Colorado hoping to put Legislature on television

DENVER (AP) - The Colorado House of Representatives may join 34 other states that are broadcasting legislative sessions on television.

House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said he is not sure how many people will tune in but he thinks broadcasting the sessions live will help improve decorum. He also said it will help the public understand the Legislature’s role in running state government.

Still to be determined are legal, technical and fiscal issues. Romanoff said it will cost an estimated $30,000 a year to have someone run the cameras.

The sessions also could be archived and put on the Internet to be viewed later, he said.

COMING IN TOMORROW'S GAZETTE

Now that Colorado’s Senior Property Tax Exemption Program has been restored, some people are confusing it with another program to help senior citizens pay their taxes. The reinstated program cuts the property tax bill for a senior citizen by several hundred dollars, while the Elderly Property Tax Deferral Program is a loan from the government to help seniors pay their property taxes. The two programs are unrelated and have very different rules.

As president and founder of Front Range Equine Rescue, Hilary Wood estimates she’s rescued hundreds of horses from abuse or slaughter since opening in 1997. Her organization recently took in 32 horses, the largest group in the company's 10-year history, as part of a deal made after the re-opening of an Illinois slaughterhouse.

With the Environmental Protection Agency releasing new proposed ozone emissions standards Wednesday, Front Range drivers may be facing new emissions testing requirements, even though a long-running emissions testing program just ended.

Services are Tuesday for Margaret Hunt Hill, oldest child of legendary Texas tycoon H.L. Hunt Jr., who with her husband developed the Garden of the Gods Club and Kissing Camels Club, and whose family still owns Seven Falls and the Garden of the Gods visitor center. Hill died last week after a brief illness at her Dallas home.

As more people switch from landlines to cell phones, Colorado Springs police are working to collect those cell phone numbers so they can utilize reverse-911 in cases of emergency in which they need to contact an entire neighborhood.

An impoverished Pennsylvania town is trying to lure USA Cycling away from Colorado Springs by making plans to build a state-of-the-art indoor velodrome. Community leaders and elected officials in Brownsville, a tiny borough 35 miles south of Pittsburgh, have sent letters to USA Cycling, urging the national governing body to relocate.

A climate-controlled, wooden velodrome would be the centerpiece of a $125 million redevelopment project.

Legend has it that touching a pregnant woman's belly brings good luck. But you might need that luck - turns out most pregnant women detest strangers trying to touch them on the tummies.

For breaking news and more, check gazette.com throughout the day.

HAPPENING TONIGHT

-- BEGINNING EXCEL: 7 to 8:30 p.m., Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave. Registration required: 389-8968.

-- “SMOKE AND FIRE” cooking class: 6 p.m., Chefs Catalog, 5070 Centennial Blvd., $60. Registration required: 272-2700.

-- SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA CONCERT: 7:30 p.m., Colorado College, Packard Hall, 5 W. Cache La Poudre St., $15-$20. Tickets available at Worner Campus Center, 902 N. Cascade Ave.; 389-6606 or 389-6607.

SPORTS TONIGHT

In baseball, it’s Boston at Atlanta, 5 p.m., ESPN.

ESPN2 has the College World Series, with the University of California at Irvine vs. Cal State-Fullerton at noon and Arizona State vs. Oregon State at 5 p.m.

In arena football, it’s Chicago at the Crush, 8 p.m., ESPN2.

TELEVISION TONIGHT

"THE CLOSER": Season premiere: Kyra Sedgwick, above, returns for a third season, and she’s fighting crime and budget cuts (7 p.m., TNT).

“EVERYBODY HATES CHRIS”: Repeat: Julius rushes to redeem expiring trading stamps (7 p.m., CW).

“HEARTLAND”: Series premiere: Treat Williams stars as a transplant surgeon who sees dead people (8 p.m., TNT).

“AGE OF LOVE”: Series premiere: Pro tennis star Mark Philippoussis has to choose a love from either a group of 20-somethings or 40-somethings (8 p.m., NBC).

“HELL’S KITCHEN”: Contestants cook for a military contingent (8 p.m., Fox).

“EX-WIVES CLUB”: A divorced woman and cancer survivor gets hug therapy (8 p.m., ABC).

“SIMON SCHAMA’S POWER OF ART”: In an eight-part series, scholar and author Simon Schama profiles the pioneers, troublemakers and visionaries who changed culture on the eightpart series. Tonight: Vincent van Gogh and Pablo Picasso (8 p.m., PBS).

“MAKING THE BAND”: The show returns for a fourth season (8 p.m., MTV).

“HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER”: Repeat: Bob Barker guest stars (8:30 p.m., CBS).

“DATELINE”: An interview with England’s princes-in-waiting (9 p.m., NBC).