Assembly Glance

COMING SOON

After weeks of work, two Democrats and two Republicans introduced a bill Wednesday to allow Secretary of State Mike Coffman to speed up retesting and recertification of 53 counties’ voting machines that he decertified last month. House Bill 1155 also prohibits Coffman from relaxing existing standards for use of the machines.

The measure will be heard this morning by the House State, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee.

LOCAL ANGLE

As expected, Rep. Debbie Stafford, D-Aurora, has introduced a bill that would require licensing of morticians and would set minimum hours of training that must be completed before someone can work as a funeral director, embalmer or creationist. It also allows the state to punish members of those professions for unprofessional acts.

Stafford was working on the bill before Colorado Springs funeral home owner Neva Nolan pleaded guilty in November to abuse of a corpse, but she said she intends to use Nolan as a prime example of why this law is needed.

KEEPING TRACK OF WATER

More than three-quarters of El Paso County residents who use well water for their homes are in violation of the law.

That was what Rep. Marsha Looper, R-Calhan, told the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee on Wednesday when she introduced a bill that would require property buyers to inform the state when they had acquired a well.

A 1995 law says anyone who buys land that includes a residential well must register the purchase with the Division of Water Resources or face a $2,500 fine. Looper’s bill would require real estate agents and title companies to tell property buyers about the required paperwork, which doesn’t cost a dime to file.

“The state just wants accurate records so we can notify people if there is a pending determination of water rights or a pending water quality issue,” Looper said.

ANOTHER ENDORSEMENT

One day after Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, announced he is backing Republican Mitt Romney for president, Rep. Larry Liston, R-Colorado Springs, did the same. Liston said he appreciates the way Romney led Massachusetts as governor and values his experience running businesses.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"We will not have massage police.”

- REP. WES MCKINLEY, D-Walsh, when explaining his bill to govern who can perform massages on animals to the House Agriculture, Livestock and Natural Resources Committee