DENVER Senators moved quickly Tuesday to correct a legal problem with campaign finance laws that are threatening to overwhelm them with paperwork.
A bill by Sen. Ellen Roberts, R-Durango, is on track to be the first piece of legislation that passes this year. Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins, is also a sponsor of Senate Bill 14. The Senate passed it 35-0 Wednesday.
But one Republican senator protested against the message that the Senate would be sending by passing a piece of legislation that benefits politicians as its first bill.
SB 14 corrects a problem the Legislature set up last year when it moved up Colorados primary elections but failed to change the campaign finance reporting schedule. Campaigns have to file more frequent reports in the weeks leading up to an election.
Secretary of State Scott Gessler saw the conflict and attempted to eliminate extra reports before primary elections. But legislators slapped down that idea, so Gessler adopted a rule that would require all campaigns to report their fundraising every two weeks starting late this month.
Legislators, including Roberts, accused Gessler of retaliating against them last month when he added the paperwork burden.
SB 14 moves the biweekly reporting schedule back to the first week in May, about two months before the June primary election.
The legislative branch has an obligation to fix those errors that we make, Roberts said.
But Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, wanted to delay SB 14 so it would not be the first bill to pass in 2012.
I think that sends the wrong message to the people of Colorado, Brophy said. The red tape that were going to cut benefits only politicians.
Lawmakers, especially Republicans and Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, have pledged to cut regulations that they say get in the way of business.
Seven Republicans agreed with Brophy not nearly enough to delay the bill. It now goes to the House.