DENVER Citizen campaigns for ballot questions will face stricter scrutiny starting this week.
The official proponents of ballot campaigns will have to publicly disclose how much money they spent gathering petition signatures, with details on how much they paid their petition circulators.
The changes come from House Bill 1072, one of several laws that took effect Wednesday.
The bill was a reaction to 2010 elections, when campaigns by anti-tax activists and bail bondsmen made it through Election Day without disclosing donors.
The law applies to petitions submitted Wednesday and later, so it will exclude several petitions to legalize marijuana and a Democratic senators bid to hike taxes for schools.
Other laws that take effect this week:
Death certificates must include a note if a person was pregnant at the time she died if an autopsy is performed. (HB 1183.)
People convicted of assaulting medical workers will receive the same mandatory enhancements to their prison sentences that currently cover police officers. (HB 1105.)
The state can intercept casino and lottery winnings if the winner owes debts to the state. Gambling winnings can already be intercepted for unpaid child support. The law doesnt apply to Ute casinos in Towaoc and Ignacio. (Senate Bill 51.)
County clerks no longer are able to demand additional proof from farmers or ranchers that their vehicles qualify for farm truck status, beyond a simple form that people sign to affirm that they use their trucks primarily for farming. (HB 1004.)
Reach Joe Hanel at joeh@cortezjournal.com.