DENVER – Gov. John Hickenlooper ended the legislative session with only a handful of controversial bills, thanks to a split Legislature in which radical legislation simply did not advance.
“They proved that having a split Legislature doesn’t mean you have a divided Colorado,” the governor said Thursday, a day after the session ended.
But some of those collaborative efforts will require the Democrat to make tough decisions. Here’s an overview of what he faces:
A stop light?
The governor will have to grapple with two bills that aim at limiting the use of red-light cameras and photo radar by local jurisdictions.
Hickenlooper stopped short of saying that he would veto those bills, but he maintained his public concerns with the legislation, leading many to believe that vetoes are likely.
“Who likes photo radar?” asked the governor, acknowledging widespread displeasure with the technology and adding that he himself was frustrated once to receive that particular brand of ticket.
But the governor quickly followed by asking, “Is it part of our safety net?”
Budget reform
Hickenlooper’s presence at the Capitol this year signaled that his priority is budget reform.
Late in the legislative session, Hickenlooper asked lawmakers to take on an enormous challenge of solving what he calls a “fiscal thicket,” resulting from conflicting constitutional mandates that tie the hands of government. He asked lawmakers to restructure a hospital fee to exempt it from revenue that goes toward taxpayer refunds.
The fund is expected to grow past $689 million annually, but if it’s restructured, that money could be spent on critical needs such as education and transportation, which may be seriously constrained in the years ahead.
Unfortunately for Hickenlooper, lawmakers were unable to advance the proposal quickly, though they expect the discussion to continue next year.
“Our citizens want us to take a good look at how we can invest in Colorado now that the economy is booming here for some,” said House Speaker Dickey Lee Hullinghorst, D-Boulder.
Republicans, however, have a different take.
“The ones that are complaining the most about the hospital-provider fee and everything else in the budget are the ones that prioritize the budget that we live under,” said Senate President Bill Cadman, R-Colorado Springs. “Isn’t that strange?”
Will student testing receive a passing grade?
Earlier in the session, Hickenlooper put emphasis on student testing. He warned lawmakers not to pass sweeping reductions. His notice seemed to resonate, causing lawmakers to compromise on a bill that likely will earn his signature.
But some were angry with Hickenlooper, as Rep. Patrick Neville, R-Castle Rock, highlighted, stating, “I was not elected to beg for table scraps from the governor’s office.”
Hickenlooper responded, “I was not elected to throw any scraps anywhere ... What we delivered to parents was a pretty well-cooked meal.”
Agenda reflections
Hickenlooper also thanked lawmakers for backing a felony DUI penalty and setting aside money to implement modest recommendations from a task force he convened on oil and gas issues.
The governor, however, was disappointed to see bills fail that would have limited construction-defect lawsuits and provide state support for a contraception program that offers intrauterine devices to low-income women.
“When you’re talking about 600 bills, there’s many of those that the governor has a major priority in, and a lot that they don’t,” Cadman said. “Every year, there’s an ebb and flow.”