, we are going to have to do a lot better.”

Many Republicans could not remember a session as marked by partisanship. As examples, they cited partisan gridlock on transportation, the removal of a key government spending cap and a Democrat push to expand their social agenda.

“Republicans went into this session hoping to work on getting Colorado out of this recession, what we got was exactly the opposite,” May said. “It was discouraging to see the Democrats raise taxes and fees this year by close to $1 billion dollars, even as families struggle to make ends meet in a shrinking job market.”

Republican Leader Chides Raid on Transportation Funding

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today had sharp words to say regarding a Democrat proposal to remove a key state spending restraint.

Passed by the House today on Second Reading, Senate Bill 228 would repeal the Arveschoug-Bird provision, which limits growth in the state's general fund to 6 percent a year. Billed by the governor and Democrats as a transportation funding bill, House Republicans proved that the bill would do nothing to fund transportation by passing an amendment to shift the included transportation dollars to education.

“It is extremely disingenuous for the Democrats to remove this spending cap under the guise of creating transportation funding,” May said. “We proved today just how easy it is to siphon those so-called transportation dollars right out of the bill and put them wherever you want.”

Republicans argued against removing the spending cap saying it places an important check on the growth of state government and preserves a guaranteed revenue stream for transportation funding. Currently, all revenue collected above the limit is dedicated to transportation. Republicans have called the bill a raid on transportation dollars because it would effectively remove dedicated funding to roads and bridges.

“This unique spending cap has served Colorado well for many years,” May said. “The important limit it places on the growth of government bureaucracy has left us in much better shape than some of our neighbors to the east and west that are being ravaged by the recession.”

May argued that there is no guarantee of transportation funding within the complicated spending formula being backed by the governor. He also noted that the complicated formulas within the bill are nothing more than a series of earmarks.

“I made the point during the debate on this bill that it is chock full of special interest earmarks,” May said. “This so-called compromise being backed by the governor is full of problems for Colorado.”

Republicans counter that this change needs to be sent to a vote of the people and granted constitutional protection from legislative raids on the transportation funding and cash reserves.

“We worry that future legislatures are going to treat this money like a piggy bank they can use for their pet projects,” May said. “This proposal is the classic bait and switch. I am only hopeful that we can get some kind of guarantee that this money will not be spent foolishly.”

Democrats Push Through Tax Hike on Senior Citizens; Republicans Object

Amid GOP objections, House Democrats today granted final approval to a bill that would leave less money in senior citizens’ pockets.

Assistant Republican Leader David Balmer, R-Centennial, led the fight against the measure.

“Our state budget should not be balanced on the backs of senior citizens who are struggling to survive on fixed incomes,” Balmer said. “Senior citizens living on fixed incomes are already going to be hit hard with higher car registration fees, and now they will have to absorb higher property taxes as well.”

The proposal, Senate Bill 276, would suspend the senior homestead property tax exemption for three years, effectively increasing taxes on over 154,000 senior citizens throughout Colorado.

“In 2007 and 2008, House Republicans repeatedly warned Governor Ritter to scale back state spending to prepare for the looming recession,” Balmer said. “Instead, he ignored our warnings and grew government by adding over 1300 new state jobs. Now, Governor Ritter is asking senior citizens to bear the cost of his excessive spending.”

Passed in 2000 by Colorado voters, the exemption offers qualified citizens a 50 percent exemption on the first $200,000 of value of eligible homes. If this exemption is set aside, many senior citizens will see a dramatic increase in their property tax bills.

“While going door to door in my district, I have listened to thousands of seniors explain to me the challenges they confront in this economy,” Balmer said. “Many of Colorado’s senior citizens are living on tight budgets, and use this extra money to buy their medication and pay their bills.”

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, contends that there are other options that would not hit Colorado’s seniors. May argued for a 2 year suspension of theColorado Conservation Easement program that allows land owners to agree to conserve land in exchange for a tax credit. An estimate by legislative staff shows that the state could collect $98 million a year by suspending the program.

“It is crazy that Colorado’s seniors will be hit with higher property taxes while a few wealthy individuals and corporations are enjoying this special earmark program,” May said. “There is just not enough development going on right now to justify this program.”

Keeping Criminals Out of School Employment

State Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, today will present his proposal, House Bill 1324, that would prevent the employment of non-licensed persons, such as youth sport coaches, and with certain enumerated criminal offenses to be employed in public and district school systems.

“This would ensure further safety of our children when they are participating in extracurricular activities,” McNulty stated. “It is a mandatory disqualification for licensed educator’s who have been convicted to be employed, shouldn’t the same requirements be applied to the people coaching our children’s sports teams."

Most recently a local sports coach was arrested for the possession, cultivation and distribution of marijuana. School official’s were aware of the prior offenses but could hire the man due to current law that says teaching licenses are only declined to felons whose crimes are violent, sexual or dishonest in nature, drug and other charges do not apply, this also does not apply to hiring to non-teaching positions. House Bill 1324 would mandate these requirements.

“State law ought not to allow school districts to hire convicted felons to positions where they are in constant contact with kids,” McNulty says. “At the very least, the law needs to be broadened to include felony drug crimes. Greeley West High has fired Arnold Martinez, and they maintain that hiring felony applicants is extremely rare, and is “not typical” for the district to hire someone with a felony conviction.”

Republicans Oppose Job-Killing Oil and Gas Regulations

Rep. Bob Gardner, R-Colorado Springs, today led the fight against new regulations on Colorado’s energy industry by the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission; regulations many believe are stifling the industry and destroying jobs in Colorado.

“Governor Ritter, through his support of these restrictive rules on Colorado’s energy industry, is driving jobs out of the state,” Gardner said. “He has urged job retention as a part of his economic strategy, yet his administration has written job-killing rules for the oil and gas industry.”

Gardner spoke out against the rules during the hearing on the annual rule review bill, House Bill 1292, by the Joint Committee on Legal Services. Gardner cited recent news reports that up to 50 percent of the state’s oil rigs are currently sitting idle and jobs are being lost at an alarming rate.

“Now is simply not the time to pass regulations that will drive up costs and dampen this industry's to bring more jobs to the state, particularly as energy companies are cutting back across the country”, Gardner said. “I am extremely disappointed that Gov. Ritter has chosen to place the agenda of environmental extremists and his government bureaucrats above the livelihood of the many Coloradans who are employed by the energy sector.”

The amendments which would have repealed the most damaging of the regulations were defeated on a party-line vote. The bill will now head to the full House for consideration. Gardner said that he expects a very spirited debate concerning the regulations on the House floor.

“If this Legislature is serious about protecting Colorado’s economy and keeping jobs in the state, they will stand up to the governor on these job-cutting rules and speak out against their damaging impact on our economy,” Gardner said.

HB 1292 is expected to be heard by the House on Thursday, March 12.

Committee Dems Reject Tax Credit for Home Buyers

State Rep. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, today fought to ease the financial burden for new homebuyers by proposing a tax credit for buyers of new single-family homes. House Finance Committee Democrats killed the proposal on a party-line vote

“The root of our current economic crisis falls flat on the fact that people are no longer purchasing homes,” Liston said. “By providing this incentive for new home buyers, we could start getting this market moving again and put these people back to work.:

Liston’s House Bill 1212 would have allowed buyers of new single-family homes to receive a tax credit of 3 percent of the purchase price, up to a maximum of $10,000.

“This was a solid job creation bill that could have gone a long way toward getting Colorado’s economy back on solid footing,” Liston said. “We need to be looking at every way we can to get the housing market moving again. This proposal would have provided a great incentive for people to go out and buy a home.”

HB 1212 had garnered a unanimous recommendation by the Joint Select Committee on Job Creation and Economic Growth.

"Potential new home buyers are sitting on their cash, afraid to make that investment,” Liston said. “My bill would have given that potential homebuyer an incentive to engage a homebuilder in constructing a new home, getting those people back to work.”

Liston says that the construction of new homes provides well-paying jobs for carpenters, electricians, plumbers, designers, and many others. “These are high-paying jobs,” Liston said. “Some of these jobs pay upwards of $100,000.”

“This was a modest proposal to get our economy moving again,” Liston said. “I am sorry that the Democrats sitting on the House Finance Committee disagreed. Hopefully we can move beyond these partisan votes and work together to get the economy back on track.”

HB 1212 was killed today on a party line vote in the House Finance Committee.

Accurate Reporting of Foreclosure Data

The House Local Government Committee, today, unanimously approved House Bill 1197 proposed by Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, that is designed to ensure accurate reporting of foreclosure data in the State of Colorado.

“With Colorado already fighting an economic head-wind we need to do our best to ensure that key economic indicators, like foreclosure data, are reported as fairly and accurately as possible,” said Rep. McNulty. “HB 1197 is an important step toward standardizing these critical numbers.”

House Bill 1197 identifies the foreclosure information that provides the most accurate numbers, and sets the Colorado Division of Housing as the official agency to report foreclosure data for Colorado.

“This common sense reform will help remove one more speed bump we would otherwise face on the road to economic recovery,” said Rep. Cheri Gerou, R-Evergreen. “Simply reporting accurate numbers puts Colorado in a better position.”

Concerns have been raised that foreclosure numbers for Colorado are inflated related to other states that have already implemented standardized reporting procedures. This over reporting puts Colorado at a significant disadvantage when national numbers are analyzed and compared, and has a negative effect on home values in our state.

“This bill is extremely important so we can have an accurate and official report on foreclosures in Colorado,” said Sunny Banka, a Realtor who testified in support of the bill on behalf of the Colorado Association of Realtors. “HB 1197 will help prohibit the inflated numbers reported by third party companies.”

HB 1197 will now go to the full House for consideration.

In-State Tuition for Military Veterans Clears First Legislative Hurdle

State Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, is celebrating success today with the passage of his proposal to expand access to higher education for honorably discharged veterans and their families was unanimously approved by a House Committee.

“Granting in-state tuition to the men and women who have served our nation in the armed forces is one small way to show our gratitude for their service and sacrifice,” McNulty said. “I am pleased that my colleagues saw the wisdom of providing this assistance to deserving Americans.”

House Bill 1039 would allow colleges to grant honorably discharged veterans and their families eligibility for in-state tuition at state universities when they make their home in Colorado.

“Extending this opportunity will benefit our veterans and their families by helping them begin their new lives in Colorado and will no doubt ease their transition to the private sector,” McNulty said. “I’m convinced that Colorado will benefit greatly by inviting our veterans here and they will make our state an even better place to live, work, and raise a family.”

HB 1039 today was unanimously approved by the HouseState, Veterans, and Military Affairs Committee and will now go to the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.

Session Marked by Partisanship and Race to Expand Government

House Republican Leader Mike May, R-Parker, today summed up the 2009 legislative session by saying that the Legislature and the Ritter Administration have failed to meet their responsibilities to manage the government.  
“It is astonishing that Democrats have found ways to expand government bureaucracy even in the midst of a recession,” May said. “The mismanagement of Colorado’s state government that we have seen from this governor has reached new heights.”
Republican lawmakers have been critical of the many Democrat backed proposals to raise fees, expand government bureaucracy, and push through their social agenda. May says these Democrat initiatives are going to hit Coloradans hard.
“The real story about this session is that Colorado families are going to see a major increase in their cost of living in the form of increased fees and taxes,” May said. “Pair that with the Democrats race to shut down the energy industry and embolden labor unions and we have a recipe for continued job losses.”
May is referring to Governor Ritter’s push to approve new rules on Colorado’s oil and gas industry, rules that many industry leaders say will lead to a drop in energy industry activity in the state.
“Where has the governor been on leading this state out of the recession?” May said. “The lack of leadership from the first floor of the capitol has set the second floor adrift. If we are going to get Colorado back on track, we are going to have to do a lot better.”
Many Republicans could not remember a session as marked by partisanship. As examples, they cited partisan gridlock on transportation, the removal of a key government spending cap and a Democrat push to expand their social agenda.
“Republicans went into this session hoping to work on getting Colorado out of this recession, what we got was exactly the opposite,” May said. “It was discouraging to see the Democrats raise taxes and fees this year by close to $1 billion dollars, even as families struggle to make ends meet in a shrinking job market.”